Epson has become the first in the Japanese manufacturing industry to fully transition to 100% renewable energy.
As of December 2023, all electricity used at Epson sites around the globe comes from renewable sources. The group consumes approximately 876 GWh of electricity per year. By sourcing renewables to cover this demand, Epson expects to reduce its annual carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 400,000 tonnes.
Epson publicly committed to becoming carbon negative and underground resource free in its Environmental Vision 2050. The use of renewable electricity is a key means by which Epson seeks to reach its goal of achieving decarbonisation. In line with this, Epson declared, in March 2021, that it would switch to 100% renewable electricity to meet the electricity needs at all Epson Group sites around the world by 2023. In November 2021, the switch was completed in Japan. The global switch to renewable electricity was completed on schedule in December 2023.
In addition to sourcing renewable electricity, Epson will promote the broader adoption of renewable energy, including by generating more of its own power and by supporting the development of new power sources through co-creation. Epson will reduce the amount of energy associated with production and products and will pursue further advances in resource circulation to attain the goal of becoming carbon negative.
Global president Yasunori Ogawa said: “For 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 ten months since declaring our commitment to doing so in 2021. This will not only help us to achieve our own goals but will also help to facilitate a broader adoption of renewable electricity within society by spreading awareness. Our goal of realising social sustainability is a bigger issue, one fraught with difficulty, but we will act with determination to address the issues with a spirit of creativity and challenge."