Far too many people have already been lost to the disease, and although the global outlook is still far from certain, there has been a decisive – if perhaps unexpected – consequence of this tragic event, which we must recognise: it has shown business the path to a different future and provided real impetus to get there faster. Canon – built on its corporate philosophy kyosei, which means ‘living and working together for the common good’, is perhaps, therefore, already wellattuned to a sustainable society as the natural partner for long-term business value.