Sustainable Use of Forest Resources (Materials’ Forest)
We currently own around 13,000ha of forestland (Materials’ Forest) in Japan, mainly in Hokkaido, making us one of the largest owners of forestland in the country. We previously began acquiring forests for the purpose of supplying wooden supports for our own mines and coal mining activities. Today, however, we aim to manage forests so as to fully demonstrate their ecosystem services (public functions). In Hokkaido, we obtained forest certification under the SGEC* for 10,000 ha across eight forests on September 1, 2015, as third-party evaluation of our efforts toward sustainable forest management.
- SGEC (Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council), endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC): Established in 2003. SGEC certification became an international certification in June 2016 through mutual recognition with PEFC, a European certification body.
Distribution and Scale of Company-owned Forests
An important ecosystem function of forests is their ability to fix CO2. Our company-owned forests fix around 44,000 tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to the annual emissions of around 23,000 people*. We are also contributing to the prevention of global warming with proper forest management.
- Calculation method: growth volume (m3) x wood density (t/m3) x carbon conversion rate x ratio of total tree to trunk biomass x CO2 molecular weight / carbon molecular weight
Relationship between Tree Age and Carbon Absorption/Emissions
- Taken and modified from data by the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, now the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute of the Forestry Research and Management Organization
Our vision for the next 100 years is to realize a beautiful forest that society truly requires by utilizing the forces of nature and maximizing the functionality and utilization of forests. In addition to producing timber as a renewable resource, we are working to develop forests that bring showcase their diverse functionality, including providing spaces for public recreation, preventing global warming through CO2 fixation, and conserving biodiversity.
As each company-owned forest features a different location and environmental condition, and the functions required of them also vary, we have introduced four zoning categories for our forest management: water and ecosystem conservation zones, health and cultural usage zones, selective natural forest cutting zones, and timber resource recycling zones. The functions that should be improved and management methods for each are clarified below.
|
Zone |
Activity |
|
Water and ecosystem conservation zones |
Maintain the natural forest by the water and convert it into a natural forest if artificial |
|
Health and cultural usage zones |
Create a model forest and facilities for walking and other forms of forest recreation |
|
Selective natural forest cutting zones |
Produce useful broad-leaved trees in a sustainable manner by felling trees in naturally regenerated forests within a range not exceeding their growth |
|
Timber resource recycling zones |
Actively encourage tree-planting and thinning in the artificial forest cycle to contribute to decarbonization |
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- Hayakita Forest
The forest is laid out in a mosaic pattern, based on appropriate zoning between naturally regenerated forest (a forest made up of trees that have grown naturally), which has been conserved as a water and ecosystem conservation zone, and afforestation areas (trees grown from seedlings planted manually), planted with Japanese larch to be used as recycled resources for efficient lumber production.
We have defined a vision for our forests and have established operational plans for each individual zone toward achieving that vision. Forests are operated in as consolidated a manner as possible to improve efficiency and maximize revenue. At the same time, we also place importance on soil and water conservation and biodiversity preservation, in addition to economic performance. This includes carefully designing road networks required for forest operations, keeping them to a minimum necessary width to protect soil, and selectively retaining invasive broadleaf trees so that the environment can support a diverse range of tree and plant species.
In timber resource recycling zones of artificial forests, we have introduced long-rotation operations with 80+ year cycles with the goal of producing large-diameter timber. To avoid creating large bare areas, clear-cutting is carried out only on small, dispersed plots. Strict rules are also set in place, including the prohibition on clear-cutting in conservation areas such as ridges and valleys in order to secure animal migration routes and habitats. The forest regeneration cycle, where a certain area is clear-cut on a rotating basis, also contributes to biodiversity preservation by creating diverse forest environments for different species.
