13th annual Ricoh Eco Action Day launches in support of climate action

• Ricoh Eco Action Day invites individuals and corporates to pledge eco-friendly actions to combat climate change, in-line with Climate Action, Goal 13 of UN SDGs
• 30 May roundtable to address the topics on sustainable waste management and recycling with 2019 designated as the Year Towards Zero Waste
• Gardening seeds to be distributed to the community to encourage sustainable production and consumption, contributing to a lower carbon footprint

Singapore, 2 April 2019 – Ricoh Asia Pacific (Ricoh), the Japanese multinational imaging electronics company, launched its 13th annual Eco Action Day campaign today. Eco Action Day is designed to drive awareness and action for the environment and celebrate the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme’s World Environment Day, held on 5 June annually. This year’s campaign will tackle Goal 13 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which urges people to take urgent action to combat climate change. 

Singapore is not spared the effects of climate change, with temperatures increasing at twice the rate of the global average and daily temperatures are projected to reach 35-37 degree Celsius in 2100. 

To work towards a more sustainable environment, Ricoh is inviting organisations, schools and individuals to make pledges at www.ecoaction.sg/. For example, a pledge to take public transportation instead of private cars or to bring their own bags instead of using single-use plastics. The campaign was a major success in 2018 with pledges from 315 organisations, 16 schools, and 1,253 individuals received. 

Pledges received this year will be included in the Climate Action Pledges by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. Ricoh will also match the carbon savings from pledges made by each organisation and school with the same amount of natural gas carbon credits generated from an electricity plant on Jurong Island.

Eco Action Day Roundtable

Singapore has designated 2019 its Year Towards Zero Waste. It has announced that it will introduce a new Resource Sustainability Bill and Zero Waste Masterplan this year, and that it aims to achieve an overall recycling rate of 70 per cent by 2030. Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, said Singapore will have to adopt a circular economy approach where resources are continually recycled and reused, in order to achieve its vision to be a zero waste nation.

The Eco Action Day Roundtable will take place on 30 May 2019. In line with Singapore’s goal towards zero waste, the roundtable will address topics on sustainable waste management and recycling via a circular economy. In its third consecutive year, the roundtable will bring together government leaders and industry experts to come up with solutions and actions to advance Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action.

Community Seed Distribution

In a bid to cultivate sustainable production and consumption, gardening seeds will also be distributed to the community to plant and harvest their own fruits and vegetables. This could potentially reduce the reliance on imports and minimise environmental footprint. This is vital in Singapore since more than 90% of food is imported and local farmers only produce 8% of vegetables consumed.

The seed distribution is in collaboration with North West Community Development Council, South West Community Development Council, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore American School, United World College Southeast Asia, and the Institute of Technical Education.

“Environmental sustainability is a key priority and goal of the South West Community Development Council. Our partnership with Ricoh Asia Pacific sows the seeds of collaboration for community action to fight climate change and promote green lifestyles. With more than 150 community gardens in the South West, our community gardeners and residents can join in the action to plant the seeds provided, and add to the vibrant greening of our estates. We hope that each seed of action will grow into a collective wave of change as our community, corporates, schools and CDCs join hands to improve sustainability,” said Ms Low Yen Ling, Mayor of South West District. 

Ricoh Global SDGs Action

Eco Action Day will be part of an initiative now known as the ‘Ricoh Global SDGs Action’, reflecting Ricoh Group’s commitment to the SDGs in their business. Employees are encouraged to think and act upon global warming countermeasures and social issues, working with our customers and regional societies to achieve these goals. Sharing these experiences will help to shape eco-behaviour and eventually spread the message to the world. For more information, please visit http://ecoaction-ap.com/.

Mr Kazuhisa Goto, Managing Director of Ricoh Asia Pacific, said, “At Ricoh, it is important we set environmental goals we can materialise in relation to our business model and society. We aim to drive sustainability around the world by encouraging Climate Action which is Goal 13 of the UN SDGs. We hope to engage our stakeholders in every part of our value chain and fulfil our goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Together, we can create a greener, more sustainable tomorrow.”

Partners

Since its inception in 2007, Eco Action Day has been supported by multiple public and private sector organisations. This year’s partners include Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, National Environment Agency, PacificLight Power, Mitsubishi Electric, Singapore Pools, the Singapore Environment Council, and Deloitte, among others.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Christine Lim   
Ruder Finn Asia    
DID: (+65) 6336 9345   

Brian Witte
Ruder Finn Asia
DID: (+65) 6336 2351

About Eco Action Day

Eco Action Day is a national public awareness campaign organised by Ricoh since 2007, in partnership with key NGO, government, and private sector partners in Singapore. It is held on 5 June every year, to commemorate the United Nations Environment Programme’s World Environment Day, which seeks to raise global awareness on the need to take positive action for the environment. Every year, Ricoh, along with various supporting partners, engages its employees, customers, corporate neighbours and government organizations and the wider public to take steps to reduce their impact on the environment. 

To date, more than 1,400 organisations, including multinational corporations, government agencies, private companies, and tertiary institutions have participated in Eco Action Day. 

For further information, please visit www.ecoaction.sg/

About Ricoh

Ricoh is empowering digital workplaces using innovative technologies and services enabling individuals to work smarter. For more than 80 years, Ricoh has been driving innovation and is a leading provider of document management solutions, IT services, commercial and industrial printing, digital cameras, and industrial systems.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in approximately 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ended March 2018, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,063 billion yen (approx. 19.4 billion USD).

For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com/

About World Environment Day

World Environment Day (WED) is the biggest annual event for positive environmental action and takes place every 5 June. Since it began in 1972, global citizens have organised many events as they celebrate, engaging millions across the globe through events on the ground in over 70 countries. Every year, participants, young and old, organise many events. These include neighbourhood clean-ups, action against wildlife crime, replanting forests, art exhibits, concerts, dance recitals, recycling drives, social media campaigns, all themed around caring for the planet. 

WED has grown to become one of the main vehicles through which the UN encourages positive action for the environment. Through WED, the UN Environment Programme enables everyone to realise not only the responsibility to care for the Earth, but also reminds one and all of their individual power to become agents of change. Every action counts, and when multiplied by a global chorus, becomes exponential in its impact.