The Oji Group owns and manages vast forests and practices sustainable forest management in consideration of the environment and local communities under our management philosophy of "Harmony with Nature and Society." While our business activities and local communities depend on ecosystem services such as water, climate control, and forest products, our forestry activities also impact ecosystems, natural landscapes, and biodiversity.

We recognize our responsibility to manage our forests in an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable manner. Based on our Sustainable Forest Management Policy, the Oji Group collaborates with various stakeholders to carry out biodiversity conservation and reforestation programs.

The Oji Group has set biodiversity conservation as a goal in its Environmental Action Vision 2050 and Environmental Program 2030 implementing policies to promote ecosystem-conscious forest management, the protection and cultivation of rare plants and animals, and the research and development of biodegradable and biomass materials to maintain ecosystems.

The Oji Group is working to acquire FSC^™* and PEFC forest certification in order to ensure sustainable forest management. For example, Principle 6 of the FSC^™ forest management stipulates "environmental values and impacts on those values," which includes assessment and monitoring of impacts inside and outside the forest management area, avoidance, reduction, and restoration of adverse impacts if any are anticipated, as well as maintenance, conservation, and restoration of vegetation diversity.
Currently, we have obtained FSC certification* in Brazil, New Zealand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, and SGEC certification in Japan, and the acquisition rate of forest certification at the end of fiscal 2023 is 97% for overseas plantations and 100% for company-owned forests in Japan.
All of the Oji Group's forest certified sites have formulated Biodiversity Assessment Plans (BAPs) for reforestation, protection and nurturing of endangered species, and conservation of biodiversity through ecosystem surveys (water quality surveys, soil surveys, etc.). The results are regularly submitted to third-party forest certification organizations for auditing.

The Group's Sustainability Committee (chaired by the Group CEO and comprising all Company Presidents and other members) meets twice a year.
The Sustainability Committee discusses environmental risks including biodiversity and measures to address them. The Board of Directors oversees and monitors the activities of the Sustainability Committee.

Also, when we construct our mills through large-scale land development or acquire new land through mergers and acquisitions, we assess the environmental impact on the atmosphere, water areas, soil, among others, that may be caused by the operations.
As part of this environmental assessment, we also confirm the impact on biodiversity.