Posted by Bangalore: Japanese tech products and solutions company Epson transitions to 100% renewable electricity, according to a company announcement today.
Seiko Epson Corporation (Epson) announced that as of December 2023, all electricity used at Epson Group sites globally is from renewable sources. It claimed to be the first company in the domestic manufacturing industry to complete the transition to renewable power across its sites worldwide, including Japan.
The Epson Group consumes approximately 876 GWh of electricity per year. By sourcing renewables to cover this demand, Epson expects to reduce its annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by approximately 400,000 tonnes.
The Japanese company has publicly committed to becoming carbon-negative and underground resource-free in its Environmental Vision 2050. The use of renewable electricity is a key means by which Epson seeks to reach its goal of achieving decarbonisation.
Epson transitions to 100% renewable electricity
Epson’s transition to 100% renewable electricity began in March 2021, when it declared that it would switch to 100% renewable electricity to meet the power needs at all Epson Group sites around the world by 2023. In November 2021, the switch was completed in Japan. The global switch to renewable electricity was done on schedule in December 2023.
In addition to sourcing renewable electricity, Epson will promote the broader adoption of renewable energy, including by generating more of its power and by supporting the development of new power sources through co-creation. It will reduce the energy amount linked with production and products and will pursue further advances in resource circulation to attain the goal of becoming carbon-negative.
Steps taken to switch to 100% renewable electricity use at all Epson Group sites
March 2021: Publicly committed to switching to 100% renewable electricity at all sites
April 2021: Switch completed at all sites in its local area of Nagano Prefecture, Japan
November 2021: Switch completed at all sites in Japan
December 2023: Switch completed at all global sites
A proactive approach to environmental action
“For eight decades, Epson has demonstrated a proactive approach to environmental action. We have maintained the founder’s commitment to preserving the cleanliness of nearby Lake Suwa and became the world’s first company to eliminate CFCs from our manufacturing processes,” said Epson Global President Yasunori Ogawa.
“Now we have successfully completed the switch to 100% renewable electricity at all Epson Group sites in just two years and ten months since declaring our commitment to doing so in 2021. This will not only help us to achieve our own goals but will also help to facilitate a broader adoption of renewable electricity within society by spreading awareness,” added Ogawa.
Further, “Our goal of realising social sustainability is a bigger issue, one fraught with difficulty, but we will act with determination to address the issues with a spirit of creativity and challenge,” emphasized Ogawa.
(Image credit – Epson)