Toshiba has been making notable new investments in energy solutions offerings, particularly under its Smart Community business, including its 2011 entry into the wind generation business and its recent acquisition of smart meter manufacturer Landis + Gyr. These investments have great potential to help connect Toshiba’s standing and expertise in the electricity sector with its IT energy solutions, as evidenced by a number of pilots under its Smart City program.

Despite a renewed set of targets under its latest environmental action plan, Toshiba’s greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation plan and adoption of renewable energy lag far behind others within the sector, as well as behind other Japanese brands. While Toshiba touts its increased use of renewable energy, renewable energy currently accounts for less than one percent of its total electricity demand. Toshiba needs to set a target to dramatically increase renewable electricity use by 2020 and use political opportunities to advocate for more access to renewable energy.

Despite having potentially significant renewable energy solutions offerings, such as wind, solar, and geothermal energy, Toshiba has at best remained on the sidelines of the debate over Japan’s post-Fukushima energy future. Toshiba continues to invest heavily in coal and nuclear reactor product offerings, which may help explain why it has not yet become a strong advocate for renewable energy solutions and distributed generation.

Toshiba's performance in detail: Download the company’s Scorecard here