Sony Expedites Carbon Neutrality Goal By 10 years

Sony is accelerating its goal of achieving carbon neutrality throughout the entire company by 10 years, the Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation announced Wednesday.

Initially announced in 2010, Sony's "Road to Zero" long-term global environmental plan has seen the company devoted to achieving a "zero environmental footprint throughout the lifecycle" of its products and business activities by 2050. With this statement (H/T Eurogamer), this target has been brought closer to 2040.

"Sony will accelerate its target year for carbon neutrality," Sony's FY2022 Corporate Strategy Meeting statement reads, "that is, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of virtually zero, from 2050 to 2040. Specifically, Sony intends to make direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2) of its own operations carbon neutral by 2030, and by 2040, in addition to scopes 1 and 2, Sony will also target other emissions originating from stages such as products, supply chains and logistics (scope 3), aiming for net-zero emissions achieved in all scopes.

In the statement, Sony, a member of the international initiative "RE100," announced it has also moved up its target for achieving 100% renewable energy in its own operations by 10 years as well, from 2040 to 2030.

"Accordingly," the Sony statement reads, "the renewable electricity rate to be achieved as of 2025, which is one of the priority items of Sony's 'Green Management 2025 (GM2025)' medium-term environmental targets enacted to achieve 'Road to Zero,' is being raised from the existing target of 15% to the new target of 35%. At the same time, Sony's renewable energy procurement policy has been revised to include additional items for environmental consideration when installing and operating power generation equipment."

The measures Sony said it will implement in order to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2040 include:

1. Continuous reduction of environmental impact at own sites: Accelerate energy saving, installation of solar power generation equipment, and introduction of renewable energy throughout the Sony Group.
2. Further promotion of energy-efficient products: Accelerate initiatives to reduce annual power consumption per Sony product.
3. Strengthening efforts with partners: Encourage business partners of the Sony Group, such as those engaged in parts, materials and finished product manufacturing, to manage their GHG emissions, save energy and convert to renewable energy to reduce the amount of GHG emissions throughout the entire supply chain.
4. Contribution to carbon removal/fixation: Contribute to carbon fixation through both technological removal and absorption by ecosystems.

In recent weeks, Sony has been in the headlines for different reasons, seemingly donating to abortion rights groups while silencing employees and its soon-to-be-owned studio Bungie saying it won't be "muzzled" on its vocal support for progressive causes.