- Policy
- Targets and Achievements
- Overview of the Oji Group’s Forests (Oji Forests)
- Sustainable Forest Management Initiatives
- Making use of forest certification systems
- Related pages
Policy
The appropriate development and management of forests not only creates renewable forest resources but also results in the enhancement of the multiple functions of forests, including CO2 absorption and storage, biodiversity conservation, water source cultivation and soil conservation.
While the world is rapidly moving toward the realization of a carbon neutral society by 2050, our roles and responsibilities are broader than this. Sustainably managing forests directly connected to our business, we will continue to take steps toward the realization of a decarbonized society, increase the value of forest resources, and further expand Oji forests.
Oji Group Sustainable Forest Management Policy
Established: April 1, 2022
The Oji Group owns and manages vast forests and practices sustainable forest management in harmony with the environment and local communities based on our management philosophy, Harmony with Nature and Society.
Our business activities and local communities rely on ecosystem services such as water, climate control and forest products, while our forestry activities impact ecosystems, natural landscapes, and biodiversity. Therefore, we understand our responsibility of managing the forests we own and manage in an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable way.
Complying with the relevant local, national and regional laws and all relevant international conventions and agreements regarding forest management and based on the applicable internationally recognized principles, we will:
- ensure no deforestation and no illegal logging.
- safeguard ecological health and functionality and promote sustainable forest and land management practices that aid the conservation of biodiversity, soil, and water resources.
- respect the human rights of all people, not discriminate or act with prejudice, and never engage in the utilization of child labor or forced labor.
- respect the unique economic and cultural rights and the legitimate rights of indigenous peoples, including traditional lands and land use.
- contribute to maintaining or enhancing local communities' social and economic well-being.
- monitor the condition of forests and the results of management activities, and verify sustainable forest management using tools such as forest certifications.
- * We procure raw materials following the Oji Group Sustainability Action Guidelines for Supply Chains and the Wood Raw Materials Procurement Guidelines as established separately.
Oji Group Sustainability Action Guidelines for Supply Chains
Targets and Achievements
Increasing greenhouse gas absorption by investing in forestry preservation and forest plantations
In Environmental Action Program 2040, we set a target of offsetting 50% of Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions in fiscal 2018 through forest absorption and sequestration by fiscal 2040. As an initiative to achieve this goal, we are expanding our plantations in Japan and abroad. By sustainably managing the acquired forest plantations, we will accelerate the growth of forests and increase net CO2 absorption, thus contributing to decarbonization.
Increasing the forest certification acquisition rate
In the 635,000 hectares of Oji Forests, we are proactively employing forest certification programs*1 to ensure appropriate forest management, including in conservation forests, while considering the environment, society and the economy. At the Oji Group, we are resolved to achieve forest certification acquisition rate of 100% by 2030.
- *1 The goal of forest certification is 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 target all forests, including production forests and conservation forests.
Data
Overview of the Oji Group’s Forests (Oji Forests)
The Oji Group owns and manages extensive forests in Japan and overseas that cover a total of 635,000 ha. Oji’s forest portfolio includes 472,000 ha of production forests, primarily for producing forest products that consider the environment, and about 163,000 ha of conservation forests, which principally function as public utilities, including their value in the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of watersheds. In addition to using wood from production forests as raw materials for paper manufacturing, materials for lumber and plywood, and fuels for biomass power generation, there are increasing expectations that the uses for these resources will expand through the development of new materials derived from wood components.
To maintain a stable supply of wood raw materials, which are resources the Oji Group uses, the Group spends approximately ¥16.3 billion annually in its ongoing sustainable management of forests while maintaining the public utility of forests.
Production Forests
The Oji Group is engaged in the forest plantation business around the world. We develop and select tree species that are suitable for the local climate and land conditions and improve cultivation methods by formulating optimal plans for each region. Through these measures, we enhance forest productivity, produce high-quality timber and improve profitability through the stable supply of forest products.
Through a cycle of planting, cultivating, harvesting and replanting, forests are constantly growing and can be used to create a variety of products, including lumber, on a continuous basis. Moreover, we maintain economic efficiency while facilitating the thorough and cascading use of harvested wood for a variety of applications, including lumber, plywood, woodchips for manufacturing paper and wood biomass fuel.
