JPA’s Committed Action Plan on the Environment
The Japan Paper Association
Established
January 20, 1997
Revised
September 20, 1999
January 22, 2001
November 22, 2004
December 20, 2005
March 20, 2007
September 20, 2007
December 20, 2007
May 20, 2008

Currently, we are facing the environmental problems as typified by global warming
problems. Unlike the past pollution problems, these problems, caused by a wide varietyof activities including our daily life, have wide-reaching impacts and cannot be resolved
by individual countries or regions. Furthermore, we are urged to achieve sustainable
development to meet the needs of both current and future generations. All people musttake action against the limit of resources and environment that may bring humanity tothe brink of disaster in the near future.
Based on the recognition of the necessity and effectiveness of voluntary and active
efforts by all elements of society against resources and environment problems, the Japan
Paper Association has established its Committed Action Plan on Environment. The
action plan is designed in response to The Appeal on the Environment established byKeidanren (Japan Business Federation) in 1996, and focuses on the long-term objectives– environmentally sound material cycle, harmonious coexistence, participation andinternational activities – stated in the Basic Environment plan established by the Cabinet
decision in 1994.

Basic Policy
1. Make utmost efforts including international activities towards solving global
warming problems.
2. Strive for the establishment of a recycling society that protects the environment anduses the resources in a sustainable and effective manner.
3. Work toward the further development and spread of an environmental management
system.

Action Plan
1.

Measures against Global Warming
Basic measures against global warming by the pulp and paper industry are CO2
emission reduction through energy saving and energy conversion from fossil energy
to alternative energy such as renewable energy, and the promotion of cyclical use ofcarbon such as increasing CO2 absorption and storage by forests.
The Japanese pulp and paper industry has been promoting effective use of energy.
In the industry, waste liquor (black liquor) generated in the pulping process
accounts for 30% of total energy consumption. In addition, the combined heat andpower (CHP) system which uses high pressure steam generated from a boiler in thepower generation is widely used in the industry, as it uses middle and low pressure
steam in the papermaking process. The industry’s electricity self-sufficiency is thehighest of all industries with 73% in 2006.
Furthermore, the industry has been promoting the introduction of energy-saving
paper machines and the use of recovered paper instead of mechanical pulp since thefirst oil crisis in 1973. As a result, gross energy consumption per unit production in2001 decreased by 45% from 1973.
(1) Participants in the JPA’s Committed Action Plan (hereafter referred to as “theparticipants”) are committed to reducing fossil energy consumption per unit
and fossil energy-derived CO2 emission per unit on a five-year average basis
from fiscal 2008 to fiscal 2012 by 20% and 16%, respectively, from the level offiscal 1990 through making the following efforts:
z Actively introducing energy-saving equipment and system.
z Improving energy conversion efficiency through promoting introduction ofa CHP system and of energy-use efficiency by decreasing and recovering
ejected energy.
z Promoting the use of fossil energy alternatives such as waste wood andrefuse paper and plastic fuel (RPF).
z Promoting efficient use of combustible waste including paper sludge andrecovered paper pulp residue.
z Advancing the research and development of energy saving technology andequipment.
In addition to the above-mentioned efforts at each mill, the participants arecommitted to actively making the following efforts:
z Improving the modal shift rate and transportation efficiency in primarytransportation from mill to market, and promoting rationalization of thedelivery system in the market.
z Strengthening energy saving efforts at the head office, branch office andresearch institute.
(2) Afforestation and forest maintenance are of crucial importance from thestandpoints of not only ensuring raw material for pulp and paper, but alsomeasures against global warming, and require continuous efforts. JPA, as amember of the forest industry, is committed to the continuous promotion of

afforestation at home and abroad and expansion of the afforestation area to 700
thousand hectares by fiscal 2012, ending March 31 2013.
(3) Promoting the use of thinned wood is expected to improve forest maintenancethrough expanding thinning practice, which will contribute to achieving 3.8%
CO2 reduction through forest sink stated in the Kyoto Protocol Target
Achievement Plan of Japan, as well as efficient use of resources andrevitalization of rural communities. For this reason, JPA member companies arecommitted to making active efforts to increase the use of thinned wood, incooperation with forest owners, lumber companies and woodchip companies
that are working toward reducing thinning cost and ensuring stable supply ofthinned wood.

