(WIESBADEN, Germany--October 10, 2008) Global consumer electronics company Panasonic has signed up to become one of the first corporate sponsors of WWF's work on the Arctic.
The WWF International Arctic Programme's goal is to catalyse a new approach to understanding and managing the Arctic via a four-pronged approach:
- Communicating the global implications of Arctic climate change
- Ensuring the Arctic biosphere does not become a new source of atmospheric carbon
- Eliminating the additional pressures on the environment caused by unsustainable exploitative activities
- Establishing governance regimes that conserve the ecosystems and species of the Arctic for future generations
"The WWF Arctic Programme is an important project, and we are excited to be involved," says Yoshiiku Miyata, CEO at Panasonic Europe. "This sponsorship is part of a renewed vigour for one of Panasonic's twin business visions, 'Coexistence with the Global Environment', in the context of the company's ongoing commitment to preserving the global environment."
The WWF Arctic programme seeks to eliminate existing and looming threats to the Arctic, a region that is a vital component of the global climate system.
"We are delighted to welcome Panasonic as a corporate sponsor for our Arctic Programme," says Dr. Chris Hails, Director of Network Relations at WWF International. "The contribution of Panasonic is a welcome first step for us in securing the support we need to help protect and preserve the Arctic."
Panasonic's support will enable WWF to 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.
For Panasonic, the initiative is an important part of an 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 action on the environment through proactive engagement with local communities across the continent.
For further information on the aims and objectives of the Arctic Programme, please visit
www.panda.org/arctic. For further information on Panasonic's "eco ideas" initiative, please visit
www.panasonic.net/eco. More information is also available at
www.panasonic-broadcast.com
###
