OREANDA-NEWS. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced the immediate issuance of the Mitsubishi Electric Group's environmental report for the fiscal year that ended in March.

The Mitsubishi Electric Group has adopted a new environmental plan every three years since 1993 to set medium-term targets and policies. The results of these activities are announced annually. The new report outlines the operations of Mitsubishi Electric and its 116 domestic and 72 overseas affiliates and their efforts to contribute to low-carbon, recycling-oriented societies. Noteworthy results are presented below.

Using the Factor X environmental efficiency improvement index, products whose factor improves from the previous year are designated as "eco-products." In the fiscal year that ended in March, CO2 emissions generated by 109 eco-products were reduced 29 percent on average, compared to 26 percent for 84 eco-products in the previous fiscal year. The 29 percent reduction rate exceeded the target of 27 percent in the Group's Seventh Environmental Plan for the fiscal years ending 2013-2015.

The amount of CO2 emissions from all products sold in the fiscal year that ended in March was 120.34 million tons. Using a new index to determine the amount of CO2 emissions reduced by new energy-efficient products compared to levels in the fiscal year ended 2001, 134 products were determined to have lowered CO2 emissions by 49.03 million tons. Mitsubishi Electric is working to further increase this amount of reduction.

For the fiscal year ending 2014, Mitsubishi Electric aims to again exceed the 27 percent target by expanding the development and sales of highly energy-efficient products.

Mitsubishi Electric aims to reduce CO2 emissions from manufacturing operations by improving productivity, enhancing the energy efficiency and operation of air conditioners, lighting and other equipment, improving demand-response control and installing more photovoltaic systems.

In the fiscal year that ended in March, Mitsubishi Electric's total amount of waste and saleable materials generated on an unconsolidated basis was 82,000 tons, 0.4 percent less than the amount recorded in the previous fiscal year. The final disposal rate, as measured by the amount of waste sent directly to landfills divided by the amount of waste and saleable materials generated, was 0.002 percent, far exceeding the target of less than 0.1 percent set for the fiscal year that ended in March. The company has achieved a final disposal rate of under 0.1 percent for nine consecutive years.

Affiliates in Japan generated 60,000 tons in waste and saleable materials, 1.6 percent less than the amount recorded in the previous fiscal year, achieving a final disposal rate of 0.08 percent. This also exceeded the target of less than 0.1 percent set for the fiscal year that ended in March, marking the third consecutive year that affiliates in Japan have achieved their target.

Affiliates overseas generated 61,000 tons in waste and saleable materials, 5.2 percent more than the amount recorded in the previous fiscal year, posting a final disposal rate of 1.55 percent. This marked an improvement from the 1.6 percent posted for the previous fiscal year, paving the way for affiliates overseas to aim for the target of less than 1.0 percent set for the fiscal year ending 2015.