For a Harmonized Society with Nature

Basic Concept For a Harmonized Society with Nature

Biodiversity has been positioned as an issue closely tied to climate change that needs to be tackled, and governments, investors, and others are increasingly demanding that companies address this issue.
For its part, the Hitachi Construction Machinery Group is already implementing biodiversity-conscious initiatives at its business sites, and we believe it is important to actively communicate these initiatives internally and externally to further promote biodiversity initiatives.

Accordingly, the Hitachi Construction Machinery Group has formulated a “Biodiversity Policy” that serves as the basis for the Group's biodiversity initiatives in June 2024.

As one of the actions that reflects the ideas of this policy, Hitachi Construction Machinery and Hitachi Construction Machinery Tierra joined the "30by30* Alliance for Biodiversity" promoted by the Ministry of the Environment. The Group will continue undertaking biodiversity initiatives based on this policy.

１．Commitment

• The Hitachi Construction Machinery Group's vision, ‘Ensure a prosperous land and society for the future. We contribute toward realizing a safe and sustainable society.’, represents our vision of a society based on harmonious coexistence with society. Based on this vision, and recognizing that the Group's business activities depend on the benefits of biodiversity and have the potential to affect ecosystems, we aim to realize a society in harmony with nature through the development of environmentally friendly products and the promotion of a circular economy, including regeneration projects.

２．Compliance with national laws and regulations in accordance with international conventions 

• We comply with the relevant laws and regulations of each country, including the prohibition of illegal logging of forests, in accordance with international biodiversity conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, and work to conserve biodiversity in the areas where we operate.

３．Addressing biodiversity through business

• We strive to reduce environmental impact along the value chain, from design and development to production and logistics, with the aim of promoting a circular economy and realizing nature positivity.
• We aim to reduce the impact on the ecosystem by actively working on the lengthening of product life cycles and the remanufacturing business based on the ‘4 Rs*1’, thereby reducing waste and new resource inputs.
• By actively developing and providing ICT construction solutions, we will improve productivity and shorten construction periods, thereby contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases and sustainable forestry management.

４．Understanding the relationship between business and biodiversity and reducing impacts

•  With the aim of preventing biodiversity loss (no net loss), we will select priority areas for biodiversity conservation, assess the impacts and dependencies on nature, including biodiversity, arising from our operations, as well as risks and opportunities, and promote appropriate measures. In addition, we aim to create a net positive impact (i.e. the effect of compensatory measures on biodiversity exceeds the loss of biodiversity) by 2050, and we will work to prevent deforestation that has a negative impact on ecosystems through afforestation and other reforestation initiatives.
• When operating in priority areas from a biodiversity perspective, targets and indicators will be managed by adopting the concept of prioritization (mitigation hierarchy*2), whereby negative impacts are avoided, reduced or minimized and compensatory measures are taken for those impacts that still remain. 

５．Stakeholder engagement and disclosure 

•  Collaborate and dialogue with the Hitachi Construction Machinery Group's employees, procurement partners, local communities and NGOs to increase the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation initiatives. 
• Proactively disclose information on initiatives based on this policy.

６．Scope and jurisdiction

•  This policy will be promoted within not only the Hitachi Construction Machinery Group, but also procurement and business partners for their endorsement.
• The Board of Directors reports on and approves the development and changes to this policy.

*1    ４Rs : Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Renewable
*2　mitigation hierarchy : A framework for minimizing adverse effects on nature with a long-term perspective. It is a concept that guides organizations to first avoid impacts, and if that is not possible, to reduce the impact on nature, and finally to fulfil their responsibility to restore affected areas and ecosystems

Addressing biodiversity

The Hitachi Construction Machinery Group aims to realize a “society in harmony with nature” and has established a Biodiversity Policy to guide its efforts.

Companies depend on the benefits from nature, such as atmosphere, water, and soil. These benefits are supported by biodiversity. In order to prevent its loss and to maintain and restore them, the Hitachi Construction Machinery Group believes that we can contribute to ecosystem conservation through both its business and social contribution activities related to nature conservation.

Biodiversity is faced with four types of crisis. Hitachi Construction Machinery Group is providing support through our products and through employee participation in order to respond to these crises.

Initiatives at Individual Locations

The Hitachi Construction Machinery Group Biodiversity Policy clearly sets out our commitment to “understanding the relationship between business and biodiversity and reducing impacts.” In line with this policy and based on cooperation between our related departments, we partnered with external experts to conduct our first biodiversity survey to check how natural ecosystems are conserved on the premises of the Tsuchiura Works and how the activities of this manufacturing base affect the surrounding environment.

