In consideration of the need to preserve the environment, Fuji Xerox has made a commitment to restore the forest area it owns at the Tsukahara Training Facility in Minami-Ashigara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. The restoration will take 15 to 20 years, with the aim of creating a natural wooded area where local residents can co-exist and interact with the environment.
With the awareness that Japan's forests are fast disappearing, Fuji Xerox is planning to fell around 220 cypress and cedar trees in the northeastern plateau of the training facility in order to plant, and then nurture a variety of trees over the next 15 to 20 years. To accomplish this goal, Fuji Xerox established the "Save the Wooded Area of Tsukahara Committee," comprising volunteers from Fuji Xerox and its affiliates as well as former employees. Fuji Xerox's Corporate Citizenship Office is serving as the administrative office for the project. In cooperation with local residents and NPOs, Fuji Xerox will create a broadleaf forest that can be inhabited by a wide variety of insects and wild birds.
Initial plans are to plant trees covering approximately 3,600 square meters, or one-tenth of the 36,000 square meter land occupied by the training center, and to gradually expand the planted area. The trees are currently being pruned in preparation. The tree-felling operation was conducted between November and December 2002 and the soil will be tilled in February. A tree-planting ceremony is planned for March 2003.
A total of 1,100 trees will be planted along the boundary of the training center and the neighboring land, including broadleaf trees, shrubs, and fruit-bearing, deciduous trees especially for wild birds and butterflies.
The second stage of the plan involves cutting down 130 cypress trees on the southeastern side of the training center and planting low trees. Roughly 3,500 square meters of the overgrown section covering the northwestern plateau to the eastern sector will be turned into forestland with approximately 1,100 trees.
In approximately 15 years time, Fuji Xerox aims to obtain a forest certification from the Forest Stewardship Council based in Mexico, by creating a model forest that is open to the public as one of its environmental-preservation activities.
< Fuji Xerox: Building a Better Society >
As a member of the global community, we owe our existence to the support extended by our customers, society, nation and the international community. We believe it is our duty to provide value to all of our stakeholders, which includes shareholders, customers, business associates, local communities and employees.
The value we provide is threefold: economic value, social value
and human value, which we advocate through the words strong,
kind and interesting. Strong refers to our competitive competence
regarding our products and services, along with economic strength in
terms of profitability. Kind relates to our benevolence toward
the environment and society at large. Interesting becomes the
motivating factor for employees to view work as unique and engaging.
Fuji Xerox is seeking to strike the appropriate balance between these
three elements in order to be an "excellent company."
Based on these principles, Fuji Xerox developed "New Work Way," which has paid homage to the unique and independent nature of employees since 1988. In 1990, the Company introduced a social service program where employees can take time off work to conduct various volunteer activities. This was the first system of its kind in Japan. In addition, Fuji Xerox aims to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society through meticulous environmental management. Other activities conducted to preserve the environment include: setting up a nature-watching club; jointly hosting a nature watching workshop, the first time an organization has done so; and, regenerating forests in collaboration with various NPOs, with a large number of Fuji Xerox employees and affiliated companies taking part.
Fuji Xerox will continue to promote self-active commitment to advance the well being of society in typical Fuji Xerox style through the dedication of all employees.
