The member's nature conservation activity - Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.

Keidanren Nature Conservaition Fund / Keidanren Committee on Nature Conservation

Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.

The member's nature conservation activity
Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.

1. Nature conservation (Environment) Measure posture to activity

Since its establishment in 1691, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. has accumulated a rich knowledge of wood and wood products based on an underlying business philosophy of sustainable forestry.

ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY

With many years of practical experience in silviculture, Sumitomo Forestry has an appreciation of the wonderful renewable resource that forests represent and the benefits that nature provides. Environmental protection is imperative in the 21st century. As a company with a close affinity with nature, we are aware of potential impact of our activities on the environment, and we contribute to society through the vigorous pursuit of business operations in harmony with conservation principles.

Environmental Policies

Founded on our corporate philosophy and environmental philosophy, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. seeks to make a positive contribution through all its business operations to maintaining and improving the natural environment and the communities in which we live and work.

To help create a sustainable society, we will conduct our operations with the following principles in mind:

  1. Engage constructively in business activities that are beneficial to creating a sustainable society.

    1. Promote forest cultivation at home and abroad, maintain and enhance the multifunctional roles that forests play in conserving forest resources and in preventing global warming, and pursue business activities consistent with environmental conservation.
    2. Aim for product handling and procurement that takes account of the entire life cycle, from resource utilization through manufacture, consumption and disposal.
    3. Focus on recycling and reuse in the development, design and production of housing and products. Endeavor to use resources and materials that provide excellent conservation value, resource protection and renewability, while also employing resource utilization technology with excellent energy efficiency and conservation value.
  2. Accurately assess the direct and indirect effects of our housing, products and business activities on the environment, and strive to prevent pollution and to minimize environmental impacts by implementing the necessary control measures.

    1. Strive to minimize the environmental impacts of our housing, products and business activities at all stages.
    2. Strive to reduce waste, carry out appropriate waste treatment, and increase the ratio of product recycling and reuse.
    3. Recognize that reducing environmental impacts and promoting environmental responsibility also translates into greater productivity and reduced production costs, which in turn enhance competitiveness.
  3. Be thoroughly familiar with the laws and regulations applicable to our products and business activities, and strictly comply with requirements.
    Where necessary, draft voluntary standards and ensure compliance.
  4. Establish objectives and targets to achieve continual improvement of environmental management systems, and review those targets at last once a year.
This policy is publicly disclosed and communicated to all employees.

2. Cooperation with NGO

  1. In September 1996, a typhoon swept across central Japan, devastating a swathe of 50- to 60-year-old Japanese cypress (hinoki) trees in a planted national forest on the southern slopes of Mt. Fuji. As part of our commitment to contribute to the local community, Sumitomo Forestry initiated the Mt. Fuji Manabi no Mori natural forest restoration project. As part of this project, we requested the Wild Bird Society of Japan to monitor the fauna in the area by conducting ongoing surveys of bird species and populations, territories of individual species, and types of mammals.

  2. We share information and views with selected NPOs as part of our efforts to curb illegal logging overseas.
  3. Sumitomo Forestry contributes to NGOs active in various areas worldwide through the Nippon Keidanren Committee on Nature Conservation.

3. Environmental education and volunteer training (employee)

  1. From 1998, with the aid of volunteers, we have been planting seedlings and nurturing the young trees as part of the Mt. Fuji Manabi no Mori natural forest restoration project. To date, Sumitomo Forestry employees have participated in 19 activities with volunteers from the general public, and have planted a total of 33,000 trees. Because afforestation activities have now ended, the main ongoing tasks are cutting brush and thinning trees. With this project, we are helping return the damaged forest to natural habitat.
  2. Private plantation forests around the upper stream of the Tama River, Tokyo's riverhead, have been neglected. To restore these unmanaged forests, the Bureau of Waterworks created a volunteer afforestation event called "Tamagawa Suigen Shinrintai". Sumitomo Forestry supports and participates in this event.
  3. As part of our internal environmental education program, the Environmental Management Division conducts environmental lectures aimed at employees and suppliers at our branch and group companies.

4. Environmental education (exterior)

  1. Since summer 2005, we are introducing our "sustainable" philosophy with corporate advertising featuring our new "time machine" character in newspapers, on TV and on the internet.
  2. Forester House in Ehime (see paragraph 5), a source of information on forests based on an ideal of sustainable forestry, is open to the public. We use this facility to disseminate information on forestry, the surrounding natural environment and our environmental activities.
  3. The Mt. Fuji Manabi no Mori is open to the public and used for environmental education by NPOs, the Girl Scouts and local-governing body groups every year. (We are all welcome to use The Mt. Fuji Manabi no Mori for environmental education activities. Please apply for admission and observe "The Environmental Education Activity Guidelines" on our website when planning your activities.)

5. Practical use and preservation of the company-owned ground etc.

ground etc.

To develop new forms of forest management that reflect the entire ecosystem, including flora and fauna, air, water, soil, and scenery, we are approaching our forestry with an Ecosystem theme. In 1993, we built Forester House in Besshiyama in central Ehime Prefecture, opening 1890 hectares of company-owned forest to the public and providing a place for elementary school children and others to learn about forests and forestry activities.

6. Forest management, afforestation, sylviculture etc.

Sumitomo Forestry has developed a number of wood and housing related businesses. These include timberland management and production and sales of timber.

  1. Forest management covering one thousandth of Japan's total land area.
  2. Systematically planting and increased utilization of plantation timber to protect natural resources.
  3. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) feasibility surveys on behalf of the Japanese Ministry of the Environment (since 1999).
  4. Overseas Development Aid (ODA) grant aid project in Way Kambas National Park in Lampung Province, Sumatra, Indonesia (Japan's first ODA afforestation project, completed in March 2004.)
  5. Overseas afforestation consultancy to support afforestation projects implemented by other companies as part of their CSR activities (started in April 2005).

As an indirect activity, we promote utilization of thinnings and domestic timber in an effort to halt degradation of domestic forests, which are often poorly managed, and endeavor to promote proper care of forested land.
In addition, our Tsukuba Research Institute is engaged in research into fast growing species to produce raw lumber efficiently in the tropics.

As mentioned above, forest development activities undertaken as part of CSR programs are the Mt. Fuji Manabi no Mori natural forest restoration project, the "Tamagawa Suigen Shinrintai" and the following:

  1. A rain forest regeneration project begun in 1991 at Sebulu in East Kalimantan, Indonesia was completed in March 2004. A total of 738,000 trees have been planted in a 3,000-hectare experimental forest, which was devastated by slash and burn agriculture and forest fires.
  2. Since April 2004, Sumitomo Forestry Crest Co., Ltd., one of our group companies, participated in the "Takamaruyama Millennium Forest" volunteer afforestation program organized by Tokushima Prefecture at Kamikatsucho in Shikoku.
  3. To preserve Togyu no sakura, the famed weeping cherry of Daigoji Temple in Kyoto, seedling nursery technology developed through our tropical rain forest regeneration project in Indonesia was used to directly propagate shoots and recreate cloned seedlings from the original Togyu cherry. Using this technology, we plan to contribute to save trees with cultural significance that are difficult to propagate by conventional techniques.

7. Others