Kyocera’s use of natural coverings on external walls and windows has now seen it neutralise upwards of 100,000kg of carbon dioxide emissions.
The company’s ‘Green Curtains’ strategy, which has been running since 2007, is intended to keep buildings cool by reducing their exposure to direct sunlight. Plants are grown on the outer surface of site windows and external walls, and on nets put up in surrounding areas. This serves to block out the natural sunlight and provide more shade. Kyocera noted that this approach can bring down the temperature inside by as much as two degrees C, reducing the need for air conditioning and subsequent energy consumption. Green Curtain also absorb carbon dioxide as part of their natural life.
Just one square metre of Green Curtain is claimed to be enough to neutralise 3.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide each year, meaning that with almost 2900sqm of Green Curtain, Kyocera absorbs almost 10,000kg every year. When considering the total impact of the scheme, which has been running since 2007, the total amount of carbon dioxide neutralised exceeds 100,000kg.
Going beyond the obvious environmental and aesthetic value, this green initiative has also given the company’s installations a new purpose. Among the plants and trees, fruit and vegetables can be grown and are then used in the company’s cafeterias or shared with employees to take home. These include typical Japanese ingredients such as gourd.
The Green Curtains strategy is now active across 27 different sites, ranging from factories to office buildings, Kyocera also provides seedlings to employees so that they can grow their own Green Curtains at home. This reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to promote sustainability as a key part of its philosophy.
