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 innovation and technology, 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)
Key Sustainability-related Guidelines
Sustainability Promotion System
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Canon Inc. has established the Sustainability Committee to serve as an advisory body to the CEO, with the aim of organizing sustainability-related information and conducting prior deliberation of various topics to support the CEO and Board of Directors in making appropriate and effective decisions related to the sustainability measures and initiatives undertaken in the Canon Group. Committee members are appointed by the CEO from among the heads of the departments under the direct control of the President in Canon headquarters, operational headquarters, etc., and the CFO serves as the chairperson. The committee ordinarily meets once every fiscal half-year, but extraordinary meetings can also be convened if the Chair deems it necessary. In 2025, the committee met three times to discuss non-financial disclosure in the Annual Securities Report; material issues and related metrics and targets; and reporting on sustainability activities. In addition, the committee held lectures by invited external experts in order to facilitate deliberations based on changes in the sustainability landscape and the latest domestic and international trends. All matters deliberated by the committee were reported to the CEO.
Canon Inc. established the Sustainability Headquarters to promote sustainability across the Group, headed by the director with responsibility for sustainability. Besides promoting sustainability activities across Canon Group, for specialized issues, departments such as Legal Affairs, Human Resources, Quality Assurance, and Procurement undertake initiatives leveraging their expertise.
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
- CMP Consortium
Developing Company-wide Initiatives
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At Canon, we utilize various opportunities to help develop a sustainability mindset across the Group and to further revitalize sustainability-related activities. 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.
We also conduct a wide range of training for managers and employees as part of our efforts to raise sustainability awareness. In 2025, a total of 23,063 employees from the global Canon Group took part in training focused on ways of improving sustainability in daily operations. Separately, we conduct regular sustainability awareness surveys of Canon Inc. employees, drawing on the findings to propose ways of further boosting employee awareness of sustainability issues.
Additionally, we pursue various activities seeking to instill the level of proper sustainability practices across the Group. These include information-sharing sessions for the sustainability representatives of Group companies, sustainability awards and related educational campaigns, and other sustainability-themed events.
Examples of Activities Conducted in 2025
- Sustainability lectures by outside experts
- Diversity program with sessions led by employees with hearing impairments
- Sustainability Photo Competition
- Food Waste Reduction event (canteen)
- Reports and online channel distributing varied range of sustainability-related information
Diversity program Experiencing the World of the Hearing Impaired
Taught by hearing-impaired employees, the diversity program Experiencing the World of the Hearing Impaired helps employees better understand their colleagues with hearing impairments. The hands-on sessions incorporating games provide an opportunity to consider diversity in hearing and learn about how to communicate with the hearing impaired.
Eight program workshops were organized in 2025, involving an overall total of 257 participants from Canon Inc. and domestic Group companies.
Canon Sustainability Channel
With the aim of spurring innovation, Canon holds monthly interactive online events since July 2021, 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 in 2025
2025
| Date | Theme | Guest speakers |
|---|---|---|
| June 24 | Award-Winning Technology: Nanoimprint Lithography Recognized with the Global Environmental Grand Prize | Employees in related departments |
| May 27 | Listening to CSC: Featuring the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra | A member of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra |
| April 22 | Interview with EPSON: Passion Behind the Dream Aquarium Project | Seiko Epson Corporation |
| March 26 | Live Broadcast from the Canon Bird Branch Project Exhibition | Employees in related departments |
| February 25 | Canon China's Sustainability Initiatives | An employee of Canon (China) Co., Ltd. |
| January 28 | Live Stream of the Nest Box Opening Ceremony | Employees in related departments |