Water Resources

Water is a critical resource that supports people's lives as well as corporate activities, and companies are expected to address growing water-related challenges. Konica Minolta aims to practice responsible water resource management by considering the impact of its business activities on water resources and ecosystems, while identifying water risks and opportunities across its own sites and the entire supply chain.

Konica Minolta evaluates its dependence and impact on water resources within its business activities, identifying and appropriately managing water risks as they materialize. Concurrently, the Company aims to address the water challenges faced by customer companies in countries and regions with severe water stress, developing solutions to resolve these issues and thereby creating new business opportunities.

Konica Minolta has introduced a comprehensive water risk assessment using AQUEDUCT^* for its production and R&D sites, confirming that no company-owned sites are evaluated as having extremely high water risk. Only one of its sites was evaluated as high risk. Interviews were conducted with the local site to assess potential impacts on operations and future water supply prospects, confirming that there are no material concerns regarding business continuity. This site accounts for less than 1% of the Group's total sales. In addition, the same evaluation was conducted for 50 major suppliers, utilizing the results to understand risks across business operations.
The Company will continue to perform re-evaluations that account for business changes and shifts in water risks, implementing measures based on the evaluation results.

*AQUEDUCT: A global water risk assessment tool using geographic information systems (GIS), developed and operated by the World Resources Institute (WRI).

Our water risk assessment initiatives are featured as a practical case study in the Ministry of the Environment's Guidelines for Physical Risk Assessment of Climate Change. Konica Minolta believes it is important not only to enhance its own internal water risk management but also to contribute to raising awareness and elevating water risk assessment standards across the entire industry. Moving forward, the Company will continue to promote sustainable water resource management by sharing its evaluation methodologies and expertise.

At production sites, key measures include recycling of wastewater (such as process drain water), introduction of automatic cleaning systems, and use of rainwater for cooling purposes. At non-production sites, efforts include installing water-saving faucet valves and managing and repairing water distribution piping to make effective use of water resources. At sites that use groundwater, measures are taken to reduce consumption, such as stopping the supply of cooling water during periods of production suspension.

Konica Minolta regularly conducts compliance assessments on a global basis to confirm the status of compliance with laws, ordinances, agreements, and other relevant regulations related to effluent, with the aim of preventing water pollution from effluent.
The Company constantly monitors the hydrogen ion concentration (pH) in factory wastewater pathways, and regularly measures, records, and manages water quality parameters such as COD, phosphorus, and nitrogen in addition to wastewater volume. While striving to minimize the impact of wastewater on aquatic environments, Konica Minolta ensures transparency by appropriately disclosing management status and performance results.

Konica Minolta's inkjet dyeing technology contributes to solving environmental issues faced by the apparel industry by enabling pigment-based dry inkjet dyeing that generates no wastewater. Traditional dyeing processes require large amounts of water for steaming and washing. However, by integrating expertise in interface control, resin design and optical design technologies developed through film and toner production, Konica Minolta has succeeded in achieving vibrant colors and a soft texture even with pigment inks. This has led to the establishment of on-demand digital production that eliminates the need for pre- and post-treatment processes, supporting sustainable apparel manufacturing.

By applying this technology in regions experiencing high water stress, particularly India, Turkey, and Italy, Konica Minolta aims to expand its contribution to addressing water-related social issues while also achieving business growth.