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 adverse 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

Initiatives

Initiatives

Indicators and Targets

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

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 GROW revitalized forest resources, and efforts to PROTECT and conserve good forests.

Ⅰ. Sustainable Wood Use

Appropriate Wood Procurement

In view of the importance of conserving forest resources and forest environments and ensuring sustainable procurement, from October through December 2023 a survey on wood procurement by an opinion survey was conducted for subcontractors and suppliers dealing in major wooden products. Based on the results of the opinion survey, subcontractors and suppliers were visited and interviews regarding the status of activities and exchanges of views with owners, etc. were conducted.

The Taisei Group will continue to determine the status of wood procurement and make improvements as needed in order to minimize the adverse impact on forest resources and forest environments and achieve sustainable wood procurement.

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.

Development and Dissemination of Timber and Wooden Building Technologies

In the construction of the Tochigi Prefecture New Youth Education Facility, consideration was given to the sloped terrain, achieving both structural safety and durability through a mixed structure of wood and reinforced concrete, while actively utilizing locally-sourced cedar timber. The exterior walls feature Nikko cedar and Yamizo cedar from the prefecture, and the gymnasium roof was designed in the style of Kanuma Kumiko, a traditional local craft, creating a welcoming space that embodies the warmth of wood and the region’s rich history. Additionally, in the nature experience area, which serves as an environmental educational space, we not only conserved as many existing trees as possible but also planted locally grown acorns and rare plants to restore the satoyama forest, creating an area where visitors can experience biodiversity firsthand.

Ⅱ. Regeneration of 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.

Wood procurement traceability survey on Borneo Island
~Dialogue with Indigenous Peoples on Timber Procurement~

In November 2023, in collaboration with domestic subcontractors and suppliers, we visited the TA ANN Group, a local company engaged in logging, afforestation, manufacturing, and processing on Malaysian Borneo. During this visit, we conducted a wood procurement traceability* survey and engaged in dialogue with the indigenous people living in the logging areas. The survey and dialogues confirmed that biodiversity and the needs of local residents were being appropriately considered, including the conservation of trees prohibited from logging by laws and regulations, as well as trees that local residents requested to be conserved. We will continue our efforts to prevent adverse impacts on the environment and human rights, including discrimination and inequality against indigenous peoples, arising from material procurement

• 

• 

• *Traceability: Releasing (making traceable) production histories and distribution channels

Conversion of planted forests into natural forests

Creation of forests that function as green infrastructure

By developing various technologies contribute conserving and growing nature, we strive to the creation of forests that function as green infrastructure, such as conversion of planted forests into natural forests. As part of these efforts, in April 2024, we signed a partnership agreement for promoting green infrastructure with Kosuge Village in Yamanashi Prefecture and the NPO Tama Genryu Kosuge. We also signed a partnership agreement for the use and conservation of Ikawa Forest in Shizuoka Prefecture with Tokushu Tokai Paper Co., Ltd., and JUZAN Co., Ltd. We aim to establish a virtuous cycle model for natural environmental conservation by effectively utilizing forest resources for building materials and tourism.

• 

• 

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).