Biodiversity Conservation
Corporate activities receive the benefits of ecosystem services provided by biodiversity and natural capital, while simultaneously impacting the environment in some way.
Under the Sustainability Basic Policy, the Company has established a corporate governance structure to promote the integrated advancement of growth strategy and sustainability. The Board of Directors deliberates and resolves important matters related to sustainability, including climate change and biodiversity, and oversees the progress of sustainability initiatives. The Company recognizes the importance of biodiversity conservation and supports the international community's goal of achieving “Nature Positive.” The Company has identified reducing the impact of its business activities on ecosystems as one of its material issues and is promoting initiatives aimed at achieving no net loss, including offset activities related to the conservation of biodiversity and natural capital.
To pass on a sustainable planet with healthy, functioning ecosystems to future generations, the Company will advance biodiversity initiatives not only through its own business activities but also in cooperation with its primary suppliers, all lower-tier suppliers, and business partners in Japan and overseas. The Company also works with external partners to advance biodiversity conservation through business activities and social contribution activities.
Initiatives to realize nature positive
The Company’s core business is domestic telecommunications services. It recognizes that the stable provision of telecommunications services is both a key responsibility of a telecommunications carrier and an important social role. To provide these services, the Company installs and operates telecommunications facilities nationwide, including approximately 300,000 base stations.
When installing telecommunications facilities, the Company follows the mitigation hierarchy, with the avoidance of land development in areas of high biodiversity importance as its basic principle. Where development is unavoidable, the Company gives full consideration to ecosystem impacts, and when significant impacts on critical ecosystems are anticipated, the Company works to minimize those impacts and support restoration.
At the same time, to provide telecommunications services broadly and reliably as social infrastructure, the Company may unavoidably need to install telecommunications facilities such as base stations even in areas of high biodiversity importance.
With the aim of achieving a net positive impact by 2030, the Company has set a target to carry out forest conservation activities equivalent to at least twice the installation area of telecommunications facilities such as base stations in protected areas and other areas of high biodiversity importance designated under national laws and international treaties.
| Area occupied by telecommunications facilities installed within protected areas | 2,779m2 (FY2021 to FY2024) |
|---|---|
| Area of forest conservation activities such as tree planting | 6,192m2 (FY2023 to FY2025) |
| Target achievement fiscal year |
FY2024
|
Response to TNFD recommendations
TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) is an international organization that establishes a framework for appropriately assessing and disclosing risks and opportunities related to natural capital and biodiversity.
As a company that has adopted the TNFD recommendations published in September 2023, the Company registered early as a TNFD Adopter in December 2023. Based on the disclosure framework set out in the TNFD recommendations, the Company will pursue proactive disclosure.
Major initiatives
Protecting the marine environment through activities to conserve coral
As part of the Company’s environmental conservation efforts, including climate change countermeasures and ecosystem preservation, the Company launched the “Future and Coral Project” in July 2019 together with Onna Village in Okinawa Prefecture, which actively engages in coral planting and environmental conservation, as well as many companies and organizations.
In order to protect the corals and maintain the future ecosystem of the planet, this project collects donations and purchases coral seedlings with such funds, arranges volunteer tours to plant those seedlings and activities to clean up nearby beaches, and shares information on coral growth and the activities of participating companies and organizations.
The Sunshine Aquarium, which has been involved in coral conservation and research, has provided academic support since the project’s inception, and the Company will continue to deepen this collaboration.
The Company’s stance on achieving zero deforestation
The Company recognizes that its business activities benefit from ecosystem services provided by biodiversity and natural capital, and acknowledges the importance of biodiversity conservation and zero deforestation for sustainable corporate management. However, in order to deliver telecommunications services broadly and reliably as part of social infrastructure, the Company occasionally needs to modify land to install base stations and related equipment. The Company is committed to avoiding land development in areas of significant biodiversity. In cases where development is unavoidable, the Company takes actions that carefully consider the potential impact on ecosystems. In cases where significant impact on critical ecosystems is anticipated, the Company strives to minimize and restore the damage. Furthermore, in order to pass on a biodiversity-rich and sustainable planet to future generations, the Company aims to prevent deforestation by 2030 through activities such as tree planting. This initiative is promoted not only within the Company’s own operations but also across its value chain, with the cooperation and understanding of suppliers and business partners.
The Company has established an ESG Promotion Committee as an advisory body to the Board of Directors, setting initiatives related to biodiversity and natural capital conservation as materiality KPIs. The Company’s President & CEO serves as Chief ESG Promotion Officer, bearing final accountability for overall sustainability efforts under the oversight of the Board of Directors. The Company has also established an Environment Committee under the Executive Officer in charge of ESG promotion to drive internal implementation and execution of these initiatives, including achieving zero deforestation.
Environmental conservation tree planting initiatives with customers
The Company offers the “Charity Smile” program to support environmental conservation initiatives across Japan. Through this initiative, customers contribute ¥10 each month, and the Company matches that amount with an additional ¥10, resulting in a total monthly donation of ¥20 per participant.
