ENVIRONMENT
COEXISTENCE WITH NATURE
Conservation of forests is a major imperative for us since we use plenty of timber (not least in our mainstay products of notebooks and office furniture). Over the years, we have worked to conserve biodiversity and reduce our use of hazardous materials in order to minimize our impact on the environment.
We will monitor and take steps to improve our impact on the environment so that we can balance business activities with natural capital for a healthier planet.
Material Issues and Performance
See Goals and Results: Strategic Theme 3-4.
Processes in Place
Disclosures Aligned with the TNFD Recommendations
As an organization that uses forest resources, we are committed to understanding biodiversity and raw material risks and to ascertaining environmental risks pertaining to our business sites and the surrounding areas. As part of this, we keep track of developments related to the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and follow the TNFD recommendations. That is, for nature-related matters, we develop organizational processes, evaluate and act on priority issues, and improve the quality of disclosures.
KOKUYO Group Policy on Timber Procurement
In 2011, we released the KOKUYO Group Policy on Timber Procurement to enshrine our commitment to sustainable use of forest resources. Since our foundation, timber has served as an important resource in our products, such as paper. Recognizing the vital role forests play in mitigating global warming and supporting biodiversity, we aim to promote harmony with forests by ensuring that our timber procurement is legal, transparent, and sustainable.
KOKUYO Group Policy on Timber Procurement
In procuring forest resources, we pledge to observe the following principles and continually strive for more ethical and sustainable procurement.
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1.Make procurement more transparent, mindful of the problem of illegal logging and related timber trade
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2.Choose timber suppliers in a more meticulous and scrupulous way to promote the sustainable use of forest resources
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3.Recognize the valuable roles that forests play in local communities and ensure that procurement activities preserve and facilitate these roles
KOKUYO Group Paper and Timber Procurement Standards
In April 2024, we established the KOKUYO Group Standards for Procuring Paper and Timber. We satisfy these standards in our procurement of paper and timber. We will go further in ensuring that our procurement activities are sustainable—and that respect for people’s safety and human rights is upheld across our supply chain.
KOKUYO Group Paper and Timber Procurement Standards
KOKUYO’s businesses are heavily dependent upon goods made from natural resources, in particular paper and timber. Paper and timber are renewable resources. KOKUYO’s businesses are therefore sustainable if they use paper and timber that has been managed responsibly. They will be unsustainable, however, if the natural resources that supply the paper and timber are managed irresponsibly. With this firmly in mind, we commit to sustainable procurement, whereby we safeguard or strengthen ecosystems and biodiversity underlying our businesses and respect the safety and human rights of all people across our supply chain.
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1.As a rule, we prioritize the use of paper and timber that is certified in an internationally reputed certification system.*
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2.If we are unable to use such paper and timber, we will use paper and timber that is confirmed to have satisfied the following legal criteria:
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（1）The product can be traced back to the furthest upstream production site.
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（2）Documentation is available certifying that the product complies with legal requirements in the territory of production.
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（3）The product is not made from a species threatened with extinction.
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（4）The product does not harm the ecosystem.
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（5）The product does not harm the local environment or local community.
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3.We will only use recycled paper or timber that has been recycled legally following market circulation.
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4.We will routinely monitor the percentage of raw materials that satisfy the above criteria. Our goal for 2030 is to get this percentage to 100%.
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5.If the paper or timber in question has been certified but there is doubt about its sustainability, we may suspend the procurement of the product until we have confirmed that it meets these standards.
These standards apply to paper and timber, but we will follow these standards in our procurement of other raw materials too. We intend to set out separate sets of standards for other raw material categories.
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*Currently, these certifications systems include the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) (FSC C004748).
Results of Due Diligence Review of Timber Compliance (in Accordance with Timber Legality Certification Due Diligence System Manual —Furniture Edition)
In 2024 our annual due-diligence review of timber compliance (in accordance with Timber Legality Certification Due Diligence System Manual —Furniture Edition) revealed no potential legal issues with the timber we used. We will continue performing rigorous due diligence while finding ways to further enhance the manual’s effectiveness. You can view the manual (ver 1.5) by following the link below.
Actions
Sustainable Timber Use
- Certified as a Procurer of Legal
and Sustainable Timber - How We Have Used Forest
Resources, Due Diligence Review
