Updated on August 27, 2021
1976 | April | Establishes Environmental Conference, chaired by the President |
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April | Promotes prevention of hazardous materials use and occupational health and safety in Sony Group operations in Japan | |
May | Establishes Environmental Science Center | |
May | Hazardous waste materials and working environments of Group operations in Japan are evaluated |
1985 | April | Sony Corporation of America begins environmental audits |
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1989 | March | Convenes special committee to study measures to eliminate CFC use |
1990 | August | President's Policy on the Environment is disseminated among Sony Corporation staff |
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October | Organizes Sony Environmental Conservation Committee | |
1991 | October | Formulates policy for product assessment |
November | Signs business charter for sustainable development of the international chamber of commerce | |
1993 | January | Inaugurates Environmental Fund System, a program supporting development of environmental protection technologies |
March | Sony Global Environmental Policy and Environmental Action Program is formulated | |
April | Use of fluorocarbons for cleaning is completely phased out from the Sony Group's production processes worldwide | |
1994 | February | Launches Sony Environmental Award program |
April | Establishes Corporate Environmental Affairs Department Establishes Center for Environmental Technologies (CET) at the Sony Research Center (operated until 1999) |
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May | Launches Greenplus Project to promote environmental consideration with respect to products | |
July | Guidelines for acquiring ISO environmental certification are established and introduced | |
1995 | May | Sony Kohda Corporation becomes the first Sony company in Japan to acquire ISO 14001 certification |
1996 | July | Sony Deutschland's Service Division becomes the first non-manufacturing site in the Sony Group to acquire ISO 14001 certification |
October | Revises Sony Environmental Action Program and formulates Green Management 2000 | |
1997 | October | Initiates operations at Recycle Research Center in Ichinomiya (ongoing until 2005) |
December | Four sites in Singapore become the first non-manufacturing sites in Asia to acquire ISO 14001 certification | |
1998 | September | Establishes environmental R&D laboratory in the Environmental Center Europe, Germany |
November | Establishes the Green Management 2002 Sony Mid-Term Environmental Action Program | |
1999 | February | Completes the process of acquiring ISO 14001 certification at all 38 manufacturing sites in Japan |
2000 | April | Incorporates environmental factors into Network Companies' evaluations |
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April | Formulates Guideline for the Environmental Risk Management | |
October | Establishes the Sony Environmental Vision | |
2001 | March | Revises Sony Mid-Term Environmental Action Program; Formulates Green Management 2005 |
April | Japan's Home Appliance Recycling Law becomes effective and the 14-plant recycling network of Green Cycle Corporation, where Sony is the principal shareholder, begins processing four types of appliances. | |
April | Environmental evaluation standards are extended from Electronics to Game, Music and Pictures businesses | |
September | Begins using the Green Power Certification System | |
October | PS one game console shipments temporarily halted in the Netherlands due to containing cadmium above the legal limit | |
2002 | March | Formulates Sony Technical Standards, SS-00259 "Management Regulations for the Environment-related Substances to be Controlled which are included in Parts and Materials" |
April | Completes ISO 14001 certification process at all manufacturing sites worldwide | |
June | Initiates "Sony Group Environmental Month" | |
July | Introduces Green Partner Environmental Quality Approval Program | |
2003 | July | Revises Sony Mid-Term Environmental Targets (Green Management 2005) |
November | Revises Sony Environmental Vision and renames it "Sony Group Environmental Vision" | |
2006 | March | Finishes putting in place the globally integrated environmental management system it commenced in fiscal 2004 |
April | Establishes Green Management 2010 | |
July | Begins participation in World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) 's Climate Savers Programme | |
2007 | November | Use of renewable energy at Sony DADC Austria's Anif Plant reaches 100% |
2008 | April | Launches a scheme to support forest conservation efforts in Noshiro, Akita prefecture using a Green Power Certification system purchase contract |
June | Announces the energy-saving KDL-32JE1 LCD television | |
September | Commences pilot program to collect small e- waste in the city of Kita-Kyushu | |
2009 | January | Announces new V5/VE5/WE5 series of BRAVIA™ LCD televisions with energy-saving features, including a "Presence Sensor" and "Energy Saving Switch," that facilitate a substantial reduction in energy consumption |
June | Releases mercury-free alkaline button battery (LR) | |
July | Achieves use of 100% renewable energy at European sites; percentage of total energy used by Tokyo headquarters building accounted for by renewable energy reaches 50% | |
October | Sony Chemical & Information Device Corporation's Kanuma Plant wins Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award for "Resource Recycling Techniques and Systems" | |
November | Announces at presentation to the media that it has positioned "the environment" as one of four key strategic priorities |
2010 | February | Announces VAIO W series of "eco body model" PCs with features that evoke Sony's commitment to environmental conservation, including components that are 80% made with recycled plastic and carrying case made from 100% recycled PET materials |
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April | Announces new "Road to Zero" global environmental plan, revises Sony Group Environmental Vision and formulates "Green Management 2015," a new set of mid-term environmental targets for the Sony Group | |
October | Presentation on groundwater recharge for idle rice paddies (project undertaken by Sony Semiconductor Kyushu Corporation's Kumamoto Technology Center) given at COP10 Biodiversity Conference | |
