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Kyocera grows ‘Green Curtains’ to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions

Kyocera Corporation once again leads the way in environmental protection awareness and sustainability with its ‘Green Curtain’ initiative at company locations around the globe.

02 June 2015

Kyoto/Neuss – Kyocera Corporation is planting Green Curtains at its production sites for the ninth consecutive year. The natural foliage creates ‘curtains’ that cover building walls and windows, providing shade for the rooms inside and lowering the building temperature by up to 2°C, which in turn can significantly reduce the use of energy-consuming air-conditioning systems.* In this way, at its peak, perceived temperature is lowered by as much as 15°C.

Not only do Green Curtains lower energy consumption and emissions, but they also absorb existing CO2. One square metre of Green Curtain foliage neutralises as much as 3.5kg of CO2 annually. Compared with previous years, the total area covered by Kyocera Corporation’s Green Curtains – at 34 locations participating worldwide – was increased once again. In 2014, Green Curtains stretched for a combined length of 1,053 metres and covered an area of 4,314 square metres, the equivalent of 16.5 tennis courts.

In times of increasingly extreme weather conditions and on account of climate change, it is important that everyone contributes as much as they can towards environmental sustainability. As such, Kyocera encourages its employees as well as local residents at some production sites to participate in the ‘Green Curtain’ initiative at their own homes and thus provides seeds and step-by-step instructions on how to grow the plants.

What’s more, the Green Curtains have a tasty side effect: Vegetable plants are used in most cases. This way, when it comes to the communal harvest and subsequent preparation in the company’s canteens, a sense of community is strengthened.

* Source: Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
For more information on Green Curtain activities:
http://global.kyocera.com/ecology/greencurtains/index.html
 
For more information about Kyocera: www.kyocera.eu

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