Toshiba Group is responding to the global environmental issue of climate change by providing products and services to society and customers. In addition to "mitigation measures" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to slow the progression of climate change, we believe it is important to promote "adaptation measures" to minimize the adverse effects of climate change that are already occurring.
As a "mitigation measure," Toshiba Group offers comprehensive energy solutions for power supply, such as energy decarbonization and technologies for stable power supply. For products and services that consume energy, we offer energy-efficient products as well as the components that make such products possible. In addition, our digital solutions help to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of society and of our customers. Through these initiatives, we aim to achieve carbon neutrality throughout our value chain.
Toshiba Group has set long-term greenhouse gas reduction targets to achieve its Environmental Future Vision 2050, with short-term targets established in its Environmental Action Plan. We also set annual reduction rate targets for Scope 3 emissions, including those from the use of our products and services, and are working to reduce these emissions.
As an "adaptation measure," we develop products and services that help to prevent and to mitigate weather-related disasters caused by climate change. We will contribute to create safe, secure cities by having local governments and private companies, which support social infrastructure, utilize our services.
Products and Services Associated with Power Supply
Toshiba Group helps reduce CO2 emissions by developing renewable energy technologies and improving the efficiency of power infrastructure, including power generation as well as power transmission and distribution facilities.
By making the most of our comprehensive strength and technological capabilities to offer products and services for generating energy, transferring energy, storing energy, and using energy smartly in an integrated manner, we will contribute to achieving carbon neutral as a company that designs the form of future energy.
Generating Power
We have delivered a lot of renewable energy (water, wind, geothermal, solar, biomass power generation, etc.) that will not emit CO2 in the stage of generating power, and drive the development of various technologies (for smaller size, lighter weight, higher efficiency, etc.) for further promotion of such energy. In thermal power generation, which emits CO2, we also contribute to reducing CO2 emissions with a technology to separate and capture CO2 from exhaust gas.
Transferring and Storing Power
Wind and solar power generation requires technologies to stably supply power because the amount of power generated is greatly affected by the weather and time of day. Specifically, we can suppress power fluctuations by appropriately controlling the charge and discharge function of storage batteries, hydrogen (power to chemicals: P2C), etc. with the virtual power plant (VPP) technology. We are also working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing the high-GWP insulating gas used in gas-insulated switchgear installed in power plants and substations with natural gas.
Storing and Using Power Smartly
When more power has been generated than needed, much power can be stored in the form of hydrogen by converting electric power to hydrogen. In addition, the converted hydrogen can be used for power generation again or can be used as fuel for vehicles and vessels.
Additionally, we provide TOSHIBA SPINEX for Energy, a digital service for efficient operation and equipment maintenance across all phases of “generating power, transferring power, storing power, and using power smartly.” We offer services that utilize digital technologies such as software named EtaPRO™ for equipment anomaly predictive monitoring and thermal efficiency management for power plants, remote monitoring, generative AI, and mathematical optimization.
Products and Services Associated with Power Consumption
For our own products, Toshiba Group is working to understand and reduce the burden of greenhouse gas emissions in each phase of the product lifecycle.
To help reduce the environmental impacts on society and on the customers who use Toshiba Group products and services, it is important to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during the use phase of the product lifecycle. These efforts will also lead to a reduction in category 11 (GHG emissions during product use), which is the largest category of Scope 3 emissions for Toshiba Group.
Percentages of CO2 emissions from the lifecycle stages of Toshiba Group’s products
For products and services such as social infrastructure products and office equipment that consume significant power, we are working to improve energy consumption efficiency. In addition, power semiconductors are key devices for improving the energy-saving performance of electrical appliances, and they contribute to improving the energy-saving performance both of our own products and those of our customers.
We believe that digital solutions will play an important role in reducing society's greenhouse gas emissions. For example, in manufacturing, we believe that by providing solutions for the manufacturing industry that combine the expertise cultivated across Toshiba Group's wide-ranging business domains with advanced digital technologies such as IoT and AI, we can support improvements in customer productivity and also contribute to enhancing energy efficiency in product manufacturing. In addition, by digitizing receipts, we indirectly contribute to reducing society’s greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the use of paper receipts.
Volume of Avoided Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Toshiba Group calculates the volume of avoided greenhouse gas emissions as an indicator of our contributions to realizing carbon neutrality in society through the provision of products and services, and this figure is a target in our Environmental Action Plan. Specifically, we focus on our contribution to society and our customers, comparing greenhouse gas emissions during the use phase before and after introducing our products and services, and the difference is the volume of avoided greenhouse gas emissions.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has issued guidance on the volume of avoided greenhouse gas emissions; meanwhile, international standardization is being considered in the electrical and electronics sector, with Toshiba Group participating in such discussions. We will also consider broadening the range of products recognized as avoiding greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring consistency with national and international rules.
Adaptation Measures to Avoid the Effect of Climate Change
Toshiba Group is also focusing on promoting "adaptation measures" to prepare for the impacts of climate change.
In recent years, the acceleration of global warming has led to frequent large-scale disasters caused by extreme weather events around the world. To help address these challenges, Toshiba Group is developing products and services that contribute to disaster prevention and mitigation.
For example, weather data services utilizing advanced weather radar technology and meteorological data analysis technology provide highly accurate predictive data on signs of localized heavy rain and rainfall amounts. These data can be used to determine when to issue alerts before river flooding or landslides occur. In addition, during torrential downpours, AI-powered stormwater drainage systems help reduce flood risks. Leveraging our long-cultivated expertise and technologies that support social infrastructure, we also provide a wide range of solutions to appropriately address disaster risks.