March 16, 2009

Hitachi launches educational environment initiative at first Hitachi Eco Conference in Singapore

Singapore, 16 March 2009: Hitachi Asia Ltd. today launched the Hitachi Environment Education Fund, a new joint initiative with Marsiling Secondary School, an MOE North 5 Cluster Centre of Excellence for Environment Education. Valued at S$80,000, the Fund aims to educate the next generation on the environment. It also seeks to provide a foundation of skills and responsibility for environment sustainability among Singaporean youth.

The Hitachi Environment Education Fund was announced at the inaugural Hitachi Eco Conference 2009. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, was the Guest-of- Honour. The conference, titled Sustaining our Environment through Technologies and Collaboration, was organised with the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), National Environment Agency (NEA) and the NUS Energy Studies Institute.

Dr Yaacob said, “It is encouraging to see corporations such as Hitachi play such a strong role in Singapore’s environmental efforts. The Fund, together with the Hitachi Eco Conference, demonstrates the company’s keen social responsibility and its desire to nurture a similar passion and commitment for the environment among Singaporeans. This shared responsibility forms the foundation for sustainable development and ultimately, a future of lasting prosperity.” [Please check against delivery]

The beneficiary of the Hitachi Environment Education Fund is Marsiling Secondary School, a Centre of Excellence in Environment Education. The bulk of the Fund will be used to run new environment education programmes for the school’s students. The other half of the Fund will support monetary awards for students who exemplify eco-responsibility, as well as grants for training programmes to enhance teachers’ knowledge on various environmental topics.

Marsiling Secondary School was chosen as the beneficiary of the Hitachi Environment Education Fund for its excellent track record in environmental education.

The school has a formalized and comprehensive environment education programme for its students and it works with various partners to raise awareness among students on environmental issues and to build up their knowledge and interest. In 2007, it was designated as a Centre of Excellence in Environment Education.

Mr Takashi Hatchoji, Chief Environmental Strategy Officer of Hitachi, Ltd. said, “At Hitachi, our activities are focused on realising our Environmental Vision 2025 – a long-term plan to preserve the environment and promote a sustainable society through global warming prevention, eco-system conservation and the sustainable use of resources. We believe that sustainability begins with education. This is where the Hitachi Environment Education Fund and our inaugural Hitachi Eco Conference come in. By nurturing eco awareness among the youth, we ensure that future generations will keep our Earth safe. Similarly, by collaborating with government agencies and the commercial sector to discuss environmental issues, we can bring key influencers and decision makers closer toward striking a responsible balance with the environment.”

The Hitachi Eco Conference addressed pertinent environment issues, while promoting a sustainable global environment through the use of visionary technologies. The conference encompassed:

• an exhibition that showcased the Hitachi Group’s collective technologies supporting government and commercial initiatives to achieve environmental sustainability
• seminars focusing on two key topics: energy efficiency and water treatment. Keynote speaker, Professor Daniel Esty of Yale University and author of Green to Gold spoke on “Using Environmental Strategies to Build Competitive Advantage”.

The conference was attended by over 250 participants in Singapore made up of government bodies, university delegates, Non-Governmental Organisations and business decision makers.