Electronics and printing company Epson has pledged to reduce its CO2 emissions by 90 percent by 2050.
Speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, Akihiko Sakai, executive corporate strategy officer for Seiko Epson Corporation, asked other printing companies to match Epson's targets.
"Our aim is to reduce CO2 emissions within the life-cycle of our products and services by 90 percent by the year 2050 compared with current levels, in order to keep emissions below the Earth's CO2-absorption capacity," said Sakai. "We would like to invite other members of the printing and imaging industry to match or better our targets."
An Epson spokesperson said the company "believes the target is realistic".
"We're balancing what we believe we can achieve against not being too conservative," said the spokesperson.
Epson's current CO2 emissions run at approximately 750,000 tonnes per year. To help achieve its targets, the company will conduct reviews when designing products "to shrink parts sizes and weights and to reduce part counts".
"You can't shrink everything too much--after all, an A4 piece of paper is a standard size--but... we're making parts smaller and lighter so there is less impact when moving them around," said the spokesperson. The company will also overhaul its logistics and distribution operations to make them more efficient.
Epson said it will also diversify its product strategy in reusing parts, stepping up its take-back, leasing and rental schemes. The company added that it would also endeavor to halve the emissions generated by its cleaning rooms.
In addition, Epson will encourage its employees to assist in reforestation schemes and environmental activities around the globe. In terms of Europe, the company already assists in reforestation efforts in Germany and is "looking at how to help restore biodiversity after the fires in Portugal last summer", the spokesperson said.
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