Green News
Environment
Konica Minolta Applies "Green Power" to the Electrical Needs of the 104th Shareholders Meeting
10 June, 2008
Konica Minolta Holdings Inc. (President and CEO: Yoshikatsu Ota) (hereafter referred to as "Konica Minolta") will use eco-friendly "green power" to cover all of the electric power requirements of the 104th regular shareholders meeting.
The term "green power" refers to electricity supplied from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar power, biomass, micro-waterpower, and geothermal heat. In this system, the "green power" user purchases electricity with "environmental added value," such as fossil fuel savings and CO2 emission reductions, and owns this added value in the form of "Green Power Certificates." The user can select renewable energy sources in various combinations.
Under a contract with Japan Natural Energy Company Limited, Konica Minolta purchased "green power" certificates issued by the Green Power Certification System, each representing 1,000 kWh of electricity. According to the contract, Konica Minolta commissioned to use power generated by wind in Wakkanai-shi, Hokkaido, for the lighting, air conditioning, and equipment at the shareholders meeting.
There is a growing worldwide need to save our limited resources of fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions, which are linked to global warming. With the keywords "global" and "lifecycle," the Konica Minolta Group has established a medium term environmental action plan comprised of three themes: "Initiatives to counter global warming," "Initiatives to Build a Society with an Environmentally Sound Material Cycle," and "Reducing chemical risk." Under the theme of "Initiatives to counter global warming," Konica Minolta has established the target of a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions, throughout the product lifecycle, by fiscal year 2010 as compared to 2000 levels. To achieve this goal, reduction targets have been set for the following four CO2 emission parameters: emissions from sites in Japan, emissions from overseas manufacturing sites, emissions during distribution, and emissions during product use.
In March, Konica Minolta started using "green power" also at Konica Minolta Plaza (Shinjuku, Tokyo), which provides various social, cultural, and artistic information. The "Green Power Mark" will be displayed at the shareholders meeting venue to promote renewable energy sources as inexhaustible, next-generation energy forms with lower CO2 emission levels.