Maintaining forests as production forests serves multiple purposes beyond just timber use. It offers various ecosystem benefits (ecosystem services), such as providing opportunities for residents to harvest and use forest products, and serving as migration routes for wildlife. Through these efforts, the Oji Group, as a comprehensive forestry business group, promotes the sustainable use of lumber.
Conservation Forests
Of the 635,000 ha of forests owned and managed by the Group, approximately 26%, or 163,000 ha, are conservation forests, which are managed while taking into consideration the environment and ecosystems. In Japan, approximately 11,000 ha out of 188,000 ha of company-owned forests are conservation forests designated for conserving biodiversity, maintaining landscapes around recreational facilities (conservation for forest utilization), preventing soil runoff and collapse (land conservation), serving a water source cultivation function such as storing water resources, mitigating floods, and water purification (water conservation), and other purposes.
List of forest plantation companies
Sustainable Forest Management Initiatives
Oji Forests in Japan
We own and manage about 650 forest sites across Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu, covering a total area of about 188k hectares. Of these, around 76k hectares are dedicated to planted forests, representing 40% of our total forest area. In Hokkaido, we plant species such as Sakhalin fir and larch, while in Honshu and further south, we grow cedar, Japanese cypress, and other native species. With an average tree age of 60 years, many of these forests are nearing the ideal time for harvesting.
The Oji Group practices sustainable forest management by harvesting mature trees and replanting new ones to rejuvenate the forests. We also carry out essential maintenance tasks, such as thinning, to promote healthy growth and ensure that future generations benefit from these resources.
Basic Policies for Company-Owned Forest
In our company-owned forests in Japan, it takes around 60 years for trees to grow from seedlings to the point of final harvesting. During this time, we carry out various forest management tasks, such as planting seedlings, clearing undergrowth, thinning, and vine cutting.
Each year, we harvest and replant about 500 hectares, with most of the work done manually. Just the planting and undergrowth clearing alone requires a total of around 13,000 workers annually. To reduce the strain on our workforce, we’re introducing drones to transport seedlings and testing new methods, like transitioning from bare-root to container-grown seedlings, and planting elite varieties of trees. These trees grow faster and are expected to reduce the frequency of undergrowth clearing that is needed.
Planting Elite Trees
Elite trees are a special category of superior trees, bred by cross-pollinating the very best specimens from Japan’s forests. These second-generation (or later) elite trees are carefully selected from saplings descended from first-generation superior trees. Elite trees have several remarkable characteristics:
- Rapid early growth
- Pollen production reduced to less than half of conventional levels
- Straight, uniform trunks
Thanks to their fast growth, these trees offer significant advantages, such as lowering maintenance costs by reducing the need for undergrowth clearing and minimizing the risk of deer damage.
Oji Forests outside Japan
In the overseas forest plantation business, the Oji Group plants fast-growing trees including eucalyptus and acacia, which are hardwood trees, and radiata pine, which is a softwood tree. Plantation trees which have become harvestable are converted into raw materials for paper (woodchip), sawtimber, or pulp on site and then sold externally or used as raw materials for paper from the Oji Group.
Our overseas forest plantation business not only secures wood raw materials but also absorbs and stores CO2 and creates employment and industries, thus contributing to building truly prosperous and sustainable local communities.
CENIBRA's initiative for forest fires
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 39 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.
Accelerating CO2 Absorption through Fast-Growing Tree Plantations
A feature of fast-growing trees such as eucalyptus and acacia, which are hardwood trees, or radiata pine, which is a softwood tree, is their fast initial growth. It is generally believed that plantations in their initial growth phase have a higher CO2 absorption capacity than mature natural forests. In addition, the felling of trees at an optimal timing for the tree species or for the purpose of use enables efficient timber production and maintains plantations in a state where they have a high CO2 absorption capacity. Further, by planting superior varieties of trees that have been developed in each business, the Oji Group aims to increase the forest growth rate and facilitate CO2 absorption.
