Environmental Vision
Casio is working hard to help build a sustainable society. Its initiatives, based on the Casio Environmental Vision, adopt a long-term perspective with a target date of 2050.
Environmental Management at Casio: The Road to 2050
Top Commitment
Yukio Kashio
Executive Vice President
& Representative Director
Casio’s goal is to help build a more sustainable world while contributing to the creation of new markets and cultural phenomenon by developing compact, lightweight, slim, and energy-efficient products.
On behalf of everyone at Casio, I would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt condolences to the victims of the recent Great East Japan Earthquake and their families. We offer our sincere hopes for a speedy recovery and reconstruction.
The earthquake also resulted in a series of fires, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at several reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company, and this continuing challenge has yet to be fully resolved.
As a result, on June 1, 2011, the Japanese government issued power usage restrictions for large power customers (power contracts of 500 kW or more) of the Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Tohoku Electric Power Company, based on Article 27 of the Electricity Business Act. Energy saving measures are also required for small electrical users and households.
Given this situation, Casio is striving to reduce its energy usage in Japan by adopting creative ideas from employees. Emergency energy-saving measures are being carried out in various areas in order to ensure a reliable foundation for our business. Casio sites required to restrict power usage based on Article 27 of the Electricity Business Act are taking the necessary measures and are compliant with it.
The international COP16 conference on climate change was held in Cancun, Mexico in late November and early December 2010, and the Copenhagen Accord from COP15 was formally adopted. However, regarding the extension of the Kyoto Protocol to which Japan, Russia, and Canada are opposed, continued discussion is still needed while respecting the position of developing countries.
As for developments in the protection of biodiversity, COP10 was held in Nagoya in October 2010. The conference adopted the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, which outline 20 targets including long-term targets to be achieved by 2050 in order to build human societies that live in harmony with nature, as well as short-term targets to be achieved by 2020 in order to stop the loss of biodiversity. The Nagoya Protocol was also adopted, which sets out methods for the acquisition and handling of genetic resources and the distribution of their benefits. Specific initiatives are now needed for the protection of biodiversity.
Since fiscal 2010, we have been promoting environmental management with the objective of building a low-carbon society. Given the recent environmental trends, however, starting in fiscal 2012 we intend to add the protection of biodiversity as an additional objective of our environmental management. Casio will take steps to achieve both these objectives.
New environmental management initiatives
In order to improve resource productivity, Casio is contributing to both the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity by leveraging its expertise in creating products that are compact, lightweight, slim and energy efficient, thereby saving resources (parts/materials, and plant-derived materials).
In the future, Casio will continue to undertake the following two initiatives as it seeks to build its business.
- Generation of profits and improvement of brand power by pursuing superiority over competitors’ products through the improvement of resource productivity.
New green procurement (adding requirements relating to biodiversity)
Expanding paperless products (electronic dictionaries, data projectors, digital cameras, etc.)
Recycling (investigating and promoting the recycling of rare and precious metals, as well as plastics)
- New environmental businesses
Introducing products and frameworks that contribute to the creation of a paperless culture
Expanding products that care for nature
(Outdoor-oriented products: Protrek, EXILIM G, and digital cameras with GPS function, etc.)
In fiscal 2012, as part of efforts to fight climate change, Casio will establish specific plans and measures to achieve a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions by fiscal 2021, a target of the Casio Environmental Action Plan already announced. As part of its activities to protect biodiversity, Casio will evaluate the impact of its business activities on biodiversity, revise its Green Procurement Standards, and conduct supplier surveys based on those standards, following its Biodiversity Guidelines established on March 31, 2011. Casio will then confirm whether its business activities are posing any problems for biodiversity.
Through these initiatives, Casio intends to strengthen its foundation as a leading environmental company, while helping to build a more sustainable world.
Casio’s fiscal 2012 environmental management policy for the realization of a sustainable society
- Response to social environment changes after the Great East Japan Earthquake (emergency measures)
Performing business activities using the creative ideas of all employees
Striving to conserve energy in order to ensure a reliable foundation for the business
Casio is complying with power usage restrictions based on Article 27 of the Electricity Business Act, at sites designated as large contract power users of 500 kW or more within the service areas of the Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Tohoku Electric Power Company. - Investigation of measures to achieve medium and long-term targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Establishing a specific plan for a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to fiscal 2006 by fiscal 2021, and an 80% reduction by fiscal 2051.
- Promotion of Green Office and Green Star Product development
Promoting paperless products for the realization of Green Offices
Enhancing technologies to develop Green Star Products that are more compact, lightweight, slim and energy efficient.
- Establishing and executing strategies for improving environmental management
Identifying issues through close examination of various stakeholder surveys to devise and implement the necessary measures
Starting initiatives for the acquisition of ISO 26000 certification
- Investigation and promotion of initiatives for the protection of biodiversity
Evaluating Casio’s impact on biodiversity
Reflecting findings in the Green Procurement Standards, and surveying suppliers
Investigating possibilities for business contribution through products and services that help protect biodiversity
Casio Environmental Vision
Environmental Management for 2050
Since its founding, Casio has been providing consumers with innovative products by creating compact, lightweight, slim, and energy efficient technologies. We have helped to create new markets and inspired new cultural phenomenon by enabling people everywhere to acquire products that were previously out of their reach.
Casio's environmental initiatives began in earnest in the 1990s with efforts to comply with environmental regulations and to avoid pollution risk. These activities have since grown into an Environmental Management system that simultaneously pursues environmental conservation and healthy profits.
Now humankind must solve climate change and energy resource problems on a global scale. Lifestyles based on mass production and mass consumption are being called into question, and building a low-carbon society has become an important global issue. In this light, Casio must reexamine the uniquely "Casio" way that people expect it to create products and serve society.
It is obvious today that the information and electronic data that individuals possess and use are extensively shared across information networks. This highlights the importance of focusing on the growing business in software that enables each piece of hardware to be used for a longer period of time.
A society that conserves energy and does not rely on traditional resources must be built. In this effort, new ways of performing office work including paperless systems, green offices, green IT, and teleworking will no doubt become more popular. Casio also envisions a future where people will more seriously address the rejuvenation of the depleted global environment, while seeking to create more value in harmony with nature and the planet's living things.
Across its business operations, Casio is planning and implementing new measures with a target date of 2050 to help realize sustainable use of the global assets of energy, resources, and living things, and coexistence with them. Casio aims to become a leading environmental company that contributes to the richness of the human spirit, as well as a healthy global environment, by creating a new sense of values and fostering lifestyles that result in completely new markets and cultural phenomenon.
Casio's Environmental Declaration
1. CO2 reduction and absorption
In order to contribute to the realization of a low-carbon society, Casio will work to create products that reduce CO2 and systems that absorb CO2 more than ever before.
2. Utilization of clean energy
Casio will work to create products and systems using energy sources that are easy on people and the planet.
3. Effective use of resources
Casio will work to create products and systems that limit the use of substances and materials with high environmental risks, and that make use of alternative materials.
4. Adoption of renewable energy in business activities
Casio will undertake its business activities based on the adoption of renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, and water-powered energy.
5. Protection of ecosystems
Casio will work to operate with respect for nature and all living things, and ensure its business activities are in harmony with natural ecosystems.
