Towards Value Creation
The Taiheiyo Cement Group believes that it is important to balance the conservation of the local ecosystem with the promotion of local communities when developing and operating limestone quarries, which have the greatest impact on biodiversity among our business activities. From the development and operation of quarries through to the use of old quarry sites, by collaborating with local communities we aim to be internationally nature positive. Specifically, we strive to operate our quarries in a way that minimizes environmental impact, including the prevention of pollution, the conservation of biodiversity and water resources, while taking into account the opinions of local governments, local communities, and academics.
Policy and Operational System
Cement production starts with quarrying limestone, the primary raw material for cement. We also quarry many mineral resource products for use as aggregates and industrial raw materials. The Taiheiyo Cement Group recognizes the importance of actively contributing to biodiversity protection as a key management priority and has incorporated natural conservation into our "Environmental Management Policy." In addition to the conservation of rare species of flora and fauna, and the greening of quarry areas and former sites, we will participate in the "30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity" and the "Keidanren Nature Conservation Council" promoted by the Ministry of the Environment from FY2024 to promote more proactive activities.
Risk Management System
The main limestone quarries of our group are located near cement plants and, based on the GCCA guidelines and using the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) provided by BirdLife International, we checked if any of our group’s limestone quarries are in any of the protected areas defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and conducted a biodiversity assessment. Quarries located in areas considered to have biodiversity value are operated with consideration for the environment under the operating permits from the local governments. During development and operation, we regularly monitor the surrounding environment and report on the environmental impact of development and operation to stakeholders to manage risks. We are also formulating and operating quarry plans that include environmental restoration, such as greening after quarrying is completed.
| Region | Quarries | Site area (ha) | Applicable*1 quarries |
| Japan | 13 | 2,835 | 2 |
| America | 4 | 1,903 | 0 |
| Asia | 2 | 617 | 0 |
| Ratio of quarries with recovery plans (%) | 95 | ||
*1 A protected area whose purpose is to conserve habitat mainly through management activities. Includes IUCN Protected Areas Category IV (habitat or species management area)
Roadmap for Achieving this Goal
The Taiheiyo Cement Group has been promoting greening activities in quarry areas and post-extraction sites at limestone quarries, which also contributes to supporting biodiversity. In quarry areas, forests are cut down, topsoil is excavated and limestone is extracted, resulting in exposed bedrock and ground with no vegetation. However, if no quarrying work is expected for some time we strive to green such areas as soon as possible.
In addition, in accordance with the 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity, we are promoting specific initiatives toward the realization of a nature-positive society.
Furthermore, in the Keidanren Nature Conservation Council, we will cooperate with biodiversity protection through activities such as information sharing and dissemination with companies and organizations.
| KPIs, Targets | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
| Develop quarry rehabilitation plans Rate of developing quarry rehabilitation plans: 90% or more |
94% | 95% | 95% |
(from FY1995)
(from FY1981)
Tree planting ceremony (Buko Quarry)
Biodiversity Protection
When environmental impact assessments determine that protection is required at a limestone quarry that we own, we protect rare species via measures such as installing protective equipment, transplanting and restricting development work.
Chichibu Taiheiyo Cement Corporation is actively involved in the conservation of rare plants. At the Kanouyama Quarry located in Kanna Town, Tano District, Gunma Prefecture, 38 rare plants native to the quarry have been transplanted into a botanical garden with the cooperation of a local nature conservation group. In addition, at the same company’s Miwa Quarry, which is conducting limestone extraction on Mt. Buko, located in Chichibu City and Yokoze Town in Saitama Prefecture, we are preserving and increasing the population of 68 native plant species together with local experts and using the Central Research Laboratory’s biotechnology.
At the Fujiwara Quarry of Mie Taiheiyo Mining Company, we have been engaged in conservation activities since 2012, including transplantation and post-event surveys in cooperation with experts, for a Mie Prefecture-designated rare animal species that is found in the limestone area around Mt. Fujiwara.
Silene Keiskei (Kanouyama Quarry)
Iwakinbai (Kanouyama Quarry)
Successor training for personnel in charge of rare plant preservation and cultivation
Chichibu Taiheiyo Cement Corporation preserves and cultivates 71 species of rare plants at the Miwa Quarry and 39 species at the Kanouyama Quarry. Since specialized knowledge is required for tasks such as collecting, cultivating, and transplanting rare plants, we are training successors to ensure that this knowledge and these skills are not lost. In FY2025, we trained three employees and improved their knowledge and skill levels. We will continue to train successors and strive to conserve rare plants.
Initiatives in the 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity
The Taiheiyo Cement Group joined the 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity in FY2024 and is examining the implementation of the participation requirements.
30by30 is a target to conserve at least 30% of land and sea areas as healthy ecosystems by 2030. It was agreed at the 2021 G7 Summit that each country would achieve this goal, and it was further included in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the 2022 Biodiversity COP15.
Our Mining Department, the Group companies that manage our quarries, and the Research and Development Headquarters will cooperate to promote initiatives in the 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity and contribute to achieving the 30by30 target.
Participation Requirements for the "30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity"
(Work on one of the following)
- Register owned or managed land in the international OECM*2 database
- Expand protected areas or support their expansion
- Support the management of protected areas and areas registered (or expected to be registered) in the international OECM database
- Incorporate the 30by30 target into local government strategies and recommend support for the expansion of protected areas, registration in the international OECM database, and their management
In addition, participants will actively disseminate these initiatives externally
*2 Abbreviation for Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures: Areas where conservation is carried out through private sector initiatives, or areas where management that is not intended for conservation also contributes to the protection of the natural environment.