On average, naturally-developed forests are resilient to natural disasters and rich in biodiversity, allowing for higher ecosystem services (of public interest). By fully utilizing the forces of nature (soil conditions, light environments, potential vegetation, etc.), we aim to minimize forest management costs while achieving a balance between economic and environmental considerations. In natural forests, we aim to cultivate a variety of broadleaf tree species that are at risk of depletion, with the goal of restoring broadleaf tree resources and supplying them for use in furniture and other products.
To carry out the above policies, we also incorporate cultivation, work systems combining small-scale machinery and narrow-width work roads, and horse logging where needed, in addition to conventional work systems.
Timber is an outstanding sustainable resource. We produce approximately 10,000 m³ of timber every year,and supply the timber to society as raw materials and fuels for a variety of products, from building materials to woody biomass fuels. We also supply timber from our company-owned forests in visible forms. While we have already practiced cyclical use internally by utilizing this timber for tables in the Company cafeteria of the head office, as well as the office furniture, etc. including meeting tables and chairs for Sapporo Office, where the forest management division is located, in recent years we have also provided timber for beams and pillars at an integrated elementary and junior high school for compulsory education in Abira Town, for structural material in an office building in Sapporo, and for furniture material in a commercial facility table in the same city.
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- Supplying timber from forest thinning to society
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- A big table at the Company cafeteria of the head office
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- School building using timber from our company-owned forest
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- Meeting table in the Sapporo office
As well as being company assets, our company-owned forests are an important element of the environment, in terms of shaping the local area. We contribute to local communities through appropriate forest management, which improves the quality of ecosystem services, including watershed protection, prevention of soil loss and recreation.
Located in the Teine area of Sapporo, Teine Forest has excellent transport access from the city center and open up part of the forest to the people of Sapporo as a public forest, for purposes such as nature walks and camping ground. We also provide access to fields for nature activities organized by a local NPO and for research by universities and other institutions.
Instead of just offering our company-owned forests for use by local residents, we implement initiatives such as tree planting festivals, tree growing festivals, and other environmental events in our forests to teach about the value and fun that forests provide, including their biodiversity.
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- An environmental event making tree name plates
in a company-owned forest
As part of our educational program for elementary schools in cities and towns where our company-owned forests are located, in addition to conducting classes about forests, we have offered our Materials' Forests for hands-on forestry experience. Under the program, after learning about forests through classes and videos, the students actually observe and experience activities such as tree planting and forest cutting work. This provides the opportunity for children to learn about forests in greater depth, and also deepens ties between the Company and the local community.
We continue to donate wooden graduation certificates made using the wood waste of broad-leaf trees generated in forest maintenance to preschools that use Materials' Forest as a place for contact with nature.
We actively pursue support activities in areas that were affected by natural disasters in the past. We worked on the recovery of a forest owned by Mori Town, Hokkaido, which was damaged by the typhoon in 2016. In 2023, we held tree-planting and tree education events for local residents, with 40 participants (cancelled in 2024 due to rainfall). In Atsuma Town, which suffered damage from the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake in 2018, we donated Christmas trees from our company-owned forests to two local kindergartens and held tree-planting events. 32 kindergarten children participated in the 2024 tree-planting event.
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- A Christmas tree sent to a nursery in Atsuma Town
,which was affected by the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi
earthquake
Our company-owned forests are extremely important as a habitat for a diverse range of wildlife. We therefore take the utmost care to ensure that our various activities, including timber production, do not have a detrimental impact on living organisms.
In particular, forest ridge and riverside areas are migration pathways for creatures. They are called green corridors because those forests are extremely important for expanding the habitat of wild animals and allowing their interactions. We therefore prohibit clearcutting these forests, in principle. If clearcutting is carried out, it is limited to small and dispersed areas so as to minimize any reduction in biodiversity. In addition, artificial forest areas that are deemed difficult to secure long-term profitability are guided toward becoming natural forests with richer biodiversity. We have also introduced forest maintenance methods aimed at conserving biodiversity. These include mixed forest management between coniferous and broad-leaf trees in certain areas, in order to leave naturally invasive broad-leaf trees in conifer-dominated resource recycling zones, thus giving the forest a more diverse structure. By developing various types of forests in this way, we are striving to increase the diversity of the overall forest environment, thereby contributing to conserving biodiversity.
