Ricoh’s Eco Balance scheme shows the quantitative impact of the Group’s business activities on the environment. As the Group expands its business and enters new markets, figures indicated in the Eco Balance data rise despite strenuous reduction efforts.
At the same time, our business contributes to a lower environmental impact on society at large mainly as a result of our efforts to provide products and services that help users reduce energy use and resource consumption. For example, our energy-saving straight tube LED lamps* can drastically cut electricity use at customers’ sites by replacing conventional, higher energy-consuming fluorescent bulbs.
To evaluate this form of environmental contribution attributable to Ricoh’s products and services/solutions, we have established a scheme for quantifying our contributions to reduce environmental impact as outlined below. Under this evaluation scheme, the contribution made during fiscal 2014 is represented as a total of 374,000 tons-CO2 equivalent, which exceeds total CO2 emissions that stem from the Ricoh Group’s manufacturing sites around the world.
With this new initiative in place, we will work to increase our contribution to society’s efforts to reduce environmental impact, while continuing our efforts to decrease environmental impact caused by our business activities.
* This product is handled only in Japan.
|Contribution through:||Evaluation targets||Calculation method|
|Provision of energy-saving products||Amount (CO2 equivalent) reduced through the introduction of models to customers' sites with enhanced energy-saving functions for Multi Function Printers (MFPs), printers and other equipment as well as LED lamps to replace conventional lighting, among other energy-efficient products.||Calculations are made using relevant internal data, including the number of units sold, and by referencing external materials, including methodologies for quantifying contributions to carbon emission reduction attributable to products and services, introduced by four Japanese electrical and electronics industry associations in its joint Low-Carbon Society Action Plan.|
|Solutions/services related to energy conservation||Amount (CO2 equivalent) reduced through the introduction of energy efficient solutions/services to customers' sites, including RICOH Unified Communication System and duplex and multipage functions of MFPs.|
|Resource-conserving production process||Amount (CO2 equivalent) reduced associated with procurement of raw materials and parts by lowering the input of new resources as a result of promoting reuse of recovered equipment, use of recycled materials, and production of more compact, lightweight models.||Ricoh's LCA calculation results are used.|