Forestry Agency Releases Report on Corporate Forest Conservation & Management Activities

On June 20, 2006, the Forestry Agency of Japan released a report dealing with forest conservation activities by companies. A panel charged with studying this topic was convened four times from February to June 2006; the panel looked at ways companies can work with citizens to conserve and manage forests as part of company policy.

In response to the recent growth of interest in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), some companies are getting involved in forest management initiatives. However, the report noted that such efforts have not yet been widely recognized.

The reasons for this lack of recognition and participation are:
1. Companies lack promotional materials for stakeholders, as they are not familiar with forest management and conservation and thus find it hard to identify the potential advantages of linking such activities with their businesses.
2. Many proposals for creating forests are insufficient for meeting community needs, while also lacking sufficient incentives for company participation.
3. There is a shortage of coordinators who can bridge the gaps between companies, non-profit organizations, forest owners and local citizens.

The Forestry Agency aims to promote corporate forest conservation activities in line with the findings of the report; it also plans to promote further increases in green procurement and the use of local timber.



Posted: 2006/09/23 02:06:20 PM
Japanese version