Under the Panasonic GREEN IMPACT (PGI) long-term environmental vision, Panasonic Group actively encourages its approximately 230,000 employees worldwide to practice eco-friendly behavior that can foster environmental change in their communities and in their daily lives. Expanding on the Panasonic ECO-RELAY program, World Action encourages employees around world to understand the practical steps they can take at home, at work, and on their commutes to have a meaningful and positive impact.
This year’s initiative, World Action 2024, launched on June 5 (World Environment Day) and ended on August 30. A special online site provided a list describing some simple but practical Eco-Actions that could be incorporated into daily lives. In addition to seeking to inspire meaningful change among employees, World Action 2024 included a commitment to plant one tree for every 100 Eco-Actions.
Throughout the campaign, the website regularly updated the count of Eco-Runners and Eco-Actions by region to foster a sense of unity among participants and to encourage others to get involved. As of August 30, the final day of the campaign, employees from 35 countries and regions in seven regions—Japan, China/Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia/Oceania, India/South Asia/Near & Middle East/Africa, South America, North & Central America, and Europe—had logged 56,022 Eco-Actions—for a total of 560 trees. Meanwhile, 144 Eco-Runners from 15 countries and regions applied to participate in the program.
“Contribution to society” and “Cooperation and team spirit” are two of the seven principles that define the Panasonic Group’s corporate culture. World Action 2024 was inspired by the Group’s desire to create an opportunity for employees around the world to work together to address a broader social issue through common goals and objectives based on teamwork.
When it comes to social issues, each country and region has unique challenges and approaches, but the fight to protect the natural environment is universal, and fostering a sense of “global unity” would make it possible to turn individual acts into meaningful outcomes.
“I believe that if each employee has the chance to experience activities like the World Action 2024 campaign, then the Panasonic Group as a whole will achieve a deeper understanding of social issues, and this understanding, in turn, will lead to improved employee engagement and corporate value,” said Mikiko Watanabe, program promoter for the World Action 2024 Team, Corporate Citizenship Department. “Panasonic has approximately 230,000 employees, and World Action is one of those rare opportunities that we have to involve such a large number of people.”
Program promoter Mikiko Watanabe
“When it came to positioning World Action, we understood that each country/region has its own environmental initiatives, so we decided to take advantage of the synergies that result from working at both the local and global level. In the end, we were overwhelmed by positive feedback! We were very impressed by the attitude of people from all over the world who listened to our proposal and worked together to make the campaign more exciting.”
“To encourage eco-friendly choices, the PHD/PEX Head Office employee cafeteria has taken a variety of initiatives, including becoming the first such facility in Japan to introduce sustainable seafood in 2018,” explained Mayumi Maekawa, General Affairs Center of Panasonic Operational Excellence Co. (PEX). “We also offer plant-based foods that reduce greenhouse gas emissions among other positive environmental impacts, champion local production for local consumption, use Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee, recycle vegetable peels and compost leftover food. To help employees understand how these choices benefit the environment, we conducted a variety of communications in conjunction with World Action 2024.”
Elsewhere, the headquarters area of PEX’ General Affairs Center has introduced an environmental management system (EMS) and obtained ISO 14001 certification. “As part of our EMS initiatives, we have been promoting a ‘Bring Your Own Bottle’ campaign among employees since fiscal year 2022 to curb the use of plastic bottles, which are a major source of microplastics,” said Shun Shimazawa, General Affairs Center, PEX. “To further accelerate this activity, we have installed water purifiers on each floor, provided environmental education to employees, and distributed information in conjunction with World Action 2024.”
Mayumi Maekawa (left) and Shun Shimazawa and their activities
In Thailand, Panasonic Group has been promoting activities that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), launching its “Panasonic Cares” campaign in fiscal year 2023 to deepen its contribution to Thai society. During the second half of the business year, Panasonic Thailand (PSTH) conducted seven programs ranging from donating Panasonic products to local hospitals and schools to help alleviate shortages and reduce the burden on staff, to tree planting events and programs to improve the quality of life, safety, and skills of youth soccer players.
“The Panasonic Cares program grew out of our desire to conduct CSR activities that promote SDGs the Panasonic way. To date, the response has been far more positive than we had anticipated,” said Busakorn Tangsangasaksri, Director, Managing Director’s Office, Panasonic Solutions (Thailand) Co., Ltd. “Our goal is to build awareness of ECO and SDGs among Panasonic employees, so we proactively share Panasonic Cares activities plans and results across the organization, including at management and human resources meetings, but also through channels like Facebook, email, YouTube and LINE. Every time employees turn on their computers, they are shown a message to encourage their participation.
“World Action 2024 was a great opportunity to further strengthen our communication and to demonstrate how our activities are in line with global initiatives. As we promoted the campaign, we discovered that everyone had a deep interest in the environment. Working together as a group, we’ve been able to foster a strong network and today employees’ love for and pride in our brand is as strong as ever,” she said.
Busakorn Tangsangasaksri and “Panasonic Cares” campaign activities
Panasonic Operational Excellence China & Northeast Asia Company (PEXCNA) took the initiative in China, approaching Group companies with a proposal for developing and implementing environmental conservation activities. CSR managers and staff at each company brainstormed ways for employees to participate in these activities, which included tree planting, trash pickup, and environmental education programs.
“In China, June through August are environmental action months, and by the end of August, 779 employees from 15 companies in China had participated in Panasonic-related environmental projects and clicked on the World Action 2024 website,” said Jin Dongmei, Manager, Government Affairs & Public Relations Department, PEXCNA. “In their comments, they said that they felt they were contributing to nature and experienced joy and a sense of accomplishment. Many hope to participate in more environmental activities in the future. Their mindsets have changed and they are more interested in practicing environmental protection in their daily lives.”
Jin Dongmei and Panasonic China’s local activities
To celebrate and promote awareness, engagement, and the movement within Panasonic toward a more sustainable company and society, Panasonic Europe held special “Lunch and Learn” sessions during Environment Month in June. Leaders and specialists from across Europe shared their personal passions and the projects they are involved in, both inside and outside of working hours.
“A total of 10 informative and inspirational 30-minute sessions took place in June, with topics ranging from local grassroots activities, sustainable actions and personal habits, and company-related projects,” explained Zoe A. Cross, Environmental Specialist, Sustainability & Government Affairs Team, Panasonic Europe. “Despite limited resources and some technical issues, we were able to enlist support from many internal stakeholders across Europe, notably the Corporate Communications Team, Human Resources, IT services, and staff and speakers. We even discovered a whole new group of people who are interested in promoting volunteer work and taking action on a personal basis. Due to this wave of awareness and interest, we’re receiving newsletters and requests for more organized volunteer work.”
Zoe A. Cross and activities of local Eco-Runners in Europe
The expanded ECO-RELAY program will continue to evolve and adapt, leveraging the positive momentum generated during World Action 2024 and demonstrating how cohesive action across the global organization can lead to positive change.
“Looking back on this year’s campaign, we discovered that there are many employees around the world who are interested in global environmental issues and passionate about taking action to resolve them,” said Watanabe. “Let’s continue to work together to address global environmental issues and other social problems!”
“Promoting environmental conservation and an eco-mindset takes time, so we will keep moving forward in alignment with Panasonic’s global goals and contribute to their achievement,” said Busakorn.
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