Sustainability at Canon
Approach to Sustainability
Since 1988, Canon has been striving to uphold our corporate philosophy of Kyosei (living and working together for the common good) in order to contribute to worldwide prosperity and happiness.
A society in which all people live and work together, respecting one another and coexisting happily, regardless of culture, customs, language, ethnicity, or region. And a society in harmony with nature, able to preserve Earth’s abundant resources for future generations.
To realize such a society, Canon will create new value through the power of technology and innovation, providing world-first technologies and world-leading products and services while also contributing to solutions for the problems our society faces. By providing greater value while using fewer resources throughout all product lifecycles, we aim to enable affluent lifestyles while protecting the environment.
Through our corporate activities, Canon proactively works toward realizing a sustainable society.
- Approach to Sustainability (formulated in October 2021)
Promotion System
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Besides coordinating activities across the Canon Group to promote sustainability from social and environmental angles, Sustainability Headquarters of Canon Inc. draws on the expertise of divisions such as legal affairs, human resources, procurement, and quality assurance to inform the response to specialist issues.
The division overseeing activities reports as required on the direction and content of measures to the CEO and the CFO. Once approval is received, it then promotes activities in cooperation with the relevant divisions in Japan and overseas. We disclose information regarding our sustainability initiatives in this report, which is published annually with the approval of management.
Additionally, in April 2024, Canon established a Sustainability Committee to share information and conduct preliminary deliberations with the aim of ensuring appropriate and effective judgment by the CEO or Board of Directors regarding the sustainability-related matters that Canon should address.
Driving Awareness across the Group
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To revitalize activities and help develop a sustainability mindset across the Group, we share the direction of sustainability activities and related details at meetings such as our global management conferences for the senior managers of major Group companies. Moreover, we assess the results achieved under the business policies of each operating division and manufacturing and marketing company under a consolidated performance evaluation system, as well as the results of their various environmental and social contribution activities, to raise awareness among executives.
In addition, we are conducting a range of sustainability-related training for managers and general employees to drive awareness of sustainability issues.
Specific examples of initiatives
- Education programs for specialist areas such as environmental protection, respect for human rights, data management and compliance
- Sustainability awards system based on categories (e.g., environment, quality)
- Sharing of information on sustainability activities via the company intranet
- Information-sharing meetings involving personnel responsible for sustainability across Group companies
- We invite experts from both within the Group and outside to speak on various topics related to sustainability, such as human rights issues, diversity, and food waste, using the company intranet to disseminate information to employees (for details, see the following website).
Sustainability-Related policies
Engagement in Initiatives
- Responsible Business Alliance (RBA)
- Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI)
- Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
- Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
- Japan Climate Initiative (JCI)
- WIPO GREEN
- 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity
- Joint Article Management Promotion-consortium (JAMP)
Canon Sustainability Channel
With the aim of spurring innovation, Canon holds monthly interactive online events in which anyone can participate to enhance the understanding of individual employees about sustainability issues in a social context.
Guest speakers at events have included people working with the UNHCR or on LGBTQ-related initiatives. These events also introduce Canon’s in-house sustainability activities to help provide information on a range of topics.
