Environmental Activities

At a signing ceremony: from the left, Takumi Kajisha/Managing Executive Officer of Panasonic Corporation, Dr. Chris Hails/Director International Relations of WWF International, Yoshiiku Miyata/CEO of Panasonic Europe

Dr. Chris Hails from WWF International made the presentation of the WWF's Arctic Programme.

8 October 2008, Panasonic has signed up to become one of the first corporate sponsors of WWF’s work on the Arctic.
The WWF International Arctic programme seeks to eliminate existing and looming threats to the Arctic, a region that is a vital component of the global climate system.

The Arctic is affected first and worst by climate change; the effects of warming are already being felt by arctic animals, plants, and peoples. The Arctic is also a global temperature regulator, with many feedbacks that have the potential to seriously amplify climate change impacts around the world. It is one of the world's largest, most valuable and pristine natural regions, but it faces challenges from both climate change and increased human use. The WWF International Arctic Programme's goal is to catalyse a new approach to understanding and managing the Arctic via a four pronged approach:

• Communicating the global implications of Arctic climate change
• Ensuring the Arctic biosphere does not become a new source of atmospheric carbon
• Eliminating the additional pressures on the environment caused by unsustainable exploitative activities
• Establishing governance regimes that conserve the ecosystems and species of the Arctic for future generations

Yoshiiku Miyata, CEO at Panasonic Europe, said: “The WWF Arctic Programme is an important project and we are excited to be involved. This sponsorship is part of a renewed vigour for one of Panasonic's twin business visions, ‘Coexistence with the Global Environment’, in the context of the company’s ongoing commitment to preserving the global environment.”
Dr. Chris Hails, Director of Network Relations at WWF International, said: “We are delighted to welcome Panasonic as a corporate sponsor for our Arctic Programme. The contribution of Panasonic is a welcome first step for us in securing the support we need to help protect and preserve the Arctic.”
Panasonic's support will enable WWF to scale up Arctic activities at a time when the Arctic faces unprecedented change. Those activities include devising and promoting governance and management regimes to help protect Arctic ecosystems, eliminating illegal fishing activities, and researching, monitoring, and supporting the continued well-being of key arctic species such as polar bears.