Formulation of Eco Vision 2050 for a sustainable earth and society

In January 2009 Konica Minolta formulated Eco Vision 2050 as its long-term environmental vision. This vision guides Konica Minolta in the right direction to achieve its future objectives and fulfill its responsibility as a global corporation by contributing to a sustainable earth and society.
Konica Minolta created the Medium-Term Environmental Plan 2015 as a milestone marker toward the goals outlined in its Eco Vision 2050.

• Medium-Term Environmental Plan 2015

Approach to Setting Targets for CO₂ Emissions

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), greenhouse gas emissions in 2004 were 49 billion t-CO₂, which, divided by a population of 6.4 billion people, amounts to 7.66 t-CO₂ per person per year. The amount of greenhouse gases that the earth can absorb naturally is thought to be 11.4 billion t-CO₂. Divided by the projected population of 9.2 billion people in 2050, this figure amounts to 1.24 t-CO₂ per person per year—which corresponds to a reduction of about 80% of current annual per capita emissions.
Based on these estimates, Eco Vision 2050 sets a target of 80% reduction in CO₂ emissions throughout the product life cycle in 2050, with 2005 as the baseline. In addition, the Medium-Term Environmental Plan 2015 uses backcasting* from this target to set a target of 20% reduction by fiscal 2015.

*

Backcasting: A way of thinking that involves defining a future action by sketching a desirable image of the future and a goal, and then looking back at the current situation from the perspective of that goal.