Seiko Epson Corporation (Epson) has launched a three-year international partnership with global conservation organisation, WWF, focusing on forest restoration and conservation around the world. This partnership marks the first of its kind for a Japanese corporation in the electronics sector and builds on the existing relationship between the two organisations that started in March 2022 working on marine conservation in Southeast Asia.
Based on a shared ambition to tackle common environmental concerns, the partnership will aim to address Epson’s environmental footprint, support WWF’s forest restoration and conservation projects in seven countries in four regions, and communicate about environmental issues.
To make this possible, Epson is planning a contribution of 240 million Japanese Yen over the next three years starting from March 2023 that will go towards WWF forestry projects.
Through the partnership, Epson will be supporting forest conservation activities and nature recovery efforts implemented by WWF across several “Deforestation Fronts” and will aim to improve sustainability in their supply chain as a participant of WWF’s Forests Forward program. The collaboration will also promote the responsible use of forest resources (paper) in business, as well as future considerations for the conservation of freshwater ecosystems and activities that contribute to a circular economy.
“The world is facing an environmental catastrophe and it is essential we act now to preserve the biodiversity of our planet before it is too late,” said Yasunori Ogawa, global president of Epson. “This partnership reflects Epson’s commitment to conserving the environment, reducing waste, and ensuring that the use of natural resources is sustainable. With a goal of realizing a future in which people can live in harmony with nature, the WWF is a perfect fit for Epson.”
In 2021, Epson announced its Environmental Vision in which it pledged to become carbon negative and eliminate the use of non-renewable underground resources by 2050. To achieve these goals, the company is rolling out a series of initiatives aimed at achieving decarbonization, closing the resource loop, providing products and services that reduce environmental impacts and developing environmental technologies.
“WWF welcomes this ambitious partnership with Epson for the future of the forest,” said TOBAI, Sadayosi, CEO of WWF-Japan. “It's not only a single company’s commitment, but also reflects a significant step forward to accelerate efforts from the private sector to prevent the degradation of nature, in particular the forests, that we all depend on.”
WWF’s Forests Forward program engages businesses, local communities, and other key stakeholders to change forest valuation, management, protection, and recovery methods to benefit nature, people, and the climate.
Launched in 2022 in Southeast Asia, Epson partnered with WWF-Singapore to scale coral restoration efforts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, as well as mangrove restoration in the Philippines. By working with local stakeholders and institutions, these restoration efforts support and restore the critically important marine ecosystem health that we all depend on, while building capacity among local communities as key stakeholders in the long-term maintenance and management of their coastal resources.
These current programmes complement the upcoming forest conservation activities in Borneo and Sumatra Islands to protect biodiversity above land and under water, contributing to the restoration of both ecosystems on a larger scale.