Environment : Biodiversity Conservation

Panasonic Corporation's Living Appliances and Solutions Company's (LAS) Kusatsu site in Shiga Prefecture, obtained an eco-certificate from the Association for Business Innovation in harmony with Nature and Community (ABINC)^*1 in March 2018, as a business site for its contribution to biodiversity. In the course of assessment, we received high ratings for how we are making green corridors to be suited to diversified living creatures by appropriately conserving the natural environment, keeping invasive non-native species under proper management by continuously monitoring to understand their status, and the active use of woodland nearby the factory, in liaison with external eco-related organizations and local people, such as the local public bodies and primary school students.

In the monitoring survey we have conducted since 2011, 840 species of flora and fauna were confirmed. At the same time, the survey result has indicated that the woodland is an important biotope in the area where urbanization is taking place, which contributes to the formation of local ecological networks. In addition, our continuing implementation of the environmental learning program on acorns for elementary school students was highly evaluated; and won an Award of Excellence in the 2nd ABINC award held in January 2020, as an 'activity contributing to the biodiversity mainstreaming'.

<External certifications and awards>

• Acquired three stars under the Shiga Biodiversity Action Certification Program (2018)^*2
• Acquired ABINC certification (March 2018) ; the first certification renewal (February 2021) and the second certification renewal (February 2024)
• Received an Award of Excellence in the 2nd ABINC Awards (January 2020)

*1 ABINC is a certification system by third-party evaluation on greenery improvement and management at business divisions based on the land use score (biodiversity quantitative assessment tool in environmental assessment) and Guidelines for Sustainable Business Sites developed by the Japan Business Initiative for Biodiversity (JBIB).
*2 Shiga Biodiversity Action Certification Program is the first system in Japan for rating wide range of activities conducted by business enterprises in the area of biodiversity conservation with 1 to 3 stars granted by governor.

<Participation in international activities 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity>

In March 2022, we joined the 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity which is a global efforts and initiated by Japan's Ministry of the Environment (MoE), to conserve at least 30% of own land as natural environmental area, and at least 30% of own ocean by 2030, as we believed our natural symbiosis woods 'Shizen Kyosei no mori' would contribute to the 30by30.
In October 2023, our 'Shizen Kyosei no mori' was officially certified as 'a natural symbiosis site' by the MoE. It will be also listed in the international database as an 'other effective area-based conservation measure (OECM)^*3'.

The Lighting Business Division of Electric Works Company, Panasonic Corporation develops and sells lighting products that care for the environment and biodiversity.

An insect attractor lures insects away from shops, warehouses, and sports fields, where they gather because of the lights, in order to reduce damage and nuisance caused by insects. Conventionally, the device attracted insects with a UV fluorescent lamp and killed them with a high voltage grid. In June 2021, the company launched an LED insect attractor (Mushi keeper). The product's UV and blue LED lights attract and retain insects, enabling reduction of insect damage and without killing them. This helps protect the ecosystem as the insects can return to nature. Conventional insect killers emitted light in all directions, attracting excessive insects. However, this newly adopted LED can emit light in the desired direction only, contributing to protecting biodiversity by its efficient insect attraction. The LED insect attractor has been confirmed to have a higher performance of insect attraction according to the insect attractiveness index.^*6

*6 The insect attractiveness index is a theoretical index and does not represent the actual number of insects attracted by the light. (Source: AOKI, S. et al. (2005) Evaluation of Insect Attractiveness by New Index. Proceedings of 2005 Annual Conference of The Illuminating Engineering Institute of Japan, 284.)

An LED security light and street light designed by the Lighting Business Division to minimize light pollution were approved as Dark Sky Friendly Lighting by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA)^*7 in February 2020. This was the first such achievement by a Japanese manufacturer^*8. One of the approval criteria requires that lighting must have a correlated color temperature of 3,000 kelvin and lower (warm color) not only to reduce light pollution but also to lessen any adverse impact on wildlife.