2. Building a Zero-Waste Economy and Society(1) From the standpoints of CO2 absorption and storage, promoting cyclical use ofcarbon, and maintaining biodiversity, the participants are committed to thepromotion of conservation of forest resources and shift towards the use ofplanted trees through the following efforts:z Promoting afforestation practice.
z Promoting environmentally-balanced forestry practice and development offorest technology.
z Promoting the efficient use of sustainably harvested wood.
z Never handling illegally-sourced wood and wood products.
- JPA shall set the action guidelines for illegal logging issues and audit
member companies to enhance the credibility of their efforts.
- Each participant is committed to setting its raw material procurement
policy and developing the verifying system to procure and use
legally-sourced wood.
(2) In order to promote environment conservation such as reduction of waste
generation and forest conservation, the participants are committed to achieving
62% of the recovered paper utilization rate by fiscal 2010 through increasing
the recovery and use of recovered paper by making the following efforts:z Development of new recovered paper-based products.
z Promoting recycling of recovered paper generated from business offices.
z Advancing R&D of recycled paper products and recycling technology.
(3) The participants are committed to reducing final disposal of industrial waste to450 thousand tons on a wet weight basis by fiscal 2010 through curbing thegeneration and promoting efficient use of them through the following efforts:z Expanding recycling of industrial waste through strengthening cooperation
with other industries.
z Further reduction of disposal volume.
z Research and study of new use of industrial waste.
(4) The participants are committed to reducing final disposal of industrial waste
and achieving more than 93% of effective utilization rate of industrial waste byfiscal 2010.(*)* Effective utilization rate is calculated using the following formula:Effective utilization rate = (industrial waste generation – final disposal) /industrial waste generation (on a wet weight basis)(5) The participants are committed to strengthening measures against environment
risks caused by trace chemical substances.
(6) The participants are committed to taking action guided by a global perspective
but start from what is closest at hand.
z Each participant is committed to being actively involved in environmental
activities in the local community and to practice what it can, no matter howsmall.
3. Building and Diffusion of Environment Management System
In addition to compliance with environmental regulation, the participants arecommitted to developing, implementing and accessing an environment management
plan to reduce environmental burdens at all stages of business activities from raw
material procurement to manufacturing, use and disposal of products. The
participants are committed to the incorporation of environmental consciousness into
their business judgment and actively address environmental issues as business asusual.
4. Environmental Consciousness in Overseas Operations
The participants are committed to complying with the “Ten Points EnvironmentalGuidelines” contained in the Keidanren Global Environment Chapter and actively
conduct environmentally-friendly business operations in their overseas operations.

(Annex)
Revision history
1.

Revision on September 20, 1999
As Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) requires all industries that establishedtheir own committed action plan on the environment to set the reduction target for
final disposal volume of industrial waste, JPA revised the target as follows:-Initial target: Reduce final disposal per ton product (bone-dry weight basis) by60% from the level of 1990.
-Revised target: Reduce final disposal of industrial waste (wet weight basis) to 450
thousand tons.

2.

Revision on January 22, 2001
JPA revised the target for the recovered paper utilization rate from “achieve 56%by fiscal 2000” to “achieve 60% by fiscal 2005”.

3.

Revision on November 22, 2004
In the Japanese pulp and paper industry, reduction of CO2 emission intensity had
made little progress because it had promoted fuel conversion to coal in line with thepost-oil policy. Therefore, before the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, JPA
strengthened measures against global warming as follows with the main aim of
reducing CO2 emission intensity:- Initial targets:(1) Reduce fossil energy consumption per ton product by 10% from the level offiscal 1990.
(2) Expand afforestation area at home and abroad to 550 thousand hectares by2010.
- Revised targets:(1) Reduce fossil energy consumption per ton product and fossil energy-derived
CO2 emission per ton product by 13% and 10%, respectively, from the levelof fiscal 1990.
(2) Expand afforestation area at home and abroad to 600 thousand hectares by
fiscal 2010.

4.

Revision on December 20, 2005
JPA revised the target for the recovered paper utilization rate from “achieve 60% byfiscal 2005” to “achieve 62% by 2010”.

5.

Revision on March 20, 2007
JPA added its measures against illegal logging to the Action Plan after the Japanese
government implemented its procurement policy that they would not use illegallysourced wood and wood products.

6.

Revision on September 20, 2007
Before the start of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, JPA again
revised the targets for energy reduction and afforestation area to strengthen its
global warming measures:- Revised targets:(1) On a five-year average basis from 2008 to 2012, reduce fossil energy
consumption per ton product and fossil energy-derived CO2 emission per ton
product by 20% and 16%, respectively, from the level of fiscal 1990.
(2) Expand afforestation area at home and abroad to 700 thousand hectares by
fiscal 2012.

7.

Revision on December 20, 2007
In addition to the target of reducing the volume of final disposal of industrial waste,
JPA established its own target as follows:z Achieve more than 93% of the effective utilization rate of industrial waste byfiscal 2010(*).
* Effective utilization rate is calculated using the following formula:
Effective utilization rate = (industrial waste generation – final disposal) /industrial waste generation (on a wet weight basis)

8.

Revised in May 20, 2008
With the start of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, JPA added thesection on promoting the use of thinned wood to the Action Plan to help achieve
3.8% CO2 reduction through forest sink stated in the Kyoto Protocol Target
Achievement Plan of Japan.