Epson is combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in operation (scopes 1 and 2) and across its value chain (scope 3) to help drive a transformation toward a decarbonized future, as envisioned by the Paris Agreement. Epson also contributes to society by developing energy saving products and further developing inkjet technology.

• Goal
• Response to TCFD Recommendations
• Operational Initiatives (Scopes 1 and 2)

• Use of Renewable Energy
• Value Chain Initiatives (Scope 3)
• Avoided Emissions

In Paris Agreement in 2015, a global long-term goal (1.5°C target) was set to pursue efforts to limit global average temperatures to within 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels. We recognize that achieving this goal will mitigate the impacts of climate change and is essential to achieving sustainability and enriching communities. Based on this recognition, Epson has developed GHG emission reduction targets for its value chain, consistent with the global 1.5°C target, toward net-zero in 2050.
In addition to achieving these targets, Epson is taking further steps to absorb and remove carbon to contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society, aiming to achieve net-zero Scope 1+2 emissions in 2030 and carbon negative by 2050.
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GHG Emission Reduction Targets and Vision

Scope 1: Direct emissions from the use of fuels by business parties
Scope 2: Indirect emissions from energy sources such as electricity
Scope 3: Indirect emissions from the company's entire value chain

¹ The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) is a corporate climate action organization that helps companies and financial institutions contribute to addressing the climate crisis. The Initiative is developing standards, tools, and guidance to help companies set GHG emission reduction targets consistent with the levels needed to keep global warming below catastrophic levels and achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest.
² A target approved by SBTi to reduce total emissions by 90% and neutralize remaining emissions through absorption, credits, etc. to achieve net-zero emissions or further decarbonization.

The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) released its final report in June 2017. The TCFD encourages businesses to publicly disclose their medium- to long-term risks and opportunities related to climate change as financial information. Epson takes this as a call to develop resilient management and corporate health, able to adapt to all sorts of transitions in the face of climate change with impacts of a scope and scale we cannot predict.

Under a company-wide cross-functional organization, each site is increasing the feasibility of decarbonization by implementing reduction measures such as production innovation, equipment and facilities renewal and investment, and the use of renewable electricity.

Main actions to reduce Scopes 1 and 2 emissions

• Production innovations
• Investment in updated facilities and equipment such as plant infrastructure, scrubbers, and solar power systems
• Use of renewable electricity: Procurement of renewable electricity that uses local natural resources, etc.
• Other reductions to be achieved by power utilities reducing their GHG emissions factors

Improving energy efficiency

The improvement of energy efficiency through production innovation and equipment renewal is reducing the environmental impact of operations. Epson is actively promoting initiatives to improve energy efficiency at each site to use energy efficiently and without waste.

Initiatives for carbon pricing

Carbon pricing, an instrument that captures the costs of GHG emissions across society, is seen as a way to spur action and innovation in support of lower carbon emissions. Epson prepared payback period criteria and guidelines that incorporate carbon pricing principles to evaluate (study the feasibility of) potential investments for reducing GHG emissions. They were introduced on a trial basis in FY2018 and were formally adopted in 2020.

2024 Overview

In addition to promoting energy-saving activities at each of its sites, Epson has been promoting the use of renewable energy sources; in fiscal 2024, the ratio of renewable energy sources, which previously accounted for less than 1%, was increased to approximately 72% (100% on an electricity basis). Although energy use is expected to increase in order to realize the Medium-Term Management Plan, Epson will continue to focus on reduction measures, including production innovation, renewable electricity together with the use of electricity, to achieve its goals.

■ Scope 1 and 2 emissions (compared to FY2017)
Target: 80% reduction
Result: 81% reduction

■ Energy use efficiency (energy use per unit of raw materials use¹ compared to the previous fiscal year)
Target: 1% reduction (5.70 MWh/t)
Result: 1.4% reduction (5.68 MWh/t)
¹ Energy use excluding on-site electricity generation per unit of raw materials use (total for three years)

Related Information

Epson is actively working to reduce emissions from business activities (Scopes 1 and 2), but when viewed in the value chain, other indirect emissions (Scope 3) account for more than the direct and indirect emissions from Epson's production site and other sources. Of these, the largest impacts are from the procurement of raw materials (Category 1: purchased goods and services) and the use phase of products (Category 11: use of products sold).
In light of this situation, Epson is promoting emission reduction measures throughout the entire value chain, including logistics, in addition to environmentally friendly raw materials procurement and improvement of energy-saving performance of its products.

Logistics Initiatives

Epson is reducing GHG emissions by increasing the efficiency of product, part, and waste transportation. We are making products smaller (which increases shipping efficiency), rethinking our logistics centers, innovating the loading and packing processes (to boost loading efficiency), and reconsidering shipment departure and arrival frequencies and number of trips.

Cooperation with Suppliers

Epson and its suppliers can help address societal challenges and achieve sustainability by aligning their approach to supply chain CSR.

Related Information

In addition to reducing its own GHG emissions and using resources appropriately, Epson aims to mitigate customers’ environmental impact through its products and services. By providing and promoting products and services that are environmental impact lower than the conventional products commonly used in the world, Epson will contribute to the reduction of environmental impact in society as a whole. One indicator of such contribution is avoided emissions.
Based on the guidance published by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and confirmed by a third-party organization, Epson calculated that the emissions avoided through the replacement of laser printers with Epson's inkjet printers in FY2024 amount to 9,800 t-CO2e¹.

¹ Based on the calculation method confirmed by Mizuho Research & Technologies, Ltd., the value is obtained by multiplying the difference between the weighted average of the publicly available lifetime CO₂ emissions of major laser printers in the global market and the lifetime CO₂ emissions of Epson's A3 color inkjet printer by the number of Epson A3 color inkjet printers sold in a given fiscal year. The assumptions differ from those used in the FY2023 results disclosure due to a review of the calculation conditions.

Related Information