Through CSR, the company wants to contribute to the sustainable development of society by putting its corporate philosophy into practice through sincere and fair business activities.

By Rusen Kumar

Fujifilm has developed its Sustainable Value Plan 2030 as a CSR plan, with FU2030 as its goal, expected to create the foundations for the group’s business management strategies for long-term growth Koji Wada, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt Ltd shared how his company is contributing to society in India. He said, “Fujifilm focuses on addressing social issues and believes in brands acting as corporate citizens.” He also talked on sustainability issues and innovations initiated by the company. Excerpts of an interview:

What are the key areas of work for Fujifilm’s CSR initiatives in India and why?

Fujifilm’s key focus areas for CSR initiatives globally and in India include education, environment and healthcare. We have been working on addressing and resolving various environmental concerns as part of our Green Policy to achieve sustainability. We believe that education, environment and healthcare need to be looked after with a humanitarian approach as they have direct consequences on the quality of individual lives and for us as a society.

Through our CSR, we want to contribute to the sustainable development of society by putting our corporate philosophy into practice through sincere and fair business activities. For the environment, we are working on lowering CO₂ emissions and making appropriate use of water and other resources throughout the product’s lifetime, in addition to reducing the environmental impact of our manufacturing activities. Our work in the field of education emphasises providing resources and support to students in the form of awareness camps, education workshops and stationery donation drives. We believe that the future lies with this bright and young population, and it is essential that their education is fostered in the right environment.

Healthcare is one of our core business areas and equally an important function of our CSR initiatives. We believe that if a person is healthy and free from ailments, they can contribute to the well-being of society without being an active participant in any cause. Our commitment is to provide the masses with care and our business expertise in the field of healthcare enables us to take this commitment even further.

What has been the brand’s journey in the CSR space in India and what are the ongoing CSR initiatives that you’re working on?

Fujifilm focuses on addressing social issues and believes in brands acting as corporate citizens. We have taken on challenges and initiatives that benefit mankind as a whole across geographical boundaries. In terms of CSR, Fujifilm has launched a number of initiatives in recent years to reach out to the general public. The Fujifilm “Aao Padhai Karein” and “Aao Baat Karein” campaigns are aimed at reaching India’s young minds and empowering them with resources and awareness. We aim to help the government’s goal of eliminating child sexual assault in India by 2030. Many pupils in India, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, lack access to basic educational infrastructure. We recently collaborated with Parwarish Cares Foundation to distribute ‘YeloGreen Bags,’ a holistic study organizer that folds into a desk.

During the peak of the pandemic, when the doctors and healthcare workers were stressed and tired out, we launched our “Connecting Hearts” campaign. The campaign was aimed at spreading positivity and joy by building a connection between patients and doctors. Committed to reducing anxiety among patients and helping them combat COVID with congeniality and affection, we also introduced a unique patient-focused program by sharing Instax cameras and films at hospitals to spread smiles with the doctors and nurses working on the frontline.

We had also partnered with the Indian Cancer Society, the oldest registered healthcare NGO in India for the campaign “Cancer Mukt Dilli”. Under this campaign, Fujifilm conducted 18 medical camps to generate awareness about breast cancer and breast self-examination. Free breast cancer screenings were organized for women above 40 years. One of the many objectives of the initiative was to provide practical knowledge and quality screening for women of Delhi and NCR who are residing in slums and cannot afford quality treatment.

Fujifilm has also extended financial aid and support to different organisations and frontline workers during the pandemic. Fujifilm has also donated medical screening devices and diagnostic systems to laboratories and hospitals along with essential PPE kits for healthcare workers.

What is the Fujifilm Sustainability Vision Plan 2030 and what are its targets?

Fujifilm has developed its Sustainable Value Plan 2030 as a CSR plan, with FU2030 as its goal, expected to create the foundations for the group’s business management strategies for long-term growth. In order to develop into a firm that can make a bigger contribution to developing a sustainable society, the Fujifilm group will take more steps to address social challenges through our commercial activities, including the launch of innovative technology goods and services.

The Fujifilm Group has also set targets to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 50% (relative to FY2019 levels) by FY2030. The initial reduction goal was set at 45% (compared to FY2013 levels) and is 10 years ahead of the original plan. The Fujifilm Group has been actively recycling resources, by reducing water usage, and recycling and reusing water. The company has also established a recycling system for multifunction devices and copiers. We are conducting efforts to use resources effectively and reduce waste through measures that take into account the total lifecycle of a product. This is kept in mind since the Fujifilm Group manufactures a wide range of products including chemical products, highly functional materials, optical devices, office equipment, and medical equipment.

Why is healthcare an important aspect to your CSR initiatives and what has been the story so far for the “Never Stop: Screening to Reduce Diagnostic Delays” TB Campaign?

The company began producing X-ray films in 1936, shortly after being founded. We address issues such as unmet medical needs, the medical divide and the increasing strain on medical personnel. Japan’s society is on an aging trend, whereas emerging countries’ population and economic growth are accelerating. As a result, these countries are facing an upward medical need, resulting in a slew of issues including a shortage of doctors and nurses. By combining our exclusive technologies with the large volume of data from our medical IT expertise and AI technology, Fujifilm is helping healthcare professionals to create a holistic medical environment and supporting medical staff in disease prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.

Our campaign “Never Stop: Screening to Reduce Diagnostic Delays” throws light on the major causes of TB, the growing need of creating awareness, and its contribution to the elimination of TB in India. The campaign aims to organize the marginalized sectors of society to fight tuberculosis by providing door-to-door awareness. The campaign’s aim is to raise awareness about TB as a curable disease among hard-to-reach groups, ultimately improving people’s quality of life. In the first leg of the “Never Stop: Screening to Reduce Diagnostic Delays” campaign, we ran a mobile screening van across more than 20 cities in North India. This van screened people from marginalised sections of society across India for tuberculosis and provided them with medical aid. The campaign is in line with the government’s goal of TB-free India by 2025. Through the campaign, the company has reported 7,21,107 people who have got their screening done at the mobile van and shared a total of 8,104 X-ray reports in 6 months.

Fujifilm’s TB van has so far visited Delhi, Dadri, Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani, Rudrapur, Agra, Pata, Mainpuri, Gwalior, Kanpur, Raebareli, Varanasi, Patna, Farakka, Bhataparaand Sankrail. The van will continue to cover cities such as Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Bhilwara, Nalagarh, Kolkata, Indore, Haldia, Jalandhar and Jaipur in the coming weeks.

(India CSR)