TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) announced today the immediate issuance of the Mitsubishi Electric Group’s environmental report for fiscal 2011 ending March 31, 2011 at www.MitsubishiElectric.com/company/csr. The report outlines the operations of Mitsubishi Electric and its 167 domestic and overseas affiliates and their efforts to contribute to low-carbon, recycling-oriented societies through group-wide environmental activities.
The report illustrates Mitsubishi Electric’s efforts to become a global, leading green company upon celebrating its 90th anniversary, citing plastic recycling initiatives, third-party evaluation of measures to reduce manufacturing-related CO2 emissions, and technologies designed to conserve water resources at factories. A few of these examples are presented below.
CO2 emissions from manufacturing operations reduced 35,000 tons (exceeded target of 33,000)
The Group’s ongoing three-year Environmental Plan emphasizes upgraded production lines and installation of high-efficiency equipment. The unconsolidated 35,000-ton reduction in CO2 emissions in fiscal 2011 was the combination of a 16,000-ton reduction due to the installation of production monitors to measure energy consumption and a 19,000-ton reduction thanks to new energy-efficient air conditioners and lighting.
This year, Mitsubishi Electric is expecting to achieve a further 34,000-ton reduction for a combined three-year reduction of 103,000 tons, which would surpass the initial target of 95,000 tons.
For the Group, manufacturing-related CO2 emissions last year totaled 966,000 tons, up from 855,000 tons in the previous year due to a rapid increase in the production of mainly air conditioners in China and Thailand. The Group’s longer-term Environmental Vision 2021 has set an ambitious target to reduce these emissions 30 percent by 2021, based on 1991, 2001 and 2006 benchmark years for Mitsubishi Electric, its Japanese affiliates and its overseas affiliates, respectively.
CO2 emissions from 84 eco-products reduced 25 percent on average
In addition to efforts targeting Group production operations, Mitsubishi Electric also is working to reduce CO2 emissions generated by a wide range of targeted end-use products, which were expanded from 70 in the previous year to 84. In fiscal 2011, these 84 products averaged 25 percent fewer emissions compared to figures in the fiscal year ended March 2001.
According to Mitsubishi Electric estimates, CO2 emissions from the final usage of products are 40-50 times greater than the emissions generated to manufacture these products. Considering that greener performance of such products could greatly contribute to low-carbon societies, the Mitsubishi Electric Group had set a target to reduce CO2 emissions from product usage by 30 percent in 2021.
Zero-emissions final waste disposal for 7th straight year unconsolidated and 1st time for Japanese affiliates
Mitsubishi Electric’s unconsolidated final disposal volume in fiscal 2011 was 85,000 tons, producing a rate of 0.002 percent to exceed the initial target of under 0.1 percent. The company now has achieved zero emissions for seven consecutive years, including after tightening the self-imposed standard from 0.5 percent or less to 0.1 percent or less in fiscal 2010. Furthermore, the target was achieved a year earlier than planned.
The rate for all affiliates in Japan was 0.04 percent, which is already lower than the 0.1 percent target set under the Environmental Vision 2021 long-term plan. For affiliates overseas, the 1.76 percent rate beat the Sixth Environmental Plan’s under-3 percent target by a wide margin.
Five nonconsolidated operations and eight consolidated affiliates in the Kanto and Tohoku regions of eastern Japan began a “recycle logistics” initiative to reuse waste taken from nearby locations. This initiative, which began in central Japan’s Kansai region in fiscal 2008 and spread to the southern Japan’s Kyushu region in fiscal 2010, ultimately aims to achieve a zero-emissions final disposal rate. On a worldwide consolidated basis, the Mitsubishi Electric Group intends to achieve a final disposal rate of 0.1 percent or less by 2021.
About Mitsubishi Electric
With 90 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products to both corporate clients and general consumers all over the world, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) is a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment. The company recorded consolidated group sales of 3,645.3 billion yen (US$ 43.9 billion*) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011. For more information visit http://www.MitsubishiElectric.com
*At an exchange rate of 83 yen to the US dollar, the rate given by the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market on March 31, 2011