The OEM has become the country’s first “five-star green supply chain company”.
In a press release, the OEM revealed it had been recognised by the China Environmental Unified Certification Centre (CEC) as the country’s first five-star green supply chain assessment-certified company. The CEC, authorised by the country’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), is “the only certification body that can certify products with the nationally-recognised China Environment Label”, and is China’s “first third-party certification body to assess green supply chains”.
Although other companies had been given three- and four-star ratings, Canon is “the first to be awarded a five-star rating”, and was the only Japanese electronic company to be “recognised by the CEC with the China Environmental Label Excellent Corporation Award” this year. The CEC’s assessment is based on the MEP’s policy of “promoting green supply chain management focusing on green production, supply and consumption”, which was also first issued this year.
Under the policy’s criteria, the OEM’s green supply chain management “starting with procurement” was “highly rated”, while its copiers, MFPs, printers and fax machines “all received green supply chain certification”. The OEM added that its “excellent supply chain transparency and information sharing” has “fostered trust both among suppliers and in the market”, which has made it a “model for office equipment manufacturing companies”.
The award given to the OEM was also said to be for its “many years of cooperation and support for activities relating to the certification”, such as “proactive adherence to China Environmental Label official certification standards and continuous receipt of the certification”. In 1997, Canon introduced the Canon Green Procurement Standards, as well as adopting “clauses’ within its contracts with suppliers to reflect them”, and investigates a wide range of factors in the chain.
These include environmental preservation through “the status of chemical substances contained within raw materials and parts when procuring products and packing materials”, as well as “suppliers’ environmental management systems” and their implementation, alongside suppliers’ “commitment to environmental regulations”. Suppliers that meet these standards are “completely reassessed annually” in what Canon calls “an effort to curb the occurrence of environmental issues”.
The OEM went on to discuss its “environmental vision” called Action for Green, which “aims to realise a society that promotes both enriched lifestyles and the global environment through technological innovation and improved management efficiency”. Throughout each of its products’ lifecycles of “produce, use, recycle”, Canon believes it “continues to expand activities with its customers and business partners to reduce environmental burden and pursue its environmental vision”.