The international community is entering a new stage regarding global environmental problems. Solving these problems will strongly require the participation of globally active companies. It will require social innovation toward a sustainable future. This issue looks at the changing forefront of the global environment and energy against a background of digitalization and explores new keys to solving these problems.
International efforts addressing the global environment have entered a new stage.
The international community has long recognized that addressing environmental problems is one of society's most important tasks. In recent years, however, the role of business has been newly reconsidered as indispensable for finding solutions. Companies greatly influence the global environment, and so they are expected to both reduce their environmental impact and actively contribute to solving the problems at hand. Now, companies must not only respond to risks but also tackle social issues such as environmental problems as new business opportunities.
When faced with such a paradigm shift, what are the most important points to keep in mind?
With increasing expectations for corporate contributions toward solving global environmental problems, Hitachi has formulated “Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050” based on worldwide environmental trends. Hitachi's “Environmental Vision,” which defines the society envisioned through its environmental management aims, sets long-term environmental targets for the establishment of a low-carbon society, a resource efficient society, and a harmonized society with nature.
While pursuing its Social Innovation Business that evolves through digital technologies and collaborative creation, Hitachi has shown its determination to tackle global environmental issues.
In “Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050,” Hitachi places importance on a low-carbon society as the ideal society to aim for. It has announced specific numerical targets to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% (compared with FY2010) throughout the value chain by FY2050, and is rising to meet this challenge as a group.
The key to achieving its goal is to reduce CO2 emissions during the usage stage of products and solutions provided by Hitachi. This article examines the question of how it will advance these efforts.
Kazunori Takahashi (Senior Manager, CSR and Environmental Strategy Division) discusses the background and approach to the low-carbon society that Hitachi is aiming for, specific business initiatives are discussed by Hiraku Ikeda (CSO, Power and Energy Business Administration Division) and Kenichi Souma (CTO, Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.).
Global environmental problems have become increasingly acute with the progress of global-scale industrialization and urbanization. The international community has begun to tackle issues that extend beyond national borders, such as global warming, resource depletion, and ecosystem destruction, with the UN playing a central role.
Sustainable development over the long run requires raising environmental awareness and acting together with diverse stakeholders, but how does the Hitachi Group view global environmental problems and take them on?
Koji Tanaka, Executive Vice President of Hitachi, Ltd., discusses this.
Against a background of successive natural disasters and terror threats around the world, a steady supply of electricity including measures against power outages is a common social issue for all countries, from the viewpoint of the safety and security of their residents.
As the introduction of renewable energy proceeds as a measure against global warming, microgrids are looked to as a promising solution to various issues. However, diverse expertise is required for their construction and operation.
Hitachi has newly created a team with such expertise, and through dialogue with many customers is taking on the challenge of developing the North American microgrid market, an advanced arena in the energy field.
In this article, Alireza Aram, who has extensive experience in the energy field, reports on the latest trends in the US market.
As lawmakers work to create global environmental regulations designed to curb carbon emissions, Japan’s power and energy industries are on the verge of major changes as concurrent power system reforms move forward. Various regions in the country are facing increasingly diverse challenges that demand finely tuned solutions.
Hitachi’s founding products were rotary machines, and their applied products have continued to progress, playing a major role in its Social Innovation Business. Like rotary machines, transformers based on electromagnetic induction were invented about 130 years ago and have contributed to the stable supply of electric power.
