Biodiversity Conservation
Basic Concept
The JAL Group recognizes that the preservation and restoration of nature is a particularly important issue for a sustainable society, as it strengthens the social infrastructure, and commits to comprehensive solutions to biodiversity and climate change.
To date, the JAL Group has actively promoted the conservation of biodiversity, including the conservation of species through the prevention of illegal wildlife trade, the preservation of ecosystems through plant quarantine, and the conservation of natural resources at World Natural Heritage sites. In addition, to address climate change, we have been working on upgrading to fuel-efficient aircraft, the steady implementation of JAL Green Operations, and the utilization of SAF in order to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, while taking into consideration the impact of CO2 reduction efforts on the ecosystem. (Disclosure of information on climate change based on the TCFD)
The JAL Group aims to build a society in which nature and people coexist in harmony through its business activities. Based on the premise of reducing our impact on nature, we will create human flows through the preservation and experience of nature, and commercial and logistics flows through foods and merchandise that are products of rich ecosystems. In this way, we will create relationships and connections through mobility, and through the realization of "Nature Positive," we will create a future in which everyone can feel affluence and hope, thereby enhancing our corporate value. To realize these goals, we will work under our "Commitment to Nature".
Commitment to Nature
The JAL Group will contribute to the conservation and restoration of nature, including biodiversity, in order to fulfill our responsibility to pass on our precious Earth to the next generation.
Our daily lives and economic activities are dependent on the benefits of nature (ecosystem services). The benefits of nature are supported by a stock of natural capital, and business models that consider the sustainability of natural capital support the sustainability of the society as a whole, including the business itself.
Recognizing the importance of such nature, the JAL Group aims to achieve no net loss of biodiversity by 2030 by identifying priority areas of biodiversity conservation and working to conserve them while monitoring progress toward the set targets. We also aim to achieve no gross deforestation by 2050 and create a net positive impact for a society that coexists in harmony with nature.
In order to do this, together with our suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders, we hereby promise the following;
- Understand the impact of our entire value chain on nature, our dependence on nature, and the risks and opportunities of our business.
- We will respond to the negative impacts of our business on nature through avoidance, reduction, recovery, and offsetting (in the order of high priority).
- We will work together with our stakeholders for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
*Reported and approved by the Board of Directors in August 2023
*This commitment applies to the JAL Group, suppliers and partners.
Participation to the TNFD (Task Force for Nature-related Financial Disclosure) Forum
The JAL Group joined the TNFD Forum in March 2023.
The TNFD Forum is a stakeholder organization that supports the TNFD Task Force's deliberations, with more than 1,000 companies and organizations participating worldwide.
Based on the TNFD framework, the JAL Group's business and nature (dependencies and impacts) and risks and opportunities are organized and disclosed from the four perspectives recommended by the TNFD as follows: "governance," "strategy," "risk & impact management" and "metrics & targets".
Governance
The JAL Group's Board of Directors demonstrates a strong supervisory function through the periodic reporting (four times in FY2022) on the execution of initiatives concerning climate change and biodiversity.
In the execution, the Sustainability Promotion Council, chaired by the President, formulates basic policies, sets important targets and manages progress, and deliberates and decides on policies to deal with issues.
The Sustainability Promotion Committee, chaired by the Senior Vice President of the General Affairs Division, deliberates on individual issues identified through the environmental management system (EMS) and reports to the Sustainability Promotion Council.
The content of this disclosure based on TNFD's recommendations were reported to and approved by the Board of Directors in August 2023.
*See "TNFD Beta Framework (v0.4)PDF"
Strategy
The JAL Group follows the LEAP approach proposed by the TNFD, identifying nature dependencies and impacts as well as priority areas, to systematically assess nature-related risks and opportunities on a scientific basis.
*LEAP approach: The four core phases of Locate, Evaluate, Assess, and Prepare. Locate: to discover points of contact with nature throughout the supply chain and identify priority areas, Evaluate: to diagnose the dependencies and impacts of the company's activities on nature, Assess: to evaluate key risks and opportunities based on the results of the diagnosis, and Prepare: to prepare to address nature-related risks and opportunities, and report back to investors.
Nature-related Dependencies & Impacts
Nature, consisting of freshwater, ocean, land and atmosphere, provides various benefits (ecosystem services) to the JAL Group's business. For example, a stable climate maintains a suitable operating environment for aircraft (regulating services), and provides places and opportunities for tourism (cultural services), leading to the creation of human flows. In addition, blessings such as food (supply services) lead to the creation of commercial and logistics flows.
In March 2023, the JAL Group held an internal workshop to explore the contact with nature, inviting a lecturer from the World Wide Fund for Nature Japan (WWF Japan) to identify the dependencies and impacts of the JAL Group's air transportation business on nature. The dependence was identified as "flights to natural heritage sites, beach resorts, and other nature-rich tourist destinations" and "sales of local food products," while the impact was identified as "possible environmental pollution around airports" and "concerns about the impact on the ecosystem during the production of SAF".
