Seiko Epson Corp. said Monday all electricity used at it sites around the globe comes from renewable sources, making it the first in the domestic manufacturing industry to complete the transition to renewable electricity.
The Epson Group consumes about 876 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually.
It said that by sourcing renewables to meet its demand, the group expects to reduce its annual carbon dioxide emissions by 400,000 tons.
Epson committed to becoming carbon negative and underground resource-free in its Environmental Vision 2050.
The use of renewable electricity is key to reaching its goal of achieving decarbonization, the company said.
Epson declared in March 2021 that it would switch to 100-percent renewable electricity to meet the electricity needs at all Epson Group sites around the world by 2023.
The switch was completed in Japan in November 2021. The global switch to renewable electricity was completed on schedule in December 2023.
Epson said it would also promote the broader adoption of renewable energy which includes generating more of its own power and supporting the development of new power sources through co-creation.
It will reduce the amount of energy associated with production processes and products as well as pursue further advances in resource circulation to attain the goal of becoming carbon negative, the company said.
“For the past eight decades, Epson has demonstrated a proactive approach to environmental action. We have maintained the founder’s commitment to preserving the cleanliness of nearby Lake Suwa and became the world’s first company to eliminate CFCs from our manufacturing processes. Now we have successfully completed the switch to 100% renewable electricity at all Epson Group sites in just two years and 10 months since declaring our commitment to doing so in 2021,” said Epson Global president Yasunori Ogawa.
“This will not only help us achieve our own goals but also help to facilitate a broader adoption of renewable electricity in the wider society. Realizing social sustainability is a goal fraught with difficulties but we will act with determination to address the hurdles with a spirit of creativity and challenge,” Ogawa said.
