Conservation and regeneration of natural capital
Basic approach
The Toyota Boshoku group is working to protect biodiversity with a focus on reforestation based on the Toyota Boshoku Basic Policy of Biodiversity. Since 2015, the Company has participated in the All Toyota Green Wave Project(Japanese language only)* , an activity being implemented by the Toyota Group. The sphere of activities of the project has been expanded to include group companies, local communities and government in an effort to promote reforestation.
- Project aimed at creating a society that is in harmony with nature that has been implemented by the Toyota group since 2015
Cumulative number of trees by 2050
The Toyota Boshoku group’s reforestation activities
The Toyota Boshoku group’s reforestation activities have spread around the world and we are progressing towards our target of planting 1,320,000 trees by 2050.
Our plan for fiscal 2023 was to plant a total of 34,000 trees during the year. Our final result for the year was 71,996 trees planted—easily beating our goal. We have now planted a cumulative total of 650,000 trees, which is well above our target of 620,000.
We are planning to plant 55,000 trees in fiscal 2024 as part of various projects, such as ongoing efforts to prevent desertification in the Inner Mongolia region of China, and to prevent sand deposition in Vietnam. In terms of cumulative numbers, we are aiming to reach 710,000 trees planted before the end of fiscal 2024.
Planting trees to prevent blown sand in Vietnam
We have been working alongside the public interest incorporated foundation Japan International Forestry Promotion and Cooperation Center (JIFPRO) since fiscal 2020 on a five-year project in Vietnam to plant 70,000 trees in a 35-hectare area. In fiscal 2023 we planted 14,000 acacia trees in a seven-hectare area in order to fight against sand deposition, continuing our efforts to aid further economic development in the area.
In addition to these efforts, Toyota Boshoku Hanoi has been carrying out its own independent initiatives by planting 4,605 trees, resulting in a grand total of 18,605 trees planted in Vietnam in fiscal 2023.
Tree-planting to protect forests in the Philippines
Toyota Boshoku Philippines has planted 4,050 trees, both in order to help prevent landslides occurring around mountain-based wind farms, and to contribute to its carbon neutrality initiatives.
Activities to prevent desertification in China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region
Toyota Boshoku China (TBCH) has been conducting tree-planting activities since fiscal 2014 in cooperation with the China Green Foundation, together with its sites and affiliated companies in China, with the aim of preventing desertification in Inner Mongolia.
In fiscal 2023, we planted 20,000 trees in an area of 30 hectares. To date, 125,573 trees have been planted, bringing the total area of trees planted to approximate 150 hectares.
Toyota Boshoku has also cooperated with the China Green Foundation to plant 15,000 trees over a three-year period starting in fiscal 2020, together with affiliated companies in Japan. Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic we were forced to postpone fiscal 2022’s planned tree planting until fiscal 2023, but we were able to plant 6,859 trees in fiscal 2023, resulting in a cumulative total of 19,373 trees planted over the four year period.
We will continue working with the China Green Foundation in the future, and we estimate another 15,000 trees will be planted over a three year period from fiscal 2024.
High praise for our carbon neutrality-pursuing activities
TBCH received the China Automobile Enterprise CSR Excellence Award at the China Auto Forum in fiscal 2023.
The China Auto Forum, held annually by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, is the leading forum for China’s automotive market, and the various global automotive organizations that support and contribute to it.
The China Automobile Enterprise CSR Excellence Award is presented to a company that has performed outstanding CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities. TBCH received particularly high praise for the extensive initiatives it had undertaken in pursuit of its 2050 Carbon Neutrality targets, in such areas as research and development, production, manufacturing technology, adoption of renewable energy, improvements to energy conservation, and tree planting.
Biodiversity Conservation Activities
Participation in the All Toyota Green Wave Project
With the aim of building a society that can live in harmony with nature, we have been participating in the All Toyota Green Wave Project (which has been promoted by the Toyota Group since fiscal 2016).
Just as last year, in May 2023 we again worked alongside local government and businesses in planning action to eradicate the invasive flower species coreopsis lanceolata.
Coreopsis lanceolata has been designated as an invasive species with a risk of causing severe negative impacts on ecosystems in Japan, due to its capacity to cause extinction of local species.
In fiscal 2024, we will continue to participate in the activities of the All-Toyota Harmony with Nature Working Group and maintain our efforts to conserve the ecosystems and biodiversity of regional areas.
Bird Conservation Activities
Toyota Boshoku France has worked together with environmental conservation groups to plant 500 shrubs throughout company sites.
This initiative is not merely designed to improve the views around company sites, but also to improve biodiversity in the areas. France's bird populations have declined by 30% in the past 15 years, and these shrubs can help reverse that trend by providing birds with both necessary food and habitats.
