Kyocera puts people and planet into real business practice

Greg Griffith, Product Marketing Team Lead at KDZA. (Image: Kyocera Document Solutions South Africa (KDZA)

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When it comes to sustainability in the workplace, it’s time to move past the posters, the policies and the platitudes. That’s the view of Greg Griffith, Product Marketing Team Lead at Kyocera Document Solutions South Africa, who believes the next era of sustainability will be defined not by promises and theory, but by action.

“Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have,” says Griffith. “It’s an operational imperative. It needs to show up in the way we lead, the way we design systems and the way we treat our people. We’ve moved beyond the ‘greenwashing’ era. Today, businesses are being held accountable.”

Griffith’s comments come in response to a global report by Economist Impact, supported by Kyocera, which surveyed over 600 professionals across five major cities: London, New York, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. The findings from the end of last year highlight how employees experience sustainability at work, and where the gaps still lie between corporate intention and lived experience.

One of the more surprising insights? It’s senior leaders, not younger employees, who are more likely to take a pay cut or prioritise ESG reputation when choosing where to work. This overturns the long-held belief that Gen Z is leading the charge for ethical business.

“The high cost of living has redefined what sustainability means for younger people,” says Griffith. “Right now, many are focused on job security. So it’s our responsibility as business leaders to keep the sustainability flame burning and make it easier for everyone to participate.”

Kyocera has long championed green innovation, earning multiple global sustainability awards in 2024, including the WorldStar Global Packaging Award and an EcoVadis Platinum rating. For more than 30 years, the business has pioneered energy-efficient print technology through innovations like ECOSYS. These accolades reflect more than good PR – they validate how Kyocera integrates environmental thinking into everything from its ink technology to its supply chain relationships.

But Griffith is clear that sustainability must go deeper than product design.

“We see sustainability as part of business performance,” he says. “It touches everything, talent strategy, operational efficiency and our role in helping customers achieve their own ESG goals. Sustainability is no longer a siloed initiative, it’s embedded in how leading businesses report, recruit and operate. At Kyocera, it’s a lens through which we make decisions every day.”

The Economist Impact report shows that workplace sustainability is most visible in operational efforts like smart power usage, remote work options, cloud-based systems and energy-efficient processes. All areas where Kyocera excels.

“Remote work alone can halve an employee’s carbon footprint. That’s massive,” Griffith notes. “When you combine hybrid models with paperless workflows and energy-conscious printers, the impact is real. That’s how we support our customers; not with slogans, but with systems that work.”

Still, the report reveals a disconnect: while executives focus on long-term strategy and commercial trade-offs, junior employees often feel disengaged or left out of the conversation.

“That’s a warning bell for all of us,” Griffith says. “If the people doing the work don’t see how their actions connect to the company’s ESG roadmap, we risk creating apathy instead of alignment.”

Kyocera’s approach places strong emphasis on what Griffith calls “inclusive sustainability”, which is ensuring that training, collaboration and feedback loops are built into the company’s approach.

“We need to stop thinking of sustainability as a top-down agenda,” he says. “Our junior team members are the ones gathering data, flagging risks and innovating on the ground. If they’re excluded from strategic decisions, we miss an enormous opportunity.”

This perspective mirrors the report’s conclusion: that the future of sustainable business depends on communication, collaboration and cross-generational leadership.

In an era where more than half of consumers believe companies are greenwashing, transparency and action have never been more valuable. For Kyocera, the path forward is clear.

“Sustainability doesn’t have to be complicated,” says Griffith. “But it does have to be consistent. We’re focused on helping our customers, and our own teams, move from intention to implementation. That’s how we build trust, reduce impact and future-proof our businesses.”

Perhaps the best summary comes from the report itself: sustainability is no longer about what companies promise. It’s about what their people, at every level, actually experience. Kyocera, it seems, is one company ready to lead from the inside out.

Top 15 findings in the Economist Impact report:

1. ESG is now business-critical, not just a buzzword

Despite political backlash and operational inertia, ESG is being woven into financial disclosures, investor relations and talent strategies – yet there's still a disconnect between ambition and implementation.

2. Senior leaders, not juniors, are driving the sustainability agenda

In the report, 41.3% of senior execs consider ESG when job-hunting – compared to just 24.4% of junior staff. That flips the generational stereotype on its head and underscores the role of leadership in driving sustainable transformation.

3. Top-down change dominates – but that’s starting to shift

Junior employees rarely take the lead on sustainability (14% incorporate it into daily work, 15.2% advocate upwards). This highlights a need for more inclusive, bottom-up engagement strategies, something Kyocera can model internally and with clients.

4. Remote work is a silent sustainability hero

Hybrid models are undervalued by senior leaders (only 21.3% see them as impactful), yet remote work can cut an employee’s carbon footprint by over half. That’s a huge untapped win, especially in a market like South Africa with commuting and energy issues.

5. Training and education gaps threaten long-term progress

Despite 80% of both juniors and seniors agreeing that training is key to 2030 goals, only 21% of leaders currently prioritise it. Bridging that gap – through digital learning, certifications and sustainability upskilling – is urgent.

6. Green talent is in demand – but in short supply

Green jobs are growing twice as fast as the talent pool. Kyocera could lead by offering clients solutions that support environmental upskilling and role redesign through tech, automation and workflow optimisation.

7. Operational sustainability is where the action happens

Energy-efficient systems (47.6%), resource reduction (47%) and hybrid work models (30.8%) are top sustainability efforts – this is Kyocera’s home turf. Think smart MFPs, cloud-first set-ups and automated workflows.

8. Data collection is bottom-up, decision-making is top-down

A whopping 92.4% of sustainability data work is done by employees, not management. Kyocera can advocate for better feedback loops between frontline insights and boardroom strategy – especially through dashboard tech and reporting tools.

9. Sustainability helps with recruitment – but only if it's real

While juniors don’t currently prioritise ESG when job hunting, 22.2% say they will in three to five years. That makes sustainability a delayed talent magnet – only credible, measurable efforts will convert future recruits.

10. Generational disconnects stall progress

Juniors want clear engagement and representation; seniors worry about ROI and regulation. Closing this gap will take culture change, cross-level conversations and visible leadership – all areas Kyocera could showcase internally and through customer engagement.

11. The “S” in ESG needs serious attention

Social impact is often siloed or managed by certain executives with little junior involvement. This is where mentoring, volunteering and inclusive policy development could bring ESG to life.

12. Efficiency is the number one sustainability driver in the short term

Nearly half of respondents see productivity and cost savings as key. That aligns perfectly with Kyocera’s message of “smarter, leaner, greener” print and document solutions.

13. Greenwashing is damaging brand trust

With 52% of consumers now believing firms exaggerate their sustainability credentials (up from 33% in 2023), transparency and third-party validation are more important than ever. Kyocera’s credibility, certifications and evidence-based impact should be front and centre.

14. Sustainability isn’t just about the planet – it’s about people

Creating workplaces where “any individual can see a future” is a powerful frame. This idea of sustainability as stewardship could align beautifully with Kyocera’s culture and customer messaging.

15. The next two years are make or break

As one expert put it: “We’re at the beginning of a new era of competitive sustainability.” The decisions organisations make now will shape their relevance, reputation and resilience. Time to act, not wait.