Production Sites in China and Japan Achieve “Green Factory Certification System Level 2,” First in the Group

Tokyo (March 29, 2013) - Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced that the Konica Minolta Group's five production sites (business units*) in China and Japan have been certified with Level 2 status of the Green Factory Certification System. The Konica Minolta Group has implemented its unique Green Factory Certification System for comprehensive evaluation of the environmental activities of its production sites. The Level 2 targets are to be achieved by fiscal 2015. The five production sites are first to be certified with Level 2 status among the Group's factories worldwide.

The five business units are as follows:

Business Unit Location Products
Konica Minolta Opto (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Shanghai, China Lens units, optical modules, and so on
Konica Minolta Opto (Dalian) Co., Ltd. Dalian, China Pickup lenses for optical disks, glass lenses and lens units
Konica Minolta Opto Products Co., Ltd. Fuefuki, Yamanashi, Japan Pickup lenses for optical disks, and
lenses for laser printers
Konica Minolta Technoproducts Co., Ltd. (Sayama) Sayama, Saitama, Japan Medical diagnostic imaging systems
Konica Minolta Technoproducts Co., Ltd. (Hino) Hino, Tokyo, Japan Photostimulable phosphor plates

Konica Minolta has been running the Green Factory Certification System since January 2010, as one of pillars helping it reach the goals in its Medium-Term Environmental Plan 2015. The System has two levels of targets in each of its objectives: preventing global warming; supporting a recycling-oriented society; reducing the risks of chemical substances; restoring and preserving biodiversity; and so on. The Level 1 targets for fiscal 2011 are preliminary goals representing milestones on the way to the Level 2 targets, which are to be achieved by fiscal 2015. All 22 business units around the world were certified with Level 1 status by the end of fiscal 2011. Since then, each business unit has been developing its environmental initiatives to meet the Level 2 goals. The Level 2 criteria includes 20% reduction in CO2 emissions per unit of production, 50% reduction in waste discharged externally per unit of sales and 50% reduction in petroleum-based resource waste per unit of sales. The base year for these reductions is fiscal 2005. The production sites must meet not only the numerical goals but also requirements based on the guidelines with approximately 250 items regarding implementation process of the initiatives.

The five business units that have been certified with Level 2 as first in the Konica Minolta group had not only achieved the Level 1 goals at a high level but also have further continued improving productivity to strengthen their efforts to reduce environmental impacts. As “mother factory,” Konica Minolta Opto Products Co., Ltd. has transferred its tested-and-proven actions to Konica Minolta Opto (Dalian) Co., Ltd. in China, successfully enhancing the overall international environmental responsibility. Konica Minolta Technoproducts Co., Ltd. (Sayama) has undergone in-depth review and redesign of the production lines to reduce the space. Along with optimized lighting and air conditioning, the overall CO2 emissions have been cut down. Konica Minolta Technoproducts Co., Ltd. (Hino) has also reduced CO2 emissions by bringing down loss in production through elimination of foreign materials, among others.

Going forward, the Konica Minolta Group will continue developing initiatives on a global scale toward comprehensive, environmentally-sound factories and helping the world move toward energy-efficient and resource-saving society.

*
A single business unit is an organization engaged in the same production activities even across different locations. A single location may include several business units.

For additional information on Green Factory Certification System

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