sustainability – Fujifilm Corporate Blog

FUJIFILM Holdings named to CDP Supplier Engagement Leader for 5 years in a row

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation has once again been recognized for its commitment to addressing climate change in its supply chains. The global non-profit organization CDP has named FUJIFILM as a Supplier Engagement Leader for the fifth consecutive year. This recognition places FUJIFILM among the top 8% of companies surveyed by CDP.

At the core of FUJIFILM’s corporate activities is its belief in environmental conservation. The company’s CSR plan, Sustainable Value Plan 2030, includes a target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions across the entire product lifecycle by 50% compared to FY2019 levels by FY2030. To achieve this goal, FUJIFILM is working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions throughout its entire supply chain by sharing its approach to environmental and procurement policies with its suppliers.

CDP is a non-profit organization that encourages companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources, and protect forests. Working with over 680 institutional investors with assets of US$130 trillion, CDP promotes transparency and management of environmental impacts by companies.

World Water Day: A reminder of the importance of water conservation

Every year on March 22, the entire world comes together to celebrate World Water Day as a reminder of the importance of water and the need to preserve this precious resource for future generations. With over 70% of the earth’s surface covered by water, it is easy to take it for granted. However, with population growth, increased urbanization, and climate change, water is becoming increasingly scarce, and the need to conserve water has never been more urgent.

This year’s World Water Day is themed “Valuing Water” to highlight the importance of recognizing the true value of water in all its forms, beyond the economic. Water is essential for human health, ecosystems and agriculture, and we must learn to use and manage it more sustainably.

One example of sustainable water management is Fujifilm Tilburg’s water treatment plant in the Netherlands. Fujifilm and neighboring companies Coca-Cola European Partners Nederland B.V., International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF Nederland) and Agristo are jointly purifying water on-site and reducing waste by working together. The plant is over 3,000 square meters in size and can purify 10 million liters of process water every day. This makes it one of the largest industrial membrane bioreactor (MBR) plants of its kind in the Netherlands.

Alex van Rijn, Environment, Safety, Health and Sustainability Manager at Fujifilm Tilburg, explains that the joint water treatment plant was an initiative of the four neighboring companies ten years ago. The wastewater from all four companies contains similar contaminants, allowing it to be combined, treated and discharged in a safe and efficient manner. By reducing waste and reusing water, Fujifilm and its neighbours are setting an example for other companies to follow.

Saving water is important not only for the environment, but also for business. By using water sparingly, companies can reduce their costs, improve their reputation and strengthen their sustainability efforts. To conserve water, businesses can take simple steps such as fixing leaks, using water-efficient equipment and collecting rainwater for irrigation.

Individuals can also take measures to conserve water. Simple solutions like turning off the faucet when brushing teeth, taking shorter showers, and using a bucket to collect water when washing dishes or laundry can make a big difference. Consumer choice can make a difference too by supporting businesses that promote sustainability and water conservation.

In summary, World Water Day is a reminder of the importance of saving water. By recognizing the value of water in all its forms and taking action to conserve it, we can ensure that this precious resource is available for future generations. Whether through innovative solutions like the collective water treatment plant at Fujifilm Tilburg or simple measures like fixing leaks and taking shorter showers, every effort counts in the fight for sustainable water management.

Planting Trees – Planting Future

Did you know that most aspects of our lives, such as drinking a glass of water or taking medicine for a fever, are linked to some extent to forests? Today, March 21, 2023, we celebrate the International Day of Forests. Back in 2012 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests, celebrating and raising awareness of the importance of all types of forests.

In the COP27, the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the heads of countries around the globe cam together to agree on policies to limit global temperature rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change. We at Fujifilm joined PLANT MY TREE, Germany’s largest tree planting tour that started on 02.11.2022, to do our part against climate change.

PLANT MY TREE travelled across Germany to plant 100,000 trees in 10 selected cities, including ours. Looking ahead, thinking in the long term and act thoughtfully on the ground in the interests of nature and climate protection is the claim of PLANT MY TREE foundation. And also for us, sustainability is of fundamental importance, and we want to make the greatest possible contribution to preserving nature as a healthy, valuable habitat. Together with the PLANT MY TREE team, we donated and planted 1,000 trees in the Dusseldorf area, around 8 km from our headquarters. As a Christmas gift, each Fujifilm employee based in Germany was gifted their own tree. We are aiming to try to cover the CO2 emissions of each of us partially with this action.

Geo-coordinates such as 51°20’45.9”N 6°47’48.5”E have been provided to each employee making it easy to locate the planting area where our trees were planted. Now each of our employees can visit the Fujifilm forest and their own tree whenever they want and accompany them on their way to becoming a mature forest. To ensure that the tree population can grow again in a controlled manner, PLANT MY TREE carries out their plantings specifically on their own areas. Thus, they ensure that the trees in these areas remain standing and cannot be used for industrial recycling and protect the area from unwelcome visitors.

