Protecting Biodiversity

Basic Policy of Protecting Biodiversity

Protect and Rejuvenate the Gifts of Nature

Human society is made possible thanks to the many blessings of biodiversity. For example, our rich forests provide us with oxygen through photosynthesis, they act as natural air conditioners by giving off water vapor that keeps atmospheric temperature from rising, and they act as air purifiers by removing pollutants from the atmosphere. As a company whose job is to provide comfortable air environments, Daikin considers forests to be the Earth's air conditioners. That's why we do all we can to protect biodiversity, both through our business and through environmental contribution activities.

The biggest impact, in the Daikin Group's business activities, on biodiversity is the emission of greenhouse gases. We therefore strive to minimize greenhouse gas emissions in all stages of our business: development and design, production, and sales.

As for our environmental contribution activities, we focus on protecting and fostering the natural riches of forests, which we call 'nature's air conditioners.' In the countries and regions in which we do business, we work with governments, residents groups, NPOs, and NGOs in efforts including the protection and rejuvenation of nature and the creation of new forests on our premises. We offer support to the employees who are conducting these activities, and we strive to provide information and education to the general public.

The ideas stated here form our Basic Philosophy on Protecting Biodiversity, which we established in September 2010.

Basic Policy of Protecting Biodiversity

We act for the sake of abundant greenery and fresh air.

Initiatives around the World

"Forests for the Air" Project Helps Preserve Irreplaceable Resources—The World's Valuable Forests

In 2014, Daikin launched its "Forests for the Air" project aimed at preserving valuable forests in seven locations around the world. The goal for the project's 10-year period is to conserve forests covering some 11 million hectares and in the process contribute to reducing 7 million tons of CO₂ emissions.

In each of the seven locations, Daikin leverages global partnerships in not just planting trees but in helping local residents secure a livelihood that reduces their dependence on cutting down the trees of the forest. Through forest preservation, the project aims to solve social problems such as poverty and thus contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Efforts at Bases

Daikin Ales Aoya Training Center Works to Protect and Rejuvenate Natural Forests on Coastal Dunes and Beaches

Daikin Ales Aoya in Tottori Prefecture, Japan is a center for the training of employees who will be active on the world stage.

The facility is located at Idegahama, a beach known for its 'whistling sand.' The area is home to a typical coastal vegetation ecosystem: starting from the beach gradually give way to taller trees. However, this coastal vegetation has been rapidly disappearing in the last decade or two.

When Daikin Industries, Ltd. began to not just protect these rare beaches and dunes, but also bring back the nature that had been lost so that this coastal ecosystem could once again return to its natural state. We began by surveying the region's vegetation, based on which we made a proposal to plant vegetation. After implementation, we had advice from experts in the monitoring and fostering of the vegetation.

Daikin Ales Aoya serves to raise employees' environmental awareness through courses such as seedling-planting during new employee training. We also provide opportunities for local residents to utilize Daikin Ales Aoya. Since July 2016, it has been lent to Tottori University for use as a testing ground for practicing garden management where students conducted field work in protecting coastal vegetation and planting trees in coastal areas.

These activities were recognized with Excellent Stage 3 certification, which is the second highest level on the 5-step evaluation of the SEGES social/environmental contribution greenery evaluation system run by the Organization for Landscape and Urban Green Infrastructure.

Daikin Ales Aoya (overview)

Species on the Red Data Book of Tottori Prefecture and the National Government

These species are effective at resisting invasive species and are important to protecting beach vegetation.

Creating habitats for living things with the biotope at the Sakai Plant

A biotope was set up at the Sakai Plant in 2012 to establish a habitat for living things found in Sakai City. Since then, greening activities have been conducted around the biotope involving employees and their families through company functions and events.

