Okamura's "Biotop Fuji" Certified as Ministry of the Environment's "Nature Coexistence Site"
Okamura Corporation's "Biotop Fuji" at its Fuji Business Site has been certified as a "Nature Coexistence Site" by the Ministry of the Environment. This recognition highlights its efforts in preserving secondary forests, creating diverse habitats, and utilizing the area for employee well-being and environmental education, alongside continuous biodiversity monitoring. The biotope, established in 2022 from a former bamboo forest, actively contributes to ecosystem conservation and employee training.
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"Biotop Fuji," located within the Fuji Business Site (Gotemba City, Shizuoka Prefecture) of Okamura Corporation (Headquarters: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, President & CEO: Masayuki Nakamura), has been certified as a "Nature Coexistence Site" by the Ministry of the Environment. This certification, under the "maintenance type" for activities that sustain areas rich in biodiversity, was awarded in recognition of its preservation of secondary forests, creation of diverse environments such as waterways, ponds, and grasslands, its utilization as a relaxation space and environmental education venue for employees, and its continuous monitoring of flora and fauna.
"Biotop Fuji" was developed in September 2022 with the aim of utilizing the once dense bamboo forest on the Fuji Business Site premises as a space for regional ecosystem conservation and employee environmental education. With the cooperation of external partners, Okamura is advancing the creation of a biotope aiming for coexistence with nature. To capture environmental changes, they conduct biological surveys four times a year, focusing on wild birds, which are considered indicators of biodiversity. Furthermore, Japanese tree frog egg masses have been confirmed in the created stream within "Biotop Fuji," confirming that an ecosystem is being reliably established at "Biotop Fuji." Based on the survey results, review and improvements to conservation methods are also made.
"Biotop Fuji" is also utilized as a training location for employees regarding sustainability and health.
Okamura identifies "Contribution to climate change issues and realization of carbon neutrality" and "Sustainable use and conservation of natural resources" as key issues in its "Commitment to the Global Environment." As part of its biodiversity conservation efforts, Okamura has named its actions towards coexistence with nature "ACORN" and promotes them from four perspectives based on its activity guidelines: resource utilization, environmental education, nature conservation, and partnerships.
The company will continue to maintain and manage "Biotop Fuji" as a site that can contribute to the goal of "Nature Positive"—halting, reversing, and putting biodiversity loss on a recovery trajectory by 2030—and will work to conserve biodiversity through various activities, contributing to the realization of a sustainable society.
The "Nature Coexistence Site" is a system certified by the Ministry of the Environment for areas where biodiversity is conserved through private initiatives. It has been in operation since fiscal year 2023 and has been certified under the "Act on Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation" since fiscal year 2025. Areas certified as "maintenance type" for already rich biodiversity are scheduled to be registered in the international database as OECM* (excluding overlap with protected areas).
*Abbreviation for Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures, referring to areas that contribute to biodiversity conservation outside of protected areas.
□ Ministry of the Environment Website "Nature Coexistence Site"
https://policies.env.go.jp/nature/biodiversity/30by30alliance/kyousei/
□ Ministry of the Environment Press Release: Regarding the Certification of "Nature Coexistence Sites" based on the Act on Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation (3rd Round, FY2025)
https://www.env.go.jp/press/press_03222.html
― Okamura Group's Sustainability Initiatives ―
The Okamura Group fulfills its corporate social responsibility based on its management philosophy, with the mission of "Contributing to society through creating environments where people thrive, with rich ideas and reliable quality," in pursuit of its purpose, "Realizing a society where people thrive." To respond to the expectations of stakeholders and societal demands as a group, Okamura has identified key management issues from four perspectives: "Creation of environments where people thrive," "Pursuit of employee engagement," "Commitment to the global environment," and "Responsible corporate activities." Specific medium-term goals and KPIs for each issue have been set as concrete action plans, and initiatives are being promoted.
In its "Commitment to the Global Environment," Okamura focuses on "Contribution to climate change issues and realization of carbon neutrality," "Sustainable use and conservation of natural resources," and "Promotion of a circular economy" as priority issues, actively pursuing initiatives that contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society by 2050.
□ Okamura Website Sustainability Information
https://www.okamura.co.jp/corporate/sustainability/
Reference
□ Okamura "Okamura Live : )" Media for Thinking About "Where People Thrive" (Okamura Live Smile)
August 6, 2024: Harnessing the Blessings of Mt. Fuji! Sustainability Training Held at Okamura's Fuji Business Site
https://live.okamura.co.jp/post/id124
□ Okamura "Okamura Live : )" Media for Thinking About "Where People Thrive" (Okamura Live Smile)
December 7, 2023: The Reason Okamura Created a Biotope as a Place to Learn About Biodiversity