Panasonic Group’s “LIGHT UP THE FUTURE” initiative for off-grid areas wins international award AREA 2026

Osaka, Japan, July 2, 2026 – Panasonic Holdings Corporation (Panasonic Group) announced that its corporate citizenship activity, “LIGHT UP THE FUTURE,” which donates the Group’s solar lanterns to off-grid areas, has received an award in the Social Empowerment category at the Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) 2026, which recognizes outstanding ESG and CSR initiatives by companies across Asia.

The award ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 26, 2026, where Panasonic Group representatives attended and accepted the award on behalf of the company.
The AREA aims to promote responsible entrepreneurship in Asia by recognizing corporate initiatives that contribute to solving social issues and realizing a sustainable society. The “LIGHT UP THE FUTURE” initiative was recognized for delivering solar lanterns to people living in off-grid areas while creating opportunities for education, health, and income generation, thereby supporting the revitalization of local communities.

During the evaluation process, the initiative received the following comments:

• “The project is highly commendable for being strategically driven and meticulously planned and executed, delivering direct impact to its beneficiaries.”
• “Through ‘light,’ which embodies Panasonic Group’s founding ethos, this project meaningfully expands opportunities for education, health, safety, and livelihoods in off-grid areas. It is an excellent example of a corporate citizenship initiative that naturally integrates the company’s core technologies with solutions to social challenges. We also highly appreciate the fact that the initiative has been sustained for 13 years and expanded to 36 countries worldwide. We hope that this award will further enhance awareness and recognition of this meaningful initiative.”
  — Naoki Adachi, Representative Director, Response Ability, Inc., and AREA 2026 Judge

Since 2013, Panasonic Group has been involved in activities to bring “light” to areas that do not have electricity, where that lack of light and electricity is making it impossible to escape poverty. To date, in collaboration with approximately 160 partners, including NGOs, NPOs, and international organizations, the Group has delivered around 130,000 solar lanterns to 36 countries.

The initiative goes beyond simply donating solar lanterns. By combining lantern donations with partner-led development support programs, it creates opportunities for education, health, and income generation for people living in off-grid areas, thereby contributing to mechanisms that support the independence of individuals and, ultimately, entire communities.
As part of these global efforts, the initiative is actively addressing ongoing challenges in Asia—such as the lack of power infrastructure and economic disparities that persist alongside economic growth. Projects have been implemented in locations such as schools in mountainous areas of northern Thailand, fishing villages in the Philippines without established power grids, and rural communities in Cambodia.

In addition, the initiative is supported by a wide range of participants in Japan. Since 2018, Panasonic Group has been promoting the participatory program “AKARI Action,” in collaboration with group companies, municipalities, universities, and event organizers, encouraging employees and the general public to take part. This program collects donated used books, CDs, DVDs, and other reusable items, converts the proceeds into solar lanterns, and delivers them to people living in off-grid areas. By doing so, it fosters a participatory and circular model that raises awareness of social issues in off-grid areas and encourages individual behavioral change. This award recognizes not only the development support initiatives carried out in the field but also the broader societal impact and civic participation generated by such programs.

Going forward, Panasonic Group will continue to work with a wide range of partners, including United Nations agencies and NPOs/NGOs, to help create a sustainable society by delivering the light from solar lanterns to off-grid areas and creating opportunities for education, health, and income generation.