Volunteer Tree Planting Activities

Fujifilm Workers' Union continues to send the employees overseas as Green Volunteers for social contribution activities. Green Volunteers had continued tree planting activities in China since 1998. After the 20th anniversary of the program in 2017, FUJIFILM (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (FFCN) took over the activity in China, and then Fujifilm Workers' Union started working on the reforestation of mangroves in the Can Gio region of Vietnam.

Since 1998, Fujifilm Workers' Union had engaged in tree planting activities in Kubuqi Desert and Horqin Desert of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China. After celebrating the 20th anniversary of the program in 2017, its program partner, FFCN took over the activity for Green Volunteers because the activities have been established in the company, and Fujifilm Workers' Union began to work on the reforestation of mangroves in the Can Gio region of Vietnam as a new initiative.

Can Gio region used to be an area with mangrove trees and various living creatures, but owing to the defoliants used by U.S. military during the Vietnam War, 40,000 hectares of mangrove forest was damaged. After the war, the area was designated as a national park, and 75% of the forest was recovered due to the tree planting activities of local people and volunteers from overseas. However, coastal erosion has been in progress, tree planting activities are still required to preserve and restore the ecosystem. On remembering historical background and the damage on the ecosystem caused by war, Fujifilm Workers’ Union keep striving to foster mangroves with the determination never to repeat the mistake.

Since its official joining in the tree planting activities in 2007, FUJIFILM (China) Investment Co., Ltd. has engaged in tree planting activities in areas such as Horqin Desert of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China with Fujifim Workers' Union.

They gave up visiting the site in 2020 because of COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, they made an educational program using a smartphone app, WeChat, which is used for their internal communications. They also held an online event designed to raise employees' awareness on environmental issues with fun. The program included a presentation on the past forestation work, quizzes on environmental preservation, and an online game. In the game, employees can get points shaped water drops through completing the walking mission, and grow seedlings by them.

Every year, dozens of employees travel to the site and participate in volunteer activities. However, online event enabled participation of 160 employees including those who had never been to the site. (The event was held for four days from August 14 to 17, 2020.)

In addition, FFCN sent 300 pine seedlings and messages from the employees, along with a donation to Greening Network to protect the trees in Fujifilm Forest. Greening Network is a local NPO with whom FFCN has been collaborating. In China, Fujifim Workers' Union and FUJIFILM (China) Investment Co., Ltd. planted 42,310 trees in total during the 23 years, and that has covered 21 hectares of land with the trees.