by Shane Henson — July 29, 2011—Sony Corporation announced on July 26 that the company has achieved and/or exceeded the majority of the targets set out in its “Green Management 2010” mid-term environmental plan, including an over 30 percent reduction in global CO2 emissions across its business sites compared with fiscal year 2000 levels. Sony’s GM2010 plan, introduced in 2006, aimed to reduce the company’s environmental impact over the five-year period spanning fiscal years 2006 through 2010. The results were confirmed through third-party verification.
According to Sony officials, GM2010 included a series of aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets. Through the implementation of various innovative initiatives designed to achieve these goals, Sony successfully reduced CO2 emissions across its business sites to 1.53 million tons in fiscal year 2010. This represents a reduction of 31 percent compared to fiscal year 2000 levels, far surpassing the original seven percent target specified in the GM2010 plan.
Sony’s initiatives included the use of alternative substances to replace substances with high global warming potential in its manufacturing processes, and the reduction of energy-related CO2 emissions through the installation of advanced energy systems, which have been optimized by Sony’s in-house energy conservation specialists to deliver maximum energy efficiency at Sony offices and manufacturing sites around the world. Sony was also instrumental in the introduction of the Green Power Certification System for renewable energy in Japan, and remains one of its largest users.
In 2010, both Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and Sony Electronics were awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certifications from the U.S. Green Buildings Council for recently completed construction projects. SPE earned its certification for the studio’s Lot and Office Transformation (LOT) Project, which included the construction of two new 100,000-square-foot office buildings and a parking structure located at the heart of the studio’s historic lot in Culver City, California, while Sony Electronics earned its certification for its new U.S. headquarters building in San Diego, California.