We also proactively monitor wildlife. As well as recording wildlife sightings during regular patrol activities, we have positioned a large number of survey sites in our forests, where we regularly inspect the wildlife living there and confirm the positive or negative impact of our forest maintenance. When felling standing trees, we carry out separate monitoring surveys before and after the operations to confirm that wildlife has not been adversely affected. If rare species are found during pre-cutting monitoring, we consider changing the timing or method so as not to affect them.
Rare species that have been confirmed to be living in the area (most endangered species included on red lists published by the Ministry of the Environment and Hokkaido Government) are included in our own red list of rare species living in Mitsubishi Materials company-owned forests. We issue warnings to all involved parties with access to the relevant forests to conserve biodiversity, such as by holding regular training sessions for them.
We have obtained certification of the entire Teine Forest as a Sustainably Managed Natural Site as part of efforts to contribute to the Ministry of the Environment’s 30by30 target. In addition, areas outside designated protected zones have been registered as OECM.
- In carrying out operations, in accordance with the separately specified 'Guidelines for operations in consideration of the conservation of biodiversity', consideration shall be given to maintaining a healthy forest with a good balance of diverse vegetation and diverse stages of growth and to conserving the environment in which valuable plants and animals grow, in order to maintain and conserve biodiversity.
- Identify species of valuable natural vegetation and animals with high potential for growth and habitat, distribute a 'List of valuable natural vegetation and animals' to staff and contractors (workers), and have them carry it with them when they visit the site for monitoring.
- Promote activities that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, such as the Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites, in order to contribute to Nature Positive and the 30by30 target.
- Organize on-site training sessions by experts to improve the knowledge of staff.
(Excerpt from a company forest management and administration plan)
Forests provide various public benefit functions, including timber production, water and soil conservation, and recreational spaces. These public functions benefit our daily lives in the form of ecosystem services.
In our company-owned forests (the Materials’ Forests), we are engaged in social contribution activities such as providing timber through forest maintenance and offering environmental education as part of our efforts to contribute to society toward nature-positive. We quantitatively assessed the public benefit functions provided through these activities and the economic value derived from forest management.
The economic value (total benefits) generated through forest maintenance, such as thinning, and social contribution activities, including environmental education events amounted to approximately ¥2.37 billion per year for 30 forest blocks (excluding biodiversity conservation benefits). We also found that biodiversity conservation benefits amounted to approximately ¥3.1 billion per year (see the figure below, as the calculation method for biodiversity benefits still has issues, they are not included in the total benefits).
Since the evaluation reflects the management status of each forest block, we will make use of the results in the development policies of each block, and will proceed with efforts toward “beautiful forests 100 years from now,” which is the goal of our company’s forests. For details, please refer to the papers submitted at the Environmental Systems Research Paper Presentation Meeting.
- This data is only available in Japanese on the website.
We have introduced a variety of digital tools with the aim of ensuring safety and improving operational efficiency. This includes drone-assisted resource surveys, as well as using tablets and smartphones to record information on safety and biodiversity. Moving forward, we plan to investigate forest management using LiDAR technology and an expansion of the application of digital tools in areas with limited connectivity, aiming for further improvements in efficiency.
There is a saying: “Forestry is people development.” We value this philosophy and strive to cultivate our forest managers, known as “foresters.” We define the necessary knowledge and experience required at each level and establish an annual training plan. Essential content includes forest survey techniques, safety and ecosystem knowledge, and legal regulations.
We also invite experienced foresters from Japan and abroad to serve as instructors for field training sessions. These sessions hone the “observation skills” essential for forest management while enhancing the skills required of foresters.
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- Group training within a company-owned forest