The DOWA Group’s business activities are dependent on the benefits of biodiversity and natural capital, and at the same time, may have various impacts on them. In accordance with our Basic Policy on Biodiversity, we give due consideration to natural capital, including biodiversity, and strive to maintain, preserve, and restore it. We are also working to sort out opportunities and risks from our business with regard to the use of ecosystems and natural capital. We seek to minimize the impact on biodiversity and actively conserve it through afforestation and other means that are in harmony with the natural environment of the region.
It is recognized that companies’ economic activities are dependent on natural capital such as air, water, forests, and minerals, that companies are at risk of impacting the natural world in various ways, and that maintaining biodiversity is essential not only for its own sake but for the continuation of business. DOWA’s manufacturing operations are centered on non-ferrous metals and, with the exception of water, do not use biological resources as major raw materials. In preparation for disclosure based on the TNFD framework, we have adopted the LEAP approach advocated by the TNFD and have begun assessing the environmental risks and nature-related impacts of our business. In fiscal 2024, we carried out scoping, considered various factors (interfaces) in our business’s environmental management and land use that affect natural capital, and identified items that are particularly relevant to our Company.
《Mining》 《Water》 《Forest》
"Mining” and "Water" are mainly posted on the Conservation of environment page.
In fiscal 2024, we conducted the following two surveys of 90 domestic and overseas sites, primarily production sites, to consider various factors and interfaces by which our business could impact natural capital. Going forward, we intend to identify regions and sites that are likely to be impacted or are otherwise critical based on the results of these surveys, and determine the level of dependency and impact by our businesses.
We organized information on water usage at each site and water environments around each site, identified high-risk regions, and assessed the level of potential water risks. We utilized Aqueduct, a tool developed by the WRI (World Resources Institute) and combined two elements—the environment at project sites and the situation of water usage by our businesses—to conduct the assessment.
To assess potential risks related to biodiversity, we identified critical locations based on the state of biodiversity in areas around our sites. We used IBAT and Global Forest Watch, biodiversity assessment tools that are widely used around the world, to ensure that our assessments would be conducted from a common perspective at a global level.
Our group engages in resource development to secure raw materials on a long-term and stable basis. Because resource development and mining operations can have significant impacts on natural capital and local communities, we conduct appropriate and regular environmental monitoring and environmental impact assessments—covering ecosystems, water quality, and other factors—from the project development stage prior to mining at our overseas mines.
At these sites, we also formulate Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) and reflect monitoring results in these plans. Through these initiatives, we strive to minimize the burden on natural capital, including biodiversity.
- 拡大
- Water quality and ecosystem monitoring (overseas mining exploration project)
The DOWA Group conducts environmental impact assessments when constructing new manufacturing sites or starting new operations, checks the status of biodiversity in the surrounding area and on the site, and gives necessary consideration and conservation.
Since the DOWA Group’s manufacturing businesses are centered on nonferrous metals, excluding water it does not use biological resources as its main raw materials. However, as we do use paper at all of our domestic and overseas business locations, the entire Group purchases large amounts of paper each year. For this reason, we use paper made from a mixture of old paper and forest-certified wood pulp for photocopy paper and pamphlets while making every effort to use sustainable biological resources. When selecting paper suppliers, the Group not only confirms that the paper itself is environment-friendly but also verifies that said suppliers carry out sustainable paper procurement based on its CSR Procurement Policy.
- Establishment of a procurement policy for wood feedstock
- Establishment and operation of a management system that confirms the legality of the wood feedstock
- Can provide information about the supplier of raw material pulp
For the DOWA Group, which once experienced deforestation due to mining activities, activities such as greening and reviving indigenous vegetation are a mission and a major challenge that we will continue to tackle. It is difficult to grow plants on former mine sites, so in 2006 we began planting trees on the smelter grounds in Kosaka, Akita Prefecture, under the guidance of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology, a public foundation that conducts research on plant ecology. We aim to create a natural and stable forest so that, different from an artificial forest, it does not require maintenance by humans. With the cooperation of local forestry associations and seedling companies, the project involves “making a local forest with local trees” to restore the region’s native vegetation.
In 2007, the Kosaka Local Forest Planting Festival was launched, in which greening and tree planting activities were carried out with local residents, and the event has now become a place for local communication. In June 2024, we held the 14th Kosaka Local Forest Planting Festival, with approximately 250 participants, including local children and residents, as well as our Group employees.
We planted 1,200 seedlings of 15 local broadleaf species, including Mizunara oak, beech, zelkova, and katsura.
The total number of trees planted by 2024 is now approximately 200,000.
The total number of trees planted by 2024 : Approximately 200,000
Tree species : 15 local broadleaf species, including Mizunara oak, beech, zelkova, and katsura
