Konica Minolta - Creating “New Value” Meaningful For Society

Advancing steadily toward realising its vision of the kind of company that it aims to be, “a company both supported and relied upon throughout the world”, Konica Minolta have global environmental protection at the heart of their management beliefs. 

One of its major initiatives is the establishment of its long-term environmental vision “Eco Vision 2050”, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions throughout the product life cycle by 80% by 2050, compared to 2005 levels. 

The company’s “Three Green Activities” (Green Products Certification System; Green Factory Certification System; and Green Marketing Activities) play an important role to drive reduction in the environmental impact.

Other efforts include the launch of the “Guest Lectures” program two years ago. Under this program new hires of Konica Minolta visit junior and senior high schools to give lectures on scientific topics. Designed to get children interested in science, this program has won great popularity among teachers and students alike, and was implemented in six schools last year. 

The company has also supported a project organised by the Green Marathon, an annual race held in Rennes, France, since 2011 and has become its title sponsor in 2013. This initiative is about planting trees in Ethiopia in eastern Africa according to the distances run and thus contributes to reforestation in Ethiopia and also helps to create employment in this country. 

Indicative of Konica Minolta’s continuous and forward-looking initiatives that contribute to the good of society as well as offer solutions for environmental and other social issues, these efforts have received awards and commendations by many organizations, both Japanese and foreign. 

February 2013 saw the company’s inclusion in the Gold Class category by RobecoSAM, a world leader in SRI rating, for the first time. The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, a prestigious benchmark for worldwide corporate sustainability, included Konica Minolta for the second consecutive year in September 2013. 

By mid 2013, the company announced its sponsorship of the “CNN Heroes” from July through December 2013. In its seventh year, “CNN Heroes” sheds light on everyday heroes with extraordinary achievement in fields such as environment or human rights, and lets the world know how an individual can make a difference to society. 

Under the communication message “Giving Shape to Ideas,” Konica Minolta continues supporting diverse activities that contribute to society and environment. Initiatives such as “CNN Heroes” align with Konica Minolta’s environmental management vision. 

In December 2013, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment awarded the company with the “2013 Environment Minister's Award for Global Warming Prevention Activity”, and the entire team at Konica Minolta aims to sustain their trajectory throughout 2014.

Source: Konica Minolta 

3 January 2014