Biodiversity
Mizuho's Initiative for Biodiversity
Humans have thrived as a species because of the beneficence of biodiversity, but the scale of our success has placed a heavy burden on the natural world. To continue enjoying the benefits of biodiversity in the future, it will be necessary for each country, municipality, business operator, private organization and citizen, in alliance, to take actions to achieve a "Naturally symbiotic society" in which biodiversity is maintained.
Based on this understanding, Mizuho, as an entity managing one of the roots of economic activity, is working to reduce impacts on, protect, and restore biodiversity. We see this as the social responsibility of a financial institution.
Mizuho's Initiatives
Mizuho is promoting the following initiatives from the viewpoint of the conservation of biodiversity.
Participated as a Promotion Partner of the "Declaration on Biodiversity by Nippon Keidanren"
In March 2009, Nippon Keidanren announced the "Declaration on Biodiversity by Nippon Keidanren," which summarizes a declaration on the conservation of biodiversity and related action guidelines. Agreeing with the declaration, group companies signed on as "Declaration Promotion Partners" in December 2009 and are pursuing initiatives promoting biodiversity in their operations*.
- *Participating companies as "Declaration Promotion Partners" (11 group companies): MHFG, MHCB, MHBK, MHTB, MHSC, TCSB, Mizuho Asset Management, Mizuho Private Wealth Management, DIAM, MHRI and MHIR
Participated in the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Program (BBOP)
In March 2010, MHCB joined the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Program (BBOP)–the first among private financial institutions to do so.
The "Biodiversity Offset" refers to offsetting the negative effects that remain after avoiding, reducing and restoring the impacts of development activities on biodiversity by measurable methodologies. The "Offset" refers to conserving an offset site (an alternative habitat) that is different from a development site. Principally, to offset the remaining negative effects of development activities, we must create positive effects that exceed or are at least equal to the negative effects at the offset site. This idea gained popularity in the United States in the 1970s and expanded to the European Union and Oceania. In Europe and United States, legislation is currently being introduced.
In recent years, a common framework worldwide is being promoted for biodiversity offsets, which is led by BBOP. Because the International Finance Corporation (IFC) participates in this program, some impact is expected vis–a–vis the IFC Performance Standards, which are the criteria of the Equator Principles.
Lecture in Biodiversity Seminar
In "The Third Biodiversity Seminar" sponsored by Chubu Economic Federation and Nikkei Inc, held in Nagoya, August 5, 2010, MHCB gave a lecture on "Biodiversity risk of a project; from the perspective of finance".
The Biodiversity Seminar
Lecture in COP10
In "The 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10)" held in Nagoya, October 27, 2010, MHCB held a side–event as a member of BBOP in cooperation with IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and Forest Trends, and gave a lecture on the relationship between BBOP and IFC Performance Standard (PS6) and the influence on banks that have adopted the Equator Principles.
Side–event
Lecture in Eco–Products 2010 Exhibition
At "the Biodiversity and Finance Seminar" in the "Eco–Products 2010 Exhibition" held in Tokyo, December 10, 2010, MHCB gave a lecture on "BBOP and The Equator Principles".
The Biodiversity and Finance Seminar
By participating in formulating the framework for biodiversity offsets representing private financial institutions, MHCB intends to accumulate know–how related to biodiversity offsets and reflect them in environmental risk management of project financing.
Hosting of Panel Exhibits on Protecting Biodiversity
From May through October 2010, MHSC hosted panel exhibits on biodiversity at its 42 branches throughout Japan.
It also sponsored a special limited–time website that helped visitors learn about biodiversity and collected donations through their clicks. The site received a large number of visitors and resulted in a donation of JPY 2,238,152 to WWF Japan.
Special website on biodiversity
Case Studies on Other Measures
Measures taken through Mizuho's core businesses
Harnessing its financial system, Mizuho is promoting the following measures.
| Company | Initiatives | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| MHBK | Support an interest rate reduction in financing funds for the purchase of energy–saving equipment | |
| MHCB | Adopted the Equator Principles in project financing | |
| BBOP participation | – | |
| MHSC | Sell clean energy bonds | |
| MHIR | Support for policies that protect biodiversity | – |
| DIAM | Offer such products as the natural environment protection fund (Oze Kiko) |
Measures at the Offices
We are promoting initiatives to achieve a recycling–oriented society. Our efforts include a reduction in the use of paper, one of the resources financial businesses like Mizuho consume the most.
| Company | Initiatives | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| The group | Promote green purchasing | |
| Promote a paper reduction campaign | ||
| Promote paper recycling | ||
| MHBK | Choose FSC–certified paper for paper bags for customers |
Measures Taken for Society
Mizuho is promoting forest volunteer activities and biodiversity–related educational activities.
| Company | Initiatives | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| The group | Conduct environmental educational campaigns in which employees participate under a theme of biodiversity | |
| Donate seedlings (Seedlings are donated to the community according to the number of employees participating in the environmental declaration) | ||
| Conduct employee volunteer activities for forest preservation (tree thinning), woodland preservation and tree planting | ||
| Sponsor nationwide painting contests for elementary and middle school students with a theme of the environment | ||
| MHSC |
From May through October 2010, hosted panel exhibits on biodiversity at 42 branches throughout Japan Established a special biodiversity website through which it collected donations, totaling JPY 2,238,152, to WWF Japan |
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