Forest Resources / Forest Environment

For Resolving individual issues related to the Forest Resources and the Forest Environment

Policies and Basic Approach

The TAISEI Group has formulated "TAISEI Green Target 2050" as the Group's long-term environmental target to realize the "Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Society" promoted in its environmental policy. The TAISEI Green Target 2050 establishes the responsibilities relating to individual issues pertaining to forest resources and forest environment, as well as the business activities that are conducted and their contribution to the achievement of these targets. The basic approach is outlined in the environmental policy.

Responsibilities

As construction is the core business of the Taisei Group, the Group has a keen awareness of the effect of its business activities on forest resources and the forest environment and the impact of forest resources and the forest environment on business activities. We consider it to be our responsibility to minimize the negative impact of construction business on forest resources and the forest environment, by implementing zero deforestation wood procurement.

Contribution Through Our Business Responsibilities Activities

The Taisei Group identifies risks and opportunities related to forest resources and the forest environment. We strive to develop and disseminate technologies and services relating to conservation, creation and restoration of forest resources, and to promote business activities that are in harmony with nature in order to maximize the positive impact and contribute to achieve sustainable forest resources and forest environments.

Policies / Commitments

  • Action Guidelines for Taisei: Promoting environmental conservation and creation
  • Environmental Policy
  • TAISEI Green Target 2050: The Two Individual Issues
  • Declaration of Biodiversity Preservation by Taisei Group
  • Taisei Group Guidelines for Conservation of Biodiversity
  • Promise of Eco-First
  • Taisei Group Sustainable Procurement Guidelines
  • Taisei Group Green Procurement standard Guideline

Goals and Targets

Group’s Long-Term Environmental Targets (TAISEI Green Target 2050)

Target for addressing two individual issues

Forest Resources & Forest Environment Water Resources & Water Environment
  • To minimize negative impact on forest resources and forest environment through wood procurement based on zero deforestation concept
  • To maximize positive impact on forest resources and forest environment through conservation and restoration efforts
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  • To minimize negative impact on water resources and water environment by ensuring proper management and reducing usage
  • To maximize positive impact on water resources and water environment through conservation and restoration efforts
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Activities / Efforts

To ensure that the benefits of forests can be enjoyed now and in the future, TAISEI promotes activities to USE wood in a sustainable manner, efforts to CREATE revitalized forest resources, and efforts to PROTECT and conserve good forests.

Sustainable wood use Restoration of forest resources Conservation of good forests
Appropriate wood procurement
  • Wood procurement status survey and guidance
  • Sustainable wood procurement
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Promotion of wooden construction
  • Promotion of local wood use
  • Promotion of reuse and recycling of wood
  • Carbon capture and storage
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Sustainable use of planted forests
  • Promotion of wooden construction
  • Support for sustainable forest management
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Conversion of planted forests into natural forests
  • Creation of forests that function as green infrastructure through conversion of planted forests into natural forests
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Evaluation of Forest
  • Visualization of multifaceted functions of forests
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Conservation activities
  • Implementation of forest conservation activities in cooperation with companies and communities
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Ⅰ. Sustainable Wood Use

Appropriate Wood Procurement

In view of the importance of conserve forest resources and forest environment and ensure sustainable wood procurement, from November 2022 to January 2023 a survey on wood procurement was conducted in the form of an opinion survey of major subcontractors and suppliers that deal in wood products. Based on the results of the survey, we vistited some subcontractors and suppliers and, interviewed them regarding the status of activities, and exchanged views with the business owners.

The TAISEI Group will continue to review the status of wood procurement and make improvements as needed, so as to minimize the negative impact on forest resources and forest environment and achieve sustainable wood procurement.

