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- Medium-term Environmental Plan 2015
Environment
About
Eco Vision and Medium-term Environmental Plan
Medium-term Environmental Plan 2015
- <INDEX>
- Point 1: Reducing CO2 emissions during product usage and manufacturing
- Point 2: Reduce petroleum-based resource usage
- Point 3: Lowering the environmental impact of manufacturing
- Contributing to the environment for future generations
Medium-term Environmental Plan 2015
Achieving Eco Vision 2050 Starting with the Medium-Term Environmental Plan 2015
Konica Minolta created the Medium-Term Environmental Plan 2015 as a milestone marker toward the goals outlined in its Eco Vision 2050.
The plan comprises four fundamental objectives: preventing global warming, supporting a recycling-oriented society, reducing the risk of chemical substances, and restoring and preserving biodiversity. It also defines important measures for attaining each of these objectives and sets clear targets for each of the Group's businesses. By carrying out specific measures for each business, the Group intends to assure the achievement of the targets of the Medium-Term Environmental Plan 2015. Taking a comprehensive manufacturing viewpoint, Konica Minolta will also advance this plan by introducing the Green Factory Certification System as a new measure.
In addition to implementing such measures in existing businesses, Konica Minolta is committed to developing new products focusing on environmental and energy fields to help create a low-carbon society.
| Objectives | Fiscal 2015 Targets (Base Year: Fiscal 2005*1) | Fundamental Objectives | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preventing global warming | Reduce CO2 emissions by 20% throughout product life cycles | ||
| Reduce CO2 emissions by 60% at the product usage stage | • Develop new energy-saving technologies and incorporate them in products | ||
| Reduce CO2 emissions by 10% per unit of sales at the product manufacturing stage | • Improve energy efficiency by developing better production technologies | ||
| Reduce CO2 emissions by 30% per unit of sales at the product distribution stage | • Enhance distribution efficiency | ||
| Reduce CO2 emissions by 50% per unit of sales at the product sales and service stage | • Increase efficiency in sales and services • Reduce fuel consumption of Company-owned vehicles |
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| Supporting a recycling-oriented society | Reduce petroleum-based resource usage by 20% per unit of sales | • Develop new technologies of resource conservation and incorporate them in products • Reduce the volume of waste from manufacturing activities by developing new production technologies • Reduce fuel consumption via more efficient sales and service activities |
|
| Reduce packaging material usage by 25% per unit of sales | • Decrease the volume of product packaging | ||
| Reduce the volume of waste discharged externally from manufacturing activities by 50% per unit of sales | • Promote zero waste activities, including the introduction of new technologies | ||
| Build up product recycling systems in each region and aim for a recycling rate of 90% or more | • Optimize product collection and recycling systems | ||
| Reducing the risk of chemical substances | Maintain strict management of chemical substances, including the entire supply chain*2 | • Stringently follow REACH regulations*3 • Strictly manage chemical substances throughout the entire supply chain |
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| Reduce atmospheric emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 75% based on an environmental impact index*4 | • Reduce VOC risk via manufacturing reforms | ||
| Restoring and preserving biodiversity | Help restore and preserve biodiversity | • Create programs for biodiversity preservation and restoration • Form partnerships with relevant NGOs |
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- *1
- Many international frameworks use 1990 as a base year for greenhouse gas reduction targets. Konica Minolta, however, decided to use fiscal 2005 as its base year, as the result of a Group merger in 2003 and the considerable changes that have been made to its business portfolio since then.
- *2
- Supply chain used here refers to the process of delivering parts to Konica Minolta from upstream material manufacturers via parts suppliers.
- *3
- REACH regulations: The EU consolidated its earlier regulations concerning chemical substances, and in June 2007, enacted new regulations for the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals.
- *4
- Environmental impact index: an index designed to measure the impact on human health and the environment, obtained by multiplying VOC emission volume by a location coefficient and hazard coefficient, which measures impact on human health and the environment.
Point1: Reducing CO2 Emissions during Product Usage and Manufacturing
Promoting Energy-Saving via Technological Innovation
Konica Minolta is working to reduce CO2 emissions from the standpoint of the entire product life cycle. The Group is focusing on reducing CO2 emissions at the product usage and manufacturing stages, two major sources of CO2 emissions
Specifically, Konica Minolta positions energy-saving as a major theme for its business information products, a core Group business. To this end, it is developing equipment with new energy-saving technologies. The Group is also further improving energy efficiency of manufacturing processes by developing new production technologies and methods that minimize energy usage.
Point2: Reduce Petroleum-Based Resource Usage
Increase Efficiency of Petroleum-Based Resource Usage
Petroleum is a resource that is being depleted, and from the perspective of preventing global warming, the efficient utilization of petroleum-based resources has become a crucial issue. Konica Minolta is strengthening its efforts to reduce petroleum-based resource usage in order to help create a sustainable society.
The Group plans to lower its use of petroleum-based resources in products by creating more compact, lightweight and longer-lasting products, and also by proactively using recyclable plastic materials. Konica Minolta aims to reduce the volume of waste emitted from its production process by applying new manufacturing technologies and methods. It also intends to lower the volume of fuel consumption by setting reduction targets for automobile fuel used in sales and service activities.
Point3: Lowering the Environmental Impact of Manufacturing
Introducing the Green Factory Certification System
Konica Minolta is launching the Green Factory Certification System, a new method to comprehensively evaluate the environmental impact of production sites. This system certifies a production site as a Green Factory if it surpasses standards set in the three fields of preventing global warming, supporting a recycling society, and reducing the risk of chemical substances.
The Green Factory Certification System has two levels of targets: level 1 targets (fiscal 2011 basis) are preliminary goals representing milestones toward level 2 targets that are to be achieved by fiscal 2015. The Group is promoting activities based on guidelines that identify specific measures and numerical targets, and aims to have all of its manufacturing sites certified as Green Factories by 2015.
Contributing to the Environment for Future Generations
Technological Innovation in Environmental and Energy Fields
To contribute to the realization of a sustainable society, Konica Minolta will push ahead with efforts to reduce its environmental burden while relentlessly striving to develop new technologies that dramatically increase energy efficiency and new methods of generating energy.
Organic electroluminescence lighting
Organic electroluminescence (EL) material, which emits light evenly from a surface, has attracted attention as an innovative, energy efficient light source that consumes very little power. By using thin plastic film substrates, Organic EL material can be curved and flexibly shaped, enabling unique lighting applications. Konica Minolta is developing this technology with the goal of commercialization in 2010.
Solar electric power generation systems
Solar energy systems are clean and are a low-cost source of energy that generate electricity using the heat of the sun. These systems reflect sunlight with mirrors that are focused on a single point, generating a high level of thermal energy. Konica Minolta is applying its proprietary technologies to develop mirrors with very high reflectivity. The Group aims to contribute to the advancement of the fields of environment and energy by developing these and other innovative technologies.