Currently there are many aquatic lifeforms in the biotope at Kanaoka Factory, which is surrounded by residential areas, including fish such as Oryzias and Pseudorasbora parva, and others like giant dragonfly larva and Bellamya quadrata histrica. Also, birds such as spot-billed ducks and wagtails have come to visit. Going forward, we will further promote our activities with a medium- to long-term vision to host living things using endangered butterfly species, such as chestnut tiger and musk swallowtail, as indicators, while obtaining advice from experts.

Shiga Plant Rejuvenates a Community Forest for Coexistence Between People and Nature

The Shiga Plant of Daikin Industries, Ltd. began work to rejuvenate a community forest on its premises in fiscal 2012.
The conservation area was named the Daikin Shiga Forest and it was decided to use fireflies as a way to assess the effectiveness of the rejuvenation efforts.

Since fiscal 2016, we have utilized the Daikin Shiga Forest as a place for environmental education; for example, we take Daikin employee family members and local elementary school students on nature walks in the forest. In fiscal 2019, we held environmental education programs for elementary schools as well as families in the community.

In fiscal 2020, our employees planted 50 native Japanese irises at Shiga Plant in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the plant. We aim to replace the existing yellow irises^*1 growing in the area that are non-native species systematically going forward in order to create a high quality Satoyama. In addition, in fiscal 2021, we started to introduce Hydrocharis dubia^*2 as a native species. At the same time, our employees have been removing alien species regularly and expanding the circle of their activities.

*1

A naturalized non-native species under the Iridaceae family which has been designated as a priority target alien species on the List of Designated Invasive Alien Species by the Ministry of the Environment.

*2

An aquatic perennial herb which has been declining nationwide due to levee protection work and invasive alien species. It has been designated as a near endangered species in the Ministry of the Environment Red Data Book.

Nature Forest at Yodogawa Plant

The TIC Forest developed in conjunction with the opening of the Technology and Innovation Center (TIC) in fiscal 2015 is gradually looking more like a natural forest. Instead of leaving the forest up to natural selection, our employee volunteers have been working steadily to remove pests and prune dried branches. As a result, the forest has evolved into a place where a variety of species live and visit, including Peregrine falcon, stag beetle, musk swallowtail, and raccoon dog. We have chosen fireflies as the species for evaluating biodiversity, and started releasing their larvae and observing their emergence since fiscal 2018. In fiscal 2020, we confirmed at least 20 fireflies thriving in the area, and in fiscal 2021, we confirmed the presence of at least 30 fireflies as a result of natural breeding without releasing additional larvae.

Projects in Surrounding Neighborhoods

Rejuvenating Community Forests in Osaka Prefecture

Daikin has been involved in Satoyama restoration in places where it operates, including in Harashiroyama forest in Takatsuki City since fiscal 2012 and in Izuhara in Ibaraki City since fiscal 2016. Both of these efforts are part of the Prefecture of Osaka’s “Adopt a Forest” project, in which the prefecture mediates companies' purchases from private landowners so that forest land is preserved.

At Harashiroyama forest, which was traditionally used to harvest bamboo, and to obtain wood for firewood and making charcoal, Daikin is working with local residents to thin out and rejuvenate this local forest in order to restore productivity of the bamboo forests that have fallen into disrepair due to overgrowth. Daikin employees are also involved in activities as forest volunteers. Phase 2 of the exercise was completed at the end of fiscal 2021, while Phase 3 will continue until March 2025. At Izuhara, activities will continue until March 2025 with the goal of creating an abundant ecosystem in an abandoned coppice forest. A total of 130 employees and their families volunteered in the Harashiroyama and Izuhara forest projects as of the end of fiscal 2019. In fiscal 2021, forest development activity was held once at each location after a two-year break, with 15 employees participated in Harashiroyama and 16 employees participated in Izuhara.

Ongoing Efforts at Overseas Bases Including Tree-Planting and Biodiversity Protection

To protect the natural environment adjacent to Daikin's worldwide production and sales bases, we conduct activities such as tree-planting, protection of nearby oceans and rivers, and protection of biodiversity.

Examples of biodiversity protection efforts in overseas bases