The world’s countries, along with public and private companies, play a part in the transition to a net-zero future. While Toshiba provides industrial energy solutions for a cleaner tomorrow, the company is committed to creating a carbon-neutral world by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promoting efficient resources.
International Efforts to Achieve Net-Zero
Before diving into the ways Toshiba contributes to a net-zero future, it’s important to zoom out and look at the holistic view of how society at large and single organizations can achieve a renewable tomorrow. Just as corporations have pledged their own net-zero commitments, individual countries have done so as well. Many world leaders have come together with the common goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to decrease the impact climate change has on the environment.
The Paris Agreement is one of the most well-known agreements in the world, bringing together 195 countries, plus the European Union, to reach the common goal of limiting global warming and reducing the worst impacts of climate change caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The participating parties adopted this legally binding international treaty in December 2015 with the goal of holding “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” (United Nations Climate Change.)
This treaty was born at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, an annual meeting of participating countries in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Its first gathering, held in 1995, was crucial in bringing together nations to advance climate change action in public and private sectors. While much can be done at the government level to enact change, they can’t do it alone – it is vital for companies of all sizes to take an active role in reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions to achieve a cleaner future.
Toshiba’s Net-Zero Commitment
Toshiba, along with corporations across industries, understand the serious impact climate change has already had—and will continue to have—on future generations if nothing is done to intervene. Therefore, the Toshiba Group has implemented a company-wide vision for the environmental future, as well as publicly issued its long- and short-term response to climate change. The Science Based Targets initiative, an international climate change certification organization, approved the company’s vision in early 2024.
Toshiba lives by its motto, “Committed to People, Committed to the Future” – understanding the responsibility it has on future generations. Therefore, the company created its long-term vision to address carbon neutrality in 2020, called the Environmental Future Vision 2050.
In short, the goal of this long-term plan is to contribute to a sustainable society by managing the environment.
Toshiba broke this down into three categories: response to climate change, response to the circular economy, and consideration of ecosystems.
- Response to climate change: To contribute to the Paris Agreement goal, Toshiba set out to achieve carbon neutrality throughout the company’s entire value chain by 2050, with the aim of reducing GHG emissions by 70% by 2030
- Response to the circular economy: Toshiba will promote the efficient use of resources in both business practices and its products and services
- Consideration of ecosystems: Toshiba is committed to creating a harmonious society by promoting proper water resource management, chemical substance management, and activities to conserve biodiversity on Toshiba premises and elsewhere
With the Environmental Future Vision 2050 as its guiding pillar, Toshiba also laid out short-term goals in response to climate change. By 2030, the company aims to achieve carbon neutrality by:
- Reducing 70% of emissions from business activities by purchasing carbon credits to offset GHG emissions
- Decreasing 70% of emissions generated from the company’s entire value chain, including but not limited to raw material procurement, distribution, sales, and disposal by 2030, by reducing Category 11 and Category 1 GHG emissions
- Promote business with similar net-zero measures
Guided by its short-term goals and long-term vision, Toshiba is tackling climate change in its commitment to people and to the future. In fact, between 2019 and 2022, Toshiba reduced GHG emissions by 70.4% in products and services associated with power supply.
Contributing to a Renewable Tomorrow
It will take more than one country, or one company, to achieve a net-zero future. When multiple parties come together with a common goal, the impact can be great. However, individuals must not forget their important place in striving to meet sustainability goals. Toshiba is doing its part to contribute to a renewable tomorrow – what will you do?
