Mitsubishi Electric Australia

Consumer electronics

Imports, sells and services consumer electronics and electrical products.

Overall

Owned JPN

Rating

About the Ratings

Company Ownership

Mitsubishi Electric Australia Pty Ltd

AUS

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

owns 100% of Mitsubishi Electric Australia Pty Ltd

JPN

Manufacturer electric and electronic equipment

Manufacture and sales of electric and electronic equipment used in Energy and Electric Systems, Industrial Automation, Information and Communication Systems, Electronic Devices, and Home Appliances.

Mitsubishi Group

owns 100% of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

JPN

Conglomerate

Japan's largest "keiretsu", a collaborative group of integrated companies with extensive share crossholdings, personnel swaps and strategic co-operation. Companies in group include Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Paper Mills Ltd, Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co., Kirin Holdings (who owns Australian dairy and drinks company, Lion), and many more.

Company Assessment

(Last updated Jun 2024)

Praise Criticism Information

Mitsubishi Electric Australia Pty Ltd

Praise

3/5 for packaging performance

This company received a packaging performance level of 3 (Advanced) in its 2024 APCO Annual Report. Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is a not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. Each year, APCO Members are required to submit an APCO Annual Report and Action Plan, which includes an overall performance level from 1 (Getting Started) to 5 (Beyond Best Practice).

Source: APCO (2024)

Information

Breaching advertising codes

This company has been criticised for depicting unsafe behaviour in a tv ad. In 2016 the Advertising Standards Bureau upheld complaints about the tv ad by this company on the grounds that it breached advertising codes. The ad was subsequently discontinued or modified.

Source: Advertising Standards Bureau (2016)

Fined for resale price maintenance

In Dec 2013 the Federal Court of Australia fined this company $2.2m for for engaging in resale price maintenance (when suppliers seek to prevent independent retailers or distributors from advertising or selling products below a specified price). The Court ordered Mitsubishi Electric to pay a penalty of $500,000 for each act of resale price maintenance in 2009 and 2010, and $1.2 million for its termination of Mannix's 'dealer' status in 2011.

Source: ACCC (2013)

Community activities claims

This company has claims on its website stating that its community activities support institutions and events in the local and national communities and that they have environmental activities covering a wide range of areas. However there are no specifics available about these claims.

Source: company website (2016)

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Praise

CDP Climate Change score of A

In 2023, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change score of A.

Source: CDP (2023)

CDP Water Security score of A

In 2023, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to manage and govern freshwater resources. Responding companies are scored on six key metrics: transparency; governance & strategy; measuring & monitoring; risk assessment; targets & goals; and value chain engagement. This company received a CDP Water Security score of A.

Source: CDP (2023)

Criticism

Arms sales

This company is 97th on SIPRI's list of the Top 100 arms-producing and military services companies in the world (excluding Chinese companies), ranked by their arms sales in 2020. Arms sales accounted for 2% of this company's total sales in 2020.

Source: SIPRI (2020)

Cartel fine upheld

A European Union court upheld fines of 136m euros imposed on this company and Toshiba for their participation in a cartel for equipment used in electricity substations. The European Commission had fined this company 74.8m euros and a joint amount of 4.65m euros with Toshiba, for participating in a cartel for gas insulated switchgear between 1988 and 2004.

Source: company website (2016)

Information

42.6% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017

This company received a score of 42.6/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.

Source: Newsweek (2017)

Climate action commitments

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.

Source: We Mean Business (2021)

Environmental claims

This company has sustainability claims on its website that it is taking definitive action to create a greener world through a low carbon, recycling based approach. It reports its achievements on environmental targets set in 2014, and sets new targets for 2015.

Source: company website (2016)

CSR claims

This company has corporate social responsibility claims on its website in the areas of social responsibility, the environment and philanthropy (including Philanthropic Foundations and Disaster Relief).

Source: company website (2016)

Responsible Business Alliance member

This company is a member of the Responsible Business Alliance (formerly the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition), a non-profit coalition of electronics companies which supports the rights and wellbeing of workers and communities worldwide affected by the global electronics supply chain. RBA members commit and are held accountable to a common Code of Conduct and utilize a range of RBA training and assessment tools to support continuous improvement in the social, environmental and ethical responsibility of their supply chains.

Source: RBA (2022)

46/100 S&P Global ESG Score

This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 46/100 in the Machinery and Electrical Equipment category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 21 Oct 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.

Source: S&P Global (2022)

Mitsubishi Group

Criticism

Forced labour in China

The Chinese government has facilitated the mass transfer of Uyghur and other ethnic minority citizens from the far west region of Xinjiang to factories across the country. Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 83 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including brands owned by this company. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's 2020 report estimates (somewhat conservatively) that more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019, and some of them were sent directly from detention camps.

Source: ASPI (2020)

Arms sales

Two Mitsubishi subsidiaries are on SIPRI's list of the Top 100 arms-producing and military services companies in the world (excluding Chinese companies), ranked by their arms sales in 2020.

Source: SIPRI (2020)

Overfishing

Mitsubishi owns 35-40% of the market for the Bluefin Tuna, which is listed as Critically Endangered, the highest risk category of the IUCN Red List. Mitsubishi has been stockpiling up to 20,000 tons of the frozen fish while continuing to buy more. While the price of a product gets higher the harder it is to find, Mitsubishi has been accused of deep freezing these fish to make an even bigger profit as the species gets ever closer to being completely wiped out.

Source: news article (2013)

0/100 in Solar Scorecard

The 2018-19 Solar Scorecard, produced by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, rates solar panel producers on their commitment to the environment and worker safety. Areas looked at include emissions reporting, chemical reductions plan, workers rights and conflict minerals. This company received a score of 0/100.

Source: Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (2019)

Information

Previous boycott call

Rainforest Action Network (RAN) ran a Boycott Mitsubishi campaign from 1989 to 1998 for being the world's worst logger of tropical forests at the time.

Source: RAN (1998)