More Than 50 Teams of North American High School Students to Compete at the Annual Canon Envirothon; Canon Celebrates Its 10th Year of Sponsoring North America's Largest High School Environmental Education Competition

Business Wire, July 17, 2006

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. -- Teams Convene at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, for This Prestigious Competition

More than 250 teenagers from 44 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces will descend upon the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, July 23rd - 29th, to participate in North America's largest high school environmental education competition - the 2006 Canon Envirothon. Participants will learn about environmental issues affecting natural resources as they compete for a share of $75,000 in college scholarships and prizes.

Organized in cooperation with the National Association of Conservation Districts in the U.S. and The Canadian Forestry Association, the competition tests teams on their knowledge of soil/land use, forestry, aquatic ecology, wildlife and natural resources, among other topics. The theme of this year's competition is Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate, and will focus on the role water plays in our lives now and in the future, and includes aspects such as water quality, supply, use and allocation, and conservation and management.

"As a global organization, Canon understands its responsibility for the impact it makes on society and the environment. Canon is guided by the philosophy of Kyosei - 'all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future,'" said William Reed, senior vice president and general manager, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "Embracing this philosophy, Canon U.S.A. has chosen to protect future generations by helping to preserve North America's most valuable resources through the support of a wide range of environmental and youth programs, such as the Canon Envirothon."

The Canon Envirothon is the culmination of a series of competitions that began during the past school year and involved more than 500,000 teenagers throughout North America. In written tests and oral presentations, five-member teams from schools and organizations compete for the distinction of representing their state or province at the Canon Envirothon.

Each team's knowledge is tested under the supervision of foresters, soil scientists, wildlife specialists and other natural resource professionals. Teamwork, problem solving and presentation skills are evaluated as each team offers a panel of judges an oral presentation containing recommendations for solving the specific challenge that is presented during the competition.

This is the 10th year that Canon U.S.A. has been a sponsor of this annual competition. Canon works to protect the environment through the award-winning Canon Clean Earth Campaign that encompasses the development of energy-efficient office products, equipment remanufacturing and materials reuse, the protection of endangered species and the encouragement of environmental education through the company's corporate social responsibility efforts and employee volunteerism. For more information: www.usa.canon.com/environment.> A list of the U.S. and Canadian schools/organizations participating in the 2006 Canon Envirothon appears below.

Canon Envirothon Press Room: www.envirothon.org Click on 2006 press room for information about the competition, daily updates and photos of the winning teams. Photos of winning teams can be downloaded beginning Sunday, July 30th, 2006.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent holder of technology, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2005, with global revenues of $31.8 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.