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Strategy -19th Environmental Action Plan-

The Ricoh Group’s 19th Environmental Action Plan (Fiscal 2017 to 2019)

The Ricoh Group established the new Environmental Action Plan in accordance with the 19th Medium-Term Management Plan (fiscal 2017 to 2019).
The strategic priorities and goals were mainly set with the following objectives in mind:

  • Achieve Environmental Goals
  • Contribute to business growth and the enhancement of corporate value
  • Strengthen cooperation with society/stakeholders
  • Achieve consistency with midterm management strategies

Based on the Plan, the Ricoh Group will promote environmental management to help bring about a sustainable society as well as ensuring the longevity of the Ricoh Group.
The 19th Environmental Action Plan can be summarized as follows.

Red letters indicate results for FY2019

1. Energy Conservation/Prevention of Global Warming

Reduce CO2 emissions through eco-friendly products and solutions
[Action Item] Promote product energy saving through Ricoh Sustainable Products Program

[Target]
Achievement ratio of voluntary standard for product energy saving
FY2017 190%
FY2018 195%
FY2019 200%
Scope: All categories of Imaging Equipments

[Achievement]
FY2018 236.2%

FY2019 254%
Exceeded the yearly target considerably, due to expanded sales of color MFPs equipped with superior energy-saving features. Will continue working to expand sales of products with superior energy-saving features.

Reduce GHG related to business activities
[Action Item] Reduce GHG emissions by process improvement and utilization of electricity from renewable energy sources

[Target]
Reduce the amount of CO2 emissions (scope 1,2) to improve compared on the previous year's level in each fiscal year.

[Achievement]
FY2018 Reduced the amount of CO2 emissions (scope 1, 2) by 8.4% from FY2017 to 374,764 tons in FY2018, thereby achieving the target.

FY2019 Reduced the amount of CO2 emissions (scope 1, 2) by 9.8% from FY2018 to 338,000 tons, thereby achieving the target.

2. Resource Conservation and Recycling

Improve the efficiency of resources by implementing the 3Rs for products
[Action Item] Reduce input of new resources to achieve 2020 environmental goals

[Target]
Improve resource conservation rate for products compared on the previous year's level in each fiscal year.
※FY2017 results:22%

[Achievement]
FY2018 Increased the resource conservation rate for products to 22.0% for FY2018. Thereby achieving the target.

FY2019 Increased the resource conservation rate for products to 22.0% for FY2019. Thereby achieving the target. Will continue working to improve the rate.

Reduce discharged waste in business activities
[Action Item] Reduce waste from business activities

[Target]
Reduce the amount of waste proportionate to sales to improve on the previous year's level in each fiscal year.

[Achievement]
FY2018 Increased the amount of waste proportionate to sales by 4.7% from FY2017, thereby not achieving the target.

FY2019 Decreased the amount of waste proportionate to sales by 8.3% from FY2018, thereby achieving the target. Will continue working to reduce cost and waste of resources alike.

Reduce emissions of water in business activities
[Action Item] Minimize water consumption in business activities

[Target]
Reduce water usage proportionate to sales to improve on the previous year's level in each fiscal year.

[Achievement]
FY2018 Increased water usage proportionate to sales by 2.8% from FY2017, thereby not achieving the target.

FY2019 Decreased water usage proportionate to sales by 11.2% from FY2018, thereby achieving the target. Will continue working to reduce water usage.

3. Pollution Prevention

Reduce the amount of environmentally sensitive substances used and emitted in business activities
[Action Item] Reduce & control use/emissions of environmentally hazardous chemical substances

[Target]
Reduce the chemical substance usage / emissions to improve on the previous year's level in each fiscal year.

[Achievement]
FY2018 Reduced usage of environmentally sensitive substances to below the FY2017 level, thereby achieving the target. Reduced emissions of environmentally sensitive substances to below the FY2017 level, thereby achieving the target.

FY2019 Reduced usage of environmentally sensitive substances to below the FY2018 level, thereby achieving the target.
Reduced emissions of environmentally sensitive substances to below the FY2018 level, thereby achieving the target.
Will continue working to reduce usage and emissions.

4. Biodiversity Conservation

Conduct biodiversity conservation and restoration by all of the Ricoh Group
[Action Item] Promote forest diversity conservation projects

[Target]
Step up to an action more involving local stakeholders than before.

[Achievement]

Organized forestation activities in the Yanbaru forest in Okinawa in cooperation with local communities and customers.

[Action Item] Launch & manage 7 biodiversity conservation site projects with stakeholders

[Target]
Launch 7 sites projects in Japan within 3 years where Ricoh group can act in one united body, and speed up collaboration with stakeholders.

