Mitsubishi Electric Launches New Environmental Plan

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced that it has launched its ninth three-year environmental plan, which accords with Environmental Vision 2021, a long-term environmental strategy ending in 2021, Mitsubishi Electric’s centenary anniversary. The plan is aligned with five targets out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, including affordable and clean energy (No. 7) and climate action (No. 13).

Mitsubishi Electric has been implementing three-year environmental plans since 1993, aiming to become a global, leading green company. The new plan focuses on achieving targets set out in the Environmental Vision 2021, including reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, resource inputs, etc., from a medium- to long-term perspective based on the Paris Agreement and in view of expected global water shortages in the future.

Greenhouse gas reduction

By the end of the fiscal year in March 2021, Mitsubishi Electric aims to reduce total annual greenhouse gas emissions, including gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur hexafluoride, perfluorocarbon and hydrofluorocarbon, to 1.47 million tons on a carbon-dioxide-equivalent basis. This compares favorably with a benchmark of 2.64 million tons. The benchmark is based on fiscal 1991 carbon dioxide emissions on a nonconsolidated basis; fiscal 2001 carbon dioxide emissions by Japan-based affiliated companies and non-carbon dioxide emissions on both a nonconsolidated basis and by Japan-based affiliated companies; and fiscal 2006 carbon dioxide and non-carbon dioxide emissions by affiliated companies outside Japan. Along with developing a detailed road map for low-carbon societies, Mitsubishi Electric plans to set a science-based target (SBT) and have it validated by the science-based targets initiative (SBTi) team by fiscal 2020. Efforts to improve the energy efficiency of Mitsubishi Electric Group products are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions generated by the use of these products by an average 35 percent.

Recycling

To promote effective use of water, Mitsubishi Electric will continue to control the amount of water used and discharged, as well as reduce total water usage through water saving and recycling, at 80 operating sites in Japan and overseas. The company has set a target of reducing water intensity for total water usage at an annual rate of 1 percent compared with fiscal 2011. In addition, waste-sorting and recycling efforts are aimed at achieving final-waste disposal of less than 0.1 percent at Mitsubishi Electric and Japanese-affiliate sites, and less than 0.5 percent at affiliate-company sites outside Japan. Resource inputs are expected to fall to 40 percent of the fiscal 2001 level through lighter and more compact products.

Preservation of biodiversity

At all manufacturing sites in Japan, Mitsubishi Electric will contribute to the preservation of biodiversity. Ongoing activities include protecting endemic species, controlling non-native species and establishing greenery suited to surrounding ecosystems. All such activities will accord with the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and studies of local fauna to be completed by fiscal 2018. Activities to raise public awareness of nature in Japan, namely the Mitsubishi Electric Outdoor Classroom and the Satoyama Woodland Preservation Project, have the goal of attracting 51,000 cumulative participants, up from 39,000 as of March 2018.

Environmental management

Mitsubishi Electric will reduce the environmental risks of its factories and improve environmental management by enhancing monitoring of environmental laws and regulations, such as European chemical substances regulations, and by developing technologies aligned with regulatory changes at all factories outside Japan.