Five forests of the "Mitsui's Forests"—company-owned forests nationwide by Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Kenichi Hori; hereinafter "the Company")—have been certified as "Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site." (3rd batch of Fiscal Year 2025) under the Act on the Promoting Activities to Enhance Regional Biodiversity.

In this certification, the five forests have been recognized as initiatives that meet all nine value criteria for Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site., which encompass biodiversity, ecosystem services, rare species, cultural value, and Continuity/connectivity.

Regarding this certification, Kiyotaki Forest (Kyoto Prefecture) and Kaname Forest (Yamagata Prefecture) were certified through a transition from an existing system, while the Ishii Forest, Soya Forest (both in Hokkaido), and Tashiro Forest (Fukushima Prefecture) received new certifications.

Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site program is a government certification system that recognizes private-sector initiatives for the conservation, restoration, and creation of biodiversity. And certified areas are registered in international databases as OECMs (Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures). As a result, our initiatives based on the above nine value criteria are evaluated within an internationally recognized framework and positioned as contributing to the "30 by 30" target-a global conservation goal set by the government.

For our company, this certification signifies that the multifaceted value of forests as natural capital has been recognized not only under domestic systems but also in accordance with common value standards that can be shared with the international community.

By maximizing the value of our forests while leveraging the unique characteristics of each forest, and by maintaining and enhancing forest functions, we will lead an enhancement of Japan's forest value in a manner consistent with international conservation goals, thereby contributing to the realization of a sustainable society.