Obviously, we know that this is not enough to protect the climate, nature and the environment. However, it is another step forward in Fujifilm’s commitment to the environment. This commitment was already outlined in the SVP2030(1) plan which, amongst other things, aims to reduce CO2 emissions in Fujifilm’s company operations and develop as well as promote environmentally conscious products and services.

Toshi’s Guests: Antonina Realmuto

Welcome to the interview series ‘Toshi’s Guest’ where Toshi Iida, President and Managing Director of Fujifilm Europe, welcomes different guests from the company. He meets and interviews interesting women through Fujifilm Europe while learning about their soft skills, goals, and roles as professionals, leaders, mothers, and women.

Today’s guest: Antonina Realmuto, Group Sustainability Director for Fujifilm Ink Solutions Group.

“To prosper over time every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society.”
Antonina Realmuto

In the Green Issue of Women4Women, Antonina has already highlighted the importance of building and embedding Sustainability in all our activities and the need to create value for the next generation.

Sustainable Solutions at the Heart of ‘Fujifilm House’

2022 has been the year of renewing or building new office spaces for FUJIFILM in Europe with constructions in Germany, Spain and now also in the UK. In October 2022, Fujifilm officially opened ‘Fujifilm House’, our new UK headquarters in Bedford, which boasts more than 30,000 square feet of attractive working space, built with sustainability in mind.

Since 1983 Fujifilm UK’s operation shave been located on Bedford and only a short distance from the old building, the new one was constructed. However, there is one significant difference compared to the old building: SUSTAINABILITY. Sustainability considerations were integral to the new building’s design and the new site’s excellent BREEAM environmental rating underlines this point.

Protecting wildlife habitats

We have worked together with the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire to keep the environment around its UK HQ site as habitable as possible for wildlife. For instance, by installing permeable slabs in the Fujifilm House car park, we are able to nurture worms residing in the ground, prevent flooding and help maintain the water table.

Energy efficiencies

The site features 80 rooftop solar panels which are able to generate up to 63,000 kW of electricity annually, saving an impressive 29 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Additionally, the new building accommodates 16 charging points for colleagues and visitors to use to anticipate the shift away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

Waste management

A waste sorting system, comprised of bins with different colored lids, enables rubbish to be sorted into different categories, making it easier to recycle. Steering away from single-use plastic cups on-site has encouraged the take-up of reusable cups.

Naturally clean

Fujifilm has also taken steps to keep the UK headquarters clean and tidy, in an eco-friendly manner. For example, toilets are flushed with water obtained by a rainwater collection and storage system, and toilet paper is made from completely recycled material. Even the toilet roll dispensers are made from recycled Tetra Pak packaging. In addition, the cleaning agent, which is made from biodegradable materials, is sold as tablets which can be added to water to form a liquid soap.

These are all just examples of actions taken in our new building. There is much more to discover on site. As you can see, the new ‘FUJIFILM House’ in the UK integrated sustainability at its heart.

FUJIFILM Holdings Named to CDP ‘A List’

We do not know where to start… We cannot describe in words how honored we are that FUJIFILM Holdings was named to CDP ‘A List’ for Leadership in Climate Action and Water Security.

CDP – Carbon Disclosure Project – is a global non-profit that drives companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Working with over 680 institutional investors with assets of US$130 trillion, CDP promotes companies to disclose and manage their environmental impacts.

We are delighted that FUJIFILM Holdings has been named as an ‘A List’ in both climate change and water security. Since clean water and air are essential for the manufacturing of photographic film, which is the starting point of the Fujifilm Group, environmental conservation is fundamental to our business activities. We will continue to contribute to society through proactive efforts such as decarbonization, conservation of water resources and reduction of waste in cooperation with local communities and government to resolve environmental issues around the world.
Teiichi Goto, president and CEO, representative director of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation

At Fujifilm, social responsibility has a great importance across the organization. As a result, Fujifilm’s corporate social responsibility plan, ‘Sustainable Value Plan 2030,’ was established, addressing climate change and natural resource recycling. We, the Fujifilm group, have set a target of reducing water usage of the entire Fujifilm Group by 30% compared to FY2013 level and working to conserve water resources through efficient water use and wastewater treatment within our manufacturing plants.

In addition, we have set ourselves a target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the entire product lifecycle by 50% by the fiscal year ending March 2031 (FY2030) compared to FY2019 level. Therefore, we launched the environmental strategy ‘Green Value Climate Strategy‘ to manufacture with a lower environmental impact and to create products and services that offer excellent environmental performance.

What has Fujifilm accomplished towards these goals thus far?

Concluded a “comprehensive partnership agreement towards a decarbonized future” with the Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd., to create a carbon-neutral model in manufacturing using state-of-the-art decarbonization technologies
Carbon neutrality at its recycling site of multifunctional printers in China in July 2022 by switching entirely to renewable electricity
Reduced environmental impact of local wastewater treatment by sharing a large-scale treatment facility located at FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V. in the Netherlands with neighboring companies
In-house treatment of all wastewater in manufacturing of sensor films for touch panels at the Ashigara site of the Kanagawa factory in Japan
Provides products such as magnetic tape storage media that can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions by reducing electricity consumption during data storage