Sharp Eco Vision 2050

As the world grapples with ongoing climate change challenges, many are already experiencing the power green energy can offer. We’re steadily reducing CO2 emissions by switching to renewable power; in 2023 we installed rooftop solar panels at one of our China factories in an effort to reduce production-related emissions in our domestic and overseas production bases. 

• In 2022 we generated 5.06 million kWh of electricity and purchased 5.18 million kWh of green power through the launch of new new photovoltaic (PV) systems at plants in Thailand and Indonesia. 
• Our factories in China have been using renewable energy and power generation since January 2023, resulting in a 367 tonnes CO2 reduction in the first three months. These facilities are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 1,830 tonnes of CO2 per year.
• We will continue installing solar power systems in plants and other sites to save energy.
• Going forward we are set to convert our company fleets to electric vehicles (EVs).

A circular economy means to reduce, repair and recycle in a closed loop. Every part of a product’s lifecycle has a knock-on impact on climate change – that’s why our sustainable development goals (SDGs) account for every stage of the process: from product design and purchasing of materials to production, transportation and product usage. Some of the ways this is already in practice includes:
 

• Our latest Multifunctional Printers (MFPs) have a 17% reduction in plastics used in packaging alone, with packaging for specific A4 models to have zero-plastic.
• Use of heat-dissipating metal in product designs for our digital signage displays and LED modules to enhance longevity and preserve heat-sensitive electronic components.
• Extending the life of products with low-power consumption, low-resource use, active use of recycled plastic, improved waste management, and reduced CO2 footprint from our MFPs through remote engineer maintenance.
• Refurbishment programmes, such as the Prism Refurbishment Service for Digital Cinema Projectors and our New Life Printers programme. 
• Decreasing volume of new water use: decreased by 6% compared to the previous fiscal year to 10.2 million m3. All water discharged through the production process is collected and reused through a closed loop recycling system. Thanks to this, we’re maintaining a recycling rate* of at least 60%.**
• Our final landfill disposal rate was 0.43%, achieving zero discharge to landfill***  on a global scale.Efforts are also made to reduce the volume of landfill waste by considering regulations governing packaging materials and batteries.
• Our cumulative shipments of PV systems equate to 17 GW of power, translating to about 6 million tonnes of CO2 avoided annually.

*Recycling rate = Amount recycled ÷ (amount of new water + amount recycled). **Sustainability Report 2023 (global.sharp). ***Sharp defines “zero discharge to landfill” as a final landfill disposal rate of less than 0.5%. Final landfill disposal rate (%) = Amount of landfill disposal ÷ amount of waste, etc. generated × 100.

We know that real, global change can only happen when everyone plays their part. We’ve outlined our medium and long-term goals and social initiatives for reduced CO2 across the supply chain. Beyond just initiatives related to quality, price and the delivery of parts and materials, we include product safety, environmental protection, human rights and labour, and health and safety. 

• Supplier expectations. We request suppliers to protect and conserve environments and conduct business operations in an environmentally conscious way.
• Human health and environment. For compliance of the EU REACH* regulation and under the Sharp Code of Conduct, we take proactive approach to compliance with laws and regulations to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks of chemical substances.
• Safety and security. We ensure the proper use and control of chemical substances in our business activities and are aiming to reduce overall consumption to protect people’s health, the natural environment and ecosystems**.
• Risk assessments. We periodically conduct supply chain CSR surveys in line with our Supply Chain CSR Deployment Guidebook, based on the RBA’s Validated Assessment Program***, to identify, reduce and combat risks.
• Transport. We’re actively reducing airfreight volume, reviewing shipping routes and switching to harbours located closer to final destinations. Sharp’s GHG emissions from international transport decreased by 9% between 2021 and 2022, from 152,000 tonnes to 138,000 tonnes CO2.****

*EU REACH Regulation | Sharp. **Sustainability Report 2023 (global.sharp). ***Validated Assessment Program. A VAP audit is a local audit performed by a third-party auditing service certified by the RBA. ****Sustainability Report 2023 (global.sharp)

Our development objectives are constantly revised each year to improve the environmental performance of our products. This factors in energy saving, resource conservation, recyclability and refurbishment, safe use and disposal, using recycled materials and designing products that have batteries with enhanced environmental consciousness. All of this relates to our Green Product (GP) Guidelines, which define the development and design criteria of all product design departments since fiscal 1998.

• Reducing energy consumption on standby modes by 40% for MFPs, along with low Typical Energy Consumption (TEC) value – up to 27% less than previous models. 
• Our cloud-based print management solution, Synappx™ ensures the release and printing of documents in the most sustainable format.
• We use an infinitely recyclable metal chassis in our Large Format Displays, and these displays can be recycled repeatedly at a recycling rate of 97.4%, contributing to the circular economy. 
• We provide innovative photovoltaic (PV) solutions for both terrestrial and space applications, offering solar panels for buildings, free-field solar parks, and mobility solutions.