Josh Byers, national marketing manager Konica Minolta New Zealand, says, “We believe our listing on the DJSI Asia Pacific for three years in a row since its 2009 inception reflects our group-wide efforts toward social and environmental consideration, governance and innovative corporate management.”
Dow Jones says the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices form the first global sustainability indices provided by Dow Jones and the Sustainable Asset Management Group, the Switzerland-based sustainability investment company, to assess corporate sustainability from economic, environmental and social developments. The DJSI Asia Pacific appraises companies in Asia and Oceania regions, this time listing 156 companies in the index. Japanese companies make up 79 within the list.
Konica Minolta says that it regards corporate social responsibility as corporate management itself and globally promotes social sustainability activities closely aligned to the core of its businesses for contribution to society, in sync with fostering growth of the company on a worldwide basis. Among a broad range of such activities, prevention of global warming and other environmental activities carries important weight.
Byers says that Konica Minolta has run its own environmental initiatives such as the Green Factory Certification System that evaluates the environmental impacts of the production sites across the world and the Green Products Certification System, a new system that promotes creation of environmentally sound products throughout every phase of the life cycle from development to manufacturing and further to use of the products. He adds. “Taking advantage of our own core technologies, Konica Minolta strives to create new values to meet social expectations, actively focusing on two fields: environment and energy; and health, security and safety.
Konica Minolta has also received recognition for its environmental efforts through inclusion in the FTSE4Good Global Index of the UK-based FTSE Group and the Japan-based Morningstar Socially Responsible Investment Index. It has ranked for two years in a row in the SAM Silver Class of the sustainability rating, and gained selection in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World by the Canada-based Corporate Knights.
Byers concludes, “Konica Minolta will continue efforts to create new businesses that help global environment and contribute to sustainable development of human society.”