[Achievement]

Following on from Fukui and Yamanashi, started forestation activities in cooperation with local communities in Okinawa and Gifu prefectures, expanding the activities to a total of four sites.

[Action Item] Human capital development to promote biodiversity conservation activities which are engaged with stakeholders

[Target]
Develop human resources who can plan and promote activities which involve stakeholders based on activity areas, partners and activity contents.

[Achievement]

Reviewed human capital development programs to promote biodiversity conservation activities and revised the training programs based on results of the review.

[Action Item] Promote biodiversity conservation activities in company-owned forests

[Target]
Make collaboration activities with local people and raise the generation program take root which has been built in 3 years from 2014, and also increase opportunities as collaboration sites with stakeholders and expand and improve environmental education program.

[Achievement]

Reviewed nature experience programs for senior high school students, revised them based on results of the review, and provided revised programs.
Launched the Dragonfly Class as part of the biology program for elementary school students.

[Action Item] Promote biodiversity conservation activities with stakeholders

[Target]
Quantify results of stakeholder's collaboration by participants increasing ratio and promote its activity.

[Achievement]

The number of participating stakeholders is approximately 11,000.

[Action Item] Proactive use wood-based products carefully in consideration of biodiversity

[Target]
Strengthen procurement activities based on Ricoh's wood-based products procurement policy

[Achievement]

Confirmed that sustainable procurement policies are being complied with regarding copy paper for Ricoh's office equipment sold around the world. Will also continue confirmation regarding packaging paper for Ricoh's products, working to ensure compliance with the Ricoh Group's wood-based product procurement regulations.

5. Enhance the Basis for Environmental Management

Promote the development of environmental technologies
[Action Item] Promote Ricoh Sustainable Products Program

[Target]
The products certified with RSPP Product Rank(In-house development)
FY2017 : The ratio of the products certified with RSPP Product Rank: 70%
FY2018 : The ratio of the products certified with RSPP Product Rank: 90%
FY2019 : The ratio of the products certified with RSPP Product Rank: 100%

[Achievement]

As of the end of March 2020, 87.5% of products (imaging products currently marketed in and outside of Japan) are certified with RSPP Product Rank, thereby not achieving the target for FY2019.

Expand environmental business
[Action Item] Global deployment of Sustainability Optimization Program

[Target]
Make best use of Sustainability Optimization Program(SOP) which proposes reduction of TCO and environmental impacts at customers' sites and promote global environmental impact reduction activities with customers' involvement.

[Achievement]

Following Europe, introduced SOP in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand to promote proposal activities for current and potential customers, running surveys on their photocopying and printing conditions and recommending Ricoh's new products with superior energy-conserving performance and high-speed double-sided printing functions to reduce CO2 emissions. Proposed energy-conserving plans using Ricoh's proprietary CO2 emissions estimation tool. In Japan, promoted sales activities proposing plans to improve customers' photocopying and printing conditions, with a focus on simultaneously reducing both costs and CO2 emissions.

[Action Item] Promote environmental business development

[Target]
Promotion of environmental business that is being developed at Ricoh eco business development center etc.

[Achievement]

Started to provide automatic control lighting and air-conditioning systems with sensors to determine ambient conditions, such as occupancy, illumination, and temperature.
Invested in a Chinese startup related to renewable energy, and boosted the partnership with the company.
Ricoh and Ricoh Japan launched a joint demonstration project for carsharing using company EVs.

Collaboration with stakeholders
[Action Item] Promote engagement with third parties toward sustainable society development

[Target]
Contribute development of sustainable society through proactive collaboration with third parties

[Achievement]

Enhanced cooperation with government agencies and other external bodies, such as the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yokohama City, RE100, and JCI, through J-CLP activities.
Management team members made presentations to introduce Ricoh's activities for Climate Week NYC (New York) and the Japan Climate Action Summit (Tokyo).

[Action Item] Raise environment awareness among employees

[Target] Have environmental enlightenment events and release information by involving Ricoh group companies which operate global business, and foster employees' environmental awareness.

[Achievement]

Organized Ricoh Global SDGs Action in June 2019, holding a related symposium and a presentation of employee SDGs declaration. Awarded in-house activities that contributed to SDGs Action.

[Action Item] Promote activities which help improvement of suppliers' management quality

[Target]
Proactive support for CO2 reduction of suppliers and deploy the activities

[Achievement]

Through supporting suppliers with switching to the "new electricity" and improving production processes, reduced CO2 emissions by a total 153 tons in FY2019.