Survey on wood procurement (November 2022 - January 2023)

  • Target companies: 34 (major companies that deal in wood products, such as wooden furniture, wooden joinery, wood finisdhing cartain threshold)
  • Responding companies: 32 (69% coverage ratio based on contact amounts for major wood products concluded FY 2021)
  • Feedback: 14 companies were visited and interviewed regarding the status of activities, and exchanged views with the business owner.
Promotion of Wooden Construction
  1. T-WOOD® series technology to achieve sustainable wood use

TAISEI is developing the T-WOOD series as a technology for wooden architecture that satisfies the performance level and economical needs of modern architecture that can cover wide-ranging applications from new construction to renovation.

  1. Achievements in Wooden Architecture

From traditional architecture to modern architecture, TAISEI continue to create new traditions in wooden architecture by inheriting innovation.

  • Japan National Stadium
  • New Kyotamba Town Office
  • Furubira Town Multi-Purpose Facillity

Ⅱ. Revitalizing Forest Resources

Sustainable use of Planted Forests
Achieving a circular economy for forests

For the construction of the new OKI Honjo Factory H1 building (completed 2022, total floor area 18,837 m2, two-story building, quantity of wood used 206 m2), TAISEI is participating in activities to create a circulating forest. In February 2, 2023, the Saitama Prefecture Forest Creation Agreement was concluded, and four entities — Saitama Prefecture, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Woody-koike Co., Ltd. and TAISEI — agreed to conduct forest planting (a forest of approximately 960 trees) and undergrowth cutting over a 5-year period on 0.3 hectare of the Arakawa watershed area where Chichibu cedar trees were cut down for the construction of the OKI Honjo Factory H1 building.

This is a very unique project in Japan, with four entities — the local government, the project owner, a local forest company and the construction company — cooperating, and with planting activities specified to take place on the site where the tree has been logged to construct the building. Accordingly, there are great expectations for this project as a particularly intuitive embodiment of projects to stimulate the local economy and to achieve sustainable forest use. TAISEI intends to plan and build wood use cycles in various parts of the country in consideration with regional characteristics, using locally grown wood for local consumption.

Conversion of Planted Forests into Natural Forests
Creation of forests that function as green infrastructure through conversion of planted forests into natural forests

Through the development and deployment of various technologies that contribute to the conservation and creation of natural environment, TAISEI is working to create forests that function as green infrastructure, through activities such as the conversion of planted forests into natural forests.

Ⅲ. Conservation of Good Forests

Evaluation of Forest
Visualization of Multifaceted Functions of Forests

TAISEI Corporation conducted the Eco-Factory Mt. Fuji development project in Fujinomiya City, located in the Fujisan Nanryo area, with the aim of creating a "center of manufacturing linking people, greenery and production." Trees suitable for the regional environment were used to conduct "10-year forest creation" designed to resemble a natural forest.

To promote forest conservation activities, the "Fujisan Nanryo no Mori Forest Saver Project (FSPJ)" was organized as a group to conduct sustainable forest creation activities with cooperation by industry, government, academia and the private sector. The group has worked together with the local community from the development stage onward to conserve and nurture forests over a period of more than a decade, and involvement with the community has continued even after construction was completed. After trees in the Fujisan Nanryo no Mori forest are cut down for development purposes, various techniques and technologies are used to ensure that the forest is restored in an even more desirable manner from a medium- to long-term perspective. Saplings were planted using "nature-conscious greening" techniques to cultivate a forest with trees that compete with one another. It has been confirmed that, ten years after planting, the Fujisan Nanryo on Mori has been formed with richer biodiversity than the surrounding forest.

This type of "forest-themed business model" - a development plan that alters nature but involves working with the local community to restore and cultivate an even more desirable natural environment - and the "methodology for creating forests that resemble a natural forest" from a medium- to long-term perspective, are the achievements of a pioneering effort that balances economic activities and coexistence with nature. TAISEI will use this expertise in promoting activities to achieve a nature co-existing society.

This project has received high acclaim and was the recipient of the FY2020 Japan Society of Civil Engineers Environment Award and the Minister of the Environment Award, the highest award of the 49th Environment Awards (co-sponsored by the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd. with the support of the Ministry of the Environment).

Sustainability

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