Social

Helping society to evolve and grow

We live in a changing world and human society is a big part of this evolution. With the global population having reached 8.0 billion in mid-November 2022, the way we interact with one another, with our living space and with the natural environment is more important than ever.

Key social challenges

There's scope for rapid change and resolution of social challenges, but it's an ongoing process that requires effort from everyone. Key social challenges include:

• Human rights: Although legislation and protection for under-represented groups exists in some parts of the world, there are many regions which still need to improve. For example, only 43 countries recognise homophobic crimes as a type of hate crime, and only 27 have legalised same-sex marriage.
• Modern slavery: Around 27 million people are living in slavery according to the UN Slavery Convention, which defines modern slavery as the status of a person over whom some or all powers of ownership are exercised. This needs to be addressed at all levels, including governments and commercial businesses and organisations, which have the financial influence to discourage slavery across the production and commerce sectors.
• Equal opportunities: A key consideration for societies worldwide, they include gender equality, age discrimination, and equal treatment and respect for people with disabilities. Within the EU, for example, the gender pay gap between men and women varies: the highest average discrepancy is in Latvia (women on average are paid 22.3% less) and the lowest in Luxembourg (0.7% less for women). EU figures also show that only 50% of people with disabilities are employed compared to three-quarters of people without disabilities. And 28.4% of people with disabilities are at risk of poverty or social exclusion compared to 17.8% of people without disabilities.
• Working conditions: Advances in technology have bolstered demand for hybrid working, which brings both opportunities and challenges. Research suggests that 53% of employees are more likely to prioritise health and well-being over work than before the pandemic, while 62% of leaders think that supporting new employees has become a challenge since the move to hybrid or remote work.
• Ageing population: People are living longer. The World Health Organisation predicts that between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22%. In 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and older outnumbered children younger than five years old. This will put a greater burden on younger workers to make up the shortfall in productivity, although automation technology may help.

Businesses and organisations have an important part to play in helping to protect human rights, abolish slavery and promote equal opportunities; and in ensuring workplaces continue to evolve and meet the needs of employees as well as the business.

As part of our broader ESG commitments, Konica Minolta is committed to contributing positively to its own social impact and that of its customers and partners. Our activities on human rights, equal opportunities, and working conditions are key to our commitment and include the following.

We acknowledge that our actions in the social field represent important early steps on the journey. We're aware that there are still areas where we have the potential to improve, and we aim to do so. The actions described above represent a vital foundation on which we intend to continue building.