As the inaugural year of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, 2008 was a historic year for the environment as well as the world economy. The financial crisis, which was sparked by the US subprime loan problem, grew to envelop the real economy and create a severe slowdown of the world economy.

Due to the sudden falloff of demand in world markets, major companies around the world were beset by slumping business while Japanese exporters were hit hard by an appreciated yen that lead to an inevitable decrease in profits. Fiscal 2008 proved to be a year of harsh financial results for Sharp as well.

Governments around the world have fired off a series of measures—for example, the Green New Deal in the US—to confront this situation. These measures include major infrastructure restructuring centered on the introduction of renewable energy. The global paradigm shift toward a low-carbon society is now more apparent than ever.

In fiscal 2004, Sharp introduced becoming an environmentally advanced company as its medium-term corporate objective and established the environmental vision of having its energy-creating and energy-saving products more than balance out its greenhouse gas emissions by fiscal 2010. Since then, Sharp has worked to achieve this objective based on its Super Green Strategy that aims to realize an extremely high level of environmental consciousness in all aspects of business.

Results include utilizing proprietary technologies to reuse approximately 1,050 tons of recovered plastic, meeting sales goals for its Super Green Products and Super Green Devices for four years in a row, and awarding Super Green Factory certification to 21 of its plants in Japan and around the world.

From fiscal 2009, Sharp will follow a new environmental vision and strategy. Sharp will continue to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions through customer use of solar cells and energy-saving products, and at the same time reduce Sharp’s own greenhouse gas emissions resulting from its business activities to a bare minimum. Sharp will also utilize and improve upon the know-how acquired through its Super Green Strategy and make efforts to instill environmental consciousness throughout the supply chain and society as a whole.

Sharp’s new “Manufacturing Complex for the 21st Century,” currently under construction in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, is being advanced as one of Sharp’s most significant efforts to contribute to a low-carbon society. Within the complex, the world’s first LCD panel plant to utilize 10th-generation glass substrates will start production in October 2009, and the thin-film solar cell plant, one of the world’s largest, is scheduled to begin operations by March 2010.

Sharp is also inviting a number of leading companies across the spectrum of industrial fields to locate on the same site, with the aim of pooling collective wisdom and knowledge to create a revolutionary production system. The idea is to mass-produce LCD panels and solar cells with outstanding environmental performance under this production system, while having a minimal negative impact on the environment.

Up until this point, Sharp has built LCD panel and solar cell plants for front-end production in Japan, but it is now collaborating with major companies around the world to build plants in the areas where products will be consumed. This is Sharp’s global development of local production for local consumption. In the future, Sharp will globally develop the environmentally conscious technologies and know-how it has successfully accumulated in Japan, with the aim of having every step in the complete life cycle of a product or device—planning, design, procurement, production, sales, and recycling—take place locally.

As for solar cells, Sharp is not only a developer and manufacturer of technology, it also plans to further contribute to a low-carbon society by becoming an energy provider. The first step was partnering with Enel SpA, Italy’s largest power company, to collaborate on setting up a solar power business. 

In addition, Sharp will promote energy-saving lighting by releasing into global markets the LED lights that hit the Japanese market last year.

Looking ahead to the 100th anniversary of Sharp’s founding in 2012, Sharp has established two visions—“Realize a truly ubiquitous society with the world’s No. 1 LCDs” and “Contribute to the world through environment- and health-conscious business, focusing on energy-saving and energy-creating products.” The company is making proactive, company-wide efforts toward their realization, including taking on the challenges of developing environmental businesses. 

As a manufacturer, Sharp will continue to contribute to society by creating technologies and products that support sustainable development for society, and also by engaging in environmental conservation activities. 

In order to further strengthen adherence to business ethics and compliance with all regulations and laws, Sharp is implementing a reevaluation and improvement of its compliance system on a global basis. Sharp is also making ongoing efforts to strengthen corporate governance, raise customer satisfaction levels, deploy CSR throughout the supply chain, conduct social contribution activities, and enrich its programs for nurturing human resources.

Following its business philosophy and business creed of “Sincerity and Creativity,” Sharp is moving forward to even more thoroughly fulfill its social responsibility through manufacturing and technologies that contribute to the conservation of the global environment.
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