Brand owner: Sony Corporation
Head office: Tokyo, Japan
Sector: Electronics
Categories : Televisions, TV's, Computers, Notebooks, Audio, Video, Cameras, Camcorders, Home Appliances, Game Consoles
Free Tags: Camera, Digital, SLR, Compact, Laptop, PC, Sound system, Playstation, Console, TV, Netbook, Desktop
| 1. Does the brand (company) clearly support global mandatory cuts of carbon emissions of at least 50% by 2050 or 30% by industrialized countries by 2020? |
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Sony supports global mandatory cuts of 50% by 2050. | Source |
| 2. Has the brand (company) disclosed the annual carbon footprint of its 'own operations' and of the supply / production chain? |
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Sony reports on its own GHG emissions and includes those of its suppliers. | Source |
| 3. Has the brand (company) set a target to reduce its ‘own operations’ carbon footprint by at least 20% within the next 5 years? |
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Sony plans a 7% emissions reduction by 2010 compared to 2000 emission levels. Sony also recently stated that it plans for a 30% reduction by year 2016 compared to FY 2000. It is however not clear what this reduction translate to in year 2012. | Source |
| 4. Has the brand (company) already reduced or compensated its 'own operations' carbon footprint by at least 10% in the last 5 years? |
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See section "Green Management 2010: Progress Report" where it is stated that Sony achieved a decrease of 17% of GhG emissions from business sites based on the fiscal year 2000 level by 2008. | Source |
| 5. Do all new products of the brand meet the latest Energy Star requirements (where applicable)? |
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Not all new Sony products meet the latest Energy star requirements. | Source |
| 1. Has the brand (company) eliminated PVC and BFRs in all new products? If not, does the brand give a timeline for achieving this by 2012? |
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Sony wants to eliminate PVC and BFRs in new products by the end of fiscal year 2010. | Source |
| 2. Has the brand (company) already eliminated PVC and BFRs in all new products? |
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Not likely, since Sony wants to eliminate PVC and BFRs in new products by the end of fiscal year 2010. | Source |
| 3. Has the brand (company) already eliminated at least 2 of the 3 groups of suspect chemicals (beryllium, antimony and phthalates) in all of its new products? If not, does it give a timeline for achieving this by 2012? |
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Phthalates banned in some products, not all. Beryllium oxide has been banned in some products. Antimony not mentioned. | Source |
| 4. Has the brand (company) already eliminated at least 2 of the 3 groups of suspect chemicals (beryllium, antimony and phthalates)in all of its new products? |
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Not likely. Phthalates banned in some products, not all. Beryllium oxide has been banned in some products. Antimony not mentioned. | Source |
| 5. Does the brand (company) support the principle of Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR), meaning that brands are responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their own products, including take back and recycling? |
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Sony supports Individual Product Responsibility (IPR). | Source |
| 6. Does the brand (company) provide free and easy take back and recycling services for its discarded products in many of the countries where its products are sold? |
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Sony offer extensive recycling services across the globe it is however the ease of access to this services and whether they offer any take back services is unclear from their website. | Source |
| 7. Does the brand (company) source at least 5% of its plastics from recycled plastic streams and does it give a clear timeline to increase this percentage to at least 25% by 2025? |
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Sony does use recycled plastic streams it is however unclear what percentage of their total plastics requirement comes from recycled plastic streams. | Source |
| 1. Does the brand (company) have a policy that excludes smelters of conflict minerals by only sourcing minerals from conflict free areas or by only sourcing minerals from conflict areas when human rights are respected and where contributing to conflict is avoided? |
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Sony is working on identifying certain minerals used in Sony products and has not yet set a clear policy that excludes suppliers of conflict minerals. | Source |
| 2. Does the brand (company) have a Code of Conduct (CoC) for both its own factories and those of its suppliers, which includes the following standards: No forced or slave labor, no child labor, no discrimination of any kind and a safe and hygienic workplace? |
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All standards are mentioned in Sony Group Code of Conduct. Besides Sony has a separate Supplier Code of Conduct which also include all standards mentioned in this question (see link page 2). | Source |
| 3. Does the brand’s (company’s) CoC include at least 3 of the following workers rights: 1. a formally registered employment relationship 2. a maximum working week of 48 hours with voluntary paid overtime of 12 hours maximum 3. a sufficient living wage 4. form and join labor unions and bargain collectively; and in those situations where these rights are restricted under law, to develop parallel means? |
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The three mentioned workers rights can not be found in the Sony Group Code of Conduct nor in the Sony Supplier Code of Conduct. The right to form and join labor unions is mentioned, but a parallel means in situations where these rights are restricted under law is not. | Source |
| 4. Does the brand (company) have a published list of direct suppliers that have collectively contributed to more than 90% of the purchase volume? |
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No published list of suppliers was available on Sony's website. | Source |
| 5. Is the brand (company) a member of a multi stakeholder initiative (MSI), wherein independent NGO’s or labor unions are represented, that collectively aims to improve labor conditions and that carries out independent audits? Or does the brand (company) significantly purchase its supplies from factories certified by such MSI’s? |
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Sony is a member of the EICC, but civil society organizations do not have a voice in this initiative. | Source |
| 6. Does the brand (company) annually report on the results of its labor conditions policy? |
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Sony's suppliers have also undergone audits based on EICC standards through the EICC's shared audit program. The results of these audits identified a comparatively substantial number of non-conformance issues in the categories of labor and ethical management systems, health and safety, and labor. No specifications are given. | Source |
| 7. Has the brand’s labor conditions policy resulted in a ‘compliance level’ of at least 30% of the purchase volume, or a ‘monitored level' of at least 80%? |
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See remark for labor conditions question 6. | Source |