Biodiversity

Basic Approach

The ANA Group has established the "ANA Group Environmental Policy" and "ANA Group Biodiversity Policy" and considers the achievement of environmental targets and biodiversity conservation as material issues in resolving environmental concerns. In March 2018, as the first Japanese airline to sign the "Buckingham Palace Declaration" aimed at eradicating illegal wildlife trade recommended by IATA, the Group has been strengthening border measures in our transportation business, such as preventing the transportation of invasive species and providing transportation with consideration for the protection of endangered species. We are actively promoting initiatives to protect biodiversity by strengthening border measures within our transportation business.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF*), which includes four goals and 23 targets to be achieved by 2030, was adopted in December 2022. The ANA Group will specifically address the following targets.

  • Global Biodiversity Framework
  • Target 3: Ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 % of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas, are effectively conserved and managed
  • Target 5: Ensure that the use, harvesting and trade of wild species are sustainable, safe and legal
  • Target 8: Minimize the impact of climate change on biodiversity through mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction actions
  • Target 16: Halve global food waste, significantly reduce overconsumption and substantially reduce waste generation

ANA Group Biodiversity Policy

As outlined in our Environmental Policy, the ANA Group recognizes the achievement of environmental targets to resolve environmental issues and the conservation of biodiversity as material issues. In our business activities, we are committed to avoiding or minimizing negative impacts on the natural environment and human rights while actively contributing to the conservation and restoration of the natural environment (Nature Positive).

  1. The ANA Group will evaluate the impact and dependence of its business activities on biodiversity, taking into account the unique characteristics of each region, and disclose this information to society. We will also proactively communicate our Nature Positive initiatives and continuously strive to improve our efforts.
  2. We will comply with the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Buckingham Palace Declaration, which aims to eradicate the illegal wildlife trade. We will also work diligently to prevent the illegal trade of wildlife through air transport and ensure that air transport does not serve as pathways for invasive species that threaten ecosystems, habitats, and species. We will ensure that endangered species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are not utilized in flight-related services, raw materials, or in-flight service items.
  3. Aiming to achieve No Deforestation within our supply chain, we will refrain from sourcing goods from suppliers that cause biodiversity loss or deforestation.
  4. We will promote measures to minimize negative impacts on biodiversity by reducing our environmental footprint and mitigating climate change. Our measures also include the preservation of ecosystems and the prevention of deforestation by minimizing food waste and paper consumption.
  5. We will raise awareness of biodiversity conservation and encourage employee participation in biodiversity conservation activities through education to all our officers and employees.
  6. In addition to group companies collaborating with business partners and suppliers to conserve biodiversity in the course of their business activities, we will actively promote initiatives in partnership with external stakeholders such as governments, local communities, and international NGOs and NPOs.
  • The Policy has been approved by the Board of Directors in July 2023.

Governance

Biodiversity conservation is one of the key ESG management issues for the ANA Group, and we will address this issue under the ESG management promotion system. The Group ESG Management Promotion Committee, chaired by the Chief ESG Promotion Officer (CEPO), who is the chief officer in charge of ESG management promotion and overseen by the President and Representative Director of ANA Holdings, Inc, and the Group ESG Management Promotion Committee discusses and decides on important policies and measures related to environmental issues, including climate change and biodiversity, and monitors progress against targets four times a year. The Board of Directors is tasked with formulating group-wide management policies and targets, including those related to climate change issues, and is responsible for overseeing the management and business execution of Group companies.

Risk Management

Each Group company has established a framework using a risk management cycle (identifying, analyzing, and assessing risk; examining and implementing risk management and reduction measures; and monitoring) to minimize risks. Every year, each Group company conducts a business-specific risk assessment to identify risks. With regard to significant risks identified, necessary measures are taken and their progress, effectiveness, and level of achievement are confirmed and evaluated. For issues including climate-related risk considered as requiring Group-wide approaches, General Administration takes the lead in implementing measures, and their progress is reported to the Group ESG Management Promotion Committee. In addition, matters that need to be reflected in the policies and strategies of the Group are submitted to the Board of Directors.

