Panasonic 2008 Annual Report Download - page 55

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Matsushita is engaging in corporate citizenship activities focused on three key areas—
Children, the Environment and the Community—based on the action principles of
“education and coexistence.” Going beyond activities conducted by the Company alone,
Matsushita is vigorously promoting various initiatives such as collaborations with NPOs
and NGOs, and support for volunteer activities by its employees.
Environment
n Yellow Sea Ecoregion Support Project
Together with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), one of the world’s largest environ-
mental NGOs, the Company launched specific activities as part of the Yellow Sea Ecore-
gion Support Project, which aims to conserve and effectively manage the marine
ecosystem of the Yellow Sea.
n Planting Trees in Vietnam—“One Tree for One Home Appliance”
Matsushita conducted a campaign whereby it planted one tree in Vietnam for every
eligible eco product purchased by customers in Japan. In total, the Company planted
approximately 500,000 trees in Vietnam with the support of customers.
n Using Waste Materials to Teach Arts and Crafts in the U.K.
In the U.K, the Company has so far donated roughly 40 tons of clean waste materials to
schools for use in arts and crafts activities. Approximately 250,000 schoolchildren have
demonstrated their creativity and enjoyed making things with the materials provided by
this program, which has won various recycling-related awards.
Children
n Delivering Our Expertise With the “Class Delivery Service”
Under this initiative, employees visit schools and give classes about our approach to
manufacturing, environmental protection activities and other subjects.
n Panasonic Academic Challenge
Matsushita is supporting, as a title sponsor, the Panasonic Academic Challenge, a
national academic competition in which teams of high school students from across the
U.S. compete for scholarships and prizes by answering challenging questions on math-
ematics, science and other subjects.
n Panasonic Kids School
Panasonic Kids School holds various hands-on events throughout Japan with the phi-
losophy that “if the kids are having fun, the future will be bright.” It runs various programs.
Community
n Making Human-friendly Products—Exhibiting at Sight World 2007
Matsushita exhibited at Sight World 2007, a comprehensive exhibition for people with
visual impairments. The Company showcased a range of products grounded on Universal
Design principles, such as “Monoshiri Talk,” an RF voice recorder/IC tag reader that talks
to blind people, telling them what they have in their hands; objects identify themselves with
voice messages.
n Supporting “Lifeline Express” in China
Matsushita supports “Lifeline Express,” a mobile eye hospital train that provides free
surgery for people suffering from cataract ailments in rural China who cannot afford treat-
ment. The Company received the Equity Contribution Merit Award from China’s Lifeline
Express Fund for our support.
Other
n Natural Disaster Relief
In addition to providing assistance following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Japan, the
Company supported relief efforts in the aftermath of the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake in
Japan, cyclone damage in Myanmar and the massive earthquake in Sichuang, China.
n Scholarship Program—Panasonic Scholarship
Matsushita provides financial support to international exchange students from Asian coun-
tries studying for master’s degrees at Japanese universities. The aim of the scholarship
program is to nurture future leaders of Asia and encourage amity between Japan and its
Asian neighbors.
For more information about CSR
activities, please refer to the
following websites:
Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR)
http://panasonic.net/csr/
Environmental Activities
http://panasonic.net/eco/
Corporate Citizenship Activities
http://panasonic.net/citizenship/
Joint declaration signing ceremony for the
Yellow Sea Ecoregion Support Project
Examples of Corporate Citizenship Activities
Employees in action at one of their school
visits as part of the “Class Delivery Service”
program
Action Principles
Education and Coexistence
Children
Environment
Community
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. 2008 53