Journey towards being Carbon Neutral

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”

Robert Swan, Author

The world has finally awakened to the need for switching towards sustainable ways of producing, consuming, and living. The pandemic and the scarcity experienced as a result was a great push towards giving people a glimpse of the morbid reality that awaits us if we don’t take action right now.

The goals set out by India in the Paris Agreement on 2nd October 2016 is a small step towards the environment. But, it is our responsibility as leaders, industry bodies, organizations, and as individuals to collaborate to achieve the greater goal. At Panasonic, our commitment towards the environment is the core pillar of our business strategy. We have been committed to this vision since its inception and earlier this week, Panasonic Corporation’s new global CEO Yuki Kusumi announced the organization’s commitment to be virtually #ZeroCarbon by 2030. And co-incidentally I was invited to be part of a Business Today webinar on the same subject this week, moderated by Rajeev Dubey, comprising of distinguished panelists i.e., Suresh Rathod, CtrlS; Ravichandran Purushothaman, Danfoss India, and Ketan Patel from HP

The invigorating discussion revolved around achieving - #ZeroCarbon targets. I was pleased to see the larger vision and the focused efforts made by these organizations. One of my fellow panelists gave a suggestion to introduce a carbon tax for companies i.e., every produce to be linked with the amount of Carbon generated, this, in turn, to be linked with a carbon tax. Similarly, another suggested how millennials are increasingly becoming sensitive towards this issue and a dire need for policy change to attain carbon neutrality. The third, elaborated on how it is vital to have uniformity w.r.t. policy implementation and execution. Everyone spoke in different tones with one common vision. Well, after all, what choices do we have – we have one planet to live in – to quote a fellow panelist.

In my opinion, sustainability should not be looked at as an expense but as an investment that adds value to the economy as well as the business. If we have to look at the electronics industry, energy-efficient products, a sustainable manufacturing approach can have a significant impact on carbon emissions and reduce the total cost of ownership for the consumer. To explain this simply, Panasonic air conditioners feature ECONAVI sensors to moderate the temperature according to room usage. This smart technology senses when there are people in the room, sunlight intensity, and how much activity is occurring, then automatically adjusts the temperature accordingly so that less energy is used.

Similarly, using ECONAVI technology and the innovative 3D sensor, Panasonic washing machines can precisely measure the amount of clothing inside the drum and adapt the energy and water needed for each wash. The HydroActive+ water supply system then uses five multi-directional showers which rapidly deliver water to quickly dissolve the detergent into the wash and provide thorough rinsing, resulting in less time and energy used. In addition, sharing an interesting factoid – we use air, instead of water to test our washing machines as part of our water conservation strategy.

I do understand that there might be plenty of challenges that stand in the way of achieving carbon neutrality. But, we as leaders, industry representatives, organizations, and individuals need to stand together to combat the issues towards the environment. As responsible corporates, we must look at sustainability as an opportunity for energy efficiency, job creation, and creating a better environment. And, leaders in authoritative positions must ensure consistency in their dialogue with regulatory bodies to ensure progressive policies that help create a sustainable environment.   

To sum it up, there is so much that a business can gain by investing in the reduction of carbon emissions.

• It is cost-effective for the long term because of using sustainable methods of energy generation which are cheaper than using non-renewable methods, once the infrastructure is in place
• It will also help you mitigate future risks in case of new regulations, compliances, etc. on carbon consumption, and,
• It will generate goodwill for the company and create a differentiation in the market for your products

Lastly, I would like to mention that it is each one’s responsibility to be mindful of our living practices and do our bit. These can be small changes in the choices we make, such as, using green ways of traveling, planting trees, shopping for products that offset emissions, etc.

As I always say, we don’t need to do anything big, we only need to take small steps together and we’ll be able to cover a great distance.