Canon Endeavours to Protect the Environment; Powers Off for Earth Hour 2015

- Canon to switch off neon signage at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai airports

- Observes De-light days in line with its commitment to protect the environment

Canon, a world leader in digital imaging, strengthens its commitment to the environment by supporting WWF for the Earth Hour being observed from 08.30 – 09.30 PM on 28^th March, 2015.

In its endeavour and constant efforts towards protection of the environment, Canon India will switch off its neon signage at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai airports in addition to turning off all lights at all Canon offices across the country.

As a part of this initiative, Canon will be photographing four prominent monuments of Delhi - Red Fort, India Gate, Rashtrapathi Bhawan and Lotus Temple to highlight the beauty of the city’s urban landscape during Earth Hour. In the run-up to the event, Canon had set up a photo booth at the WWF ‘Pedal for the Planet’ Cyclothon on 21st March 2015 where all the participants got their photographs clicked.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India, said, “As a responsible business, we are honoured to partner with WWF for this worthy cause. Canon India takes pride in being environment conscious and we are keen to raise awareness about the importance of using electricity in a judicious manner. The Earth Hour has seen great support across the world and by participating in this for the seventh year in a row; we want to continue to make a positive difference towards protecting the environment.”

Environment conservation is one of the crucial initiatives undertaken by Canon for its commitment towards the realisation of a sustainable society. Canon India donated twenty solar panels to the energy production centre at Ferozepur Namak village, Haryana. Installed on the roof of the government school in the village, these solar panels enable 30 fans and up to 20 lights operational for 6 to 8 hours a day. As a yearlong extension of the Earth hour, Canon India also observes De-light days on Wednesdays, where Canon employees leave office at sharp 05:30 pm every Wednesday with an aim to save electricity.

“Our corporate philosophy Kyosei refers to living and working together for the common good. In line with the same, Canon is committed to protecting the environment through various initiatives for conserving energy, water, paper, etc. The Earth Hour is a step in the direction of adopting eco-friendly practices in everyday life, paving the way for a sustainable lifestyle.” he further added.

Earth Hour is WWF's global campaign inspiring governments, businesses, communities and individuals to take a stand against climate change. It is one crucial hour dedicated to uniting people world over through the collective action of switching off non-essential lights. Canon India employees have pledged to observe the Earth Hour on 28th March, 2015 and have also reached out to all stakeholders to do the same. Pledge Cards have been made available at Master Service Centres for customers to sign up for Earth Hour. A special message from Canon India CEO and President, Mr. Kobayashi is on the WWF website.

Canon believes that it is possible to overcome the challenge of global warming through collective action. As a responsible global company, Canon strives to uphold an ideal balance between its operations and the impact of this on the environment.

About Canon Inc:

Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leader in the fields of professional and consumer imaging equipment and information systems. Canon’s extensive range of products includes production printers, multifunction office systems, inkjet and laser printers, cameras, video equipment, medical equipment and semiconductor-manufacturing equipment. Originally established in 1937 as Precision Optical Industry, Co., Ltd., a camera manufacturer, Canon has successfully diversified and globalized to become a worldwide industry leader in professional and consumer imaging systems and solutions. With approximately 192,000 employees worldwide, the Canon Group includes manufacturing and marketing subsidiaries in Japan, the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania; and a global R&D network with companies based in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. Canon’s consolidated net sales for fiscal 2014 (ended December 31, 2014) totalled $30.8 billion (at an exchange rate of 121=US$1). Visit the Canon Inc. website at: www.canon.com)

Canon in India:

Canon India Pvt. Ltd. has achieved revenue of Rs. 2026 crore in 2014 which is a 6% growth over the previous year. Canon focuses on multiple market segments of consumer, SME, B2B, Government & Commercial. Canon’s product portfolio extends over a vast variety such as copier MFDs, fax-machines, printers, scanners, All-in-ones, digital cameras, DSLR, Cinematic imaging products,  camcorders, cable ID printers and card printers.

Canon India Pvt. Ltd. is a 100% subsidiary of Canon Singapore Pvt. Ltd., a world leader in imaging technologies. Set up in 1997, Canon markets over 200 comprehensive range of sophisticated contemporary digital imaging. The company today has offices in 14 cities, warehouses in 13 cities across India and employs over 1000 people. Canon has 550 primary channel partners, 14 National Retail Chain partners, and over 6000 secondary retail points. Canon has 133 own retail stores called the Canon Image Square across 65 cities in the country.  Canon’s service reach extends to over 4000 towns with 19 Canon camera service centres and 41 printer Canon Care Centres. Canon India also has 146 authorized service centres for printers and 180 camera collection points.

About Earth Hour:

Earth Hour was launched in Sydney, Australia in 2007, where 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour. Just a year later, Earth Hour reached 370 cities and towns in more than 35 countries across 18 time zones, and the campaign shifted from a ‘Sydney Event’ to a ‘Global Sustainability Movement’.

India joined the Earth Hour campaign in 2009 and has been able to reach out to approximately 220 million individuals in 150 towns and cities.

New Delhi has always been the epicenter of the Earth Hour movement in India. This year too, the city is expected to rise to the challenge as many schools, colleges, organizations, government buildings, residential colonies, clubs, and individuals will switch off the lights at 8.30 PM. As the imaging partner, Canon will be capturing these awe-inspiring moments which will be posted on the official WWF website.