Sustainable Validation: Kyocera's climate targets receive expert backing
Japanese firm becomes latest tech giant to secure approval from the Science Based Targets initiative
Japanese electronics and ceramics giant Kyocera has joined an elite group of businesses spearheading action on climate change, having become one of just 231 firms to have its emissions targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
The SBTi was established in 2015 to support Paris Agreement efforts to limit global warming to below 2 degrees. It provides a framework for businesses to set and commit to emissions targets that are in line with the Paris Agreement.
More than 550 organisations having signed up to the SBTi's goal, with just over 230 having had their emissions reduction goals independently validated by SBTi experts.
Kyocera first established an Environmental Charter nearly three decades ago. Its latest set of targets extend its longstanding programme to drive down greenhouse gas emissions, establishing a goal of achieving a 10-fold increase in renewable energy adoption by 2030 compared to 2013 levels, and reducing emissions by 30 per cent. The firm said it is also prioritising making its manufacturing and recycling processes more efficient, by ensuring they comply with the ISO 9001 standard.
"We are proud to have our targets for reducing our GHG emissions endorsed by the SBT initiative. This recognition from a partnership of such prestigious organisations is a really important third-party validation of the steps we're taking to ensure Kyocera is one of the world's most sustainable organisations," said Rod Tonna-Barthet, Kyocera Group UK's CEO.
"With every product and service that we provide, we focus both on how we can best serve our customers and how we can ensure that we make minimal impact on the environment. Whether it's manufacturing components that require fewer raw materials or last longer, so need to be replaced less often, or developing products that conserve energy and minimise waste, we are fully committed to reducing our environmental footprint and helping to build a greener, more sustainable world."
The recognition for Kyocera comes as the World Resources Institute, a core member of the SBTi, praises the business engagement and innovation measures contained in the Japanese government's long-term Paris Agreement strategy.
"Company actions are at the center of Japan's new long-term strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, making it the first country to provide explicit government support for companies to set science-based targets (SBTs) for their greenhouse gas emissions reductions," said WRI fellow Nate Aden in a post on 28 June.
"By stepping up with leading mitigation targets, Japanese companies are providing a foundation for the government to set more ambitious policies and regulations, initiating a positive feedback loop in which bold government policies and private sector leadership reinforce each other, and together take climate action to the next level."