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Hitachi

Social Innovation in Southeast Asia

     

    Driving Sustainable Growth

    Through our Social Innovation efforts, Hitachi has always strived to foster an efficient and sustainable future by reimagining the way societies and industries operate. The key to this is not only in leveraging our rich experience in technology and engineering for the greater good, but also doing so with partners within our global network to co-create social, economic and environmental values.

    However, as humanity is now facing a Code Red due to the ever-present threats borne by the environmental adversities of climate change, we at Hitachi have stepped up our efforts to help ensure the world’s long-term ecological sustainability – especially in fast-growing regions such as Southeast Asia.

    Guided by the Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050 resolution and as the principal partner of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), we are more driven than ever to achieve a low-carbon, resource-efficient society that is harmonised with nature.

    Social Values

    Environmental Values

    Economic Values

    Reducing Carbon Emissions

    A key factor behind climate change is rising carbon emissions. While it is a global problem, the unique geographies and economic activities of Southeast Asian nations make it especially vulnerable to climate change, which is made worse by the fact that unclean energy is expected to remain a primary contributor to increasing regional energy demands. Emissions from power generation could more than double by 2040, while industrial emissions could increase by 75 percent.

    • 2040Emissions from power sector to increase more than double
    • Increase in industrial pollution

    Having played a role in Southeast Asia’s economic rise over the past few decades, Hitachi is highly cognizant of how unchecked carbon emissions can negatively impact the livelihoods of the region’s citizens. As such, we have raised our environmental responsibilities via the aforementioned Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050 plan, where we aim to achieve a 50 percent reduction in CO2 emissions across our value chain by 2030 and an 80 percent reduction by 2050i. To supplement these efforts, we are also committed to the Hitachi Carbon Neutrality 2030 plan, under which we seek to become carbon neutral by FY2030 in our global operations.

    Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050

    • Reduction in emissions across our value chain by
    • Reduction by

    Through these plans, we have been expanding our decarbonisation business in Southeast Asia by supplying solutions in IT, energy, industry, mobility and smart life. An example of one of our ongoing projects in the region includes the collaboration between Hitachi Capital, Hitachi Asia and SANTEC to drive greener energy production via solar power generation in Thailand.

    In alignment with this mission, Hitachi Ltd. is also the Principal Partner for COP26, the UN’s annual climate change summit where parties are brought together to accelerate action towards climate change mitigation by lowering greenhouse gas emissions and encouraging climate-resilient development. At the same time, Hitachi has joined the United Nation’s Race to Zero campaign to limit global temperature rise to 1.5℃.

    Maintaining Resource Efficiency

    Southeast Asia is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. However, ensuring that they can be enjoyed by future generations has been a pertinent challenge in the region, due to the region experiencing rapid urbanisation, increased industrialisation and fast-growing populations.

    Hence, safeguarding resource efficiency is another core pillar of the Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050 plan, whereby we are committed to achieving a 50 percent improvement in water usage efficiencyii. To date, our efforts have included resolving water issues around the region, such as implementing a water leakage management system in Singapore and improving water infrastructures in the Philippines.

    Improving clean water security is just one part of our resource efficiency initiatives, as we are also helping the region transition towards a more circular economy through recycling. This includes Hitachi’s work in Indonesia, where we will be operating a factory to for parts recycling in Jakarta so used industrial components can be remanufactured and sold.

    50%

    Improvement in use
    of water/resources

    Encourage recycling
    for a circular economy

    Harmonising Society With Nature

    Over the past few decades, Southeast Asia has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions. Yet, this has come at a high environmental cost, threatening the sustainability of future socio-economic activities that are instrumental to improving the quality of life across the region.

    At Hitachi, we strongly believe that we can help strike an equilibrium between human activities and nature preservation for long-term sustainability, which is why we have established targets to minimise our impact on natural capital under the Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050 plan. We are doing so by increasing our positive impact on the environment through creating services and products that contribute to ecosystem preservation, as well as engaging in conservation activities. This includes an initiative by a Hitachi Construction Machinery group company to plant nearly 3,000 mangrove seedlings in West Java, Indonesia to help clean up the surrounding area’s water and air.

    Achieving
    growth without compromising environment

    Nearly 3,000 mangrove seedlings planted in West Java, Indonesia by Hitachi to preserve environment

    Hitachi will continue to actively engage in preservation efforts of the local environment within Southeast Asia. We are also quantifying such benefits via a framework we prepared to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation efforts.

    Accelerating Efforts Today for a More Sustainable Future

    While Southeast Asia remains focused on emerging from the current global crisis borne by the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot rest on our laurels in the fight against climate change. However, this cannot be done with only short-term fixes. Instead, our efforts should also focus on a long-term view of building greener societies, allowing us to drive more environmentally sustainable initiatives in vulnerable regions such as Southeast Asia, where there is significant potential to create a positive impact.

    Hitachi is continuing to take bolder steps in realising our green goals. We are committed to working with all the region’s stakeholders, including governments, societal groups, and businesses, to help put Southeast Asia on the sustainable path of a cleaner and greener future.

    Partnering with Governments

    Partnering with Communities

    Partnering with Businesses

    iCompared to Fiscal Year 2010 levels.

    iiCompared to Fiscal Year 2010 levels.

     

    Date of Release: December 2021

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