FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science Certified by the Ministry of the Environment as a Natural Symbiosis Site
Left : The Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science (At the top of the picture) Right : The 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity Logo
Tokyo, February 27th, 2024 – The Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science, located in the Fuji Oyama Works of Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation, a group company of Hitachi High-Tech Corporation ("Hitachi High-Tech"), has been certified by the Ministry of the Environment as a Natural Symbiosis Site—an area where "biodiversity is protected through private initiatives". Our employees have worked together with local communities to implement a wide range of initiatives for maintaining and preserving biodiversity in the Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science, which has been evaluated and now certified.
The Ministry of the Environment has launched initiatives such as the 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity*1 and certifying Natural Symbiosis Sites. In service of achieving the target of 30by30, which aims to protect at least 30% of land and sea by 2030 in order to halt biodiversity losses and work toward reversing them (Nature Positive) agreed in 47th G7 Summit (June, 2021).
The Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science cover approximately 44,000 m2*2 of land surrounding the Fuji Oyama Works site. We have been conducting activities continuously since 2015 to realize harmony with nature as well as maintaining and revitalizing green spaces and regenerating artificial woodland to what it used to be under the traditional satoyama system of managing natural resources in the local environment as a part of the everyday lives of people living there. In December 2020, Woodland of Hitachi High-Tech Science has renewed and received the highest rating of AAA at JHEP certification by Ecosystem Conservation Society-Japan.
Hitachi High-Tech is a member of the 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity, and will continue its activities to maintain and preserve biodiversity in the Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science as part of its efforts to create environmental value and contribute to a sustainable global environment throughout the Hitachi High-Tech Group.
*1 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity: The platform comprised of volunteer companies, local governments and organizations to promote and work together to achieve 30by30 target across Japan
*2 32,000 square meters of the site are registered as a Natural Symbiosis Site.
The Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science
The Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science cover approximately 44,000 m2 in the grounds of the Hitachi High-Tech Science Fuji Oyama Works (Sunto-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture). As a member of the local community to realize with nature since 2015, we have been working to convert artificial woodland into natural broadleaf woodland using local native plants grown on the site. In addition to planting sawtooth oak and konara oak saplings, which are both traditional native species, grown from acorns collected on the site, we have also been planting saplings of all sizes such as Japanese maple, Japanese snowbell, and Japanese beautyberry, with the aim of regenerating the woodland with a wider variety of trees. We are also maintaining the Japanese pampas grass area by dividing and replanting them in order to convert a part of the grassland into a semi-natural field of Japanese pampas grass containing a variety of native plant species. As part of our forest planning activities, employees are also participating in the removal of invasive plants and the creation of insect hotels as nest sites for insects. Rare plants have also been identified on the premises.
Planting Trees by Employees
About the Ministry of the Environment's Natural Symbiosis Sites
In light of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework global targets for 2030, which were adopted at the 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP15), the Government of Japan has revised its biodiversity action plan and positioned 30by30 as a domestic target. In 2023, the Ministry of the Environment started a system to certify areas where conservation of biodiversity is being pursued through private efforts as Natural Symbiosis Site. The areas certified under this system that do not overlap with protected areas are also registered in an international database as OECM (Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures).
Website for Hitachi High-Tech Group’s Biodiversity Conservation Activities
About Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is engaged in activities in a broad range of fields, including manufacture and sales of clinical analyzers, biotechnology products, and analytical instruments, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and analysis equipment, and providing high value-added solutions in fields of social & industrial infrastructures and mobility, etc.
The company's consolidated revenues for FY 2022 were approx. JPY 674.2 billion. For further information, visit https://www.hitachi-hightech.com/global/en/
Contact
Tomita, Fujii, Ogasawara
Sustainability Management Dept., CSR Div.,
Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
Tel : +81-80-2179-4207 Mail : makoto.ogasawara.ey@hitachi-hightech.com