Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has formulated targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by fiscal 2030. These targets have received SBT certification under the international initiative SBTi (Science Based Targets Initiative) as science-based targets for "keeping a global temperature rise below 1.5°C above-pre-industrial levels" in conformance with the Paris Agreement.
In recent years, companies have been expected to take climate change countermeasures, including decarbonization, to tackle environmental problems that are becoming increasingly serious around the world. To respond accurately to such demands from society, Murata has chosen to reinforce climate change countermeasures as a priority issue (material issue) and is conducting business operations with a total GHG emissions reduction target in mind. Further, Murata is investing aggressively to encourage energy conservation and the use of renewable energy throughout the Murata Group.
As an energy-saving initiative, Murata has continued for many years to implement 450 to 600 energy conservation measures annually (equivalent to about 50,000 tons of CO? reduction). However, recent business expansion had outpaced the effects of these efforts, and total GHG emissions had increased. Murata has worked actively since fiscal 2018 to expand its use of renewable energy in addition to conserving energy, with the result that total GHG emissions peaked in fiscal 2018 and then began to decrease, reaching 1.435 million t-CO2e for fiscal 2020 (a reduction of 174,000 t-CO2e year over year). Going forward, Murata will continue making efforts to achieve its emissions targets of 1.4 million tons for fiscal 2021, 1.28 million tons for fiscal 2024, and 870,000 tons for fiscal 2030. With regard to Scope 3, Murata will also reduce CO? emissions throughout the supply chain, such as by selecting materials with a low environmental load and increasing the input ratio of recycled materials.
Seeking to promote the use of renewable energy, Murata joined RE100 in 2020 and has set the goals of using 50% renewable energy for business activities by 2030 and 100% by 2050. In November 2021, Kanazu Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. became the Murata Group's first plant to operate on 100% renewable energy. In January 2022, Philippine Manufacturing Co. of Murata, Inc. became the first overseas production site to operate on 100% renewable energy. Going forward, Murata will continue to actively introduce measures to expand the use of renewable energy to each group company.
To further accelerate such environmental investment, Murata has been operating a carbon pricing system since fiscal 2021. By assigning an economic value to CO? reduction and embedding it into its investment index, Murata has made it easier for group companies to make environmental investments. Murata aims for system design including this carbon pricing system that is highly effective at driving CO? reduction.