The results of the survey indicate that the regulating pond and the mixed forest on the premises of the Tsuchiura Works constitute a so-called satoyama environment, where a variety of indigenous species including endangered ones may be living with high probability. The pond and forest are deserving of certification by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment as a “sustainably managed natural site* .” For the regulating pond, it was deemed necessary to remove the earth and sand deposited on the bottom of the pond in consideration of the risk of flooding due to heavy rain and of the need for biodiversity conservation. For the mixed forest, which had been conserved well, the need to update and revitalize it was pointed out.

The survey results testify to the fact that Hitachi Construction Machinery has been giving consideration to a range of environmental issues in its business activities since its founding. We will continue to conduct similar surveys to grasp the current situation accurately in order to conduct examinations to implement measures for biodiversity, including the formulation of a related action plan.

* Sustainably managed natural sites: The Ministry of the Environment certifies areas where biodiversity conservation measures are implemented by the private sector, such as forests and satoyama nature-rich sites and land protected by companies, as well as green spaces in cities as “sustainably managed natural sites.”

Since its establishment in 1992, Hitachi Construction Machinery Urahoro Test Site in Hokkaido has played an important role to provide safe, secure, and high-quality products to customers while preserving the greenery and nature of the region's unique Quercus oak forest and humid broad-leaved forest. At the testing site, we carry out forest conservation activities based on long-term plans. When conducting business activities, we conduct natural environment surveys to minimize the impact on the on-site ecosystem. A variety of plants and animals grow in the vast forest of Urahoro Test Site. In order to grasp and protect these ecosystems, we conduct surveys of birds, plants, and benthic animals every time we carry out forest development work.
Additionally, we hold an Eco School every year for local elementary school students, with the aim of helping them rediscover the wonders of Urahoro's natural environment and the meaning of nature conservation activities.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Tierra, located in Shiga Prefecture, supports the Mother Lake Goals (MLGs), which are goals for a sustainable society in 2030 with Lake Biwa, and is conducting various activities to preserve Lake Biwa. They hold Lake Biwa seminars for executives and environmental managers to learn important things about protecting and utilizing Lake Biwa, they also carry out clean-up around lakes and rivers, removing invasive species, and conducting environmental and health-related activities at Minakuchi Kodomo-no-Mori in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, which has been certified as a sustainably managed natural site.

The Second Plant of Tadakiko Co., Ltd., located in Chiba Prefecture, is adjacent to Toyotomi Donguri no Mori, a satoyama (traditional rural landscape) where visitors can observe wild birds and seasonal wildflowers and grasses.
To protect the ecosystem of this forest, Tadakiko has been participating annually since 2012 in forest conservation and cultivation activities organized by the NPO Toyotomi Donguri-no-Mori as part of its flagship social contribution initiatives.
Moving forward, the company will continue to actively promote satoyama conservation activities that involve enjoying and nurturing the forest, in order to protect nature and the environment.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas initiated a community-based project to address pollution in local waterways. The goal was to install a trash trap in downtown Newnan, Georgia, to capture litter and debris before it entered the river system. This effort aligned with the company’s environmental values and strengthened collaboration with local partners on sustainability-focused initiatives.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas partnered with non-profit organizations called ‘Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’ and ‘Keep Newnan Beautiful’ to install a trash trap at CJ Smith Park, a key site for runoff and debris. After securing funding through an internal fundraiser and a corporate match, the company coordinated with city officials and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to plan and implement the project. Installation took place on June 25, 2025 with participation from team members of Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas and community partners.

The trash trap is now active and capturing debris, reducing pollution and protecting aquatic ecosystems. The project has received positive recognition from residents and local leaders, also helped strengthen relationships with nonprofit and civic organizations, paving the way for future collaboration.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas plans to have future activities to increase employee involvement through volunteer opportunities and education. These initiatives support the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance commitments, especially environmental stewardship and community impact.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Southern Africa sponsors Project GOBY which stands for Global Organisation for Brighter Youth. This initiative promotes environmental conservation activities which in turn will create socio-economic benefits for communities in their country.

In partnership with UNICEF South Africa, FIFA Beach Soccer Worldwide Foundation, Hitachi Construction Machinery Southern Africa and the Durban Regeneration Project 2022, the GOBY Environmental Project symbolised by a 5 meter fish structure, launched in July 2019 on Durban New Beach to combat marine pollution, while educating South African families on the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling waste and removing plastic waste from our beaches.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Southern Africa has been a partner of this project since the launch with the impact so far being, 127 Primary Schools in disadvantaged communities have been engaged (including three special needs schools), 17,342 learners have participated, 176 educators have been trained as physical education instructors, and 2,891 kg of plastic waste has been collected from schools during the month of October and November 2020 for recyclin

GOBY addresses the broader United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals and facilitates priority sport development interventions for disadvantaged children, including the education of learners on the importance of recycling and to provide the tools to create sports equipment from repurposed plastic.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Southern Africa is very proud to be a part of this initiative and will keep contributing to environmental conservation and community development.