Recent years have seen a global increase in natural disasters caused by extreme weather events thought to be the result of climate change. Cyclones, hurricanes, torrential rain, droughts, and heat waves are having a major impact on human life.
To tackle this issue, we are struggling to reduce CO2 emissions through all stages of the product lifecycle, including energy-efficient products design, initiatives at operational sites and production activities, and logistics.
Energy-efficient products supports to reduce CO2 emissions at customer use.
Canon is making efforts to design energy-efficient products, to reduce CO2 emissions at customer use.
For example, for its office multifunction devices (MFD) and laser printers, Canon uses energy-saving technologies, including on-demand fixing technology and induction heating (IH) fixing technology to reduce the amount of electricity needed during operation. Furthermore, we continue to make technological advances aimed at expanding our lineup of energy-saving products. For example, we have begun employing low-melt-point toner in new products, enabling fixing at lower temperatures than traditional toner.
Thanks to energy-saving technologies used in office equipment, between 2008 and 2019 Canon products achieved cumulative energy savings of 49,858GWh. This is expected to result in a CO2 reduction of 23,593,000 tons.
imageRUNNER ADVANCE C5550F Ⅲ Series
Satera LBP162/161
The multifunction office device imageRUNNER ADVANCE Gen3 3rd Edition is fitted with a range of features that contribute to increased efficiency in office operations, including a human sensor that activates automatic recovery from sleep mode and reduced waiting time for sleep mode recovery. Meanwhile, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C5550F Ⅲ pursues energy-efficient design through features such as on-demand fixing technology, a newly developed main controller, and a newly developed toner designed for optimal melt characteristics. These features enable it to achieve approximately 47% reduction in CO2 emissions during customer use compared to the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C5250F. It thus manages to combine improved product functions with reduced CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, the A4 monochrome laser printer LBP162/161 achieves the lowest electric power consumption for its range at 0.6W within a compact width of just 371 mm. As well as contributing to space-saving in the office environment, it also realizes energy-saving as a business printer.
Vantage Orian MRI system
Vantage Orian is Canon Medical Systems’ new flagship MRI system, a wide-bore 1.5T (Tesla) system realized in the smallest installation space for a model in its class. This not only makes it easy to select the costs. The system is automatically switched to standby mode during intervals between examinations, reducing standby power consumption. In addition, the optimal running of the magnet cooling system helps significantly reduce power consumption during a non-operational state. These functions allow running costs to be reduced without the operator’s involvement. Compared with the previous model, annual electric power consumption is reduced by up to 34%, while lifecycle CO2 emissions are reduced by 181 tons. These and other improvements not only raise quality standards at the medical frontline but also contribute significantly to environmental progress.
At Canon plants and offices, we are steadily reducing power consumption.
Canon thoroughly tackled the reduction of CO2 emission during operation. Through the group-wide actions including painstaking energy management and regular checks of equipment status and operating settings, we pursue the improvement of energy efficiency.
In 2019, thanks to a rigorous program of energy conservation measures across operational sites in Japan and overseas, led by the activities of the Energy Cost Reduction Working Group, we achieved a year-on-year reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 50 kt-CO2 to 1,041 kt-CO2.
Canon created the Energy Cost Reduction Working Group in 2014 as a horizontally integrated organization to take Group-wide action on reducing energy consumption. The group has worked to reduce energy consumption by undertaking a thorough-going review of operating conditions at production facilities, for instance by cutting out excess use of pressurized air and cooling water and adjusting air conditioner settings. Measures that prove effective are adopted for horizontal rollout to Japan and overseas production sites. Meanwhile, staff from a dedicated department at Head Office carry out energy-efficiency diagnosis on visits to production sites and suppliers overseas all over the world. There, they check the operating status and settings of production equipment and then use their observations to make improvements to the operating efficiency of facilities and equipment and provide staff with relevant on-site training. Since the launch of this initiative, it has resulted in a Group-wide energy saving of 125,390KL (crude oil equivalent).
In a joint project with Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd., and three other enterprises*, Canon has launched the Kiyohara Industrial Park Smart Energy Project, which aims to realize major energy savings. The Kiyohara Industrial Park, located in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, is the location for Japan’s first multi-plant integrated energy-saving project, which has introduced shared use of electric power and heat (steam and hot water) between a number of business sites with differing levels of demand. The aim is to realize benefits that would not be possible at a single business site operating in isolation—an energy saving of approximately 20%, a reduction in CO2 emissions, and improved corporate resilience.
* Calbee, Inc., Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc., and Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions Corporation
We are currently working to expand the use of renewable energy, especially in Europe.
As of the end of 2020, Canon aims to derive from renewable sources at least 300MWh of the energy it uses at sites in Japan, and at least 85,000MWh of the energy it uses at sites outside Japan. We are currently working to expand the use of renewable energy, especially in Europe, while keeping regional renewable energy uptake status and economic efficiency under consideration.
Canon Group companies in Europe sourced about 33% of total energy needs from electric power. Of this electric power, generation from renewable sources accounted for around 80%.
Canon Production Printing in the Netherlands is engaged in the introduction and operation of a geothermal HVAC system that uses the temperature differential with groundwater to power heating and cooling systems.
Differences in groundwater temperature are used to provide energy for cooling in summer and heating in winter.
We use transport modes with a lower environmental impact and improve transport efficiency.
In order to reduce CO2 emissions from logistics process, Canon has undertaken several initiatives: modal shifts that utilize transport modes with a lower environmental impact, improving loading efficiency by downsizing of products and packaging, diversion or direct-shipment from production sites, and shortening routes by consolidating distribution centers.
To further improve transport efficiency, instead of the traditional one-way transport of containers with cargo, we have been actively pursuing Container Round Use (CRU), which includes not just containers within the Canon Group, but also containers imported by other companies for us to export. We are working with carriers and container transporters to expand the initiative. Also in our overseas sites such as Vietnam, we have been promoting the same initiative.
As part of the activities of the SmartWay Transport Partnership, sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Canon U.S.A. has significantly reduced the environmental burden associated with cargo shipment and helped to increase the number of shipment operators taking part in the initiative. For this and related activities, it received a 2019 SmartWay® Excellence Award in the Shipper Category.
Canon products are helping to reduce disaster-related risks linked to extreme weather events on a global scale.
Mitigation measures to lower emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases are important in minimizing the effects of climate change as much as possible, but adaptation measures are also needed at the same time to prepare for any impacts that cannot be mitigated.
Network cameras and other Canon products are helping to reduce disaster-related risks linked to extreme weather events on a global scale.
Because Taiwan is plagued nearly every year by flooding caused by powerful typhoons and heavy rain, causing crop damage and posing a danger to people, a Hydrological Conditions Instant Video Surveillance System has been introduced. Surveillance cameras were installed along the southwestern coastal areas to monitor flood-warning levels and automatically sound alarms as the possibility of a flood increases.
AXIS 214 PTZ Network Cameras and AXIS Camera Station video management software are being used at 150 hydrological sites throughout Taiwan in order to monitor changes in water level with a 360° range, 24 hours a day.
We introduce other Canon's Environmental Material Activities.