The Merits Of A Domestic Appliance Scrappage Scheme

In a recent move to help the environment,comparison to the FY 2007 level. The company
Panasonic Corporation issued its Eco Ideas Reportalready reduced total CO2 emissions by 510,000
2009, a summary of the company'stons by the end of FY 2009. Although production
environmental sustainability management activitiescuts due to demand contraction partly helped, the
in the business year from April 2008 to Marchreduction was achieved mainly through its efforts
2009 (FY 2009).in increasing production efficiency in the
Panasonic has put together an annual report on itsmanufacturing process.
progress of initiatives in environmentalOne example of such efforts is Energy
management since 2005, as the company seeksCompany's plant in Wakayama Prefecture, in
'coexistence with the global environment' as onecentral Japan, which reduced CO2 emissions per
of its business visions. The report, which wasbasic unit of production output by as much as
previously called Environmental Data Book, was46% with an improvement on equipments in the
renamed Eco Ideas Report this year to reflectproduction lines.
the company's commitment to environmentalAnother example of Panasonic's efforts in the Eco
activities which was announced in 2007 and hasIdeas for Manufacturing is its Superior Clean
been implemented in practice since. To make itFactory (Super CF) recognition. Panasonic certifies
easily readable, the report has become thinnerfactories which have achieved top-class
and is restructured with a special opening reportperformance in the reduction of environmental
followed by its endeavors in carrying out theimpact in each country as Superior CFs. In FY
three Eco Ideas for Products, Manufacturing and2009, the company certified a total of 17
Everybody, Everywhere.factories, including Semiconductor Company's plant
Panasonic opened Eco Ideas House in April 2009 inin Tonami City, Japan, as Superior CFs.
Tokyo. Envisioning a green lifestyle with virtuallyPanasonic carried out the Eco Relay campaign in
zero CO2 emissions in three to five years fromOctober 2008 with the aim of making the
now (in the year 201X), Panasonic integrates theemployees' eco-friendly activities visible and
latest technologies enabling to save, create andexpanding them globally. The campaign involved
store energy and Japanese architectural wisdom342 Panasonic offices and factories in 39
to build a comfortable house with the help ofcountries and engaged the employees to
nature such as sunlight and wind. Panasonic willparticipate in eco activities such as tree planting
work to effectively combine these advancedand clean-ups and awareness-raising activities. The
energy technologies shown in the house with itsEco Relay started from a Panasonic employee's
Home Energy Management System (HEMS) assuggestion that won the group-wide Eco Ideas
part of its initiatives to expand its strategicContest.
business, Energy Business.The company also held environmental exhibitions
Panasonic has been promoting the developmentin six cities in Japan, showing its Eco Ideas World,
of products with the industry-leadingan ideal eco-town in a gigantic diorama. The last
energy-efficiency performance in their respectiveleg of the exhibition was held at the New Chitose
product categories. In FY2009, a total of 233Airport Terminal last July, coinciding with the G8
products throughout the world - well in excess ofHokkaido Toyako Summit.
the target of 150 - were certified as suchIn other parts of the world, Panasonic companies
products. Among Panasonic's green products (GP),are promoting Eco Ideas, carrying out activities
the DMR-BW950 Blu-ray Disc recorder obtainedtailored to each region. The following are some
Super GP certification this year as a trend-settingexamples:
product toward a sustainable society with(1) Europe: Panasonic launched its European Eco
significant progress in environmental performance.Project in April 2008 and issued Panasonic Eco
Its stand-by energy consumption was lowered toIdeas Declaration for Europe in October. The
0.1W by approximately 70% reduction incompany introduced energy-efficient white goods
comparison to the previous year's model.and designated the plasma television plant in Plzen,
As a symbolic achievement in FY 2009, PanasonicCzech Republic as an Eco Ideas Factory in June
drastically increased the number of products with2009.
industry-leading energy-efficiency performance(2) China: Panasonic held Panasonic China
outside Japan. In March 2009, Panasonic introducedEnvironmental Forum 2009 in Beijing in May 2009,
its refrigerators and washing machines in Europe.in partnership with the Japan-China Friendship
Notably, the refrigerators are rated A++, theAssociation. The company was able to widely
highest level of energy-efficiency under the EUpublicize its various environmental technologies and
Energy Label.energy-saving know-how in manufacturing, and
Panasonic will continue to make its endeavors todeclared that it would aim to be a model
increase the number of Panasonic products thatcompany in terms of environmental protection.
are ranked as number one in the Energy(3) Asia: Panasonic announced Eco Ideas
Conservation Performance Catalog published byDeclaration for Asia Pacific in June 2009. The
the Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ),declaration involved setting up its goal for reducing
while eliminating those with low energy-efficiency.CO2 emissions in the region and designating Eco
Panasonic has been working hard to reduce CO2Ideas Factories in 3 Asian countries to implement
emissions in its production activities, aiming to cutPanasonic's Eco Ideas.
by 300,000 tons on a global basis by FY 2010, in