History of Environmental Activities

Last Update: Aug 8, 2012

As of March 31, 2011

Era	year	Panasonic Group	World	Japan
~1970s	1967			Basic Law for Environmental Pollution Control enacted
	1968			Air Pollution Control Law enacted
	1970	Pollution Survey Committee established		Water Pollution Control Law enacted Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law enacted
	1971			Environment Agency established
	1972	Environmental Management Office established	U.N. Conference on Human Environment held in Stockholm (Declaration of Human Environment adopted)
	1973		First oil shock occurred
	1975	Environmental Management Regulations enacted
	1979		Second oil shock occurred	Energy Conservation Law enacted
1980s	1985		Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer adopted
	1987		Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer adopted World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission) advocated the concept of sustainable development
	1988	CFC-reduction Committee established		Ozone Layer Protection Law enacted
	1989	Environmental Protection Promotion Office established
1990s	1991	Matsushita Environmental Charter (Environmental Statement and Code of Conduct) enacted Matsushita Product Assessment adopted and implemented		Keidanren Global Environment Charter enacted by Japan Federation of Economic Organizations Law for Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources enacted
	1992	Environmental Policy Committee established	The Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Agenda21 and Rio Declaration on Environment and Development adopted United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted
	1993	Matsushita Environmental Voluntary Plan (Year 2000 targets) adopted Matsushita Group’ global environmental internal audits launched		The Basic Environment Law enacted
	1995	Acquired Environmental Management System Certification at AV Kadoma Site (first in the Matsushita Group)	First Conference of Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP1) held in Berlin	Containers and Packaging Recycling Law enacted
	1996		ISO 14001 International Standard on Environmental Management Systems launched
	1997	Corporate Environmental Affairs Division (CEAD) established Environmental Conference established (held semi-annually)	COP3 held in Kyoto and adopted the Kyoto Protocol	Keidanren Appeal on the Environment announced by Japan Federation of Economic Organization
	1998	Love the Earth Citizens’ Campaign commenced Recycling Business Promotion Office established First environmental report (1997) published		Home Appliance Recycling Law enacted (took effect in 2001) Law Concerning the Promotion of the Measures to Cope with Global Warming enacted Energy Conservation Law revised: Top Runner Approach introduced
	1999	Green Procurement launched Chemical Substances Management Rank Guidelines established Acquired ISO14001 Certification in all manufacturing business units		PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) Law enacted
2000s	2000	Lead-free Solder Project commenced Held first environmental exhibition for general public in Osaka	Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) issued The Sustainability Reporting Guidelines	Basic Law for Establishing the Recycling-based Society enacted Law for Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources enacted
	2001	Environmental Vision and Green Plan 2010 adopted Held Environmental Forum in Tokyo and Freiburg,Germany Panasonic Eco Technology Center launched	Reached final agreement on the actual rules of Kyoto Protocol in COP7 held in Marrakesh	Reorganized into the Ministry of the Environment Law Concerning Special Measures against PCBs enacted
	2002	Panasonic Center Tokyo opened	Johannesburg Summit (Rio+10) held	Kyoto Protocol ratified Vehicle Recycling Law enacted Law for Countermeasures against Soil Pollution enacted
	2003	Declared ‘Coexistence with the Global Environment’ as one of the twin business visions Factor X advocated as an indicator for Creating Value for a New Lifestyle Completely introduced lead-free soldering globally Super GP Accreditation System launched Achieved zero waste emissions in Japanese manufacturing business sites (ongoing program) Held Environmental Forum in Tokyo	EU’s WEEE Directive was enacted
	2004	Environmental Vision and Green Plan 2010 revised PCB Management Office established Superior GP Accreditation System launched		Prohibited manufacturing and use of products containing asbestos in principle
	2005	Participated in Expo 2005 Aichi, Japan as an official sponsor Green Plan 2010 revised Continued with the nationwide Lights-out Campaign 3R Eco Project launched Completed the elimination of specified substances (6 substances) in products Matsushita Group’s Green Logistics Policy established CF Accreditation System introduced Panasonic Center Osaka opened Eco & Ud HOUSE opened Installed the first commercial household fuel cell cogeneration system in the new official residence of the Japanese Prime Minister Won the first place in Nikkei Environmental Management Survey	Kyoto Protocol entered into force	Expo 2005 Aichi, Japan held National campaign against global warming “Team −6%” launched Marking for the presence of the specified chemical substances for electrical and electronic equipment (J-Moss) established
