Fujifilm’s Guideline for Calculation of its Water Footprint: Use & Protection of Water Resources

This video presents Water Facts.

Fujifilm has established the internal guideline for the calculation of its water footprint (*1) for quantitatively assessing the amount of water consumed throughout a product’s lifecycle from procurement / manufacturing to sales and disposal.

“Fujifilm will make use of this guideline to promote worldwide “visualization” of the environmental impact with respect to water resources over the lifecycle of products. The company will carry out environmentally-conscious product development, including material procurement by considering “water stressed areas” (*3), promoting proactive initiatives on the sustainable use and protection of limited water resources.“

Water Stress Map: Mapping Fujifilm Group’s water usage into 2025 Water Stress Map (United Nations Environment Programme: UNEP). FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation Sustainability Report 2014, page 49; http://www.fujifilm.com/sustainability/report/pdf/index/ff_sr_2014_en_all.pdf

NEWS RELEASE

Fujifilm establishes the guideline for the calculation of its water footprint

December 5, 2014

Fujifilm Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima) has established the internal guideline for the calculation of its water footprint (*1) for quantitatively assessing the amount of water consumed throughout a product’s lifecycle from procurement / manufacturing to sales and disposal. The move complements the existing efforts to mitigate CO2 emissions, and reflects the company’s active initiative for environmentally-conscious product development, impact assessment and information disclosure in respect to water resources.

In recent years, the world has been experiencing, with increasing severity, water shortages and concerns around water pollution. Europe is moving towards including the issue of water resource depletion in the Environmental Footprint (*2), a set of pilot guidelines for assessing the environmental impacts of product over their lifecycle. With an international standard (ISO) on the environmental impact calculation method for water to be released in early 2015, there is a global demand for impact assessment and information disclosure with respect to water resources.

Supporting this social trend early on, Fujifilm began exploring methods for calculating water footprint precociously, and has compiled its findings into this guideline.

Fujifilm applies the “Design for Environment” rule when designing and developing all products. It quantitatively and objectively assesses the environmental impact for CO2 emissions throughout each product’s lifecycle. This guideline for the calculation of water footprint sets out the approach and specific methodology for calculating the amount of water consumption over the product’s lifecycle, based on the procedure for calculating CO2 lifecycle assessment as defined in the “Design for Environment” rule. It encompasses not only “quantity” but also “quality” of water (pollution level), which will be clarified in the process of international standardization. The new guideline incorporates specific cases of products and services, making it easy for product developers to adopt the guideline.

Fujifilm will make use of this guideline to promote worldwide “visualization” of the environmental impact with respect to water resources over the lifecycle of products. The company will carry out environmentally-conscious product development, including material procurement by considering “water stressed areas” (*3), promoting proactive initiatives on the sustainable use and protection of limited water resources.

The Fujifilm Group launched the mid-term CSR program “Sustainable Value Plan 2016” in FY2014, outlining business goals for resolving social issues, with the aim of contributing to “sustainable social development”. Defining “response to water issues” and “securing water resources” as important social issues, the plan lists the goals of “reducing and the restriction of water pollution through the development of highly functional materials” and “maintaining unit water consumption (amount of water used per sales) at the FY2013 level”. In order to achieve these goals, the company will utilize the new guideline and promote environmentally-conscious product development in terms of water resources, making active contribution to the sustainable development of society, which is the most important challenge the Earth faces in the 21st century.

(*1) Water footprint
Method of calculating water consumption throughout product lifecycle from procurement / manufacturing to sales / disposal, in order to quantify environmental impacts associated with water resources

(*2) Environmental footprint
Method of quantifying 14 types of environmental impacts such as CO2 emission and water resource depletion throughout the lifecycle of products, services and organizational activities; currently being explored by the European Commission

(*3) Water stressed areas
Countries and regions where the per-capita annual water supplies available for agriculture, industrial activities and living are below 1,700m³

For any queries on information in this press release, consumer contact:
CSR Promotion Office, Ecology and Quality Management Division
TEL: +81 3-6271-2064

Fujifilm’s Guideline for Calculation of its Water Footprint: Use & Protection of Water Resources

Fujifilm establishes the guideline for the calculation of its water footprint

(*1) Water footprint Method of calculating water consumption throughout product lifecycle from procurement / manufacturing to sales / disposal, in order to quantify environmental impacts associated with water resources

(*2) Environmental footprint Method of quantifying 14 types of environmental impacts such as CO2 emission and water resource depletion throughout the lifecycle of products, services and organizational activities; currently being explored by the European Commission

(*3) Water stressed areas Countries and regions where the per-capita annual water supplies available for agriculture, industrial activities and living are below 1,700m³

(*1) Water footprint
Method of calculating water consumption throughout product lifecycle from procurement / manufacturing to sales / disposal, in order to quantify environmental impacts associated with water resources

(*2) Environmental footprint
Method of quantifying 14 types of environmental impacts such as CO2 emission and water resource depletion throughout the lifecycle of products, services and organizational activities; currently being explored by the European Commission

(*3) Water stressed areas
Countries and regions where the per-capita annual water supplies available for agriculture, industrial activities and living are below 1,700m³