Topics addressed to date
2024
| Date | Theme | Guest speakers |
|---|---|---|
| July 23 | How to enjoy sustainable fashion | GOLDWIN INC. |
| June 25 | Satellite business of Canon Electronics | Employees from Canon Electronics Inc. |
| May 28 | News of the Bird Branch Project | Employees in related departments |
| April 23 | Highlights of the Henri Matisse exhibition | A researcher of the National Art Center, Tokyo |
| March 26 | Report on Noto Peninsula Earthquake Support Activities | NPO Japan Platform |
| February 27 | Protecting the Blue Earth: The Diverse Activities of Underwater Photographer Yasuaki Kagii | Underwater Photographer Yasuaki Kagii |
| January 23 | Learning from ANA Initiatives: Upcycling Frontlines | All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. |
2023
| Date | Theme | Guest speakers |
|---|---|---|
| December 26 | Let's Donate Your Miswritten New Year's Cards to the Scholarship Fund | EDF-Japan |
| November 28 | Vegetable Factory Automation at Canon Electronics: Sustainable Initiatives Using Automation Technology | Employees from Canon Electronics Inc. |
| October 24 | Let's get to know the world of people with visual impairments | An employee with visual impairment |
| September 27 | Preparing for Multiple Disasters: Introduction to Disaster Volunteer | Managing Director of Japan NPO Center |
| August 22 | Singing Beethoven's Symphony No.9 with sign language! Introducing the activities of the White Hands Chorus NIPPON |
Artistic Director of the White Hands Chorus NIPPON |
| July 25 | Live broadcast of “Light and Color Laboratory” from the Science Museum (Tokyo) | Science Museum |
| June 27 | GUNDAM and the Environment Toward the coming "real universal century" | BANDAI NAMCO HOLDINGS, INC. |
| May 24 | Current activities in support of earthquake in Turkey | NPO Japan Platform |
| April 25 | Live broadcast of the Tsuzuri Project exhibition from the Fukushima City Museum of Photography | Employees in related departments |
| March 28 | Activities of the Japan Service Dog Association - Toward a Friendly and Enjoyable Society for People and Animals | Japan Service Dog Association |
| February 28 | Barrier-free mindsets: Deaf and Hard of Hearing - What I felt through studying abroad | An employee who is hard of hearing |
| January 24 | Starting a Food Drive: Food Drive to Support Children's Cafeteria | Ota Ward (Tokyo) Social Welfare Council |
2022
| Date | Theme | Guest speakers |
|---|---|---|
| December 27 | Business and Human Rights | An employee in related department |
| November 22 | Barrier-Free mindsets : Understanding Aphasia | An employee with aphasia |
| October 25 | Let’s ask a researcher at the Tokyo National Museum! How to enjoy Japanese art - Involvement in the Tsuzuri Project | A researcher in charge of planning, National Museum of Tokyo/Center for Cultural Property Utilization |
| September 27 | Ukraine Humanitarian Assistance Debriefing: Activities of the Japanese Red Cross Society | International Department of the Japanese Red Cross |
| August 23 | Answers to questions about wild birds! | An employee who is a member of the Wild Bird Society of Japan |
| July 26 | LGBTQ+ Challenges and What We Can Do | A representative of NPO Good Aging Eels |
| June 28 | Diversity through Technological Advancement | An employee of the avatar robot cafe DAWN |
| May 2 | The Environment and Us | An employee in related department |
| April 26 | Let’s watch the wild birds around you! | An employee who is a member of the Wild Bird Society of Japan |
| March 22 | Part 2: Let's get to know the world of people who are deaf and hard of hearing | An employee who is hard of hearing |
| February 22 | What are human rights for corporations? | An employee in related department |
2021
| Date | Theme | Guest speakers |
|---|---|---|
| December 21 | Let's widen the circle of blood donation! - Patients lives supported by blood donation | Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Red Cross Blood Center |
| December 20 | Part2: Visually Impaired Online Experience | An employee with visual impairment |
| November 26 | Useful to know! Sign language for work | Employees who are deaf and hard of hearing |
| November 22 | The contents of the nest boxes of titmice are on public display! - Canon Bird Branch Project | Employees in related departments |
| November 16 | Accessibility Quiz for the Future – Deaf and Hard of Hearing | An employee in related department |
| October 28 | The New of Cosmos of Photography in review with award-winning works | An employee in related department |
| October 22 | Japan for UNHCR collaborative project: "Let's know the stories of refugees - What we can do now" | Japan for UNHCR |
| October 8 | Learn all about the Tsuzuri project! | An employee in related department |
| September 21 | Reduce food loss! - United Nations WFP Association Online Seminar | The United Nations WFP Association |
| September 13 | Learn more about SDGs vol. 2 - Relationship with Canon | An employee in related department employee |
| September 6 | Learn more about SDGs vol. 1 - Relationship with Canon | An employee in related department employee |
| August 27 | Deep dive series: Paralympic sports - Para triathlon | Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Triathlon Japan National Team (an athlete who is the Canon Group employee) |
| August 16 | Let's get to know the world of people who are deaf and hard of hearing | An employee who is hard of hearing |
| July 26 | Deep dive series: Paralympic sports - Sitting volleyball | Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Sitting volleyball Japan National Team (an athlete who is the Canon Group employee) |
| July 12 | Accessibility Quiz | An employee in related department |
| July 5 | Visually Impaired Online Experience | An employee with visual impairment |