	2006	Environmental specialist position established ET Manifest introduced into all Panasonic’s manufacturing sites in Japan Realized lead-free plasma display panels and introduced them to the market Full-fledge introduction of biodiesel fuel in logistics	Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive took effect in EU	Relief Law for Asbestos Victims enacted Energy Conservation Law revised: new cargo owner obligations, widened product scope of its application, and top runner standard revision
	2007	Energy conservation activities at our factories in Malaysia approved as CDM project by the U.N. A new environmental mark 'eco ideas' introduced Panasonic Center Beijing opened Environmental Forum in China held “Declaration of Becoming an Environmentally Contributing Company in China” announced Panasonic ‘eco ideas’ Strategy announced	The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals entered into force in EU Framework for CO₂ reduction agreed at Heiligendamm Summit (G8) The Bali Road Map for the post Kyoto Protocol agreed at COP13 Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products (China RoHS) came into effect	‘Cool Earth 50’ announced by Prime Minister Abe ‘21st Century Environment Nation Strategy’ formulated ‘The Third National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan’ formulated ‘Ministerial ordinance partially amending the Enforcement Regulation of the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law’ promulgated ‘Domestic Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee’ established ‘The Second Fundamental Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society’ formulated
	2008	Established the Corporate CO₂ Reduction Promoting Committee Held environmental exhibitions, ‘eco ideas’ World Home Appliances Company announced environmental statement in which named its Kusatsu site as ‘eco ideas’ Factory Announced ‘eco ideas’ Declaration in Europe Established Environmental Strategy Research Center	G20 (conference of key countries’ environmental and energy ministers) held Hokkaido Toyako Summit held	Cool Earth Promotion Program announced by Prime Minister Fukuda Mislabeling incident of waste paper pulp percentage Long-term Energy Demand and Supply Outlook announced Japan’s Voluntary Emission Trading Scheme started
	2009	Opened the ‘eco ideas’ House to demonstrate a lifestyle with virtually zero CO₂ emissions throughout the entire house Announced the Asia Pacific ‘eco ideas’ Declaration Announced ‘eco ideas’ factories (in Czech, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore) Sanyo Electric joined the Panasonic Group	China WEEE law promulgated New framework for countermeasures against global warming on and after 2013 (post-Kyoto Protocol), the Cophenhagen Accord, was adopted at the COP15 (Copenhagen conference) Seeking to emerge from the Lehman collapse, countries throughout the world accelerated actions for the Green New Deal	Energy Conservation Law amended: Covered area expanded from factories to commercial sector facilities Flat-panel TV and clothes dryer added as covered products under the Home Appliance Recycling Law ‘Eco point’ system started
2010s	2010	Announced “Vision looking to the 100th anniversary of our founding in 2018” Announced new midterm management plan, “Green Transformation 2012 (GT12)” Announced ‘eco ideas’ Declarations (Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Russia) Started the entire factory energy-saving support service Established ‘eco ideas’ Forum 2010 in Ariake, Tokyo Launched Panasonic ECO RELAY for Sustainable Earth Kasai Green Energy Park eco-friendly factory completed	COP10 held in Nagoya—Nagoya agreement made APEC meeting held in Yokohama Ruling party lost in US midterm election—changes in anti global warming policy Cancun agreement made in COP16—Post-Kyoto framework still to be discussed	Draft legislation of Basic Law of Global Warming Countermeasures submitted but remained in deliberation Obligatory greenhouse gas emissions reduction started as a part of Tokyo Emissions Trading Scheme Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law amended: self treatment regulations tightened Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, etc. (CSCL) and Law concerning Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) amended
	2011	Announced North America & Taiwan ‘eco ideas’ Declarations Announced establishment of Panasonic DADI DOWA Summit Recycling Hangzhou Co., Ltd. Announced the Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town Project Established Corporate Electricity Saving Division that bridges functions across the organation	Rare earth prices soared Revised RoHS directives enforced in EU COP17 (Durban Climate Conference): Agreement made on long-term future of the scheme, and the second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol (Japan announced non-commitment)	Home appliance eco-point incentive program finished The Great East Japan Earthquake Revised Air Pollution Control Act and Water Pollution Control Act enforced Act on Special Measures Concerning Procurement of Renewable Electric Energy by Operators of Electric Utilities enacted (feed-in tariff system to be enforced July 2012)
	2012	Business reorganization due to full acquisition of Panasonic Electric Works and SANYO Electric Commenced sales of Resources Recycling-oriented Product series		The Recycle Resource Project, national campaign by Ministry of the Environment, commenced

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