The goal of achieving a “nature positive”* world by 2030—established at COP15 in 2022—is reshaping business priorities. The 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) was initially held in Cali, Colombia in October 2024 and resumed sessions in Rome, Italy, in February 2025 with participation by many global businesses. The Parties agreed on a new Resource Mobilization Strategy, setting targets to secure at least $200 billion per year from all sources for biodiversity efforts and to reduce environmentally harmful incentives by $500 billion or more annually by 2030.
Panasonic regards biodiversity as essential “natural capital” for a sustainable future and recognizes that creating a nature positive future demands more than just maintaining the current state of our biodiversity—it calls for active restoration. The time to act is now, and achieving this bold vision requires proactive participation from the business community.
*Nature positive: Preventing and reversing biodiversity loss. Generally, this term refers to the global targets adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15, December 2022).
Panasonic Holdings Corporation (PHD) Technology Division is exploring ways to advance nature positive initiatives not only by strengthening current businesses and technologies but also by leading to create new social systems.
In July 2024, the department introduced its “Technology Future Vision,” which identifies Green Transformation (GX) as a central growth strategy. Focusing on water, food, energy, carbon neutrality, and the circular economy, the division is intensifying R&D in nature-centric fields.
Leading this initiative, Tatsuo Ogawa, Executive Officer and Group CTO of PHD, hosted a roundtable with external experts to discuss Panasonic’s broader role in society.
“According to temperature change simulations, it is clear that human activity—and particularly the burning of fossil fuels—has dramatically increased greenhouse gas emissions, which are the main cause of global warming,” said Prof. Seita Emori, Deputy Director, Future Vision Research Center at the University of Tokyo. Emori further explained that the Earth is now hotter than it has been in the last 100,000 years. In 2024, global average temperatures rose to 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels.
Global average temperatures. 2024 is +1.6°C above pre-industrial levels.
Rising sea levels, severe flooding, intensifying storms and heatwaves, food and water insecurity, ecosystem degradation and species extinction, rising incidents of infectious diseases, and wildfires... the resulting impacts from these changes are far-reaching. A 4°C rise in temperature above current levels would increase the risk of extinction of species to a critical level.
Despite the escalating risks, our lifestyle and infrastructure around the globe remain largely reliant on fossil fuels, and progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been sluggish. The current pace of societal change and the level of investment in climate initiatives remain inadequate to meet the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. Emori emphasized the need for urgent action, stating, “We must accelerate efforts to implement systemic transformations. The choices we make today will determine whether we can have a sustainable world or not.”
In recent years, there has been growing interest in decentralized decision-making, particularly in the stewardship of “local commons,” shared natural resources, such as land, forests, and ecosystems, that are not owned by the government or private sector.
Naoki Adachi, Founder of Response Ability, Inc., believes that a new social framework can emerge if companies lead efforts to conserve and regenerate local commons through their business activities. He maintains that local commons are becoming a key part of our future, saying “Companies like Panasonic can advocate a nature positive vision to the public and lead efforts to revitalize local commons. That’s a win-win strategy to contribute to society and grow business by finding new business opportunities.”
PHD Technology Division is reframing local commons—traditionally viewed as beyond the reach of business—as essential social infrastructure. The division sees corporate involvement in local ecosystems as a key strategy for achieving the nature positive vision.
The division sees, in particular, that decentralization of energy supply can become a good example of a nature positive social framework. Ogawa explained: “For carbon neutrality and reducing negative impacts on the environment, it is better to produce and use energy locally, decentralizing energy supplies. By sourcing raw materials and producing energy locally as well as sharing energy seamlessly over the grid, energy management becomes easier for society.” He added that “to succeed in this, companies must first transform themselves.”
As a group company serving diverse industries, Panasonic is aware that its commitment to a nature positive future could have significant global impact in the water and food sectors—areas that have particularly large environmental footprints.
In the water sector, Panasonic has been developing water purification technologies and water-saving features for its products, and the company is striving to enhance efficiency in wastewater treatment and in water consumption for homes, factories, and farms.
In the food sector, Panasonic Group companies are leveraging experience in refrigeration and cold-chain logistics to reduce food waste and support eco-friendly agriculture. Considering that the entire food chain accounts for up to a third of all greenhouse gas emissions, reform in these areas has immense potential to support nature positive goals.
Adachi emphasized that Panasonic’s contributions could go beyond internal operations: “I hope Panasonic will lead other companies and society in achieving nature positive goals. These efforts could also reveal new opportunities and emerging growth markets.”
Panasonic’s founder, Konosuke Matsushita, championed the principles of “safety, security, and health.” Ogawa put a fine point on this, saying, “The nature positive vision aligns perfectly with our foundational values—ideas that continue to define the company’s mission. We will continue to uphold these values and strive to be a frontrunner in promoting nature positive initiatives by implementing sustainable and economically productive initiatives throughout our business.”
He concluded the discussion, adding “There are still many areas where the Panasonic Group can contribute to society. We will continue to take on new challenges with resolve.”
The content in this website is accurate at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice.
Please note therefore that these documents may not always contain the most up-to-date information.
Please note that German, Spanish and Chinese versions are machine translations, so the quality and accuracy may vary.
