CEO Message on Sustainability

Canon’s corporate philosophy is kyosei. It conveys our dedication to achieving a society where all people, regardless of culture, customs, language, or race, happily live and work together.

Based on this philosophy, we have worked to foster good relationships with customers and local communities, with governments at all levels, and with the Earth and the natural environment, and have actively made efforts to address societal issues through our technologies and business activities. Our philosophy of kyosei is also consistent with the SDGs, and we believe our various activities contribute to achieving each of them.

We have consistently taken our environmental responsibilities as a global corporate citizen seriously. We started to collect and recycle used toner cartridges in 1990, ahead of other companies. At a time when environmental measures, such as CO₂ reduction and resource efficiency, have become major components of business competitiveness, we have positioned environmental initiatives as one of the main strategies in our medium- to long-term management plan, and are working to accelerate our activities. Last year, we set “Minimum Energy 360” as a slogan for our environmental initiatives, and under this slogan, we strive to reduce CO₂ emissions throughout the product life cycle at all stages of our value chain, urging each employee to minimize the consumption of energy in every aspect of their lives to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050.

We are also strengthening our efforts to respect human rights, develop human resources, and contribute to society, all of which we believe are fundamental to the sustainable development of Canon and society. Regarding human rights, we are identifying and improving human rights risks in our business activities, including our supply chain, through Group-wide human rights due diligence.

The Canon EXPO 2023 exhibition, which was held last fall, showcased the way in which the latest products, services, solutions and technologies that support them are solving social problems and creating new value. Going forward, we will commercialize the products, technologies and solutions we have exhibited and continue to engage in a wide range of activities in cooperation with various partners, including research institutions, other companies, and national and local governments, to realize a safe and secure society and healthier, more comfortable lives.

As sustainability awareness grows around the world, and industries, society, work styles, and lifestyles continue to change drastically, we hope to respond to the needs and expectations of our stakeholders with innovation and technology, and to contribute to the sustainable development of society as we seek to become a truly excellent global corporation that is admired and respected around the world. We humbly ask for your continued support.