International Earth Day: Putting the environment in a company's DNA
In March 2021, Ricoh announced an increase in its renewable energy target for fiscal 2030 from 30% to 50%.
Weston, April 22, 2022 – Today, Ricoh Latin America on International Earth Day reinforces its commitment to create a society that lives in balance with the environment through robust corporate social responsibility programs and sustainable business practices that fall under the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) established by the UN. The company is currently focusing on 12 of them and integrating them into business plans and activities.
Ricoh Company, Ltd. has been a forerunner in this field, known for active disclosure of information and a policy dating back to its Environmental Management statement in 1998. Since this year, printers returned by customers are disassembled into components, cleaned and placed back in the field as refurbished equipment if they still have useful life. If they do not, the components are disposed of in an appropriate manner by recycling or reusing them.
The company has set lofty goals in its efforts to counter climate change. In 2017, for example, it became the first Japanese company to join the RE100 international corporate alliance, a group of companies committed to using 100% of their operations with renewable energy. In March 2021, the company announced an increase in its target for renewable energy use by fiscal 2030 from 30% to 50% at all its major locations. In its operations, it will also introduce its own comprehensive renewable electricity assessment system to improve the tariff and ensure the quality of electricity. By 2020, Ricoh announced a target of achieving a 41% reduction in direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Latin America.
The company also helps customers with their own projects. This is done with the help of more than 400 employees called "SDGs Key Person". These employees share internal expertise and knowledge with other companies, accelerating initiatives that reduce energy use. In addition, in March 2021 the company conducted a "connection statement survey" asking staff how their work related to the SDGs. A designer, for example, could contribute to decarbonization through designs that reduce energy consumption. The current president and CEO of Ricoh Company Ltd., Yoshinori Yamashita, who came up with the idea, believes it is important for employees to be able to talk about their work with pride when they are at home with their families and to think of the SDGs as personal commitments.
In a recent article published in Nikkei Business Publications, Inc, Yoshinori Yamashita, President and CEO of Ricoh Company explained, "We follow the founding philosophy of the 'spirit of three loves': love your neighbor, love your country, and love your work. Today, 'country' can be interpreted to mean community, society, and even the entire Earth. Whenever I meet a co-worker, I always ask, "Are you contributing to the world? Are you happy?" In preparation for our centennial in 2036, we formulated our corporate vision: "Fulfillment through work." We have contributed to productivity by advancing technology over the years, and now we will support customers' creative work so that they can achieve self-fulfillment”.
For Ricoh, it is crucial that awareness of the SDGs is increasingly integrated into daily work; and this is part of our company's aim to "achieve fulfillment from work". With this strategy, the company will ensure that employees, suppliers and customers continue to adapt and evolve to achieve the goals for the well-being of society through environmental conservation.
