With the G7 Hiroshima Summit scheduled for May, cross-border cooperation on protecting the planet is set to be high on the agenda. As global leaders and senior government officials convene in Japan, the eyes of the world will be on the decisions taken at the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Sapporo on April 15 and 16.
Alongside cutting carbon emissions, conservation of biodiversity is the other crucial challenge for the creation of a sustainable global society. Japan is blessed with diverse ecosystems across its archipelago; to protect and conserve these precious resources, Japan has committed to the “30by30” target adopted at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada in December last year.
New promises
The pledge to conserve at least 30% of both land and sea areas by 2030 is one of the flagship initiatives agreed at COP15 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework—the successor to 2010’s Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Other goals include minimizing the effects of climate change on biodiversity, promotion of related impact assessment and disclosure by business, and delivering the necessary finance and resources where they are needed.
Japan is stepping up, with Minister of the Environment NISHIMURA Akihiro announcing 117 billion yen (approximately $890 million) in funding for conservation from 2023 to 2025, a $638 million contribution to the Global Environment Facility, and $17 million for the Japan Biodiversity Fund.
Harmonious existence
Japanese culture has long dictated that its people live in harmony with nature, and this is at the heart of the nation’s approach to conserving biodiversity. Around the world, too, there is growing recognition of the critical support systems provided by nature—known collectively as ‘ecosystem services’.
20% of Japan’s land and 13% of its seas are currently protected or conserved in national parks and other designated areas. In April 2022 Japan published its own "30by30 Roadmap" to domestically achieve the 30by30 target—preceding COP15 by eight months. The government is working to build a broad alliance to promote the measures set out in the roadmap and strengthen connections between people and nature.
OECMs
A central pillar of Japan’s 30by30 Roadmap will be other effective area-based conservation measures or OECMs. These are land and water resources—aside from protected areas such as national parks—managed by the private sector, local authorities, communities, academia and other entities. In Japan, these include land used for disaster prevention, urban green spaces and satoyama. Estimated to account for around 40% of Japan, satoyama are rural landscapes often supported by traditional knowledge that conserves and even enhances local biodiversity. They consist of mixed terrain that can combine farmland, forests, irrigation, and natural wetlands.
To contribute to biodiversity conservation, the Ministry of the Environment is currently establishing an OECM certification system which will confirm that sites meet the specified definition. For companies, participation helps raise awareness of ESG activities, while for local authorities and organizations, it can facilitate cooperation with businesses and residents. The aim is to certify 100 sites by the end of this year, with 56 already accredited on a trial basis. Among the trial sites are two satoyama: Nobi-Kagamida Ryokuchi-Park and Château Mercian Mariko Vineyard.
Rice paddies and fireflies
About an hour south of Tokyo sits Nobi-Kagamida Ryokuchi-Park, a valley of rice paddies and diverse natural surroundings. Earmarked by Yokosuka City as a waste disposal site, the community pushed back, wanting to conserve the ecosystem and habitat of creatures such as fireflies, dragonflies, beetles, amphibians and owls. Local people are deeply engaged with the maintenance of the area, including the restoration of rice paddies, removal of invasive plants and monitoring the ecosystem’s health.
In addition to preserving and regenerating the satoyama to pass on to future generations, a Yokosuka City spokesperson explains, “The project is also a place where citizens can get in touch with nature and deepen their understanding of biodiversity through participation in maintenance and conservation activities, including nature observation.”
Conservation and restoration of Nobi-Kagamida Ryokuchi-Park is one small step toward making Japan “nature positive”—halting and reversing biodiversity loss—by 2030.
Beyond winemaking
Nestled high in the Japanese Alps is the 29-hectare Château Mercian Mariko Vineyard, created on previously idle land rented from more than 100 local farmers. While the original intention of parent company Kirin Holdings Company, Limited was to help make Japan a leading wine region, the nature surveys at the site revealed a rich ecosystem revitalized by the cultivation of the vineyard.
“The surveys found 168 species of insect and 289 types of plant, a diverse mix that includes rare varieties,” reports FUJIWARA Keiichiro of Kirin Holdings’ CSV Strategy Department, who adds that the regularly tended vineyards create high quality grasslands that are nurturing habitats for numerous insects.
The vineyard has also built deep links with the community, including partnerships with local schools and research volunteers, giving a boost to the region’s culture and pride.
“In Japan, satoyama exist in the way they do because of humans, they require people to work on them to protect nature,” adds FUJIWARA.
The path to a nature positive future
In order to bring in stakeholders from across the nation and from multiple fields, the "30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity" launched in April 2022, with more than 300 companies, local governments, organizations and individuals already onboard.
With clear numerical targets at which to aim, Japan sees 30by30 as central to conserving biodiversity, harnessing the power of individuals, communities and the corporate sector.
By achieving the 30by30 target at the domestic level, Japan aims to contribute to global efforts and play its part in passing on to the next generation a society and planet where sustainable and prosperous lifestyles, along with physical and emotional wellbeing, are protected and conserved.