Reference: TNFD
Priority Location Identification
Water related risks
The JAL Group recognizes water as an important resource that affects climate change and biodiversity, and commits to its sustainable use.
The JAL Group's water intake areas are mainly in Japan, where water stress levels are considered low (analysed using Aqueduct*), and we recognize that its risks are low. We will continue our efforts to conserve water resources such as the recycling of water for washing aircraft parts, etc. Additionally, the analysis will be reviewed annually.
*Aqueduct: Water risk analysis tool provided by the World Resources Institute
Biodiversity risks
The JAL Group identified priority areas by focusing not only on water, but also on biodiversity itself, including ecosystems such as forests and oceans, and the various species that inhabit them.
JAL Group's destinations were matched with areas of significant biodiversity in WWF's Biodiversity Risk Filter, and it was found that many areas in Japan are at high biodiversity risk. Hokkaido, Kagoshima (Amami), and Okinawa, which have high demand for nature tourism, were identified as areas where our businesses are dependent on nature. Also, Tokyo was identified as an area with high priority for biodiversity conservation, where operations have an impact on nature because it is a major airport.
Risks & Opportutinites on the Organization's Businesses
Loss of biodiversity can be a significant risk to the continuance of our air transportation business, and managing it can also lead to opportunities. The workshop also assessed nature-related risks and opportunities based on the identified dependencies and impacts, which are summarized in the table below. In the future, we will deepen the assessment of risks and opportunities by analyzing financial impacts as well.
Risk & Impact Management
The JAL Group defines risk as any event or action that may impede the achievement of the organization's mission, objectives, or goals, and conducts semiannual risk surveys and assessments. Those assessed as of particular importance are positioned as priority risks, and the status of risk management is reviewed at the Group Risk Management Council chaired by the President, where countermeasures are discussed and decided.
With regards to environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity, which are priority issues in our management strategy, we implement risk management through the PDCA cycle based on the EMS, while considering relevant laws, regulations, and policy trends in the international community.
Metrics & Targets
The JAL Group recognizes that biodiversity is affected by various environmental issues, including climate change, resources, and environmental pollution, and commits to comprehensive solutions. In addition to targets related to biodiversity conservation, we disclose environmental data such as CO2 emissions, waste and water consumption.
Biodiversity Actions
In June 2020, the JAL Group declared its goal of net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Reducing CO2 emissions not only mitigates climate change, but also preserves ecosystems and reduces biodiversity loss. In addition to the goal of achieving net zero CO2 emissions, the JAL Group has identified key initiatives on sustainability "4 areas/22 issues" and has also set targets for reducing food waste and resource (plastic and paper) usage. Reducing the use of paper resources and recycling will reduce deforestation. In addition, the use of internationally certified paper that takes forest resources into consideration preserves forests and protects the ecosystems that inhabit them. Forests absorb CO2, which contributes to climate change. Because of this close relationship between biodiversity and climate change, we are addressing both as important issues.
For example, we are engaged in various activities such as plant quarantine to prevent invasive alien species, prevention of illegal wildlife trade, and preservation of the World Natural Heritage.
Furthermore, JAL became a corporate member of WWF Japan in January 2020, supporting WWF's environmental conservation activities and promoting biodiversity conservation activities through its business activities.
Also, JAL has joined "The TNFD Forum*" in March 2023 to enforce our acts shown above, and will expand our nature related disclosures.
* The TNFD forum is a group of stakeholders supporting the development of the TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) framework which will be fully released in September 2023. It consists of over 900 institutional supporters worldwide.
Stop Illegal Wildlife Trade
In June 2018, the JAL Group signed the Buckingham Palace Declaration by the United Wildlife Transport Taskforce to reduce illegal wildlife trade promoted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Illegal wildlife trade is one of the crimes on a global scale, following drugs and human traffic, where the trade amounts to several trillion yen. JAL Group has helped to protect endangered or rare species. For example, Ishigaki Airport staff found and prevented coconut crabs, an endangered species, from being taken outside the island, and Amami Airport staff noticed that rare frogs and snakes were about to be taken outside the island.
Furthermore, to fulfill our duty as an air transport operator, in February 2020 and March 2021 we invited a speaker from the World Wide Fund Japan (WWF Japan) to hold a workshop to deepen our understanding and extend our education on preventing illegal wildlife trade. During the workshop we studied about the current situation of illegal wildlife trade and what to do when we discover live animals.
In December 2021, the JAL Group joined a symposium organized by WWF Japan and TRAFFIC on the theme of raising awareness of issues and promoting efforts to prevent illegal wildlife trade. JAL Group staff members spoke at this symposium and introduced the JAL Group's proactive efforts in cooperation with ministries and local communities, including participation in the "Liaison Conference on Countermeasures against Poaching and Smuggling of Rare Wild Fauna and Flora" in the Okinawa and Amami Islands regions, and training sessions on countermeasures against poaching and smuggling at airports.
Going forward, JAL Group will continue to organize educational sessions for our employees and will strengthen our activities by cooperating with other related parties to share information and to eradicate illegal wildlife trade.