2011 | February | Develops SORPLAS™, plastic made 99% from recycled materials, for use in the bezel (screen rim) components of BRAVIA™LCD televisions |
March | Sony Forest, maintained by Sony EMCS Corporation's Kohda Site, earns Superlative Stage (top rank) certification under the Social and Environmental Green Evaluation System (SEGES) in Japan | |
April | Launches 1.2 kWh-capacity energy storage modules containing rechargeable lithium-ion batteries made with olivine-type lithium-ion iron phosphate | |
June | Begins implementation of "Green Star Program" which assesses the environmental performance at each site | |
2012 | February | Developed "authentication outlets" that let a user proactively manage his/her use of electric power |
September | Xperia™ P smartphone receives European Green Smart Phone award from the European Imaging and Sound Association | |
December | The DSC-HX30/20 series of Cyber-shot™ digital still cameras and BDV-N790W Blu-ray Home Theater System are honorees in the Eco-Design and Sustainable Technologies category at the CES Innovation Awards 2013 | |
2013 | March | Sony Electronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. presented with the 2013 Green Luminary award by Channel NewsAsia, which praised Sony's medium- to long-term commitment to sustainability under the Road to Zero initiative, innovative environmentally conscious materials such as SORPLAS™ and local CSR activities involving both employees and the community |
March | Sony Semiconductor Corporation's Oita Technology Center earns top-rank Superlative Status certification under Japan's Social and Environmental Green Evaluation System (SEGES) | |
November | Sony Service and Operations of Americas receives Mexico's Index National Environmental Award 2013 for its environmental activities and performance | |
2014 | January | Sony EMCS Malaysia KL Tec's environmental management system and activities to reduce environmental footprint receive two Prime Minister's Hibiscus Awards from the Malaysian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) |
February | The television advertisement "Water Rock"-showcasing one of Sony's environmental initiatives-receives the Grand Prix award at the 17th Environmental Communication Awards in Japan in the environmental television advertisement category | |
October | Sony EMCS Malaysia KL Tec selected as 2nd runner up for the 2014 ASEAN Energy Awards in the Large Industry Category of the Energy Management in Building Industry for its Sustainable Energy Management Program | |
December | Sony Electronics Inc. receives the Sustainable Materials Management from the United States Environmental Protection Agency for its initiatives for recycling waste from electronic goods | |
2015 | March | Sony EMCS Kohda Site certified by Japan Committee for the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (UNDB-J) as exemplary project for activities that create seedlings of domestic tree species in the Nishi-mikawa district and build owl-friendly forest environment |
May | Establishes Green Management 2020 environmental mid-term targets | |
October | Receives official Science Based Target initiative validation for 2°C climate change target in Green Management 2020 medium-term environmental targets | |
October | Sony EMCS Kohda Site receives 3rd Green Society Award for environmental activities such as corporate greening and biodiversity protection | |
October | Sony EMCS (Malaysia) KL Tec wins ASEAN Energy Award for second consecutive year | |
2016 | March | Recognized for exemplary long-term goals in the Low-Carbon Cup 2016, an event supported by the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and other Japanese organizations |
April | Sony Open in Hawaii golf tournament certified as Kela (Excellent) Level Green Event by State of Hawaii | |
October | Angry Birds for a Happy Planet campaign featuring characters from The Angry Birds Movie by Sony Pictures Entertainment receives the award for Excellence in Advertising at the 2016 Environmental Media Awards | |
2017 | October | Kohda Site of Sony Global Manufacturing & Operations Corporation recognized by the Social and Environmental Green Evaluation System (SEGES) program with Green Legacy certification. |
2018 | March | Wow! Wow! Biodiversity Project (Sony Corporation) and groundwater recharge project (Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation's Kumamoto Technology Center) certified as exemplary projects by the Japan Committee for the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (UNDB-J) |
September | Sony Corporation joins RE100, a global initiative whose members commit to sourcing 100% renewable electricity | |
October | Kunisaki Satellite Office of Oita Technology Center, Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, receives 6th Green Society Contribution Award for community and environmental initiatives including biodiversity conservation | |
November | Sony Korea receives Prime Minister's Prize at the 2018 Low-carbon Life Practice National Competition | |
2019 | August | Launches One Blue Ocean Project, an initiative to help reduce ocean plastic pollution |
September | Sony Interactive Entertainment participates in establishing the UN Playing for the Planet Alliance | |
October | Kunisaki Satellite of Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation recognized by the Social and Environmental Green Evaluation System (SEGES) program with Green Legacy certification |
2020 | February | Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation receives the Partnership prize of Japan's 15th Ecotourism Awards |
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February | Starts first intracompany electricity transfer service in Japan using its megawatt-class solar power generation facilities | |
April | Establishes Green Management 2025 medium-term environmental targets | |
September | Receives official Science Based Target initiative validation for Sony Group climate change target of 1.5°C by 2035 | |
September | Establishes Sony Innovation Fund: Environment, a corporate venture capital fund focused on environmental technology | |
2021 | February | Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. begins providing power convergence control software for the Open Energy System™ microgrid system free of charge |
March | Switches to 100% renewable energy for electricity used at Sony sites in China |
Note:
-Organization names appear as they were at the respective dates; some may not be current.