Business News
OKI Takes Part in Green Wave 2010, a tree-planting campaign
Tuesday 11. May 2010 - Employees volunteer to plant trees in Shizuoka and Nagano prefectures
OKI Electric Industry (TSE: 6703) today announced its participation in Green Wave 2010, a tree-planting campaign promoted by the Ministry of Environment, the Forestry Agency, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure Transport and Tourism in conjunction with the International Day for Biological Diversity proclaimed by the United Nations. Between May 15 and 22, OKI employees will participate in activities to help maintain forests in Shizuoka and Nagano prefectures, where the company has its main manufacturing facilities.
Declaring May 22 of each year the International Day for Biological Diversity, the United Nations encourages events commemorating the day all over the world. On this day, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity has also called for a Green Wave to take place at 10:00 a.m. As part of this event, children and youth around the world will plant and water trees.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Forestry Agency have declared the two-month period from March 1 through May 31 to be Green Wave 2010, calling for companies and organizations to take part in tree-planting activities. Green Wave activities seek to strengthen awareness of biodiversity and to promote sustainable practices and the conservation of biodiversity. These activities are also intended to build momentum toward the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10), scheduled to be held in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, in October 2010.
As part of its Green Wave 2010 activities, OKI will plant trees in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and Komoro-City, in Nagano Prefecture. On May 15, the company plans to plant trees, remove fallen trees, and build paths in Izu City. OKI is currently a signatory to the “Agreement on the Maintenance of the OKI Group’s Forests in Izu and Interactions with Local Communities” concluded in 2008 among Izu City, the NPO Green Earth Center, and OKI. The activities on May 15 marks the 5th effort to maintain forests in Izu City.
OKI plans to plant trees in Komoro City on May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity. Based on a “Forest Foster Parent” agreement with Komoro City concluded in 2005, the company has maintained forests within the city for the past five years.
“To further strengthen our ties to Komoro City, we have agreed to extend the agreement with the city for another five years,” said Shuichi Kawano, Executive Officer and General Manager of OKI’s CSR Division. “May 22 marks the first day under the new agreement. To mark this occasion, we plan to plant some 200 trees and to thin and clear undergrowth in City forests. As part of the activities to fulfill its corporate social responsibilities, OKI participates in a wide range of environmental volunteer activities, including forest maintenance activities. Moving forward, the company plans to continue these activities to help preserve the environment and to contribute to local communities.”