Tokyo-based Ricoh (News - Alert), a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, has been recognized among just six organizations worldwide that are on a path toward a “green and inclusive economy.”
Deloitte (News - Alert), a global consulting firm with headquarters in New York City, researched the sustainability activities of 65 leading companies in 10 industries for its first Zero Impact Growth Monitor 2012. Only half a dozen companies—representing less than 10 percent of the total sample— reached a level at which they are judged to be demonstrably ready “to take radical steps to transform their industries to a 'green economy.'” The report highlights that the majority of the companies studied still are ambiguous about their strategic growth ambitions.
Along with Puma, Nike, Nestlé, Unilever and Natura, Ricoh has been classified at the “Ecosystem” level of sustainable business. According to the report, these pioneering companies have not only set measurable and ambitious mid- to long-term targets (≥ 2020), but also have embedded their sub-policies in “a holistic strategic vision of their attempt to minimize their negative environmental and societal impacts.”
Furthermore, the Deloitte analysts say, these companies “are in the process of establishing sustainable business ecosystems and creating truly shared value by also involving their suppliers and other stakeholders in their actions.” However, what leaves them one notch below the highest level of eco-ambition, called “1 Earth-Economy,” is a lack of cross-industrial collaboration. This year, no company made it to that top category.
The majority of companies (70 percent) investigated by Deloitte reach the notch just below “Ecosystem,” called “Enterprise.” These organizations have defined a clear vision of what they attempt to achieve in a short- to mid-term perspective (≤ 2020). They have defined measurable milestones in several areas that provide a concrete outlook on their actions and measures.
While all of them have chosen certain focus areas based on a materiality analysis developed in dialog with their stakeholders, most of them limit their sustainability approaches strongly to their focus areas, resulting in a less holistic approach with a long-term vision and legacy. Materiality discussions are therefore not visibly based on long-term views.
Ricoh has been focused on minimizing its natural and societal impact for many years. It was Ricoh’s founder, Kiyoshi Ichimura, who first acknowledged the importance of CSR (News - Alert) for the company more than 70 years ago. He made a commitment to social sustainability in every aspect of Ricoh's business activities to innovate on behalf of its customers and to pursue sustainable business practices.
Ricoh does this through a range of offerings within its Total Green Office Solutions. For example, the Ricoh Sustainability Optimization Program – available as a part of Ricoh’s Managed Document Services – enables medium- to large-sized organizations to reduce environmental impact and total cost of ownership (TCO) by more than 30 percent, govern the sustainable performance of their business documents, and neutralize any remaining, unavoidable carbon emissions
Chas Moloney, director, Ricoh UK and Ireland, commented: "Ricoh has set long-term reduction targets to 2050, whereby, the Ricoh Group is committed to reducing the total lifecycle CO2 emissions from FY2000 level by 87.5 percent. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, we are very much on target at this stage by being continually proactive and innovative in terms of our sustainable activities. To be recognized by Deloitte as one of the global leaders in this area is testament to all the hard work being carried out by the entire Ricoh team."
For more information about Ricoh environmental activity, click here.
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Edited by Allison Boccamazzo