Riyadh-headquartered Arab National Bank has partnered with Canon Middle East & Turkey – a subsidiary of Canon Europe – to fully compensate the bank’s carbon emissions stemming from print operations.
Canon’s commitment extends beyond climate project contributions, incorporating innovative measures to minimize carbon footprint at its root. The utilization of efficient, low-carbon products and smart tools like uniFLOW significantly avoids emissions associated with print operations.
The region’s first climate project contribution in ink, paper, and electricity empowers companies to compensate for greenhouse gas emissions generated during the use of Canon products. This is achieved by investing in curated environmental projects, effectively counterbalancing the equivalent emissions thus ensuring a net-zero impact.
Certified by Gold Standard – the top independent third-party verifier – the internationally-recognised climate compensation projects range from windmills and forestation to extensive tree planting initiatives. Each project has been independently audited and found to comply with the standards for quantifying carbon footprints set by ISO16759:2013, ensuring the quality and robustness of the climate compensation project.
Among the climate contribution projects are wind energy initiatives in India and Indonesia, programmes focusing on improved cookstoves to curb deforestation in Uganda, tree plantation initiatives in Germany and South America, forest reconstruction projects in Switzerland, and an afforestation project in England.
Shadi Bakhour, Business Unit Director at Canon Middle East, comments, “Our commitment to the environment extends beyond product innovation and GreenTech, to encompass sustainable practices within the print operations of our customers. Our partnership with Arab National Bank underscores our dedication to collaborative sustainability in line with our corporate philosophy of KYOSEI – living and working together for the common good.”
Canon’s initiative not only embodies KYOSEI, but also engages customers to collaborate and do their part. Investments in climate contribution projects yield positive returns for the local communities where these projects are implemented, fostering a shared commitment to societal and environmental wellbeing.
Canon’s Climate Project Contribution is certified by Climate Partner, an independent solutions provider for climate action that guarantees transparency and credibility, helping companies calculate and reduce their carbon emissions and finance climate projects.
Naif Alharbi, Chief Information Officer at Arab National Bank, says, “While modern products and operational processes are efficient and environmentally friendly, certain CO2 emissions remain unavoidable. Our collaboration with Canon offers a tangible solution to offset these emissions.”
Hasin Al-Malki, Head of information Technology Services at Arab National Bank, adds, “This type of technological solutions allow us to print and scan in a more sustainable manner. Beyond reducing our environmental footprint, the partnership also drives cost savings by enabling business continuity, and eliminating inefficiencies and unnecessary energy expenses.”
The programme isn’t merely about compensating emissions – it’s a comprehensive approach that begins with identifying opportunities for emission avoidance. Through print and scan audits, the programme pinpoints avenues for printer fleet rationalization. This leads to the implementation of efficient devices and processes, subsequently reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Canon documents the climate compensation process and tags each product with an individual ID number. This approach delivers tangible benefits, including a transparent framework with individualized labels and certificates, enabling precise visibility into energy consumption and emissions within printer fleets.
Canon’s Climate Project Contribution resonates with responsible procurement practices, which are being increasingly endorsed by companies and governments, promoting ESG-compliant sourcing. Canon Middle East’s ongoing discussions with its customers including large enterprises, governments, academic institutions, and SMEs across various sectors signify a collective commitment towards purpose-driven operations.
