Canon Inc. needs little introduction.
It’s one of the world’s best known brands, with products spanning photography, printing and medical imaging. With its corporate philosophy of “kyosei” (living and working together for the common good), Canon has carefully crafted a brand synonymous with wildlife and nature.
However, as revealed in the Guardian exclusive in February 2022, Canon has two faces. Built on the back of the environmentally-friendly brand respected by its customers, Canon has created a think tank, the Canon Institute of Global Studies (CIGS), which actively advocates climate denial.
The Canon think tank spreads falsehoods about climate science, promotes fossil fuels and aims to slow the transition to clean energy. Its reach includes everything from international media to school children and government policy-making bodies.
CIGS researchers have labelled the climate crisis “liberal propaganda,” termed environmental campaigns as “evil” and even called climate activist Greta Thunberg a “communist.”
What’s worse, these researchers also sit on powerful committees that can influence Japan’s climate policies.
Equally concerning, new research has shown that Canon Inc. has significantly cut its climate targets this year, making it one of the first major companies globally to reduce ambition precisely when a rapid increase is required.
As a respected and influential global brand, Canon can play a powerful role in driving climate action, both through positive advocacy to the government, and through communicating to a global community of nature lovers who buy its products.
It has a reputation to protect and if enough of us speak up, it has to listen.
Join us in asking Fujio Mitarai, CEO and Chairman of Canon Inc., and Chairman of the Board of Supervisors at Canon Institute of Global Studies (CIGS) to truly embrace kyosei by ending CIGS’s climate denial.
