Community Relations

This donation drive delivers solar lanterns to areas without electricity, using funds collected through cafeteria points from the Employee Benefits Service and donations of used books, DVDs, and other secondhand items. In fiscal 2026, a total of 449 employees donated their cafeteria points, and we collected 32,366 secondhand items from the general public and our employees, donating 2,538 solar lanterns. This initiative began with a donation from the Company in 2009, and since then, approximately 130,000 lanterns have been delivered to 36 countries.

This is an environmental conservation activity that employees around the world have carried out for more than 30 years in collaboration with local communities, children, and families, with the aim of helping build a sustainable global environment and society. These Eco Relay activities are positioned as part of “+INFLUENCE” under Panasonic GREEN IMPACT, the Panasonic Group’s long-term environmental vision, and during fiscal 2026, a wide range of initiatives—including cleanup activities and tree planting—were carried out at 91 sites worldwide (cumulative). In addition, beginning in 2025, we launched “Act for BLUE CARBON,” an initiative aimed at conserving marine ecosystems and raising awareness, as these ecosystems are believed to absorb more CO₂ than terrestrial ecosystems. Through activities such as seagrass bed restoration and mangrove planting around the world, we aim to contribute to CO₂ reduction and biodiversity conservation.

Panasonic was the first company in Japan to start offering sustainable seafood at its company cafeterias on an ongoing basis. The initiative, which began in March 2018 at two locations, has been in place at a total of 57 locations in Japan, serving a cumulative total of more than 163,000 meals as of March 31, 2026. Through the food served and consumed at cafeterias, we aim to raise awareness of the world’s fishery resources in crisis, encourage changes in consumption behavior, and expand our impact on our surroundings.

*1 Seafood certified for sustainable production (fishing and aquaculture) as well as management and traceability in processing, distribution, and marketing.

This initiative aims to deepen employees’ understanding of the current situation in Fukushima and encourage them to support its reconstruction. Activities include offering menu items featuring agricultural, livestock, and marine products from Fukushima Prefecture in company cafeterias, holding “Fukushima Marche” events to sell products from the prefecture, and conducting awareness-raising activities including lectures for employees by guest speakers such as officials from the Fukushima Prefectural Government. The cafeteria menu initiative began in January 2022 and has expanded to a cumulative total of 25 sites as of March 31, 2026. The Fukushima Marche has been held 35 times across 14 sites (cumulative total). In addition, the initiative has been extended to a community open event at the Kusatsu site in Shiga Prefecture and to collaborative events with Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture, thereby broadening its reach within local communities.

In response to the increasing frequency of natural disasters in recent years, the Group is working to develop human resources who can take voluntary action in times of disaster. One such initiative is the “Disaster Volunteer Training Course,” which provides learning opportunities on how to support disaster-affected areas, the mindset required in the field, and specific actions to take. To make the content accessible to the general public as well, we have published condensed videos summarizing the training content. Including video viewings, a cumulative total of approximately 9,000 people has participated in the program. Furthermore, in recovery and reconstruction support activities following the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and heavy rains, 45 employees were engaged in relief efforts in Suzu City, Nanao City, and Wajima City in Ishikawa Prefecture, providing support tailored to local needs.

Workplaces within the Group around the world take an active role in developing and rolling out a variety of volunteer activities that are tailored to the specific features of the regions and operating companies they are part of. In North America, for example, the Group has an employee volunteer program and annual Month of Service initiative through which we encourage employees to volunteer. In China, several times each year we have China Region Group Volunteer Activities in which employees at various workplaces across China undertake volunteer activities related to the same theme at the same time. In Japan, we provide employees with information on volunteer opportunities organized by NPOs and other organizations. Through these initiatives, employees have participated in activities including pro bono services and environmental conservation activities.

We hosted the Social Good Meetup (SGM), a lecture series for employees featuring diverse guest speakers, to raise awareness of these issues and motivate employees to take action. In fiscal 2026, a total of 317 employees attended these lectures.

Several business units in Panasonic North America provide paid time off that allow employees to spend up to five full working days on volunteer activities to give back and contribute to their local communities. We also encourage and facilitate participation in volunteer activities on the part of our employees, including by coordinating volunteer activities at individual business sites.

To further encourage social involvement, some Group companies in Europe allow employees to take up to 16 hours of paid leave per year for volunteer work.