Official Sponsor of International Year of Plant Health 2020
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) to raise global awareness on the importance on how to protect plants from the spread of pests and diseases. JAL Group is spreading the word in and outside the company about the importance of plant protection as the Official Sponsor of International Year of Plant Health 2020 certified by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).
Eighty percent of the world food supply originates from plants with a food loss of 20 percent to 40 percent from plant pests. Enormous costs incur to eradicate the pests. For example, 20.4 billion yen was used over roughly 20 years to exterminate melon flies, which inflicted considerable damage to crops.
There is growing concern on the importance of plant protection with the increase of in-bound tourists. No only is it a must to take care when taking plants in and out of Japan but there are also regulations in transporting plants within Japan. For example, it is prohibited to take sweet potatoes and other plants from the Nansei Islands, namely the Amami archipelago in Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures, and Ogasawara Islands.
In February 2020, JAL invited a speaker from MAFF to an in-house talk event to address the damages by plant pests, plant protection, and its relationships with the aviation industry. Feedback from one of the participants was about her understanding of how important it was not only to protect humans, meat but also plants and how she would like to spread the word within the company going forward. It is critically important to stop the invasion and outbreak of pests because enormous costs incur to eradicate the bugs. Going forward, JAL Group will cooperate with related parties to communicate the importance of plant protection.
For more details on plant protection, please refer to the MAFFOpen link in a new window website(Jananese only).
UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites
Several million years ago, the Amami archipelago, namely Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Iriomote Island and the northern part of Okinawa Island, drifted from the continent resulting in a rich repository of rare species such as the Amami rabbits and Iriomote cats. A movement is emerging to register and conserve the biodiversity and rich nature as a world natural heritage site. JAL Group is actively involved in this movement to register these islands by the summer of 2020.
Japan Transocean Air (JTA), Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC), with hubs in Okinawa, and Japan Air Commuter (JAC) with a hub in Kagoshima, are in engaged in explaining and protecting the natural environment together with the region by holding in-house study groups, participating in liaison meetings on poaching and smuggling animals, erecting road signs to prevent roadkill of endangered species, establishing and promoting the Amami Trail that explores the Amami archipelago, to name a few.
In 2019 they initiated a joint venture to promote world heritage sites in Okinawa and a community to promote world heritage sites in Kagoshima by engaging local communities. All participating organizations are making good use of their strengths to protect and promote the local natural environment.
Conserving Red-Crowned Cranes
Every year since 2016, Group employees have volunteered to clean and maintain the red-crowned crane's feeding grounds in Tsurui Village, Hokkaido.
JAL Photography Contest of Red-Crowned Cranes
A JAL photography contest of the endangered red-crowned cranes, the symbol of Japanese beauty, is held for everyone to express their thoughts with heartwarming messages.
Coral restoration project by enhancing sexual reproduction
One of the attractions of Okinawa is its blue ocean and coral reefs full of life. Coral reefs play various roles, such as conservation of national land and disaster prevention through the wave dissipating effect, because they are places for the coexistence and production of a wide variety of organisms, in addition to the scenic function enjoyed as tourist resources. However, recently, the deterioration of coral reefs along the coast of Okinawa Prefecture has progressed rapidly due to the bleaching phenomenon caused by the rise of sea surface temperature and the predation of corals caused by the outbreak of coral-eating starfishes.
In April 2020, Japan Transocean Air (JTA) established the "Sexual Reproduction and Coral Restoration Support Council " together with Fisheries Infrastructure Development Center. The Council is an organization that supports coral restoration activities through enhancing their sexual reproduction. In addition to financial support, JTA has been involved in recruiting support companies and supporting the creation of public relations magazines. This time, we are planning to support the Yaeyama Fisheries Cooperative Association in Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture for six years, and we are studying a system for self-propelled coral regeneration activities in Yaeyama. The goal is to grow 1,000 seedlings by 2026.
Although the corals look like "stones", they are colleagues of jellyfishes and sea anemones and spawn eggs once a year. The Sexual Reproduction Method means mass production of coral seedlings using artificially collected coral larvae. This method was developed and established by the Fisheries Agency, allowing massive coral seedlings without land facilities. The Yaeyama Fisheries Cooperative is put this method into practice under the technical guidance of the Council.
Restoration of coral reefs has a sustainable effect on the marine industry, which is a key industry in Okinawa Prefecture, as it provides fisheries grounds and nurseries for a variety of fish, in addition to the tourist industry including scuba diving and other marine activities.
Together with the 6 companies in Okinawa that supported the council's activities, we will continue our efforts to hand over the rich natural resources of Okinawa to next generation.
For more details on JTA's activities, please refer to the WebsiteOpen link in a new window(Japanese only).
Archives
JAL×MISIA
To communicate the importance of biodiversity, JAL is committed to cooperate in activities for the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity declared in 2011. Misia, a Japanese pop diva, reaches out on the importance of protecting biodiversity and linking it to the future through her music and various activities.
