Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan, Nippon Paper Industries, and Marunuma Kogen Resort concluded a three-party collaboration agreement for forest management
Aiming to ensure water source replenishment through forest preservation and maintenance

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc. (headquarters in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & President Calin Dragan; hereafter “CCBJI”) reached an agreement on December 31, 2020 with Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (headquarters in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President Touru Nozawa; hereafter “Nippon Paper Industries”) and Marunuma Kogen Resort Co., Ltd. (headquarters in Katashinamura, Tone-gun, Gunma Prefecture; Representative Director and President Hideki Saito; hereafter “Marunuma Kogen Resort”) with respect to collaboration in forest management for the purpose of water source replenishment, and the parties held a signing ceremony today.

Under the agreement, the three parties will work together on forest management and preservation activities to ensure water source replenishment in Nippon Paper Industries-owned forest (1,746 hectares), which contains the resort area run by Marunuma Kogen Resort in Katashinamura, Gunma and serving as the watershed area of our Saitama Plant (Hiki-gun, Saitama Prefecture) and Iwatsuki Plant (Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture).  The parties will exchange advice and information and work together for the protection and maintenance of the watershed. CCBJI will provide part of the expenses required for activities necessary to sustain the environment in the watershed area (such as tree thinning, road maintenance, etc.) as part of its support.

Since first entering into an agreement in 2014, our company (then Coca-Cola East Japan Co., Ltd.), Nippon Paper Industries, and Marunuma Kogen Resort for the forest management have been working together on forest preservation and education activities.  The agreement announced today is a renewal of the current relationship with an expanded watershed coverage area and extended contract period from the original six years to a new ten-year period.

The Coca-Cola System in Japan (*) has defined a Sustainability Framework focused on three core platforms—”Inclusion”, “Communities” and “Resources”, while also making efforts in achieving specific SDGs, thereby addressing important and relevant social challenges.

Furthermore, Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan has set non-financial goals to address ESG-related issues and the Creation of Shared Value (CSV), and we are taking tangible actions towards this end across our group. As a company who uses irreplaceable "water" for its business operations, we also lay out goals to reduce water usage by 30% by 2030 and sustain at least 200% water source replenishment by 2025 through our efforts to promote water resource preservation. We will continuously support programs to carefully manage this valuable resource and return it to nature to ensure an abundant and sustainable source of groundwater in the watershed areas of our manufacturing plants.

※The Coca-Cola System consists of seven companies, including Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, Limited, Coca-Cola Tokyo Research & Development Center, Hokkaido Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Ltd., Michinoku Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Ltd., Hokuriku Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Ltd., Okinawa Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Ltd., and Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc.

■ "Collaboration Agreement for Water Source Area Management and Support for Maintenance Work Expenses”

Period: 10 years (from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2030)

Main collaboration:

(1) Matters deemed necessary for expanding forest preservation activities

(2) Matters deemed necessary for other forest preservation activities

From left top Takashi Hatsukade, Manager of Forest Product Department, Nippon Paper Industries; Raymond Shelton, CCBJI Executive Officer and Head of IR & Corporate Communications;  and Hideki Saito, Representative Director and President, Marunuma Kogen Resort

■ Water source area of Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Saitama Plant and Iwatsuki Plant

Area: 4658-58 Higashiogawa, Katashinamura, Gunma Prefecture (Ogawa water catchment area) *In the premises of Marunuma Kogen Resort

Land size: 1,746 hectares

Please see here for the PDF version.

*Please note that the information contained in news releases is current as of the date of release. Certain information may have changed since the date of release.