Climate Lobbying Overview: Panasonic has had some direct engagement with specific climate policy both in Japan and globally, and appears to support climate action consistent with the IPCC in its top-line messaging. Panasonic is a member of and holds executive positions in multiple industry associations that have appeared to lobby negatively on Paris-aligned climate policies, including the Japanese Business Federation (Keidanren), but also holds memberships in a few associations that have consistently lobbied positively on climate change.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Panasonic has expressed broad support for climate change response in its top-line messaging, and there is some evidence of support for climate change regulation. A feature story published on Panasonic’s website in July 2022 cited a UN report warning that unless “urgent action” is taken to reduce carbon emissions, the world will face ”unprecedented heatwaves, terrifying storms, widespread water shortages,” and recognized the need for urgent action to combat climate change referencing the IPCC. In a feature story on its website in May 2022, Panasonic expressed support for “carbon-neutral policies aiming for virtually zero greenhouse gas emissions,” including the Japanese government’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Panasonic has expressed support for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement on its website (accessed January 2022) and in its 2021 Sustainability Data Book. In February 2020, Panasonic was a signatory of a statement submitted to the Japanese government by the Japan Climate Initiative (JCI) committing to decarbonization efforts in Japan with “greater determination than ever before.”

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Evidence has shown limited but positive engagement by Panasonic with regulations regarding GHG emissions and emissions trading. In March 2021, Panasonic was a signatory of a statement by the Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership and RE100 requesting the Japanese government to raise the 2030 renewable energy target from 22-25% to 50% in the Strategic Energy Plan, in addition to policies to increase renewable energy such as strengthening the energy grid and enabling offsite corporate power purchase agreements. In February 2020, Panasonic urged the Japanese government to strengthen its national targets, including GHG emissions reduction targets, in a joint statement initiated by JCI. In August 2022, Panasonic was a signatory of a joint letter calling on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to grant California waivers requested under its “Heavy Duty Program” designed to reduce GHG emissions in the heavy-duty transport sector. In April 2022, Nikkei Asia reported that Panasonic supported the introduction of a cap-and-trade regulation in Vietnam.

Positioning on Energy Transition: Panasonic demonstrates mixed engagement with energy transition policies. The company has directly engaged with policymakers in support for hydrogen, although often without specifying on the need to decarbonize hydrogen production. In the METI Hydrogen/Fuel Cell Strategy Council in February 2021, Panasonic made recommendations including the expansion of hydrogen, public-private collaboration on fuel cells, and the inclusion of hydrogen fuel cells as the mainstay of the Green Growth Strategy. Panasonic has expressed support for green hydrogen in its corporate media, stating on its Youtube channel in January 2022 that to achieve carbon neutrality, countries must “further accelerate the generation of renewable electricity” to “power the grid and produce green hydrogen.” In a press release in October 2021, Panasonic recognized that “it is indispensable to introduce renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass power” to achieve carbon neutrality, but appeared to argue for an expanded role for hydrogen due to issues such as output variations from weather conditions for solar and wind. In a February 2022 response to a survey from the European Environmental Bureau, Panasonic support to phase out subsidies for fossil-powered boilers and water heaters, and ban the sale of new fossil-fueled domestic boilers and water heaters in the EU in 2022.

Panasonic appears to support the electrification of the transportation and industrial sectors, stating it was “essential to further electrify” such sectors “where fossil fuel is still heavily used as a thermal and power source” on its website, accessed in January 2022. In August 2022, Panasonic was a signatory of a joint letter supporting California's proposed Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, calling on the United States EPA to grant California a waiver to set ambitious targets for zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and accelerate the electrification of the heavy-duty transport sector.

Industry Association Governance: Panasonic has disclosed its membership in the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), which has lobbied against certain Paris-aligned climate policy, on its website. The Panasonic chairman of the board is a vice chairman and director of Keidanren, and Panasonic disclosed in its 2021 CDP response that its position on climate change is consistent with that of Keidanren. Panasonic has not disclosed its additional memberships, including the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), which has had limited mixed engagement with climate and energy policies, and of which the chairman of the board of Panasonic is the vice president. In addition, Panasonic executives hold senior positions in the Kansai Economic Federation (KEF) and Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association (JEMA), which have had some negative engagement with climate change policies in Japan. Panasonic is a member of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which has had mixed and mostly negative engagement on climate policy in the US in recent years, and the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), which has consistently lobbied against higher CO2 standards for vehicles. On the other hand, Panasonic is also a member of the Japan Climate Initiative (JCI) and an associate member of the Japan Climate Leaders Partnership (JCLP), which have lobbied positively on some climate change and energy policies in Japan, and Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) in the US.

InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q1 2023.