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Global Activities
- FY2010
- FY2009
Toshiba Group is engaged in various environmental communication activities worldwide. We are working to make our environmental initiatives known to a wide range of stakeholders, including communities and schools near Toshiba factories and offices, as well as to customers, students and employees in order for everyone think about environmental problems together.
Global
Toshiba Youth Conference for a Sustainable Future 2010
In August 2010, we held the 3rd Toshiba Youth Conference for a Sustainable Future by the Toshiba International Foundation, an event that gathered teachers and highschool students from Japan, the United States, Thailand, and Poland to discuss environmental issues. Through a multifaceted program involving group discussions, interviews with environmental experts, and tours of Toshiba facilities, we helped to foster youth that will think and act on environmental issues with a global perspective.
The group photo in front of Toshiba Science Museum
A tour of the Toshiba Science Museum
Students from different countries in a discussion
Presentation on the closing day
Carbon Dioxide Reduction / Light-Down Campaign in Japan
We participated in the Black Illumination 2009 campaign (June 21) and the Star Festival Light-Down campaign (July 7) organized by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and turned off all signboard illuminations in offices and towns. Toshiba Group designated the period between June 20 and July 7 as a voluntary campaign period and saved 17,241 kWh of electricity at 70 facilities in Japan and abroad. This amounts to about 4.8 years of electricity consumed by one home.
Signboard illumination on top of the Toshiba Building, Hamamatsu-cho
Earth Hour 2010
Earth Hour 2010 is an international event hosted by the World Wildlife Fund that calls for action against climate change through a global effort to turn off lights at the same time on the same day. Toshiba also took part in the event, turning off signboards at eleven locations: New York, Paris, Warsaw, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tokyo (Toshiba Building, Hamamatsu-cho), and Hiroshima.
Signboard illumination in Hong Kong
Americas
Earth Day in New York
In April 2010, Toshiba America, Inc. participated in an environmental event held in New York to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. We set up a booth in Grand Central Station and exhibited our newest environmentally conscious products, including TVs, notebook PCs, LED lights, and smart grid systems. We also carried out proactive environmental initiatives such as a tree planting event with NY city and Toshiba employees, and recycling events at seven locations within the city.
Recognized as Platinum Member in Texas
Toshiba International Corporation in Houston, Texas, has been working actively to improve the environment for local communities and future generations through reductions of air polluting substances, tree planting, environmental education, and park cleanups. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's Clean Texas program commended these efforts, accepting the company as a platinum member, the highest level for general corporations.
Environmental Education in Brazil
Toshiba Transmission and Distribution Systems Brazil Ltd. conducts a range of environmental activities. One such activity was an environmental education program that taught up to 1,300 teachers, students, and local residents on the importance of environmental protection.
Europe
Toshiba Launched the First Billboard in Europe to Use Solar Energy
In May 2010, we erected a carbon-neutral billboard equipped with photovoltaic generation and LED light sources atop a building situated along the ring road in Paris. During the day, the billboard sells electricity generated by solar panels installed on the building's walls to the power company, and at night it receives a supply of electricity from the power company. This “self-sustaining” advertisement is set up to generate more electricity during the year than it consumes at night.
Offsetting Carbon Emissions with Customers
Toshiba Group in the UK is implementing a scheme to offset CO2 emitted throughout the lifecycle of Toshiba laptop computers, televisions, and multi-function peripherals (MFPs). Through cooperation with carbon offset providers, money donations from customers during purchases is given to programs that invest in afforestation projects in the UK and energy efficiency schemes in Kenya.
China
Awarded for Environmental Leadership in Shenyang City
Toshiba Elevator (Shenyang) Co., Ltd., has been working actively to reduce the environmental impact of its products, help mitigate climate change, and save energy and resources in all of its business processes, and has communicated such initiatives in its Environmental Report. The company received an award as a Shenyang City Environmentally Compliant Model Company for its activities. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and administrative officials have been taking factory tours at the company, now recognized as a city leader for the environment.