Enhancing the quality of trees and forest management for greater forest productivity
The Asia Agriculture and Forestry Technology Center (AFTEC) conducts research and technology development optimized for each area based on forest plantation projects in Southeast Asia to maintain and improve the productivity of plantation trees. The planting of fast-growing, high-quality tree varieties and the improvement of the quality of plantation trees and yields leads to not only the improvement of the profitability of the forest plantation business but also the protection of natural forests through a reduction of illegal logging in these forests. AFTEC focuses on improving its fast-growing tree varieties, including eucalyptus and acacia tree species, using breeding techniques developed in various countries. Fast-growing trees absorb significant nutrients. CENIBRA in Brazil has also dedicated many years to improving tree varieties through breeding. The CENIBRA team patiently cross-pollinated trees and selected about 15 superior varieties from over 20,000 candidates. These varieties were chosen for their exceptional growth rates and high pulp productivity.
In addition, there are concerns that using heavy machinery when harvesting can compact the soil, potentially affecting future growth. To ensure the sustainable operation of the forest plantation business, it is essential to maintain healthy soil conditions by replenishing the nutrients lost due to harvesting and improving the physical properties of the soil through tilling and other measures. For this purpose, the AFTEC conducts soil and tree nutrition analyses and tests fertilization and tilling methods, in its efforts to safeguard the soil environment.
Satellite Data Analysis of CENIBRA's Forests
In recent years, datasets that show results of analysis of global forest changes using satellite data and platforms that display maps of these results have been developed. This has made it easy for anyone to conduct extensive and long-term forest monitoring. However, these data have the issue of misinterpreting logging operations in sustainable forestry management as deforestation. Therefore, these data should be used with caution.
Oji Holdings commissioned a third party proficient in satellite analysis to analyze forest changes by combining satellite data, local natural vegetation information, and operational history for CENIBRA's company-owned forests, the largest in the Oji Group. The results show that it is highly likely that 99.9% of the CENIBRA-owned forests labeled as 'Forest Cover Loss' in open dataset do not correspond to deforestation.
The Oji Group will continue to promote sustainable forest management and utilize various analytical technologies to engage in natural monitoring and information disclosure.
Making use of forest certification systems
The Oji Group manufactures products certified by FSC™ (FSC™C014119, etc.) and PEFC (JIA-PEFC-COC-0808, etc.) by making use of forest certification systems that support sustainable forest management.
These products use wood raw materials that conform to the requirements of the systems. We have obtained FM certification*2 for our own forest and CoC certification*3 for our production, processing, and distribution operations within the Group. By acquiring certification throughout the entire process from forests to processing mills and distribution, we supply a wide range of forest-certified products, from intermediate to finished products such as copy paper and household paper.
In addition, we have the Forest Certification System Implementation Committee within the Group to ensure the proper operation and effective use of forest certification systems.
- *2 FM certification: Confirmation of forest management
- *3 CoC certification: Confirmation of management on processing and distribution of produced wood
Acquisition of forest management certifications
Company-owned forests in Japan are SGEC forest certified. SGEC*4 forest certification is a Japanese forest certification*5 program operated by the Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC). The Oji Group began acquiring SGEC forest certification in December 2003, starting with the Kami - Inako mountain forest in Shizuoka. To date, 330 company-owned mountain forests in Japan, excluding shared forests, with a total area of 173,000 hectares have been SGEC forest certified. This is the largest certified forest area of any private company in Japan. In FY2016, SGEC signed a mutual recognition agreement with PEFC,*6 an international organization. This has made SGEC certification an internationally viable certification program.
- *4 SGEC：Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council
- *5 Forest certification: A process where independent third parties verify that forests are managed sustainably and meet strict standards.
- *6PEFC：Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
Ensuring Responsible Wood Procurement
The Oji Group adheres to its Wood Raw Material Procurement Guidelines to ensure that all suppliers produce sustainable wood materials. We verify compliance using the FSC forest certification system. All of the wood materials we procure meet FSC standards, including the standards for FSC-certified wood and controlled wood.*7
FSC-CoC certified suppliers undergo third-party audits which enhance traceability and ensure proper management at every stage of the supply chain. We leverage this certification system to guarantee that our wood procurement process is aligned with strict sustainability standards. The results of these audits are publicly accessible online.
- *7 FSC controlled wood mitigates the risk of forest products originating from unacceptable sources:
1. Illegally harvested wood
2. Wood harvested in violation of traditional and human rights
3. Wood from forests in which high conservation values are threatened by management activities
4. Wood from forests converted to plantations or non-forest use
5. Wood from forests in which genetically modified trees are planted
For more information about FSC controlled wood see the FSC website.