Panasonic Sets FY 2009 CO2 Emissions Target at 3.87 Million Tons

- Reducing CO2 emissions by 110,000 tons from FY2007 level -



Osaka, Japan - Panasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, announced today the company will speed up its CO2 reduction initiative in FY 2009 ending March, 2009. Through its core initiative of reducing CO2 emissions in production activities, the company had set a goal to decrease its global CO2 output by 300,000 tons from the FY 2007 level in FY 2010. This activity is accelerated in FY 2009 to reach the emissions target of 3.87 million tons, a reduction of 110,000 tons from FY 2007 level.

In October 2007, “Panasonic Eco Ideas Declaration”* was launched. Since then, the company has embraced the reduction of environmental impact in all its business activities and steady growth with profitability as the main priorities of its GP3 mid-term management plan.

Global CO2 emissions in FY 2008 totaled 3.97 million tons - a reduction of 10,000 tons compared to the level in FY 2007 (3.98 million tons). The result in Japan corresponds to a 40% reduction of CO2 emissions per basic unit of production output compared to the FY 1991 level.

This April, Panasonic established the Corporate CO2 Emissions Reduction Promoting Committee to speed up activities in FY 2009. The committee consists of environmental staff members and related departments from group companies that aim to collaborate in achieving corporate targets.

By setting up to 33 specific energy conservation items, the committee promotes and ensures that these CO2 reduction activities are carried out in a measurable manner at all Panasonic factories. At the same time, a corporate database will be maintained to record more than 1,000 methods to reduce CO2.

Using these measures, Panasonic aims to accomplish its FY 2010 CO2 reduction target, and in FY 2011, the goal is to cut emissions back to approximately 3.6 million tons, the figure equivalent to that of FY 2001.

* Panasonic Eco Ideas Declaration:

1) Eco Ideas for Products: Panasonic will deliver energy-efficient products.
2) Eco Ideas for Manufacturing: Panasonic will reduce CO2 emissions.
3) Eco Ideas for Everybody, Everywhere: Panasonic will encourage spreading environmental activities throughout the world.