By Paul Hayes
SYDNEY, NSW: Panasonic Australia has pledged to help the green cause by agreeing to donate $690,000 to fund environmental research and public education as part of a new Macquarie University eco initiative.
The company’s support will be over the next three years and will include the creation of the Panasonic Chair in Environmental Sustainability at the university, to which Professor Tim Flannery is the inaugural appointee.
The agreement will also see Macquarie University provide global Panasonic executives with briefings on green issues.
“There has never been a more pressing need for cutting-edge environmental research and education and we are pleased to be able to lend our support to Macquarie University,” said Panasonic Australia managing director, Steve Rust.
“We hope our support will assist Macquarie University in remaining at the forefront of global environmental understanding and discussion.”
Earlier this month Panasonic also announced its ‘eco ideas’ plan for Asia Pacific, including the 2013 goals of 80 per cent of product sales contributed by environmentally efficient products and reducing carbon emissions in the region by 500,000 tonnes.