>Please note that JavaScript and style sheet are used in this website,
Due to unadaptability of the style sheet with the browser used in your computer, pages may not look as original.
Even in such a case, however, the contents can be used safely.
Kangaroo Island's NEC Forest is at the centre of the NEC Corporation's global commitment to cancel out its global CO2 emissions within three years.
The forest is part of a worldwide NEC tree-planting program designed to absorb 1 million tonnes of CO2 over 20 years as NEC works to achieve its 2010 goal to reduce to zero the emissions of CO2 from its manufacturing activities and its customers' use of its products.
Mr.Iwasa （left） and Mr.Rann
The Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann, today planted the 700,000th tree at Kangaroo Island's NEC Forest after inspecting the forest with NEC executives, including the Chief Manager of NEC Corporation's environment division, Ryosuke Ugo, and the Managing Director of NEC Australia, Toshiharu Iwasa.
The computer, communication and electronic products and services giant started planting trees on three failed or marginal farming properties just five years ago.
Mr Iwasa said NEC was pleased to join and support the South Australian Government's forest initiative.
"We have achieved much and learnt a lot in our first five years on Kangaroo Island," said Mr Iwasa.
"NEC congratulates Premier Rann and his Government for their native forest initiative and we are proud to join and support it.
Once we finish planting our Island properties, we will look to establish more forests on the mainland.
"NEC shares with the Kangaroo Island community a strong commitment to make sure that what we do is good for this wonderful Island and people and its flora and fauna."
NEC has committed to protect all virgin forest and scrub on its properties, to plant trees that are indigenous to the Island, such as sugar gums, acacias and casuarinas, to maintain firebreaks to adjoining farmland and employ local people to manage a ‘greening' project to industry best practice standards.
As part of its environmental push, NEC also has a website – www.ecotonoha.com – to connect the virtual world to the real world. It enables anyone to plant a tree on the NEC Forest Kangaroo Island – real trees are planted on the Island according to the number of messages posted on the site.
"The NEC Forest project creates great interest in Japan," said Mr Iwasa.
"Many of NEC employees from Japan visit here to plant trees and learn about Australia. They take home an enormous affection for Kangaroo Island and Australia."
Mr Iwasa said NEC would maintain all its forests for a decade after planting ends.
"When completed, the volume of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide absorbed by our plantations could reach an average of 55,000 tonnes a year," said Mr Iwasa.
"It is equivalent to taking 13,600 vehicles off the road or heating 25,400 homes for a year."
Mr Iwasa said carbon offset initiatives were but one part of a responsible and comprehensive environmental plan for sustainable manufacturing.
"Sustainable manufacturing, strong environmental protocols and initiatives such as NEC Forest are indispensable to NEC's bottom line and business mentality," he said.
"It permeates the way we think, invent and make our products and has done so for almost 40 years."
NEC's environmental commitment to South Australia matches a commercial commitment that began more than 20 years ago with the establishment of what is now one the State's largest communications and information technology provider to business, government and the community.
NEC has become a significant employer and provider of training opportunities for South Australians.
Related site
Related link
