Sony recognizes the importance of preserving the natural environment that sustains life on earth for future generations and helps humanity to attain the dream of a healthy and happy life. Sony is committed to achieving this goal by seeking to combine ongoing innovation in environmental technology with environmentally sound business practices.
Sony aims for greater eco-efficiency in its business activities through maximizing the efficiency of energy and resource use and providing products and services with greater added value. Efforts will focus on reducing harmful effects on the environment by ensuring compliance with all applicable environmental regulations and reducing the environmental impact of energy and resource use on a continuing basis. Steps will also be taken to find solutions to complex environmental issues through closer cooperation and enhanced information sharing with the broad spectrum of Sony stakeholders.
2-1 Approaches to Environmental Issues
Sony recognizes how closely linked its business activities are to environmental issues, on the global as well as regional levels and is committed to applying the following strategic approaches to the four key environmental issues outlined below.
Sony is committed to reducing energy consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases(*) generated by business activities throughout the life cycle of Sony products and services.
Sony will continue to improve resource productivity in its manufacturing processes. Efforts will include reducing the volume of materials and water consumed and recycling and reusing these resources and other resources wherever possible.
Sony will maintain strict control over the chemical substances it uses, while taking steps whenever possible to reduce, substitute and eliminate the use of substances that are potentially hazardous to the environment.
Sony recognizes the importance of maintaining the earth's biodiversity through protecting the ecosystems that make up the earth's forests and oceans and the wildlife they sustain, and will take constructive steps whenever possible to contribute to the preservation of the natural environment.
* Gases that raise the temperature of the earth's surface by absorbing infrared radiation from reflected sunlight. Six typical examples are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxides, hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
2-2 Approach to Business Activities
Sony is committed to a program of continuous improvement of global environmental management systems throughout the entire business cycle. The cycle begins with the initial planning for new business activities and continues through the product and service development, marketing, product use, after-sales services, disposal and recycling phases.
Sony shall strive to comply with applicable environmental regulations in all aspects of its business activities, while setting even higher targets on a voluntary basis as appropriate.
As a model corporate citizen, Sony accepts that it has a lasting responsibility for the earth's environment and to society as a whole. The corporation recognizes the importance of regional and global corporate issues and is committed to a program of active participation in social activities in regional communities.
Sony is committed to disclosing environmental information to stakeholders promptly, accurately and on a continuing basis and conducting environmental activities in a way that is responsive to views on environmental issues expressed both within and without the company.
Sony strives to raise employee awareness of environmental issues in both company work and life in the community through a continuing program of employee environmental education. The aim is to encourage employees to translate environmental awareness into action and results.
The Sony approach is to give full consideration to environmental issues from the initial conception and planning stages for all new business activities as a way to develop innovative new business models effective in reducing environmental impact.
Sony aims to develop new and original technologies that will contribute to environmental preservation, while introducing innovative new technologies that will effectively improve the eco-efficiency factor of Sony business activities, products and services.
In line with the "cradle-to-cradle" design principle, Sony is committed to planning and designing products and services that offer longer product life and are easier to recycle.
Sony employs a program of "green procurement" in cooperation with its business partners and suppliers that help reduce the environmental impact of its products and services.
Sony employs a program of environmental management systems and technology designed to reduce the environmental impact generated by Sony sites and a system of risk management designed to prevent environmental contamination and reduce accidents to zero.
Sony is working to minimize the environmental impact generated by distribution, sales and after-sales activities related to products and services, while providing customers with key environment-related information and incorporating any useful feedback.
Sony is actively engaged in building recycling systems for collecting and reusing post-use (end-of-life) products geared to local needs in cooperation with business partners and regional communities.
Sony complements the commitments expressed in the Sony Environmental Vision with a program of specific targets and objectives for achieving the various environmental goals.
