GREEN IMPACT City: Panasonic CES2023 Exhibition Space Introduces Technologies for Sustainable Future

For the first time in three years, Panasonic returned to CES, among the world’s most influential consumer electronics events, to promote its environmental initiatives, business activities, and goals to global audiences and further strengthen their understanding of the Group’s green strategy. Sustainability was the featured topic at CES 2023 and Panasonic was among the leading global companies demonstrating how they are contributing to the fight against climate change at this year’s event, which took place January 5–8 in Las Vegas, hosting more than 3,200 exhibitors from 173 countries and regions and attracting more than 4,700 media.

Back in Las Vegas for the first time since announcing the Panasonic GREEN IMPACT (PGI) initiative for reducing CO₂ emissions in its own value chain and across society, Panasonic Group wanted to use its exhibition space to send an important message: it is committed to applying innovative technologies to contribute to addressing CO₂ emissions and achieving a sustainable future.

Panasonic Group regularly conducts research to understand the needs and concerns of the consumers around the world who use the company’s products and engage with the Panasonic brand.

“Talking to young people in every market, it was immediately clear that their number one concern is the state of the environment,” said Mike King, Group Manager of Brand Marketing and Creative Services, Brand and Strategic Communications, Panasonic North America. “We’re reducing our carbon footprint. We’re committed to net zero operations by 2030. We’re developing new renewable energy technologies that will help transform the energy sector, help transform society.

“We wanted people to feel invited, welcomed, and excited. There was wonderful technology advancements to talk about, but they all have a purpose. They’re in the service of contributing to the well-being of people and society.”

Panasonic’s exhibition spaces—physical and virtual—were designed not simply to showcase research and development, but to demonstrate that even the most modest new product or solution has a role to play contributing to ensuring the well-being of people and society in a carbon-free future.

“CES is an all year round project for us,” said Mike Coyle, Director of Marketing Technology, Brand and Strategic Communications, Panasonic North America. “We really take it very seriously. And we really try to convey what the company is doing over the next 12, 18, or 36 months so we can really showcase to the viewers what we’re trying to do, because we get hundreds or thousands of viewers in the booth as well as online now. So we take it very seriously.”

Visitors to Panasonic’s CES booth may have noticed a difference from previous years. Designed to use fewer and recycled materials while cutting down on waste, the booth was crafted from environmentally friendly materials such as bamboo and wheatgrass and did not use carpeting.

The exhibit guided visitors through four focus areas—Park, Town, Mobility and Home—simulating a smart, ecological world. Panasonic also created an interactive online tour, the Panasonic GREEN IMPACT Experience, to accompany the physical features of the booth and illustrate the company’s vision of a sustainable future. From a demonstration of the hydrogen-powered factory, to energy efficient consumer products, to electric mobility, visitors were able to explore the technologies and solutions Panasonic has developed to support this vision in an interactive, game-like setting.

As the gateway to the Panasonic booth at CES2023, the PARK area was used to promote awareness and understanding of the Panasonic Group’s environmental vision, Panasonic GREEN IMPACT, and the Future Impact activities that support it.

Visitors were greeted by a display introducing PGI goals and GREEN IMPACT PLAN 2024, Panasonic’s environmental action plan, and by a concept tree composed entirely of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to add a dash of color to this open space where people gather. Known for their high efficiency and adjustable size, PSCs can be installed in places considered unusual for silicon solar cells—such as walls and windows of various sizes—while preserving transparency, facilitating energy creation, and accelerating the shift to zero-energy building (ZEB) designs.

Next was a display showcasing an innovative device that makes use of renewable energy-powered water electrolysis to help reduce the cost of generating CO₂-free green hydrogen. Hydrogen itself is clean energy, but the energy and CO₂ emissions to generate hydrogen are significant. The green hydrogen production device and water electrolysis skeleton model showed how precious metal-free, highly active catalyst materials can accelerate the spread of truly green hydrogen. 

Moving to the TOWN area, this exhibit space was designed to introduce visitors to practical application of the RE100 concept in daily life through the use of renewable energy. RE100 is a global initiative bringing together leading global companies committed to ensuring that 100 percent of the electricity consumed in business activities is generated through renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydraulic power, and biomass.

The “RE100 conversion solution” exhibit introduced the H2 KIBOU FIELD demonstration project at the Smart Energy System Business Division’s plant in Kusatsu, Japan, which became the first in the world¹ to demonstrate 100 percent renewable energy use at a manufacturing facility. Visitors could learn how innovative energy management can efficiently and optimally generate electricity, providing clean and stable power using a combination of pure hydrogen fuel cells, solar cells and storage batteries.

Also on display were Panasonic’s pure hydrogen fuel cells. Demonstrating stable power generation performance and the industry’s highest² power generation efficiency (56 percent), the 5-kW fuel cells can be connected to scale output to end-user requirements. Through full-scale utilization of this technology, Panasonic will contribute to realization of a decarbonized society.

The MOBILITY area communicated changing lifestyles through solutions that promote the electrification of mobility, with technology and expertise cultivated in batteries as the centerpiece. These high-performance lithium-ion batteries are the key to electrification of mobility, and were exhibited not only through product and technology displays but created a strong impression for visitors with a vehicle sculpture created from batteries. 

The HOME area was an opportunity for Panasonic to express its goal of helping people realize a life of mental and physical well-being while making effective use of energy. The area featured home appliances that create well-being; sustainable solutions like air-to-water (A2W) heat pumps that generate energy for the home; and solutions such as the GREEN IMPACT House that make effective use of energy in the home.

Based on its belief that small changes, taken collectively, can have a big impact, Panasonic was proud to announce a first-ever sustainability challenge for the duration of CES 2023. In partnership with One Tree Planted and using the hashtag #PlantItForward, Panasonic committed to plant a tree for every person who shared their sustainability resolution, reshared Panasonic’s sustainable commitments on Instagram or Twitter, or who participated in the online digital experience.

Panasonic understands the importance of pairing words with measurable action. CES 2023 provided a valuable opportunity to quantify the Group’s commitment to sustainability by showcasing current and future technologies that can and do minimize the impact Panasonic and its customers have on the planet as together we strive towards the goal of achieving net-zero by 2030.

1 First full-scale use of hydrogen as a fuel for in-house power generation to supply electricity for factory operations (as of March 31, 2022, based on Panasonic research)
2 Pure hydrogen fuel cell power generation efficiency (as of October 1, 2021, based on Panasonic research)