“2023 was without a doubt the worst year ever in terms of manifestations of the climate crisis,” world leading environmental campaigner Jonathon Porrit recently stated in a presentation to the Carbon Balanced Paper program.

He went on to point out that in 2023 and in the first two months of 2024, climate records were being broken on an almost daily basis.

Porritt has been involved in the print and paper industry since he planted 70 acres of trees in New Zealand five decades ago.

However, while he recognized the benefits of sustainable forestry and its positive effects on climate change, he acknowledged that the wider public need clearer information about the production of paper. He also noted the challenge of getting politicians and policy makers to take the climate emergency seriously.

He does see a way forward.

He is a great believer in the advances in technology and its ability to reverse the impact of climate change.

He said while the environmental records of print and paper companies are commendable, there’s still more that can be done including work to reduce emissions.

Ricoh’s commitment to making reductions and achieving net zero carbon emissions was one of the environmental goals that resulted in it recently achieving industry recognition from Keypoint Intelligence, a global market research firm and independent evaluator of print and smart technology hardware, software, and services.

Also important in being awarded the Buyers Lab (BLI) 2024-2025 Pacesetter Award in Production Print Sustainability was Ricoh’s collaboration with international environmental standards organisations and educational programmes as well as its strong commitment to sustainability on the product side, with focus on reducing environmental impact through recyclable production products, service parts, supplies, and packaging.

For Print Service Providers (PSPs) working with a company committed to making positive change enables them to benefit from expert knowledge and carefully developed programmes. This helps them to identify how they can improve their operational sustainability and it helps them set their own goals.

We are constantly re-evaluating our portfolio of products and services and introducing new ways to support PSPs. More recently we have expanded the content and expertise delivered by our Business Booster consultancy. We are actively now providing content and guidance to help our clients understand not only how to manage legislative requirements but also how to calculate the impact that analogue production has versus digital to create more sustainable production factories.

About the author: Mark Hinder is responsible for Business Development EMEA, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe