Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. has newly begun to develop “Japan-Indonesia Friendship Forests of Banten Bay for Biodiversity Preservation” in the Republic of Indonesia. The company held an opening ceremony for the project and conducted the first round of tree-planting activities.

(Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/201809278462-O1-ffAixQx7)

(Photo1: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/201809278462-O2-P1Z2n4zc)

(Photo2: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/201809278462-O3-7bVTZz88)

As part of the Forest Development Initiatives, the company has pursued since 2008, the activities designed to develop mangrove forests on Indonesia’s coasts are aimed at securing habitats for shrimps, crabs and other creatures and preventing coastlines from being eroded by high waves. With the help of a local nongovernmental organization (NGO), Nippon Shokubai plans to plant 30,000 Rhizophoraceae mangrove saplings over a five-year period.

The mayor of Serang, capital of Banten Province, and officials of the Ministry of Environment Banten Province attended the opening ceremony as guests, welcoming the activities which they said would contribute to regional development.

Following commemorative tree planting by Nippon Shokubai President Yujiro Goto, volunteers from among employees of the company and staff of its local group firm started to jointly plant trees. Furthermore, local fisheries school students joined the tree planting. The overall activities moved forward in a friendly atmosphere.

Nippon Shokubai has been taking the Forest Development Initiatives continuously for 10 years as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Nippon Shokubai, together with its group firms, intends to further enhance the activities to preserve biodiversity and the natural environment and contribute to the region.

1. About the development of “Japan-Indonesia Friendship Forests of Banten Bay for Biodiversity Preservation”

- Place: The coast in Serang, Banten Province, Indonesia -- about 70 km west of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. The area is managed by Sekolah Tinggi Perikanan, a local fisheries school.

- Organizers: Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. and its Indonesian subsidiary PT. NIPPON SHOKUBAI INDONESIA (based in Cilegon City, Indonesia: hereinafter NSI).

- Collaborators: Rekonvasi Bhumi (NGO), which literally means “rebirth of nature”.

2. About the first round tree-planting tour

- Dates: Sept. 10 (Mon.) - Sept. 15 (Sat.), 2018

- Content: Opening ceremony, tree planting

- Participants: about 60 people (guests, Nippon Shokubai’s president and employee volunteers, NSI’s president, executive officers and employees, NGO members, fisheries school students and others)

3. List of Forest Development Initiatives of Nippon Shokubai

- Development of “Japan-Indonesia Friendship Forests of Banten Bay for Biodiversity Preservation” (Banten Province, Indonesia)

- Development of “Japan-China Friendship Forest Development and Global Warming Prevention” (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China)

- Improvement of “Nippon Shokubai-Forests and Water Resources” (Shiso City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan)

- Improvement of “Nippon Shokubai-Yugawara Myriad Leaves Forest” (Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan)

About Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.:

Since 1941, Nippon Shokubai has grown up its business with unique catalyst technology. Nippon Shokubai has supplied, for example, ethylene oxide, acrylic acid, automobile catalysts, process catalysts and so on. Among all, our global market share of superabsorbent polymer is the largest in the world now. Nippon Shokubai is a global chemical company operating under its corporate mission "Providing affluence and comfort to people and society with our unique technology." http://www.shokubai.co.jp/en/

The company is headquartered in Osaka City and headed by Representative Director and President Yujiro Goto.