Konica Minolta included in the FTSE4Good Index Series for 20 consecutive years and named to all ESG Indexes adopted by the GPIF for seven consecutive years

| 15 August 2023

Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series, which is one of the most well-known sustainable investment indexes in the world, for 20 consecutive years. To coincide with this, Konica Minolta has also been named to all of the six responsible investment (RI) indexes adopted by Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF)[1] for the seventh consecutive year. These six indexes are the FTSE Blossom Japan Index, the FTSE Blossom Japan Sector Relative Index, the MSCI Japan ESG Select Leaders Index, the MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index, the S&P/JPX Carbon Efficient Index and the Morningstar Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt Index.


Konica Minolta’s Sustainability Strategy
Sustainability is now a common issue throughout the world, and since the integration of Konica and Minolta in 2003, the Company has positioned sustainability as the core element of management strategy. More recently, in 2020, Konica Minolta evaluated its own impact on society at large and the environment to help identify opportunities and risks to work towards creating a more sustainable society by 2030. As such, Konica Minolta has identified five material issues to focus on to create value within society, namely:
  • Improving fulfilment in work and corporate dynamism
  • Supporting healthy, high-quality living
  • Ensuring social safety and security
  • Addressing climate change
  • Using limited resources effectively
 
Mostly notably, Konica Minolta is working to achieve these material issues across all its business units.
 
Within the Professional Print Business, reducing transportation, storage, waste, and intermediary materials by offering technologies that make production of the proper amount at the proper time and at the proper location possible contributes to addressing climate change (material issue) and using limited resources effectively (material issue).
 
Within its Industry Business, as an example, the company is working to resolve the issue of passing on the skills of top workers by automating the inspection process, which relies on the skills of experienced workers at production sites, and saving labours, and contribute to greater quality of end products, and improve fulfilment in work and corporate dynamism (material issue). In addition, services that detect signs of and prevent accidents at warehouses and factories contribute to ensuring social safety and security (material issue).
 
Through the Healthcare Business, Konica Minolta also contributes to supporting healthy high-quality living (material issue) through precision medical care and early detection and diagnosis.
 
Through these efforts, Konica Minolta is striving to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while facilitating the evolution of the business community and human society.
 
FTSE4Good Index Series
The FTSE4Good Index Series, which was introduced by FTSE Russell, a UK-based global index provider, lists companies around the world demonstrating strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, and provides a means for investors and RI funds to select companies with good sustainability prospects for investment.
 
FTSE Blossom Japan Index
The FTSE Blossom Japan Index is designed to include Japanese companies with excellent performance in ESG practices, and was selected by GPIF, the world’s largest public pension fund, as one of the ESG indexes for its passive investment strategy.
 
FTSE Blossom Japan Sector Relative Index
The FTSE Blossom Japan Sector Relative Index is a comprehensive ESG index that incorporates Japanese companies selected based on assessments of the size of companies’ environmental impact and their management of climate change risks, as well as the ESG assessments of FTSE Russell. This index was adopted as an ESG index by the GPIF in 2022.
 
MSCI Japan ESG Select Leaders Index and MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index
The MSCI Japan ESG Select Leader s Index and the MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index are ESG indexes introduced in 2017 by MSCI Inc., a US-based global ESG research and index provider.
 
S&P/JPX Carbon Efficient Index
The S&P/JPX Carbon Efficient Index was launched jointly by S&P Dow Jones Indices, one of the world’s major index providers, and Japan Exchange Group, Inc. Using TOPIX as a benchmark, it is designed to reduce exposure to high-carbon companies while maintaining the risk/return profile similar to that of their benchmarks.
 
Morningstar Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt Index
The Morningstar Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt Index is one of the gender diversity indices provided by Morningstar, a U.S. provider of investment research and investment management services. It utilises data and evaluation methods from Equileap and is designed to enable investment focused on com panies that have established gender diversity policies as part of their corporate culture, and companies that promise equal opportunities to their employees regardless of gender. This index was adopted as an ESG index by the GPIF in March 2023. 

Reference: Evaluation by external parties
Konica Minolta is currently included in global ESG indexes and is ranked high in the ESG ratings, as shown below.
 
FTSE4Good Index Series (UK) Included in the index consecutively since integration of Konica Minolta in 2003
FTSE Blossom Japan Index (UK) Included in the index consecutively since its establishment in 2017
FTSE Blossom Japan Sector Relative IndexUK Included in the index since its establishment in 2022
MSCI Japan ESG Select Leaders Index (USA) Included in the index consecutively since its establishment in 2017
MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index (USA) Included in the index consecutively since its establishment in 2017
Morningstar Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt Index (USA) Included in the index since its establishment in 2023 (Certified as the highest Group 1
Dow Jones Sustainability Index (USA) Asia Pacific Index (DJSI Asia Pacific): Included in the index consecutively since 2009
S&P/JPX Carbon Efficient Index (USA, Japan) Included in the index consecutively since its establishment in 2018
S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook (USA) Included in the Sustainability Yearbook consecutively since 2011
Corporate Knights (Canada) Ranked among the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World (2011, 2019-2023)
ISS ESG (USA) Maintained the highest Prime Status since 2011
CDP (UK) Included on the Climate A List
(2013-2014, 2016-2017, 2020-2022)
 
 
THE INCLUSION OF KONICA MINOLTA, INC. IN ANY MSCI INDEX, AND THE USE OF MSCI LOGOS, TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS OR INDEX NAMES HEREIN, DO NOT CONSTITUTE A SPONSORSHIP, ENDORSEMENT OR PROMOTION OF KONICA MINOLTA, INC. BY MSCI OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES.
 
THE MSCI INDEXES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES AND LOGOS ARE TRADEMARKS OR SERVICE MARKS OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES.
 
Morningstar, Inc., and/or one of its affiliated companies (individually and collectively, “Morningstar”) has authorised Konica Minolta, Inc. to use of the Morningstar Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt Logo (“Logo”) to reflect the fact that, for the designated ranking year, Konica Minolta, Inc. ranks in the top quintile of companies comprising the Morningstar® Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt IndexSM (“Index”) on the issue of gender diversity in the workplace. Morningstar is making the Logo available for use by Konica Minolta, Inc. solely for informational purposes. Konica Minolta, Inc. use of the Logo should not be construed as an endorsement by Morningstar of Konica Minolta, Inc. or as a recommendation, offer or solicitation to purchase, sell or underwrite any security associated with Konica Minolta, Inc. The Index is designed to reflect gender diversity in the workplace in Japan, but Morningstar does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the Index or any data included in it. Morningstar makes no express or implied warranties regarding the Index or the Logo, and expressly disclaim all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Index, any data included in it or the Logo. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall Morningstar or any of its third party content providers have any liability for any damages (whether direct or indirect), arising from any party’s use or reliance on the Index or the Logo, even if Morningstar is notified of the possibility of such damages. The Morningstar name, Index name and the Logo are the trademarks or services marks of Morningstar, Inc. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

[1] The Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) is an independent administrative agency responsible for the management and administration of the employees’ pension and national pension reserve funds under control of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
 
 

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 2024.


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 8,800 employees (as of April 2024), Konica Minolta Europe earned net sales of over EUR 2.13 billion in financial year 2023/2024.


Worldwide, the company has over 40,000 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 LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.


Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

Contact

Contact

Melanie Olbrich

Senior Expert Content Strategy & Development

melanie.olbrich@konicaminolta.eu

+49 (0)511 7404-5337