Initiatives for Eco-conscious Products (Green Products)

Based on the product assessment system where the environmental impacts of products and services area assessed from the planning and the design stages, Panasonic Group defines own products and services that achieved high environmental performance as Green Products (GPs).

In the GP accreditation criteria, we assess the performance of our products in terms of prevention of global warming, effective utilization of resources, and management of chemical substances by comparing them not only with our own products but also with competitors' products. Since fiscal 2012, we have conducted various activities to further enhance our accreditation criteria by adding biodiversity and water conservation to existing items. This has in turn enabled the creation of a wider range of GPs. The products and services which have been developed from the conventional superb Green Products*1 starting from fiscal 2014, and which can accelerate the transition to a sustainable society, are newly defined as Strategic GPs.

Among these products, those that particularly create new trends are certified as Super GPs.

*1 Products and services that showed superb environmental performance to products in the same category in the industry.

Green Product Structure

Based on a product assessment system, we accredit our products and services that achieved high environmental performance as Green Products (GPs). We designate products and services that accelerate the transition to a sustainable society as Strategic GPs. Of these products, products that particularly create new consumer trends are certified as Super GPs.

Products Assessment System

Planning stage: target setting. Design stage: interim assessment. Shipment stage: final assessment

*2 Life Cycle Assessment: Method of quantitatively assessing the environmental impact of products at each life cycle stage.

We conduct Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in which the environmental impact of the product is analyzed and assessed in each stage of the product life cycle, i.e. materials, manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal. LCA is a concrete means to reduce environmental impact.

We also conduct carbon footprint (CFP) assessment that is a quantitative analysis and an assessment using conversion of GHG to CO2 emitted in each stage of the product life cycle upon request from our customers, with a aim to lead to prevent global warming.

Initiatives for Eco-conscious Factories (Green Factories)

Panasonic Group We are leading Green Factories (GF) activities in its efforts to cut down the environmental load caused by manufacturing. On the assumption of compliance of laws and regulations in each factory, concretely we formulate a plan to reduce environmental loads in manufacturing activities, such as amounts of CO2 emission, generated wastes and valuables, water consumption, and discharged and transferred chemical substances, conduct Progress management for total reduction amount with basic unit of discharged amount and the like, and improve the activities. Thereby, we intend to achieve reduction of environmental loads and increase of our business at the same time. In fiscal 2011, we started the GF assessment system*3 aiming to further improve GF activities by visualizing the progress status in each factory.

In addition, Panasonic Group shares information on global activities for reducing environmental loads, relevant laws and regulations, and social trends through the Manufacturing Environmental Information Sharing Group.

In Europe, Southeast Asia, China, and Latin America, we hold information exchanges and competitions on best practices by region to reduce environmental impact (presentation of awards for best practices and roll-out of good examples to other regions). By doing so, we promote GF activities suited to the issues in each region to expand and accelerate the activities.

As measures to strengthen the group-wide foundation aiming at improving the structures with energy efficiency, we have developed a BA (Before/After) chart search system to share and spread knowhow across the world on the Internet. With the system, each factory can register and share their best practices concerning managing CO2, waste, chemical substances, water, etc.

In addition to the above, in response to environmental regulations, as a new activity to further ensure regulatory compliance in our sites, particularly those in China and Southeast Asia where we have numerous productions sites, we conduct a Cross-Company Mutual Environmental Audit that is carried out by our factories located in the same region, crossing the operating company's boundary. During pandemic, we were able to reduce risks and improve interactive skills without stopping our activities, combining online meetings considering COVID-19 infectious status in various region. We aim to further enhance the environmental activities by accelerating to carry out the mutual audits worldwide, and encouraging mutual learning among members through ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations, as well as utilizing expertise accumulated in our Group companies.

cross-company compliance assessment (CCCA)

*3 The GF assessment system enables factories to evaluate themselves on a five-point scale across 19 environmental activity items, classified into six basic groups: emissions reduction; environmental performance enhancement; reduction activities; risk reduction; human resource development; and management. Factories then compare their self-assessment results with the results from other factories to obtain a relative assessment to identify issues to be addressed and determine corrective measures. The system was improved in fiscal 2014, in the way that items to assess could be added to the standard 19 items as required by each operating company. For example, a Company may implement tasks concerning compliance with environmental laws and compliance management to strengthen risk management in its factories. Then, in the assessment questionnaire, they can set questions with their own standard values stricter than the legal requirements, for example, for their ventilation systems or other facilities that control air and water quality.