The Oji Group operates forest plantations in ten areas in six countries. At the end of FY2022, we had 279k ha of overseas forest plantations and 136k ha of conservation forests for preserving biodiversity and basins.
We use forest certification programs^* to manage the forests appropriately from the viewpoint of the environment, society, and economy.
The overseas forest certification acquisition rate in FY2022 was 94%.
Overseas plantations contribute to a truly affluent and sustainable local communities by securing wood raw materials, absorbing and fixing CO₂, and creating employment and industry.

• *1Forest certification is aimed at sustainable forest management. An independent, third-party organization examines a forest to ensure that it is well managed by specific standards and then certifies it. The programs include all forests, including production forests and environmentally protected forests. e.g., FSC™ , PEFC, and etc.

In a forestry ecosystem, trees absorb CO₂ and convert it to store in the tree: the trunks, branches, leaves, and roots while the trees grow. Dead trees, branches, and leaves do not decompose and release CO₂ into the air in one go. They are accumulated in the soil as soil organic matter containing carbon and emit CO₂ gradually as they decompose.
Harvested trees do not emit CO₂ immediately, either. They are used as lumber for houses and furniture or as paper, retaining carbon over a long period. In addition, using construction waste materials and unused wood as biomass energy, an alternative to fossil fuels, reduce CO₂.

The Oji Group promotes measures against climate change issues by increasing forest plantations while replanting trees after harvesting to maintain forests, thereby absorbing and fixing CO₂ (Sustainable Forest Management). We also fix CO₂ by reusing paper and paperboard products made from plantation wood (Paper Recycling).

Massive forest fires have become common occurrences in many parts of the world, a critical global issue that needs urgent global solutions. Cenibra, which has forest plantations and a pulp mill in Brazil, has introduced an innovative forest fire prevention and fighting system using artificial intelligence (AI) for their 250,000 ha forests. The company has 38 watchtowers equipped with 360 degrees rotating cameras. When the AI detects smoke and fires, the monitoring room notifies fire crews nearest to the site of the incidents. They start firefighting immediately. The AI-equipped cameras are more efficient than human eyes and can locate the accurate fire site within 1-2 minutes. Cenibra has reduced forest fire risks significantly.

Asia Agriculture and Forestry Technology Centre (AFTEC) engages in research and technology development to maintain and improve the productivity of plantation trees based on each plantation project in Southeast Asia.

Improving the plantation quality and increasing yields by planting fast-growing, high-quality varieties contribute to the business profitability and protection of natural forests, resulting in less illegal logging. AFTEC strives to improve the quality of fast-growing tree species, such as eucalyptus and acacia, based on breeding technologies cultivated in various countries.

Fast-growing plantation trees absorb a lot of nutrients. In addition, the use of heavy machinery for harvesting work causes concern that the soil will harden and affect the plantation growth. For sustainable plantation businesses, it is necessary to keep soil in a sound state by compensating for the loss of the nutrients absorbed by the harvested trees and improving the physical properties of soil by tilling and other measures. We conduct nutritional analyses of soil and plantation trees and fertilization/tilling tests to protect the soil environment.