Monday, 16 June 2008

Toshiba Sets Ambitious New Targets for Carbon Emission Reduction

Toshiba Corporation has announced an ambitious upward revision of its goal for contributing to global carbon dioxide emission reductions that more than doubles its initial target and takes it up to 117.7 million tons a year by 2025.

In the Toshiba Group Environmental Vision 2050, introduced in November 2007, Toshiba set targets for enhancing environmental efficiency and raising overall eco-efficiency by a factor 1 of 10 by FY2050, compared with FY2000, while concurrently working toward contributing to global CO2 emission reductions by supplying more environmentally-friendly energy systems and eco-products that would reduce projected CO2 emissions by the equivalent of
57.6 million tons a year in FY2025.

The Group now intends to achieve total reductions by FY2025 equivalent to 82 million tons a year through its energy systems supply business and equivalent to 35.7 million tons through eco products. The new targets are equivalent to almost twice Tokyo's annual emissions.

According to Toshiba, the upward revision in the energy systems business represents its determination to increase the contribution from its nuclear power business.

The revision also incorporates revised contributions from eco products. Lighting accounts for 16% of the power consumed in homes, a fact underpinning growing demand for eco-friendly fluorescent lamps and LED lamps to replace incandescent lamps.

"Toshiba is a corporate citizen of planet Earth. As such, we are strongly aware of and committed to the need to take positive actions now for the future," said Mr. Atsutoshi Nishida, the President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation.

"We believe that manufacturers should take the lead in promoting measures for protecting and improving the environment, and at Toshiba we do that through a wide range of programs and by setting ourselves demanding targets and working to reach them. We seek to contribute to efficient energy generation and reduced energy consumption with environmentally friendly products."