Share
Climate crisis is one of the most immediate global concerns. Companies worldwide are realising their crucial role in achieving social and environmental goals, particularly in combating climate change. As part of Konica Minolta’s sustainability strategy the company pursuits the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[1]and participate in the 50 Climate Leaders.
With the 17 SDGs the United Nations have developed a global holistic strategy to overcome the current main global challenges. The SDGs are a wide framework with defined targets that tackle problems on an environmental and social level. Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe conducted a thorough analysis of the 17 SDGs for optimising the sustainability of their activities, particularly on a European level. As a result, six particular goals were placed in focus for Europe: Climate Action, Responsible Production and Consumption, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth as well as Partnerships for the Goals. Konica Minolta defined climate action as one of the most important SDGs. Here, the company set up three goals: avoiding and reducing energy consumption, substituting CO2 emitting power sources with green energy and compensating unavoidable CO2 emissions.
Avoiding and reducing energy consumption
According to its Eco Vision 2050 Konica Minolta aims to reduce their CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to 2005. In Europe, the overall consumption of energy has been reduced by transporting goods via inland vessel or train and through the consolidation of shipment. With bizhub ECO Konica Minolta contributes to a greener office by effectively reducing energy and resources consumption through smart printing rules. In general, Konica Minolta develops products that combine unique customer benefits with improved sustainability.
Substituting CO2 emitting power sources with green energy
Where energy is needed, Konica Minolta aims to substitute CO2 emitting power sources with green energy. Konica Minolta joined RE100 and commited to source 100% renewable electricity for their global operations by 2050. With the overall goal of having 100% renewable energy at major European sites, the major sites like the European and German headquarters Langenhagen, one server facility in Hannover and all German offices are already supplied with 100% green energy. In 2020, the Austrian and UK sites will follow.
Compensating unavoidable CO2 emissions
In case of unavoidable CO2 emissions, Konica Minolta aims to compensate them while increasing turnover for sustainability solutions. Therefore, they partner with ClimatePartner since 2015 to support Gold Standard-certified projects. Since 2015, more than 19 million kilograms of CO2 have been compensated and Konica Minolta currently support the project of a wind energy park in Aruba. Additionally, Konica Minolta Europe is a carbon neutral company since 2018.
50 Climate Leaders: act as a community in counteracting global climate change
Konica Minolta’s sustainable strategy entails also the participation in the 50 Climate Leaders circle. This initiative from the private sector united in order to show commitment to the economic landscape and to act as a community in counteracting global climate change. In September 2020, Konica Minolta will join a summit of the 50 Climate Leaders, moderated by the United Nations. “Participating in a group of ambitious companies creates a mutually encouraging environment and enables knowledge transfer on a global level, making a huge audience aware of the topic as well”, Haller-Mangold says.
Four strengths in sustainability
External recognition for its sustainable activities Konica Minolta received from Keypoint Intelligence[1] in its last “market and vendor insights analysis” for sustainability in the printing sector. The analyst acknowledged Konica Minolta to be very strong in a variety of fields: “Konica Minolta scored highly across four major segments of sustainability.”: Product Innovations, Product Labels, Environmental Management and Marketing. In Product Innovations Keypoint Intelligence highlighted indoor air quality to reduce emissions or bizhub ECO. With regards to Product Labels Konica Minolta “were the first vendor to be awarded the Blue Angel for laser-based devices in 1992. The Environmental Management System (EMS) is a strong framework to ensure governance in this area and is responsible for communications as well as the implementation of activities. Marketing activities are broad and include general public facing initiatives for customers and prospects as well as employees (an example being the sustainability tender desk to support requests for proposals).”
[1] https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/
[2] Market and Vendor Insights Sustainability; Keypoint Intelligence; September 2019
More information: https://www.konicaminolta.eu/eu-en/sustainability and here.
Boilerplate
About Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, based in Langenhagen, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Inc., Tokyo, Japan. With its unique expertise in imaging, data processing and data-based decision making, Konica Minolta creates relevant solutions for its customers - small and medium-sized businesses, large enterprises and public sector - and solves issues faced by society.
As a digital workplace solution provider, Konica Minolta helps its clients to identify and unlock the potential digitalisation holds and reach the next level in the digital maturity of their organisation by rethinking the workplace. In support of an ‘Intelligent connected workplace’, Konica Minolta offers cloud, IT, managed print and video solution services for remote working, collaboration, workflow management and automation and security. The company’s success in driving transformation is also confirmed by IDC, since the ‘IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Print Transformation 2023 Vendor Assessment’ has named Konica Minolta a “Leader” in print transformation. Konica Minolta has been a Microsoft Global Managed Partner since 2021.
Konica Minolta's Igniting Print Possibilities offering helps printers, converters and brand owners maximise workflow automation to increase efficiency. The company delivers consultancy in all communication matters as well as top-of-the-line production, packaging as well as label printers. Its finishing devices create print products that stand out and create added value. Konica Minolta has established itself as the production printing market leader for more than a decade in Europe (InfoSource).
For an increasing number of organisations, success today is more than the narrow definition of financial prosperity – it also includes protecting the environment and having a positive impact on their workforce as well as the societies they are embedded in. With its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Konica Minolta has pledged to consistently pursue its sustainability and social responsibility goals.
The company has been repeatedly recognised for its rich history of social contribution as well as for working towards achieving the SDGs throughout its business and supply chain. Konica Minolta received a GOLD Level Recognition Medal in the EcoVadis sustainability ratings for 2023.
For its remote services, Konica Minolta was awarded the prestigious ‘Buyers Lab (BLI) 2023-2024 Pacesetter Award in Remote Service for the Western European market’ from Keypoint Intelligence.
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe is represented by subsidiaries and distributors in more than 80 countries in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. With more than 8,700 employees (as of April 2023), Konica Minolta Europe earned net sales of over EUR 2.26 billion in financial year 2022/2023.
Worldwide, the company has over 39,000 employees and is operating in over 150 countries.
For more information, please visit https://www.konicaminolta.eu/eu-en/news and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.