Contributing to the SDGs
Top Commitment
Commitment to the SDGs
Epson is committed to co-creating sustainable and enriched communities by addressing solutions to environmental problems and other societal issues, as well as by providing surprise and delight that exceed customer expectations. This commitment is aligned with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations.
We will contribute to the achievement of a better and more sustainable future as envisioned by the SDGs by using our efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technology to connect people, things, and information and by applying new ideas and methods to create fresh value.
Yasunori Ogawa
President and CEO
Seiko Epson Corporation
Epson's Initiatives and Their Relationship to Our SDGs
In the 2020 fiscal year, Epson identified four materialities (priority issues) that it should address in order to contribute to solutions to societal issues and progress toward its aspirational goal of achieving sustainability and enriching communities. Epson selected 12 key sustainability topics that it will act on to achieve the materialities.
After analyzing the relationship between the 12 key sustainability topics and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) based on the 169 SDG targets, we found that the actions we are currently taking will contribute to all 17 of the SDGs. (Please see the chart below for details.)
Epson will help to achieve the SDGs by acting on the key sustainability topics, thereby achieving sustainability and enriching communities.
Key Sustainability Topics and Their Relationship to the 17 SDGs
There are 169 targets under the SDGs. The figures in the table below indicate the targets that Epson is addressing (as of August 2024).
Registration as an SDG Partner in Nagano Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture, home to Seiko Epson's Head Office, has launched some of the most progressive SDG initiatives in Japan. One such initiative is an SDG partner registration system. The prefecture works with business groups, financial institutions, universities, and other supporting organizations in environmental, social, and economic areas to increase the value and competitiveness of local companies and to promote action against the SDGs among them.
To synchronize our actions with those of the Nagano Prefecture government, we applied for registration as an SDG partner based on the actions we have taken to date to achieve the SDGs.
A company must meet two requirements for registration:
- It must submit a written declaration of commitment to achieving the SDGs.
- It must take specific actions to achieve the SDGs.
We met the first requirement by declaring management policies and actions to achieve the SDGs. We met the second requirement by submitting information about specific actions being taken in each of 42 items mapped to the 17 SDGs and 169 targets. Seiko Epson was registered as a Nagano Prefecture SDG partner (the fifth term) in July 2020, and renewed its registration in FY2023 for another three years..
We will report our progress on the SDGs annually to the prefecture government and will contribute to the achievement of the SDGs throughout our supply chain.
Registration to the Kitakyushu SDGs Registration System
In November 2021, Epson became the first business operator to be registered under the Kitakyushu SDGs Registration System launched by Kitakyushu City. Kitakyushu was the first city selected for the SDGs Future City program and for an SDGs model project for local governments, in 2018. The purpose of the registration system is to provide visibility into enterprise initiatives that will contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, show how they are tied to Kitakyushu's SDGs Future City Plan, and induce and accelerate local SDG efforts. Epson is involved in Kitakyushu City's KAMIKURU Project, a scheme for producing and providing upcycled products made from paper recycled using Epson's dry-process PaperLab office papermaking system. We will continue to work with project members to contribute to SDG activities in Kitakyushu by developing products and activities that reduce environmental impacts, creating diverse employment opportunities, and providing educational opportunities for future generations.
SDGs Grand Prize at the 2021 Kitakyushu SDGs Future City Awards
In March 2022, the Kamikuru Project, a scheme for producing and providing upcycled paper products using Epson's PaperLab office papermaking system, won the SDGs Grand Prize in the corporate category of the 2021 Kitakyushu SDGs Future City Awards. The project is run by Epson Sales Japan Corporation in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka.
At the ceremony, Mayor Kenji Kitabashi commented, "The Kamikuru project, which is composed of people from different industry groups in Kitakyushu, has contributed to many of the targets of the SDGs. The activities in the field of education have been particularly outstanding, and I am looking forward to seeing these activities expand in the future."
Building Awareness In-house
Contributing to the SDGs at Employee Cafeterias
All Epson employee cafeterias in Japan offered meals featuring wild game to contribute to sustainability.
Crop damage caused by birds and animals has become a major problem in Japan. The Nihon Gibier Association is a group dedicated to revitalizing rural communities harmed by such crop damage by making use of the meat from culled animals such as deer and wild boar. In a show of support of the association's activities, the Seiko Epson Co-op, which operates Epson's cafeterias, worked with the association to put wild game on the menu. The Co-op has set an annual goal of serving 6,000 meals that include wild game. By offering wild game as a choice, the Co-op hopes to prompt employees to consider other ways in which they can contribute to society, as well.
