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Ricoh Uses Green Power at Its Global Sites for World Environment Day

Jul. 21, 2016
Ricoh Co.,Ltd.

TOKYO, July 21, 2016 ― Ricoh today announced that it used green power generated by natural energy under the Renewable Energy Certificate System* to cover the total 1.8 million kWh of power consumed by Ricoh Group companies in Japan and other countries on June 3, Ricoh Global Eco Action Day, prior to the United Nations World Environment Day. (Friday, June 3 was set as Ricoh Global Eco Action Day because United Nations World Environment Day, which is June 5, fell on a Sunday this year.)

 

image: General Manager Kato of the Sustainability Management Division holding the Renewable Energy Certificate
General Manager Kato of the Sustainability Management Division holding the Renewable Energy Certificate

 

Through the use of the Renewable Energy Certificate that Ricoh bought from the Japan Natural Energy Company Limited, the electricity consumed is considered as being supplied by natural energy. Ricoh has used this system since 2014 to cover the power consumption by Ricoh Group companies on the United Nations World Environment Day. (The system was introduced for Japanese-based subsidiaries only in 2014.)

 

Since 2006, the Ricoh Group has designated June as the Ricoh Global Eco Action Month. An annual event called Ricoh Global Eco Action is held during this month to encourage Group employees to think about the earth and the environment and take eco actions. Through these activities, Ricoh promotes global environmental conservation initiatives and eco-awareness activities all over the world. One of the main actions of this event was the use of green power.

 

In addition, the Ricoh Group has continued to use the Renewable Energy Certificate System since 2010 to provide electricity for all night games played by the Ricoh team in the Japan Rugby Top League, which is run by the Japan Rugby Football Union.

 

*About the Renewable Energy Certificate System

The Renewable Energy Certificate System considers the electricity generated by natural energy to be a combination of the "actual value of electricity" and "environmental added value," such as energy conservation (reduced consumption of fossil fuels) and the suppression of CO2 emissions. The certificate issuer sets the price for "environmental added value" and sells it as a "Renewable Energy Certificate." The purchaser of the certificate can combine the "Renewable Energy Certificate" with the electricity purchased. By doing so, the purchaser is considered to be using green power generated by natural energy. The expense paid by the company or local governments for the purchase of the "Renewable Energy Certificate" is used for the maintenance and expansion of the power generation facility through the certificate issuer. In this way, the purchaser of the certificate makes a contribution to the spread of natural energy equal to the amount of green power received from the certificate, even though the purchaser does not have a power generation facility. Interest in the Renewable Energy Certificate System is growing because it is believed to help prevent global warming.


About Ricoh

Ricoh is a global technology company that has been transforming the way people work for more than 80 years. Under its corporate tagline — imagine. change. — Ricoh continues to empower companies and individuals with services and technologies that inspire innovation, enhance sustainability and boost business growth. These include document management systems, IT services, production print solutions, visual communications systems, digital cameras, and industrial systems.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in approximately 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2016, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,209 billion yen (approx. 19.6 billion USD).
For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com

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