Natural Capital and Biodiversity
Natural capital is a stock, composed of animals, plants, water, soil, and air, which provides various merits, including water, food, and minerals to businesses and society through ecosystem services such as water purification as well as climate control.
Biodiversity is the diversity of animals and plants that are part of natural capital, functioning to maintain the natural capital in a healthy and stable state through recovery from natural disasters such as floods and droughts, support for the carbon cycle, the water cycle and soil formation.
Financial institutions face investment and financing risks caused by loss of natural capital and biodiversity. As companies' responses to the conservation of these can also create business opportunities for financial institutions, we believe that properly evaluating the risks and opportunities is important.
Main Initiatives
MUFG Environmental Policy Statement, MUFG Environmental and Social Policy Framework
MUFG Environmental Policy Statement
(extract) [Maintenance and protection of the biodiversity which supports our society is the foundation for the realization of a sustainable society. MUFG supports businesses that protect biodiversity through the provision of products and services. Each group company also takes appropriate measures to prevent negative impacts on biodiversity associated with our products and services.]
MUFG Environmental and Social Policy Framework
Initiatives to Address the TNFD Disclosure
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is an initiative founded by the UNEP-FI, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Global Canopy in June 2021. In February 2022, MUFG became a participant in the TNFD forum to promote initiatives to protect natural capital and biodiversity via the use of a groupwide, integrated approach. Also, we act as a member of the TNFD Consultation Group of Japan launched in June 2022.
Looking ahead, we will play proactive roles in discussions among forum members to boost our contribution to the realization of a sustainable environment and society.
Analysis Process Utilizing the LEAP Approach
Participation to Initiatives
30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity
The Alliance was established in April 2022 as a coalition of the willing to implement the various measures incorporated in the 30by30 Roadmap formulated by the Ministry of the Environment.
Alliance participants make efforts to directly secure conservation areas or support conservation activities towards achieving the 30by30 target and disseminate the progress of such efforts.
MUFG supports the purpose of the Alliance and has been participating in it since its launch.
Declaration of Biodiversity by Keidanren
Initiatives for Protecting Natural Capital and Biodiversity
Investment in a Startup that Operates a Closed Recirculating Land-Based Aquaculture System
MUFG Pledges Support to Promote Cyclic Utilization of Forests
- A specified nonprofit organization that started as a volunteer organization in 2003. The Institute mainly works on forest creation and conservation, promoting the utilization of wood by companies (providing environmental and social contribution programs for employee participation), and field experience activities for mothers and children.
Peter Rabbit™ Forest for the Future
In March 2022, the Trust Bank entered a forest development agreement with Fujikawaguchiko Town (Yamanashi Prefecture), Kodachi Property District Management Association, and Fuji-Hokuroku Forest Association, and named a 1.67 ha mountain forest in Kodachi (Fujikawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru County, Yamanashi Prefecture) "Peter Rabbit™ Forest for the Future,” starting a new initiative for biodiversity conservation through forest and water resource conservation.
In May 2009, we entered a similar agreement for forest conservation in Nagatoro Town, Saitama Prefecture. Now, we are engaged in work to cultivate new forests.
Forests play a variety of roles, including conservation of land, conservation of ecosystems, and prevention of global warming. In particular, forests in water source areas play an important role in the stable supply of safe and high-quality water by performing so-called water source rearing functions such as storing water resources and purifying water quality.
We believe that it is important for all officers and employees to continue to care for forests and maintain healthy forests.
ACOM no Mori (ACOM's Forest)
Mangrove Reforestation Activity
Mangrove forests are priceless resources of marine and coastal ecosystems, and indispensable for the economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Planting mangrove trees will not only help build natural barriers against soil erosion, but also create nature study areas with great biodiversity worth conserving.
Krungsri has been organized in collaboration with government agencies and provincial administrative authorities to continuously promote this reforestation activity since 2012. Bank Danamon has been actively engaged in mangrove reforestation activities as well, planting seeds in collaboration with local companies and authorities of Indonesia.
Krungsri：Mangrove Reforestation Activity
Bank Danamon：2022 Danamon Peduli Environmental Care activity
Contribution to the Preservation and Succession of Important Natural Value in Urban Areas
Located in Nishitokyo City, Tokyo, MUFG Park is a facility with abundant nature, sports facilities including tennis courts, and a community library (open in 2023).
With a total area of approximately six hectares, MUFG Park also contributes to the preservation and succession of important natural value in an urban area.
Eco-friendly Mitsubishi UFJ Card
Preventing Extinction of Japanese Cranes, a National Natural Treasure of Japan
We engaged in activities to protect Japanese cranes, a national natural treasure of Japan and endangered species in Hokkaido as part of the MUFG SOUL(note).
Activities included participation in local preservation activities, donating equipment used to videos to raise awareness at schools and local communities in Hokkaido and raising awareness at branches through posters that showcase the activity.
- MUFG SOUL – Turning passion into power for society –
MUFG provides funding for ideas for solving social issues that are planned by employees.
In fiscal 2022, more than 250 plans and ideas were gathered from employees, including support for children's cafeterias, which provide free or inexpensive meals to children, and orphanages, and contributions to community revitalization, and a total of more than 3,000 people participated in social contribution activities (95 million yen in total).
We will continue to contribute to the resolution of a wider range of social issues by addressing issues from the perspective of our employees.
Satoyama Environmental Conservation Project
As part of MUFG Soul activities, MUFG donated the cost of purchasing equipment for satoyama (village-vicinity mountains) maintenance to the Tonda Forest Conservation Society, an NGO that engages in Satoyama environmental conservation activities, and conducted the following activities.
[Major activities]
・ Nature observation events (local citizens and children participated)
・ Environmental conservation activities for satoyama (forest thinning, promenade maintenance, etc.)
・ Workshops on SDGs and environmental issues
Circular Economy
Participation to Initiatives
Japan Partnership for Circular Economy
Support through Financing
Construction of the Resource-Circulating "Moriyama Circular Factory®"
Through green loans, the Bank provided necessary funding support for the conversion of Gunze Limited's Moriyama Plant, the backbone of the company's plastic film business, into a Circular Factory® that recycles resources.
The Circular Factory achieves zero emissions without the release of plastic waste. This state-of-the-art facility incorporates a manufacturing structure that sees new resources in products and raw materials that had been discarded without use under the "Take (i.e., mine resources)," "Make," and "Waste (i.e., throw away)" one-way system of the past, and circulates these resources without generating waste.
The factory is also equipped with equipment for the use of solar energy, cooling and heating energy from groundwater, and other forms of renewable energy that contribute to the reduction of CO2.
