OREANDA-NEWS. Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) is pleased to announce that it was ranked first place for two consecutive years in the overall manufacturing sector at the 19th Environmental Management Survey conducted by Nikkei Inc.

The annual survey assesses environmental management of Japanese companies and recognizes initiatives toward sustainability in terms of both environment and business management. 1,737 manufacturers were invited to the survey and 413 companies responded.

In the survey Konica Minolta earned the top score in Environmental Management Promotion System, as well as high scores for the rest of the components in the assessment. The company has been developing comprehensive environmental initiatives, including environmental management policies that combine reduction of environmental impact and growth in corporate value. In addition, Konica Minolta has been willing to utilize its own environmental know-how and hands-on practices for both existing and potential customers facing challenges in their environmental management and day-to-day operations to lower environmental impact. These efforts create shared values beyond the Konica Minolta Group for the good of customers and a broader society.

At Konica Minolta, energy-saving and resource-saving initiatives are very important not only for reducing carbon emissions but also for enhancing its competitive edges such as cutting down production costs and material use.

The company has been sharing with customers and suppliers with no financial ties its environmental technologies, know-how and good practices from its offices and factories around the world. The diverse know-how from Konica Minolta helps the customers’ and supplier’s factories strengthen their energy saving activities. These collaborative work with Konica Minolta will be increasing the effect of environmental impact reduction in a broader society. In an initiative, the company’s employees with energy-saving expertise have been visiting and working with suppliers’ factories in China and Vietnam, through assessment of the energy use and assistance for their work to lay out programs to curb emissions. The assistance has also been provided to customers’ factories in Japan and abroad upon request.

Konica Minolta’s Environmental Management

Konica Minolta established its long-term environmental vision “Eco Vision 2050” in 2009, with the target of reduce CO2 emissions throughout the product lifecycle by 80% by 2050, compared to fiscal 2005 levels. The Medium-Term Environmental Plan 2016 works as an action plan toward the long-term goal and is in tandem with the business plan. At the pillar of the medium-term plan are Three Green Activities: Green Products (planning and development); Green Factories (procurement and production); and Green Marketing (distribution, sales & service, and collection & recycling). These activities cover the entire and each process of the Group’s businesses and have been running globally.

Under the brand proposition “Giving Shape to Ideas,” Konica Minolta will keep creating new value and driving innovations to assist solving societal challenges and strengthen its contribution to the reduction of environmental impact in global supply chains and worldwide community.