Sustainability must remain a central focus in a complex and evolving world

By Rob Ferris, CEO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd

As CEO, I believe businesses must take steps to ensure a sustainable future for all, and as a global business, Konica Minolta has five material issues and priorities to 2030 to help us achieve greater sustainability moving forward, these areas of focus clarify Konica Minolta's medium and long-term directions for value creation. To support these our focus in the UK during 2025 will be on the following areas:

1 Embracing the Circular Economy
The traditional linear model of "take-make-dispose" is simply no longer viable. We must shift towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for as long as possible, and waste is minimised. This means designing products with reuse, repair, and recycling in mind, as well as finding innovative ways to extend the life of existing materials. By embracing circularity, businesses can reduce their environmental footprint while creating new opportunities for growth and innovation.
At Konica Minolta, we are continually looking at ways we can minimise waste and the consumption of natural resources.
For example,

• We aim for over 90% of our products to be made from recycled and biomaterials by 2050. As of today, its MFPs already use up to 45.1%[1][1] and the production printing systems up to 36%[2] recycled materials.[2]

• Currently, our toner bottles contain up to 60% of recycled materials.

• Through our World on Loan consumable recycling programme, we can provide our customers with a simple solution to drive towards a more circular economy.

2 Accelerating the Transition to Net-Zero
According to the World Health Organisation¹, climate change is one of the greatest threats facing our planet, and businesses have a critical role in addressing it. We must accelerate efforts to decarbonise our operations and supply chains, embracing renewable energy sources, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient technologies. While reaching net-zero emissions is a challenging task, it is crucial for ensuring a sustainable future.
As a global company with more than 40,000 employees in 150 countries, Konica Minolta takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. Konica Minolta aims to achieve net-zero GHG emissions across its value chain by FY2050, with a 90% reduction from FY2018 levels. By FY2030, they target a 51% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 30% reduction in scope 3 emissions.

Meanwhile, in the UK specifically, we continue to share our Carbon Reduction Plan  to highlight our progress. We also focus on reducing resource consumption in our sales and service activities. In 2020, for example, we introduced our AIRe Link visual remote service tool in Europe, which reduces travel requirements for service technicians - in 2024 we handled 16k calls, successfully resolving 12.7k customer issues, delivering faster support and saving 1870k kilometres of travel and avoiding 318t of CO2.  We also use environmentally friendly vehicles with low CO2 emissions wherever possible.
Konica Minolta is also working to reduce the size and weight of our print devices while increasing their performance.

We have designed the MFPs' power consumption so that they emit less CO2 than previous models and we can provide a Lifecycle Assessment, including a Product Carbon Footprint, for many of our products.

The largest energy consumption, over 60%, occurs when the toner is fixed to the paper. With the polymerised Simitri® V toner used in Konica Minoltas latest MFP generation, Konica Minolta has been able to reduce the fixing temperature by about 15°C compared to previous models. Combined with a new fixing device, this helps to significantly reduce the TEC Value (typical weekly electricity consumption).

The reduction in power consumption has resulted in the MFPs producing up to 25% less CO₂ emissions in operation compared to previous models. Moreover, the Simitri® V toner requires approximately 25% less water to manufacture compared to a previous polymerised toner

Result FY 2023: Konica Minolta has cut CO₂ emissions from FY 2005 to FY 2023 at the usage stage by 85% (or 975 kt CO₂).
We actively inform our customers about energy-saving functions and giving tips for resource-efficient printing such as ‘Low Power Mode’ and ‘Sleep Mode’. Additionally, we recommend using Duplex, N-up and monochrome settings that can also save paper and toner.
The weight of the digital printing press AccurioPress C7100 has been reduced by about 25% compared to conventional machines.

3 Enhancing Supply Chain Transparency
Consumers and investors are increasingly demanding greater transparency around the environmental and social impacts of business operations. This is due to growing awareness and concern for environmental issues and a want to support businesses that align with their own values. Businesses must ensure their suppliers adhere to high standards of sustainability and ethical conduct. By improving supply chain visibility and traceability, we can build trust and drive positive change.

Konica Minolta’s procurement activities establish partnerships with suppliers based on fairness and transparency, as well as promoting a more sustainable society. As part of our commitment to responsible business and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we work to ensure that our supply chain also meets our high standards to build trust with our customers and partners.

• We ensure our suppliers adhere to high sustainability and ethical standards. Our procurement activities are based on fairness and transparency, and we support suppliers in improving their practices through assessments and audits. This commitment aligns with our goal of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We aim to bring our suppliers with us on the journey towards best practice: we provide support to help suppliers improve issues that come to light through assessments and audits.

4 Protecting Biodiversity and Ecosystems
Biodiversity loss is a growing concern, since it is essential for maintaining ecosystem stability, providing vital services such as food, clean water, and air, and supporting human well-being. Business must therefore act to protect and restore ecosystems. By preserving the natural world, we safeguard the planet's future and ensure our businesses' long-term viability.

• As members of the UK Business and Biodiversity Forum, we are dedicated to integrating biodiversity into our decision-making processes. We look forward to collaborating with business leaders and biodiversity experts to develop and implement effective strategies for protecting ecosystems.

Working together for positive change
We know there is always more to do, so what's next?
Globally we are living through a revolution in ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) reporting that is reshaping everything about how companies gather, analyse, and report their sustainability data. Alongside moral considerations, stricter regulation is an increasing driver for businesses to better manage risks and be accountable for their impacts.

The evolution of ESG reporting demands a significant shift in green skills. These are the knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes needed for a sustainable society. We must address any potential future skills gaps, ensuring everyone is included in this vital journey.
Improving sustainability takes planning, coordination, and partnerships to achieve. In 2023, we established a pan-Europe Centre of Competence to share best practice and develop initiatives which contribute towards advancing the company’s drive in sustainability and we will further develop this in 2025 to deliver further value.

To give a clearer overview of our impact in the UK, we have developed an ESG dashboard, that helps us to focus on impact, collaboration and working together internally, as well as with our customers, partners and suppliers to help solve their challenges, with energy usage and circularity being key focuses.

We are focused on sharing knowledge and skills and working together, helping our customers to reduce their impact through better risk management, data insights, and the right applications of technology and innovation. To support this, will continue to work with other relevant organisations– such as our recently announced partnership with Two Sides to promote the sustainable credentials of the UK print industry.