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Purpose and Scope of Verification
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Sony has obtained third-party verification since fiscal 2001 to ensure the credibility of data reported and facilitate the ongoing improvement of its environmental management.
Since fiscal 2003, Sony has sought independent verification from the Bureau Veritas (BV) Group, the external auditing organization for the Sony Group's global environmental management system. In fiscal 2005, Sony asked the BV Group to undertake independent verification of the reliability of data collection and reporting processes, as well as the accuracy and the appropriateness of conclusions drawn from such data, at production sites, non-manufacturing sites, design sites and Sony's headquarters. |
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Independent Verification Report
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Reference View from BV
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BV has verified the environmental data collection activities and environmental activities at the headquarters and at site level. BV has concluded as follows:
1. Site Environmental Impact Information
- The reliability of aggregated data has further improved with more consistent use of spreadsheet software for the collection and aggregation of data at each site.
- The headquarters' management system has been enhanced to function more systematically, although the data aggregation procedure and internal verification method are not consistent and depend on the skill and knowledge of individuals. Further systematization of such procedures and methods would be desirable in order to standardize the data checking process, thereby enabling the early detection of missing and abnormal data.
- It is commendable that Sony has been collecting and processing information from over 200 sites worldwide with an increasingly improved level of data coverage. However, variability in the level of data management has been observed across the sites that have been subject to verification for this reporting cycle. For missing data, appropriate measures have been taken to fill in data gaps and where this is not possible, then to use estimated figures. Further improvement in data collection management and the awareness and understanding of site personnel regarding definition of data items and associated processes would be beneficial, especially for overseas sites.
- The site environmental impact information collection system has been updated to record revision history when input values are changed.
- Errors were identified regarding the classification (such as waste and chemical substances), specific units of aggregation and the manual input of certain data. All such errors were readily corrected.
2. CO2 Emissions
- CO2 emissions from product distribution have been included in calculating the GHG efficiency for the fiscal year 2006. A systematic approach to aggregation of such data would be beneficial.
- For some sites visited during the verification work there was not a full understanding of Sony's data aggregation rules on the calculation of vehicle fuel usage; this knowledge should be consistently implemented across all sites.
- Sony is reporting estimated N2O emissions from the manufacture of semiconductors and liquid crystal displays since this parameter is not included in the overall GHG Calculation Guideline (available for public use). As a leading company with group-wide targets to reduce GHG emissions, Sony should consider promoting accurate calculation of such emissions in advance of other companies.
3. Controlled Chemical Substances
- Classification of controlled chemical substances has been changed in response to newly reported information on controlled hazardous substances, such as dimethylformamide. Sony is making efforts to prohibit the use of such substances.
4. Product Environmental Data
- The method for estimating data including derivative volumes of resources used in products and associated CO2 emissions resulting from their use has been reviewed and its reliability has been further improved.
- The mid-term targets for each product, based on the "Green Management 2010" objective, are deployed into each business group with suitable emphasis on improvement.
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