IHI Receives Eco Sustainability Certificate from Ministry of the Environment
On November 11, the Ministry of the Environment awarded certificates to IHI and the city of Higashiomi under the Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites scheme, at the Higashiomi City Hall in Shiga Prefecture.
The scheme recognizes locations where private-sector and other initiatives preserve biodiversity, registering them on an international database for other effective area-based conservation measures. These measures ensure private sector and other entities achieve long-term and effective biodiversity conservation outside protected areas.
The certification was for the city’s irrigation canal ecosystem. Since 2022, IHI, the municipal government, and Group IHI Construction Service Co., Ltd., have undertaken a range of initiatives as part of the ministry’s Collaborative Nature Restoration program.
At the ceremony, Katsutoshi Ito, the Director of the Ministry of the Environment’s Kinki Regional Office presented the certification to Kenji Matsuno Deputy Director of IHI’s Social Infrastructure Business Area, and Masakiyo Ogura, Mayor of Higashiomi City.
After the ceremony, participants visited the newly designated irrigation canal and an adjacent nature preserve that the municipal government looks after. Going forward, integrated initiatives will be implemented to use the irrigation canal and the nature preserve as a unified space for nature experience activities, emphasizing the connection between the river and the forest.
During the visit, one participant commented that, “Maintaining such a location near an urban area affords easy access to nature and provides an excellent setting for educating children about the environment.”
IHI will push forward with Collaborative Nature Restoration initiatives in Higashiomi and undertake more biodiversity-oriented operations to contribute to a society in which nature and technology coexist harmoniously.
Related information
October 2, 2024 Announcement
IHI Earns its First Recognition under Ministry of the Environment’s Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site Scheme for Nature Restoration Efforts in Higashiomi (in Japanese only)
https://www.ihi.co.jp/all_news/2024/other/1201062_13686.html
IHI Group Helps to Restore Irrigation Canal Ecosystems in Shiga Prefecture
https://www.ihi.co.jp/en/sustainable/topics/2023/detail/1200868_13570.html