Major Risks for the ANA Group

  • Safety is compromised and impeded.
  • Effects of infectious diseases
  • Addressing climate change issues
  • Destabilization of global situations
  • Occurrence of system failures
  • Information leaks
  • Human rights risks
  • Intensifying natural disasters
  • Market fluctuations, including exchange rate, oil price and interest rate fluctuations
  • Investment intended to increase competitiveness and achieve new growth
  • Shrinking of existing markets and difficulty in securing workforce due to population decrease
  • Intensifying competition with land transportation

Risk Assessment and Targets

The ANA Group will strive to mitigate the impact of its business activities on biodiversity and promote biodiversity conservation through its business and social contribution activities.

  • SAF:Sustainable Aviation Fuel
ANA Group Environmental Targets FY2030 FY2050
Reduce CO2 emissions
  • Reduce 10% or more compared to FY2019 levels
  • Replace jet fuel to SAF* by 10% or over
Net zero
Reduce Resource Waste Ratio
(Plastics, Paper, etc.)
70%+ reduction
(waste generated vs. FY2019)
Zero waste ratio
Reduce Food Waste Ratio
(Including In-Flight Meals, etc.)
Reduce to less than 3.8% waste ratio Less than 2.3%
  1. Reduction of CO2 emissions mitigates climate change and protects living organisms from disasters. We will reduce CO2 emissions by replacing at least 10% of consumed fuels with SAF by 2030, and by converting almost all fuels to low carbon by 2050. We will avoid impact on biodiversity by purchasing SAF made from raw materials certified by EU and ICAO CORSIA that have minimum negative effects on biodiversity and food production. We will also utilize high-quality carbon offsets that not only address climate change but also contribute to the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity.
  2. Reducing the use of paper resources will also help to halt deforestation, protect the forests that produce oxygen, and conserve the ecosystems that inhabit them. As from May 2020, the ANA Group has introduced paper straws made of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified materials. In addition, starting in April 2020, we have replaced plastic cutlery with FSC certified wooden cutlery, which will reduce the use of disposable plastic by approximately 6 tons, based on our actual use in fiscal year 2019.
  3. To reduce food loss from in-flight meals, we will recycle food waste as fertilizer to reduce the overall waste. We will decrease the degradation of biodiversity through No Deforestation and land use by reducing the application of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
  4. We will strive to maintain and restore biodiversity through the achievement of our environmental goals and will conduct educational activities aimed at eradicating illegal wildlife trade in air transportation.

Initiatives in Business Activities

Avoid, Minimize Minimize, Restore Restore

1. Organizing Seminars to Eradicate Wildlife Trafficking

  • In collaboration with TRAFFIC*1, an NGO dedicated to combating wildlife trafficking, we have been conducting annual knowledge-sharing seminars on border measures since 2018. These seminars utilize training materials supervised by ROUTES*2 to prevent illegal wildlife trade.
    In 2022, we co-hosted the seminar with Narita International Airport Corporation, and it involved the participation of a total of 211 individuals from ANA Group companies, including airport personnel and staff from overseas branches.
  1. *1. TRAFFIC Opens in a new window.In the case of an external site,it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.
  2. *2. ROUTES:Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species
    An international collaborative platform for dealing with criminal activities involving the trafficking of wild animals.

2. Use of SAF

  • Use SAF produced from EU and CORSIA certified raw materials to ensure minimal impact on biodiversity. Contribute to both biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.
  • Carbon recycling involves the separation and recovery of CO2 from emissions generated by industrial facilities. We have established a carbon recycling business model that utilizes renewable energy and hydrogen to produce SAF ensuring that its production avoids any negative impact on biodiversity.

For more information Opens in a new window.In the case of an external site,it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.

