Environment

Management Approach

Materiality Rationale

Sony's corporate activities are only possible if the earth, which sustains all life on earth, is healthy. This is why Sony is so determined to fight climate change, preserve resources, manage chemical substances, conserve biodiversity, and take other needed steps to protect the environment. True to this commitment, Sony conducts its business in a sustainable manner and provides environmentally conscious products and services, always seeking to deliver innovation and develop uniquely superior technologies. Sony also works hand-in-hand with stakeholders to help build a more sustainable society.

Basic Approach

Since the early 1990s, Sony has pursued environmental initiatives in accordance with its environmental principles and targets. In April 2010, Sony announced the "Road to Zero," a new global environmental plan, the goal of which is to realize a sustainable society by achieving a zero environmental footprint throughout the life cycle of its products and business activities by the year 2050. Working toward a zero environmental footprint by 2050, once every five years Sony sets concrete medium-term environmental targets for each stage of the life cycle for its products with respect to climate change, resources, chemical substances, and biodiversity.

Main Achievements in Fiscal 2020

Under the Green Management 2020 (GM2020) mediumterm environmental targets, Sony put forward specific goals for each stage of the product lifecycle.
Here are the main results of GM2020 initiatives:

Annual energy consumption of products: Down 54% (compared with fiscal 2013)
CO2 emissions reduced by using renewable energy: 456 thousand tons-CO2 (Cumulative total since fiscal 2016)
Greenhouse gas emissions at Sony sites: Down 11% (compared with fiscal 2015)
Waste generated at Sony sites: Down 15% (compared with fiscal 2015)
Conducted biodiversity protection and education activities at all Sony sites
CO2 emissions from logistics: Down 39% (compared with fiscal 2013)
Raised awareness and inspired action by reaching an audience of over 2.3 billion through events and social media.
Promoted the One Blue Ocean Project worldwide, encouraged reduction of single use plastic use at Sony sites, and performed plastic waste cleanup activities in communities.

Milestones

1976:
Company-wide Sony Environmental Conference established
1993:
Sony Global Environmental Policy and Environmental Action Program developed
1995:
Began to acquire ISO14001 certification at manufacturing sites in Japan
2002:
Green Partner Environmental Quality Approval Program introduced
2006:
Integration of environmental management systems at sites around the world completed
2009:
100% renewable electricity use achieved at European sites
2010:
Road to Zero environmental plan announced
2015:
Approved as Science Based Targets (SBT) (the "2.0℃ target")
2018:
Sony joined RE100, a global initiative whose members commit to sourcing 100% renewable electricity for the worldwide operations
2020:
Reapproved as SBT (the "1.5℃ target")

Looking to the Future

Acting on the basis of Green Management 2025, which sets medium-term environmental targets for fiscal 2021-2025, Sony seeks to strengthen its own internal initiatives, encourages business partners, consumers, and other stakeholders to take action and works together to build a sustainable society. Sony will also focus on achieving climate change targets for products and businesses site with SBT certification by 2035 and its goal of sourcing 100% renewable electricity for all business sites by 2040. Aware of the risk of growing environmental impact as certain products get bigger and production increases, Sony is adopting even stronger measures to achieve its goal of "zero environmental footprint" by 2050.