Hitachi's Environmental Vision 2015: 'Emission Neutral'

Hitachi, Ltd. announced a medium-term plan called "Environmental Vision 2015," on March 13, 2006, aiming to develop a corporate community in harmony with the natural environment as well as a recycling-oriented society. To attain the Vision's target, Hitachi also launched a five-year action plan, its "Second Term Environmental Strategy," in April 2006.

The central theme of the medium-term plan is to be "emission neutral" throughout the Hitachi Group by fiscal 2015. The company aims to offset the "direct environmental impacts" (measured by the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by production facilities) by reducing the "environmental impacts of society" (the CO2 emissions of products during their lifecycles) by the same amount. On the one hand, it will limit the direct environmental impacts to about 7 million tons of CO2 a year by the target year. To achieve this, the company plans to reduce emissions from production by approximately 0.9 million tons of CO2 a year by increasing the number of Super Eco-factories (environmentally friendly facilities that promote further energy conservation, reduce chemical emissions and implement advanced resource recycling measures), as well as by taking other actions.

Meanwhile, Hitachi aims to reduce the environmental impacts of society from products by approximately 7 million tons of CO2 a year by fiscal 2015. As part of efforts to achieve this target, the company will reduce the energy use of products as well as develop Super Eco-Products that pay more attention to environmental protection, global warming and recycling. The Hitachi Group thus expects to offset the direct environmental impacts by the reduction in environmental impacts of society, to achieve "emission neutral" status.

http://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/060313.html

Posted: 2006/07/09 12:19:27 AM
Japanese version