Panasonic GREEN IMPACT initiative- focus on circular economy security for future generations

“At Panasonic, we are now focused on achieving a global CO2 emission of net-zero by 2030 across the entirety of our business operations. Around the world, it is estimated that more than 1 billion customers using Panasonic products every day create 86 million tons of CO2 emissions based on electricity consumption figures. This amounts to approximately 110 million tons of CO2 emissions across our entire value chain, a number that is equivalent to about 1% of total emissions from global electricity consumption. Thus, it is Panasonic's duty to reduce these emissions as they have an enormous impact on our planet. The GREEN IMPACT policy will make Panasonic better in the coming future and thus help us maintain a more sustainable future for the coming generations,” commented Mr. Hiroyuki Shibutani, Managing Director, PMMAF.

Panasonic factories located in various parts of the world use renewable energy for power, and have energy-efficient fixtures and smart lighting, and HVAC systems. Meanwhile, in the regions such as the middle east, where the brand doesn’t have production facilities, it continues to provide energy-efficient products helping to reduce the impact by Panasonic customers.

“We will continue and expand upon our work to reduce emissions caused due to the use of our products by developing and providing new technologies and solutions to increase efficiency for our customers in the business and government sectors. By strengthening our efforts in these areas, we aim to accelerate society’s transition to clean energy,” Shibutani added.

By 2050, Panasonic Group aims to create impact that reduces CO2 emissions by more than 300 million tons*1, or about 1% of the current total global emissions*2

*1 300 million tons calculated with 2020 emission factors

*2 33.6 billion tons of energy-related CO2 emissions in 2019 (Source: IEA)

In countries around the world, we are now seeing efforts to accelerate the switch to renewable energy in grid power. This has given rise to a movement, including among individual energy consumers, for promoting "electrification" - the process of replacing equipment that burns fossil fuels with electrical equipment - spurring Panasonic Corporation to seize the opportunity to advance its efforts in a range of areas.

Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Critical to the achievement of a carbon neutral society is the popularization of environmentally friendly vehicles. Panasonic is leveraging its battery technology and production know-how cultivated over many years to strengthen its competitiveness (on battery capacity, cost and supply capability) in the development and mass production of lithium-ion battery packs for electric vehicles (EV). Take, for example, the cylindrical, high-capacity 4680 cell set to become the mainstream: while continuing to improve the strengths of its batteries, which include high quality and high safety, Panasonic aims to lead the industry on cost competitiveness through consistent productivity advancements.

Strengthened competitiveness is extremely important to the evolution and spread of electric vehicles. Combined with advancements on the below-mentioned initiatives for reuse and recycling, we will make exhaustive efforts at reducing the environmental burden.

RE100 Solutions is Panasonic's initiative to power energy consumption across its entire operations with 100% renewable energy generated in-house utilizing combined technologies of pure hydrogen fuel cells, solar cells, and storage batteries. A proof-of-concept started in April 2022 at the fuel cell factory in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture. Panasonic plans to cultivate new paths for the expansion of renewables through the full-scale application of hydrogen.

The Panasonic Aquarea hot water heater with built-in heat pump now available on the European market transfers heat captured by a heat pump from ambient air to make hot water with minimal power and with much lower CO2 emissions than conventional heaters powered by fossil fuels. In addition to increased use of power from renewable sources, electrification enables an energy time shift by storing sometimes unreliable renewable power as hot water, thereby limiting the burden on the power grid and contributing to the faster spread of renewables.

Panasonic is working towards reduced CO2 emissions throughout the product lifecycle based on the concept of a circular economy for sustainable growth.

To make the best possible use of resin found in many home appliances, Panasonic is expanding the applications of resin recycled from obsolete home appliances. Panasonic's proprietary technology allows for rapid classification and collection of three types of resin in highly purified form. The resin retrieved through this process is reborn as part of new products. Panasonic is working to develop technologies for the efficient collection and recycling of these kinds of resources, while also minimizing resource investment at the manufacturing stage and improving quality across every process in the resource cycle.

 Panasonic is working to strengthen the competitiveness of its EV lithium-ion battery business which also ties into the realization of a circular society not only through collection and recycling of batteries according to each country and region's regulations, but also through the recovery of losses in the production phase and discontinued products.Working to make products last longer, by developing technologies such as controls on charge/discharge based on the specific characteristics and usage conditions, Panasonic can ensure every battery is used for longer, thereby further advancing its contributions to the achievement of a circular society.

These are just some of Panasonic's wide-reaching initiatives. Panasonic aims to contribute to a carbon neutral future in all facets of society, solving global environmental issues by reducing CO2 emissions from operations and products, offering solutions for operational efficiency, and supplying a range of technologies to harness renewable energy resources.

Essentially, at the root of Panasonic's mission is the concept of achieving a state of well-being - happiness in both body and mind - to pass on to future generations through sustainable management by putting that concept into practice, and Panasonic's Basic Business Philosophy revised last year for the first time in 60 years is simply a code of conduct to that end.