Giving Back to Nature - Panasonic Has Now Planted over 3.3 Million Trees Around the World - 8 June 2015

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Giving Back to Nature - Panasonic Has Now Planted over 3.3 Million Trees Around the World

OSAKA, Japan - Saturday, June 6th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Kii Mountain Range is a UNESCO World Heritage site. In order to regenerate its forest, Panasonic is undertaking a large-scale tree planting project at "Nagaki No Mori - Eternal Forest" in Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture in Japan. This year, on April 18, 2015, approx. 460 employees and their families, mainly from Panasonic Eco Solutions Company, planted approx. 5,000 saplings on 2 hectares of land while learning about the environment and nature.

[VIDEO] Giving back to nature - a large-scale treeplanting by Panasonic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7otB0VkfAw

Since 2007, Panasonic has been planting trees that suit the local environment in countries across the world including in China, Thailand, Czech Republic, Tanzania, and Brazil. The total number of trees its has planted has now reached over 3.3 million.

In 2015, approx. 520 participants have planted a total of 5,300 trees in Inner Mongolia, China on April 16 as well as at the "Nagaki No Mori" in Japan on April 18.

As a member of the global community, Panasonic continues to undertake citizenship activities like tree planting around the world to contribute to creating a sustainable environment and society.

About the "Nagaki No Mori"

In 2007, Panasonic, namely the Eco Solutions Company, joined Wakayama Prefecture's "Corporate Forest" program and began creating the "Nagaki No Mori - Eternal Forest" with the hope that this forest will live on for a long long time.

Panasonic is planting 2 hectares of trees every year on the mountains left abandoned after deforestation. In 10 years, it will have planted and helped preserve a total of approx. 45,000 trees on 20 hectares of land. The Eco Solutions Company launched the "Nagaki No Mori" initiative because it manufactures many products using timber, such as building materials for housing, and thus wanted to contribute to the preservation of natural resources provided by these forests. Furthermore, it is becoming more and more difficult for the communities in the mountainous region to take care of the forests as their population continues to age. This initiative, which celebrated its 9th anniversary this year, is also helping these communities address such issues and is creating new job opportunities.

Feedback from the participants

Mr. Naoya Yamazaki from the Forest Management Division, Forest and Forestry Bureau of the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Department of Wakayama Prefecture states that "Approximately 77% of the land in Wakayama is covered by forests, so it's also known as the "land of trees." Many companies have helped us protect our mountains by creating Corporate Forests. Panasonic's "Nagaki No Mori" has created many new jobs, its financial and environmental support is quite significant. In the summer, we remove undergrowth, which is the toughest job. We also trim low branches and set up nets to protect the trees from deer, but these new jobs have been great for the forest cooperative, too."

And according to Yasuhiro Kato from the Eco Solutions Company, Panasonic Corporation, who is promoting the "Nagaki No Mori" initiative, "At Panasonic, we have a housing business, and we manufacture a wide range of products made from wood. So we wanted to 'give something back to nature,' to undertake a CSR activity that contributes to greening. That is when we learned about the corporate forests promoted by Wakayama's prefectural government. We thought, 'This is it!' and decided to join the program. We are enlarging this forest by 2 hectares each year. By planting trees that are suitable for the region we hope to bring nature back, and thereby contribute in some way and give back to nature."