Panasonic Sponsors WWF Arctic Initiative

By TWICE Staff -- TWICE, 10/9/2008

Secaucus, N.J. — Panasonic has become one of the first corporate sponsors of the World Wildlife Foundation’s (WWF) work on the Arctic, the company said Wednesday.

The goal of the WWF International Arctic Program is “to create a new approach to understanding and managing the Arctic through a global communications effort of Arctic climate change to ensure the Arctic biosphere does not become a new source of atmospheric carbon, and to help eliminate additional environmental pressures from unsustainable exploitative activities.

The WWF is also seeking to establish “governance regimes that conserve the ecosystems and species of the Arctic for future generations.”

“The WWF Arctic Program is an important project and we are excited to be involved,” said Yoshiiku Miyata, Panasonic Europe CEO. “This sponsorship is part of a renewed vigor for one of Panasonic’s business visions related to coexistence with the global environment, which supports the company’s ongoing commitment to preserving our global environment.”

Panasonic said its support will help the WWF scale up Arctic activities at a time when the Arctic faces unprecedented change. Those activities include devising and promoting governance and management regimes to help protect Arctic ecosystems; eliminating illegal fishing activities; and researching, monitoring, and supporting the continued well-being of key arctic species such as polar bears.

Panasonic will use the sponsorship as in its global Eco Ideas Strategy, which aims to improve the efficiency of products, increase environmental performance at manufacturing sites and encourage people such as consumers and employees to take their own initiative regarding the environment through proactively engaging with local communities around the world.