TOPPAN’s Vision Beyond the SDGs:
Fulfilling, Sustainable Living
Sustainable development in partnership with stakeholders
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 targets for the world to achieve by 2030. They are set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted at the United Nations summit in 2015. A growing number of Japanese companies are targeting achievement of the SDGs by incorporating them into their management practices and business activities.
TOPPAN was founded in 1900. It has continued to deliver the value that society is looking for by providing solutions through its business while responding to the changing needs of each era. TOPPAN now aims to create social value through efforts to address the SDGs.
Solutions to social issues are part of TOPPAN’s DNA
As a manufacturing business, TOPPAN recognizes its responsibility for sustainable production that considers impacts on the environment.
TOPPAN announced its Declaration on the Global Environment more than 20 years before the SDGs were established and has since been active in driving corporate activities that are conscious of the need for environmental conservation. It has also set target figures for the reduction of environmental impacts and mitigation of global warming, such as those for CO₂ emission and final landfill waste volumes.
One of TOPPAN’s efforts is the development of more eco-friendly packaging. The issues of marine plastic and food loss are now receiving considerable attention internationally. TOPPAN strives to make its manufacturing activities environmentally sound and develops a diverse range of eco-friendly packages. These include transparent barrier films and paper-based beverage containers.
The achievement of the SDGs will require not only conservation of the global environment. The health and job satisfaction of employees responsible for driving activities is also vital. TOPPAN considers its employees to be important “human assets” and strives to create working environments that enable job satisfaction for everyone. Setting targets for 2030, the company is undertaking initiatives to prevent serious illness among employees, promote diversity, and eliminate gender discrimination.
Linking people, communities, and the environment to achieve the SDGs
The SDGs are a growth engine for TOPPAN. The intersection of the SDGs and TOPPAN’s four growth fields creates a clear vision for TOPPAN’s future.
With a history of more than 100 years, TOPPAN has built up a broad network of diverse stakeholders. It has also engaged in multifaceted businesses that have evolved out of its core printing technologies. These are the unique strengths that will enable TOPPAN to contribute to fulfilling, sustainable living with meaningful connections between people, communities, and the environment. TOPPAN is taking on new challenges in its business to make this future a reality.
Smart distribution that reduces food loss
Food waste has recently been garnering attention as an issue facing global society, particularly in advanced nations. TOPPAN’s concept for a supply chain enabled by “smart distribution” can contribute to solutions to the challenges food loss presents.
The reduction of food loss can be made possible by accurate demand forecasting and a dynamic pricing system. Such a system combines information on local events and weather with the various data generated in the supply chain, such as order and logistics data.
If items are produced and distributed only in the quantities that are actually required, it can also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the volume of packaging used. In addition, it aids in improving working environments by eliminating unnecessary processes at producers, processors, logistics providers, retailers, and waste disposal companies.
Preservation and restoration of intangible culture stimulate communities and people
Populations are becoming more concentrated in cities and declining in the rural areas of Japan. Revitalization of the country’s various regions is an important issue and one that TOPPAN has been striving to provide solutions to by combining meticulous academic research with virtual reality (VR) technologies to preserve and restore historical buildings and therefore stimulate tourism.
Preservation and restoration is not limited to tangible cultural heritage. It extends to intangible elements of culture, such as dialects, regional cuisine, festivals, and local customs. TOPPAN aims to spur exchange between people inside and outside various regions by creating interactive content based on intangible cultural assets to be handed down to future generations. Leveraging expertise in communication technologies and education-related business, TOPPAN plans to deliver content effectively, so that people of all ages can learn about their communities, develop an affinity for nature, and enrich their lives.
Enabling fulfilling, sustainable living
With sights set on 2030, TOPPAN is working to support fulfilling, sustainable living. This means that the company will be driving efforts to help achieve the SDGs based on the platform provided by its network, expertise, diverse businesses, and trust built up over its long history.