Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Pursuing the world's lowest level of CO₂ emissions

COP15, which was held at the end of 2009, ended with many of the issues left unsolved. It was a historic event, however, that leaders from 119 countries from the world over assembled in one hall and engaged in heated discussions, and this highlighted again the fact that climate change is a top priority issue in international politics. Many of the leading countries take this subject seriously not simply as an environmental issue but as an effort to find a solution to energy security problems and a part of their economic and industrial policy. A global trend toward a low-carbon society has become a major irreversible current of the times.

In Japan, the cabinet led by the Democratic Party of Japan announced a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% compared to 1990 levels by 2020. As Japan is more enthusiastic about realizing a low-carbon society than other industrialized countries, introducing an emission trading system, environmental tax, and other institutions to cope with climate change is under consideration. Thus there is a growing move to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions as the government strives to realize a low-carbon society.

Toshiba Group is pursuing the world's lowest level of CO₂ emissions by reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible. The Group aims to attain the world's top-level CO₂ emissions per unit sales in all business domains by carrying out plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a group-wide scale without fail.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

From 1995 to 2000, Toshiba Group reduced greenhouse gas emissions to less than one-third of the previous level by energetically taking such measures as the collection and reuse of greenhouse gases other than CO₂, which had been used to insulate heavy electric machinery and produce semiconductors. Following this, however, energy-derived CO₂ emissions have increased due to business expansion centered on semiconductors. In the future, it is expected that greenhouse gas emissions will continue to grow as a result of the construction of new plants in growth areas and other developments. Therefore, Toshiba Group is implementing plans to minimize increases in greenhouse gas emissions to the maximum extent possible, ensure that emissions stop increasing and peak at 70% of the 1990 level or less by FY2012, and then reduce emissions by 10% compared to the FY2012 level by 2025

Due to the effects of changes in the business environment, the reorganization of production bases, the accelerated implementation of energy conservation policy, and other factors, Toshiba Group's greenhouse gas emissions have decreased since FY2007. Such emissions in FY2007, the most recent year when they peaked, were 40% lower than those in FY1990. Toshiba Group expects that in FY2012 greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 25% compared to the previous plan. Thus the Group will continue to work actively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Changes in Toshiba Group's total greenhouse gas emissions*¹

*1

This chart covers manufacturing and sales processes at the production and non-production sites of Toshiba Group companies in Japan and abroad. Figures for the period up to FY2009 indicate actual results, and those for FY2010 onward show planned figures. Planned figures assume that the CO₂ emission coefficient for electricity will fall during the period up to 2025. Greenhouse gases other than CO₂ include methane, nitrous oxide, hydro fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.

*2

Announced in August 2008.