Effective Use of Water Resources

Policy and Basic Concept

As the world's population increases and economic development progresses, the escalation of problems related to water stress and water pollution are becoming social issues. Consequently, corporations are expected to make efficient use of water resources and prevent pollution.

Water resources are indispensable for the Ricoh Group, especially for our toner production, so we pay special attention to how we handle water. Although the impact of water issues varies depending on business characteristics and the local environment, the Ricoh Group has established a policy on water resources and is promoting the efficient use of water resources by implementing activities on a global basis while understanding and considering the impact on business and the local environment. Furthermore, in consideration of the local characteristics of water issues, we are working together with local citizens—including diverse communities and suppliers—to address water resource issues.

Structures and Systems

To continuously discuss on mid- to long-term issues of the Ricoh Group in the areas of environment, society, and governance at the management level, the ESG Committee, chaired by the CEO, was established in May 2018. The committee meets once every quarter with the participation of Senior Management to discuss the status of initiatives, issues, and investment decisions related to environmental issues, including water risks, as important themes for management. Its deliberations are regularly reported to the Board of Directors, which then supervises the execution of ESG activities at a high level.

In addition, the Group has established a water resource management structure at each business site to control wastewater discharge and water intake.

Building an environmental impact monitoring system

We use an environmental impact monitoring system for each fiscal year to manage our forecasts and compare them to actual results. The global environmental performance data aggregated by the cloud system is analyzed and utilized for PDCA management.

Utilizing a water risk assessment system

We conduct water risk assessment by checking water stress and water depletion risk at our production sites using the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas published by the World Resources Institute (WRI), an international environmental NGO.
Among the indicators in the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas 3.0, business sites with “Baseline Water Stress” and “Future Water Stress” of “High” or higher and “Inter-annual Variability” of “Medium to High” are considered as “Water Stressed Areas”. The assessment confirmed that less than 10% of the Ricoh Group's total water withdrawals are from water-stressed areas, and that less than 10% of our facilities have water-related risks that could substantially affect Ricoh's business in financial or strategic terms.

Targets and Performance

The Ricoh Group has set group-wide targets and is engaged in activities to use water as effectively as possible while giving priority to the conservation of the local environment.
In areas where water withdrawal requirements are set by the local government and water stress is a serious concern, we set targets based on indicators to ensure that we comply with government requirements and use water efficiently according to the characteristics of our business. To comply with regulations and solve local water issues, we are working to establish voluntary standards that are stricter than government regulations.

Please see the following page for more information.

ESG Data

Initiatives

Initiatives for Effective Use of Water Resources

• Use of gray water in collaboration with local companies
• Promoting recycling of water by using rainwater
• Closed system for surface treatment washing water
• Supplier engagement

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