Penang celebrates its first factory that has declared a net-zero carbon dioxide emission status, which is Panasonic Automotive Systems Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. that manufactures audio and navigation systems for vehicles.
According to a statement, the ISO 14001-certified plant in Penang has been diligent and committed in its effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from various aspects of its operations. Some key initiatives put in place to achieve this include replacing water pumps, lighting, air-conditioning and cooling systems’ equipment with energy-efficient ones, installing motion sensors, and conducting air leak surveys and implementing countermeasures.
Managing Director of Panasonic Automotive Systems Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Takahiro Suzuki, said, “We have promoted energy saving and adopted sustainable practices, such as installing high-volume, low-speed fans in place of air-conditioning and switching off lights during break times, to cut wastefulness, and we are truly appreciative of the support and participation of our employees.
“Achieving the ‘zero-CO2 factory status’ is not an endpoint, albeit a major milestone in our ongoing journey to full environmental sustainability,” added Suzuki.
Moving forward, the company aims to systematically reduce its energy consumption by 3% annually. Part of the continuous effort to achieve this goal includes installing a bigger photovoltaic system, comprising 3,284 solar panels to be installed on its rooftops by March 2024, that will supply the plant with 20% of its electricity usage.
In October 2018, the company already made progress by installing a small photovoltaic system, which produces 0.8% of the factory's total electricity usage.
The Panasonic Group aims to reach net-zero CO2 emissions from its operations by 2030, aligning with the objectives set in its long-term environmental vision, “Panasonic GREEN IMPACT,” as a stepping stone toward the 2050 targets. The Group aspires to create a significant positive impact by implementing multiple initiatives to lower CO2 emissions throughout its value chain, with the goal of contributing to society by reducing over 300 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2050. This amount represents approximately 1% of the current global total CO2 emissions.
Keyword: Panasonic's vehicle audio, navigation systems factory in Penang gets net-zero CO2 emissions status