New Delhi, June 04, 2024: Panasonic Life Solutions India (PLSIND) – a leading diversified technology company, announced the launch of the #PanasonicForTheWorld campaign and successfully concluded its fifth edition of Harit Umang – Joy of Green, an environment awareness programme. Harit Umang aims at educating society about green practices around e-waste disposal, conserving biodiversity and energy through active engagements with educational institutions. The programme is also in line with the GreenE initiative and directive of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY).
Exemplifying Panasonic’s commitment towards a circular economy, the Green Ambassadors were felicitated with medals made of metals extracted from responsible recycling of electronic waste.
The felicitation ceremony was attended by Dr Ved Prakash Mishra, Director in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt of India; Dr Sandip Chatterjee, Senior Director, Ministry of Electronics, and Information Technology, Govt of India; Dr Ashish Chaturvedi, Head of the Action for Climate and Environment Unit at UNDP India; Manish Sharma, Chairman, Panasonic Life Solutions India & SA; Tadashi Chiba, MD & CEO, PLSIND; and Ritu Ghosh, Head, Corporate Affairs, PLSIND.
Mr. Ved Prakash Mishra, Director Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt. of India, congratulated the Green Ambassadors, applauding the collective efforts under Panasonic’s Harit Umang outreach – “It is indeed commendable to see the young students brainstorming on topics of global importance like Circular Economy and contribute towards the mindset of scientific recycling. We are proud that the medals awarded to the Green Ambassadors are made from metals extracted from recycled electronic waste, thus reflect in the true commitment towards a sustainable future.”
Dr Ashish Chaturvedi, Head of the Action for Climate and Environment Unit at UNDP India commented “Young people are brimming with energy, creativity, and a passion for the environment, making them powerful agents for change. The Harit Umang programme is a great initiative to empower our youth with the knowledge and tools to catalyze a mass movement towards climate-friendly lifestyles.”
Sharing his views on Panasonic’s concerted efforts, Mr. Manish Sharma, Chairman, Panasonic Life Solutions India and SA said, “In thought and action, we are committed towards a sustainable future. The global programme, Panasonic Green Impact enables us to focus our initiatives in the right direction, with an aim to reduce emissions through an energy-efficient approach and encourage the use of renewable energy. Aligned to the sustainability vision, in India, we are consistently making conscious efforts in the ESG space. We are bringing our vision to life through campaigns such as #PushForChange, #DiwaliWaliSafai, #PanasonicHaritUmang, and now, the launch of #PanasonicForTheWorld. The potential for youth to make a significant impact in this space is immense, and I would also like to congratulate all the Panasonic Harit Umang Green ambassadors of this year for their contribution towards environmental awareness.”
Mr. Tadashi Chiba, MD & CEO, Panasonic Life Solutions India said, “We continue to take inspiration from the words of the founder of Panasonic, Konosuke Matsushita – the basic purpose of an enterprise is to work to improve life within the community through its business. Whether it is the Panasonic Energy Company (PECIN) factory in Pithampur or the Technopark factory in Jhajjar, a zero-carbon lifestyle and the adoption of sustainable business practices is at our core. Further, to boost awareness among the young generation, our Harit Umang programme has been going strong and this is the second year that I have personally been a part of it. Another initiative that helps children understand and deep dive into the Sustainable Development Goals by United Nations is Kid Witness News. It’s heartwarming to see our family of young green ambassadors growing year on year where they are becoming conscious of using resources responsibly and supporting the society at large.”
Further, in convergence with World Environment Day, PLSIND also announced its #PanasonicForTheWorld campaign, intending to raise awareness about all the pillars of ESG and transparently share details of the efforts that the group companies of Panasonic in India are collectively making in this space.
Apart from environment awareness programmes, collectively, group companies of Panasonic in India have planted close to five lakh trees contributing towards green cover and restoring biodiversity in Daulatpur area of Delhi and Jawhar area of Maharashtra. Further, Panasonic in India has made efforts to utilize solar energy in its factories and also has distributed solar lanterns to off-grid communities around their factory area. The e-waste awareness drive ‘Diwali Wali Safai’ has been running successfully for the past four years creating awareness around responsible e-waste disposal. These initiatives are all part of the broader Panasonic Green Impact (PGI) programme where Panasonic Group aims to create an impact that reduces CO2 emissions by more than 300 million tons*, or about 1% of the current total global emissions**.
*300 million tons calculated with 2020 emission factors
**33.6 billion tons of energy-related CO2 emissions in 2019 (Source: IEA)
Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)
