The Hitachi High-Tech Group’s initiatives to create value through environmental activities: Estimating the forest carbon stock
As a member of the Hitachi Group, the Hitachi High-Tech Group is working together to promote environmental management based on the Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050, the shared long-term environmental targets of the Hitachi Group. In order to quantify the value created through nature-positive initiatives, we estimated the forest carbon stock in the Fuji Oyama Works of Hitachi High-Tech Analysis(Sunto District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan) .
Outline of initiatives
「The Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science」are within the grounds of the Hitachi High-Tech Analysis Fuji Oyama Works. Aiming to realize harmony with nature as a member of the local community, 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.
For the purpose of promoting conservation activities such as the protection, restoration, and regeneration of biodiversity more effectively, we attempted to quantify the value that has been brought about through our efforts thus far. This time, we divided the forests on the site, including「The Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science」, into four areas and estimated the forest carbon stock.
Target area
Content of initiatives
In order to estimate the forest carbon stock, aerial photography by drone, laser measurement and field survey were conducted. Through these surveys, we obtained information on the species, height, and trunk thickness of trees growing on the site, and calculated the trunk volume and estimated the forest carbon stock. As a result, the total forest carbon stock in the entire target area was estimated to be 3,167 (t-CO2) in 2024. The carbon stock of「The Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science」is 753(t-CO2)*1.「The Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science」 began full-scale tree-planting activities in 2017. Therefore, the forest carbon stock is expected to increase as forests grow. Through this initiative, we were able to find new significance in biodiversity conservation activities. Going forward, our group will quantitatively manage and expand the value created through the protection, restoration and regeneration of ecosystems, while also contributing to the realization of substantial carbon negativity. In addition to biodiversity conservation activities, we will quantify the value created by other environmental activities and expand them systematically.
※1 The forest carbon stock is estimated by referring to reports and research papers from the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) and the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI).
Field survey activities
Analysis result of the forest carbon stock