3. ANA Group and Sojitz Pla-Net launch recycling operation to reduce the disposal of plastic waste

  • Reduction of resource waste by recycling plastic resources.
  • Reduction of marine pollution and greenhouse gases generated during incineration.
  • Mitigation of marine ecosystem destruction

For more information Opens in a new window.In the case of an external site,it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.

4. Circulating Mechanisms for Food Residues

  • Reduction of waste by recycling food residues
  • Ecological recycling/restoration by avoiding the application of chemical pesticides.

For more information Opens in a new window.In the case of an external site,it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.

5. Restoration of Mandarin Orange Orchard in Ehime prefecture and Green Tourism promotion

  • ANA has undertaken the restoration of an abandoned mandarin orange orchard to address issues such as pest and weed infestation, damage, and disaster risks resulting from the decline in farmland and agricultural land abandonment. Our efforts are focused on establishing a process called, "Production → Processing → Distribution → Sales".
  • We promote green tourism programs through business planning, including monitoring tours and 'work-cation', in collaboration with local governments and farmers.
  • In collaboration with local farmer Ishimaru Farm, we have developed the "Iyokan Tree Owner System" aimed at restoring and revitalizing farmland by planting Iyokan orange trees. The Iyokan oranges harvested from these trees have been utilized in our in-flight dessert offerings, showcasing the farm's restoration efforts.

For more information Opens in a new window.In the case of an external site,it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.

Collaboration with Stakeholders

Participation in the "30by30" Alliance for Biodiversity launched by the Ministry of the Environment

We support the "30 by 30" goal, which aims to effectively conserve at least 30% of the land and oceans as healthy ecosystems by 2030, now sits as "target 3" of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted at COP15.
The "30by30" Alliance for Biodiversity (Japanese only) Opens in a new window.In the case of an external site,it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.
English Outline of Japan's 30 by 30 Roadmap Opens in a new window.In the case of an external site,it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.

Endorsement of the Keidanren Declaration of Biodiversity and Action Guidelines

Since 2016, we have participated in the Keidanren Council for Nature Conservation as a standing committee member company and endorse the Keidanren Biodiversity Declaration Initiative.
Keidanren Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation Opens in a new window.In the case of an external site,it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.

WWF Corporate Member

As a corporate member of WWF Japan since 2022, we support WWF's environmental conservation activities.
WWF JAPAN Opens in a new window.In the case of an external site,it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.

Minimize, Restore

Team Tyura Sango
(Japanese only)  Opens in a new window.In the case of an external site,it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.

Coral conservation in Onna village, Okinawa prefecture
(since2004)
With the support of the Ministry of the Environment, Okinawa Prefecture, and Onna Village, we have been holding coral seedling planting programs and educational events in and outside of Okinawa Prefecture with local stakeholders. The program aims to protect coral from bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures and starfish infestation and to conserve and restore the marine ecosystem. By 2022, 4,177 participants planted 17,839 corals.
Minimize, Restore
ANA Kokoro-no-Mori Project
(since 2012)
With the aim of supporting the reconstruction of Minamisanriku Town and the preservation of local forests, we not only plant trees, but also work to protect the living organisms that inhabit them and preserve the ecosystem through appropriate thinning and forest road maintenance. Wood from forest thinning is commercialized and sold at a local factory, which also provides employment for those responsible for forest maintenance and product production. In 2020, the company will be presented with an FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council®) model aircraft, and it is engaged in activities while deepening exchanges with local residents.
Minimize, Restore
Prevention and Extermination of Invasive Species in "Yambaru National Park"
(since 2017)
In cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment, Kunigami Village, and Ogimi Village, we are implementing emergency measures to control invasive alien species (Tsuruhiyodori and American Hamaguruma) in the Tagari area of Ogimi Village, within the "Yanbaru National Park. Under the guidance of rangers from the Ministry of the Environment, we aim to conserve and restore the ecosystems of native plants, which are declining due to the proliferation of non-native species, and rare animals such as the Okinawa rail, which inhabits the area.
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