“All of our plans and those of our customers have been severely challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Canon Oceania managing director Akira ‘Dave’ Yoshida, releasing the company's Sustainability Report 2020 – an overview of 'the issues that matter most to future performance and prospects.'
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Photo: Di Lymbury, member of Canon Community, taken on a Canon EOS R |
The 56-page Sustainability Report addresses six key areas: How Canon applies the Kyosei philosophy to its work – living and working together for the common good; Driving innovation; Transforming business; Acting responsibility; Promoting an open and diverse culture; Reducing our environmental impact.
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"Determined to emerge stronger than ever":
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“Without doubt, these are unprecedented times,” Yoshida said. “But in the face of challenges big and small, we remain determined to emerge stronger than ever. Our ambition remains to expand the horizons of our customers and our business. And with a unified and purpose-driven culture, a simplified Group structure, robust profit growth, and an organisation brimming with talent and innovation, we look to the future with anticipation.”
Yoshida said the decision to consolidate group companies into three main management entities "will help achieve our goal of deriving 50 percent of our revenue from services and 50 percent from products.
“Consolidating our Group companies into three main management entities - Canon Australia, Canon New Zealand and Canon Business Services - also acknowledges the maturing of our traditional markets. Global changes in the camera and inkjet markets in particular, affected our sales in 2019. But I am pleased to say that our operating profit has increased in 2019 across the Canon Oceania Group.
“This result was achieved in part by reducing costs through restructuring and by focusing on business profitability. We also maintained very strong market share in our consumer business, significantly grew market share in business products, and achieved strong growth in our IT services and outsourcing business.”
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The report said sustainability highlights of the year included: Canon New Zealand becoming the first Canon company in the world to be certified as carbon neutral - with Carbon Neutral Certification through Toitū Envirocare, and reducing their emissions in 2019 by 36%: while Canon Australia launched two new innovations to support the circular economy – Kyōyū and PrintNow.
Canon Australia’s new diversity and inclusion program focuses on four strategic pillars Flexibility, Indigenous Australians, LGBTQIA+ and Gender. Canon Australia is also a part of The Reconciliation Action Plan program for Indigenous Australians.
“Australia’s first peoples continue to experience widespread socio-economic disadvantage, including poorer health outcomes, lower literacy and higher rates of mortality, abuse, violence and imprisonment than non-Indigenous Australians,” the report said. “The Reconciliation Action Plan program, an independent, not-for-profit Australian initiative, provides a framework to help organisations close the gap. Canon Australia is a whole-hearted participant in the program."
The company also joined with NRL star Angus Crichton on the First People’s Project to showcase traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait culture through visual storytelling. A short documentary – shot entirely on Canon gear – explains how Crichton befriended two boys from the Yolngu nation of north-eastern.
View the Canon Oceania Sustainability Report 2020
Canon Oceania comprises of Canon Australia, Canon New Zealand, Canon Finance, SUNSTUDIOS, Canon Business Services and Canon Business Service Centre Philippines, employing more than 2,500 people across the region.
Reuters reported this week that Japan-based parent company Canon recorded its first quarterly net loss since it started quarterly disclosures in 2001, as the coronavirus outbreak took a toll on demand for printers and cameras. Net loss in April-June was 8.8 billion yen ($US83.4 million) compared with the prior year's profit of 34.5 billion yen in the same quarter.