Aiming for the Most Environmentally Conscious Factories
Management and employees of Toshiba Information Equipment (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd., manufacturing notebook PCs have been working together in an environmental initiative that utilizes employee creativity and rigorously follows “look, find, show” management, the core principle behind Toshiba's comprehensive environmental audit program. As a result of their work, environmental management improved across the entire factory, and the company received the Economic Development Zone Energy Saving Award from Hangzhou City and the Water- Saving Company Award from Zhejiang Province.
Asia Oceania
Participating in the "WEEE Can Do" project in Thailand
Toshiba Thailand Co., Ltd. is participating in the "WEEE Can Do" project, a campaign sponsored by the Thai government to collect and recycle waste electric and electronic equipment. This project targets mobile phones, printers, multifunctional peripherals, DVD players, game consoles, etc., and similar devices. Collection and recycling will occur from June through December 2011. Toshiba Thailand has installed recycling boxes at its group companies to allow its employees to easily recycle, thereby making a contribution to increase the amount of devices collected and raise employees' environmental awareness.
Opening ceremony held in June 2011
Recycling box
Participating in Earth Run 2010
Toshiba Storage Device (Philippines), Inc. participated in Earth Run 2010, a marathon event held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. 300 Toshiba employees participated by running courses ranging from 3 to 21 kilometers, effectively displaying Toshiba's commitment to solving environmental problems.
Recognition for Outstanding Environmental Management in Thailand
Toshiba Semiconductor (Thailand) Co., Ltd. has been actively providing environmental education to students at its factory in cooperation with government institutions, NGOs, and schools. The effort gained recognition from Thailand's Ministry of Industry for its demonstration of outstanding environmental management.
Japan
Holding a Parent-Child Environmental School
In July 2009, Toshiba exhibited in Asahi Shimbun's “Elementary and Junior High Summer Festival 2009,” an environmental event for children held in Tokyo. We introduced numerous visitors to our environmental technologies, such as power generation equipment and LED illumination, and held a Family Environment School in which parents and their children conducted energy experiments and other hands-on projects designed to develop their understanding of the environment.
Year-round Communication with Local Residents
Toshiba Solutions Corporation annually hosts an Environmental Forum as a way of communicating with local communities and government through environmental activities. The event is sponsored by Fuchu City and invites participation from local residents. Lectures were given by C. W. Nicol in 2006, Ken Noguchi in 2007, Ikuo Nakamura in 2008, and Manabu Miyazaki in 2009. The company also fosters a deeper relationship with local residents year-round by participating in community events such as the Fuchu Environmental Festa.
Lecture with sign language interpretation 
Teaching the importance of wildlife protection
Activities in the Environment Month (June)
During the Environment Month, each site engages in many activities, such as lecture meetings on environment-related issues by famous people, communication about the environment with the local community and tours of environmentally conscious facilities. The Fuchu complex, Toshiba Corp., participates in the Fuchu Environmental Festa every year to show its efforts in terms of environmental conservation by displaying panels and distributing brochures. During the event, the Fuchu complex also distributes leaf molds made from leaves having fallen within the site.
Activities in the 3R Promotion Month (October)
During the 3R Promotion Month, each site engages in various activities, including volunteer activities for waste cleanup, wasterelated facility tours and communication activities with the local community to promote measures and policies for the effective utilization of resources. Though waste cleanup activity is performed regularly at each site, the scope of the activity was expanded to areas around the site in October. We keep our surrounding areas clean out of consideration for visitors.
Activities in the Energy-Saving Month (February)
In the Energy-Saving Month, each site engages in activities to promote energy saving, such as energy-saving patrols and energy consuming facility tours. Yokkaichi Operations, Toshiba Corp. holds a tour of the Kawagoe heat power plant of Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc. Through a lecture on energy saving measures from the energy supplier, the confidential relationship between supplier and consumer can be improved.
Promotion of the Environmental Accounts Campaign
Toshiba Group is participating in the Eco Family campaign of Japans Ministry of the Environment in order to raise environmental awareness among our employees. The number of families with a registered account rose to 38,000 in March 2010.
Number of Registered Accounts from Toshiba Group
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