*7 As IDA-certified lighting made by a Japanese manufacturer (according to IDA Tokyo, as of February 20, 2020).
*8 The International Dark-Sky Association: The leading global organization addressing light pollution.
"Guidelines for Countermeasures against Light Pollution" (issued in March, 2021), by Japan's Ministry of Environment. Panasonic Group cooperated to formulate the guidelines.

Preceding our IDA-certified LED light, we had already developed an LED light with a spectrum and optical properties that had less impact on fireflies in 2016 and installed the LED lights on streets in different municipalities. According to the study made in Numama, Zushi City, Kanagawa Prefecture, the number of fireflies observed increased from 68 in the previous year to 145^*9.

*9 The light was designed purely to minimize disturbance to the firefly habitat and does not guarantee for improving growth of fireflies or increase of the population.

Panasonic Housing Solutions Co., Ltd. is working to reduce usage of natural resources to conserve forests.
Sustainable Board is a new eco-conscious product that uses 100% recycled wooden material (excluding glue) made from construction waste that would normally be discarded and unused materials that are difficult to handle and deemed as unusable.
As a result of creating a high-density floor board by making full use of our processing technology, we have achieved a higher degree of hardness when compared with general plywood.
As it is resistant to scratches and dents on the surface, it is also suitable, for example, for use with chairs with casters and heavy furniture.
In addition, the rabbet joints, which are important in the installation of flooring materials, have undergone our own processing, providing high workability as well.
We have established a system whereby part of the profits from the sales of the flooring material using Sustainable Boards is donated in the form of a support fund for forest conservation and management activities in Gunma Prefecture, and we are advancing environmental protection-conscious efforts.

In March 2022, we announced the world's first technology to produce fiber board from oil palm waste as PALM LOOP^*11 and started market testing in the domestic furniture area. In fiscal 2025, we will start activities to roll out the technology across the world, based in Malaysia where oil palm wastes are supplied

1. We can contribute to reducing methane gas and other GHG generated by decaying oil palm waste.
2. We developed a technology to produce fiber board from oil palm waste.
3. We can prevent deforestation to create new farming areas through utilization of waste material.

We will contribute to alleviating global warming by reducing 'GHG emissions' and preventing 'deforestation'.

*10 Based on our research as of March 2022.
*11 PALM LOOP™ is a trade mark of Panasonic Corporation.

The MoE officially announced its Transition Strategies toward a Nature Positive Economy in March 2023.
Our cellulose fiber resin 'kinari' (55 - 90% natural fiber content) was featured in the collection of reference materials titled "Case studies: Upcycling biomass (including wastes) and other materials to replace plastics." provided in the announcement. Expected business scale for this material as material is from several billions to several tens of billions of yen per year (estimated by Panasonic Group).

The Corporate Technology Sector of Panasonic Holdings Corporation has been conducting demonstration testing of bio-CO₂ transformation on farmland throughout Japan. For example, in the case of spinach, this testing demonstrated a yield increase of 40.9%. The bio-CO₂ transformation process consists of two photosynthesis-based stages.
First, biomolecules that stimulate plant growth are produced from atmospheric CO₂ through photosynthesis by cyanobacteria, which is a type of photosynthetic microorganism. Next, when those biomolecules are diluted and sprayed on the leaf surfaces, the photosynthesis-related metabolism of the crop is stimulated and the yield increases. As the core of this process is CO₂, which is available in an unlimited supply free of charge from the global environment, the bio-CO₂ transformation can offset the increase in food costs.
From the farmer's perspective, not only is it possible to increase the crop yield without investing in new equipment or infrastructure, but there is also the added benefit that the biomolecules help improve stress tolerance.

1. Bio-CO₂ Transformation
2. Light
   Air (CO₂)
   Water
   Inorganic nutrients
3. Outer membrane-deficient cyanobacteria
4. Organic molecule groups that stimulate and help plant growth

5. Molecules that stimulate plant growth
   [Sprayed on leaf surfaces]
6. Size increase +49%
7. Corn (Hyogo)
8. Yield increase +44%
9. Tomatoes (Shiga) Leaves sprayed five times
10. Yield increase +40.9%
11. Spinach (Fukuoka) Leaves sprayed twice