This initiative is offered as part of the consumer-participation reforestation contribution program “NatureBank.” With a modest monthly contribution of ¥10 and the convenience of adding it to customers’ regular mobile phone bills, it enables ongoing support without burden. In the event of major natural disasters, whether in Japan or overseas, a portion of the donations is also allocated to relief efforts in the affected areas.
Paper Zero Declaration for Internal Operations
To promote paperless operations, the Company has upheld its “Paper Zero Declaration for Internal Operations” since April 2012. The Company has actively worked to reduce the use of paper in applications, reports, meeting materials, and other documents used for internal and external procedures, and has achieved a major reduction of 90% compared with FY2011. In addition, the Company launched the “Electronic Seal Project” in April 2021 to improve operational efficiency and help reduce the impact on deforestation.
Tree planting activities by employees
With the cooperation of the NPO CCC Furano Nature School, headed by Sou Kuramoto, the Company holds the “Summer Vacation Parent-Child Nature School” for employees and their children under the themes of “building healthy parent-child relationships” and “thinking about the environment and nature.”
Since its launch in 2007, more than 250 parents and children have participated, and a total of seven environment-related programs, including two original programs developed by the Company, have been conducted. The Company carries out activities that connect to the future, such as removing turf from golf courses and planting saplings in the soil to return the land to its original forested state. Through these experiences, the Company deepens parent-child bonds while providing opportunities to reflect on the current condition of the Earth and consider what each person can do for future environmental conservation.
Waste cleanup activities by employees
To help beautify the Takeshiba area, where the Company’s headquarters building is located, the Company participates every month in regular cleanup activities organized by the Takeshiba Area Management Association. The Takeshiba area also includes the “Takeshiba Tideland,” where diverse organisms live, and these cleanup activities contribute to environmental conservation by removing marine plastic debris and other waste that has washed ashore.
Use of certified paper
All logo-branded paper bags used by the Company’s employees for sales activities and other purposes are made from recyclable materials. In addition to eliminating plastic coating on the surface of the bags, the handles are also plastic-free. The connection points are secured by tying them together, without using adhesives or fasteners.
The paper is recyclable and certified by the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®), an international non-profit organization established to promote responsible forest management worldwide. For logo printing, the Company uses vegetable ink, which is biodegradable compared to petroleum-based solvents and contributes to a reduction in environmental impact with almost no emissions of volatile organic compounds.
Preventing deforestation and other environmental destruction
through mobile phone recycling
The Company’s core business products, such as mobile phones, batteries, and chargers, contain a variety of valuable resources, including rare metals (such as palladium and cobalt) as well as gold, silver, and copper. Rare metals are not only essential raw materials but are also difficult to substitute. New mining operations will have an impact on the biodiversity of the producing areas due to mine development and other factors. Since rare metals can be collected more efficiently through recycling than through mining, the Company promotes the collection and recycling of used mobile phones. By advancing recycling efforts, the Company contributes to preventing environmental destruction, such as deforestation from new mining activities.
Environmental conservation and preservation of traditional crafts through the utilization of kudzu
Kudzu is highly resilient and spreads rapidly, often disrupting landscapes and ecosystems, and, in some cases, even contributing to natural disasters. On the other hand, it has long been used as a raw material for products such as kudzu powder, kudzu fabric, and herbal remedies like kakkonto (a traditional herbal medicine), and it also holds environmental value by absorbing CO2 during its growth process.
The Company participates in the Kudzu Utilization Consortium, which was established to preserve kuzufu (kudzu fabric), a traditional craft of Kakegawa City in Shizuoka Prefecture, while also supporting sustainable global environmental conservation by making use of kudzu’s dual nature. Within the consortium, kudzu is processed into pellets for use as a raw material for paper products and is also utilized from various other perspectives to create products that are then put to use. A portion of sales is allocated to funds that support the development of successors, thereby also contributing to human resource development in the kuzufu industry.
Through circular initiatives that make effective use of kudzu, the Company supports the sustainable continuation of both nature and traditional culture.
Forest area within the Hokkaido Tomakomai AI Data Center certified as a Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site
The Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites scheme is a Ministry of the Environment certification program for corporate green spaces and other areas where biodiversity conservation is being advanced. Conservation efforts in the forest area within the Hokkaido Tomakomai AI Data Center were recognized, and the site was certified in June 2026.
Participation in initiatives
Joining the TNFD Forum
The Company endorsed the principles of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), and joined the TNFD Forum in May 2022. The Company will continue to advance proactive disclosure based on the disclosure framework.
Joining the Ministry of the Environment's 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity
The Company joined the 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity, a group of companies, local governments, NPOs, and others working to achieve the 30by30 goal of conserving 30% of land and sea by 2030.
Joining the Japan Business Initiative for Biodiversity (JBIB)
The Company participates in the Japan Business Initiative for Biodiversity (JBIB), a group of companies that actively work to conserve biodiversity, as a network member.
The Company will continue to engage in biodiversity conservation activities and promote initiatives that are aligned with developments in society.
Endorsing the Keidanren Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation
In addition to participating in the Keidanren Committee on Nature Conservation, the Company supports the intent of the Declaration of Biodiversity by Keidanren and has endorsed the related initiative.