## Figure3-3-4 Efforts on Biodiversity in Redevelopment Project Efforts on biodiversity in a redevelopment project in the Toranomon/Roppongi District First Class City Urbanization Area

The project contributes to the conservation and recovery of biodiversity in the following points:

1. Green space based on native species and potential natural vegetation: Restore regional vegetation in the planned area

*Main native species: Castanopsis sieboldii, Machilus thunbergii, Quercus glauca Thunb, Styrax japonica, Benthamidia japonica, etc.

2. Large green spaces: Enhanced green effect and better connection with surrounding areas

3. Sterical green spaces with the high green coverage ratio:

Contribute to improved habitats for living organisms

4. Special components of the environment: Consideration for components of the environment such as deadwood, tree hollows and fallen leaves

Source: Mori Building Co., Ltd.

Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI).” As of December 2009, over 1,100 local governments from 68 countries of the world participate in ICLEI. ICLEI is designed for cooperation among local governments on key themes such as prevention of climate change, comprehensive water management, conservation of biodiversity, building of sustainable local communities and sustainability management, and its activities are guided by the belief that measures developed by local governments are the highly cost-effective way to realize sustainability at the local, national and global level. COP9 held in Bonn, Germany, in 2008 adopted a decision on the promotion of engagement of cities and local authorities, the first of its kind, recognizing the importance of roles of cities and local governments under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

New attempts are under consideration in Japan concerning cities and biodiversity. The City of Nagoya is considering the introduction of a mechanism for conserving forests in suburban private land by administering the city planning system in exchange for the easing of the floor-space ratio for buildings in urban areas.

Among private-sector companies, for example, in open space planning for an urban redevelopment project, a

## 3 Lifestyles mindful of biodiversity

## (1) Consideration for biodiversity by choice of manufactured products and food

As discussed above, most of resources and materials essential for our clothing, food and housing are supplied as ecosystem services provided by ecosystems. In this subsection, we describe what we can as consumers. First of all, it is fundamentally necessary to obtain ecosystem services in a sustainable manner that does not disrupt the reproduction function of ecosystem services, as they are provided as renewable services in natural cycles. According to a public opinion survey conducted by the Cabinet Office in 2009, the ratio of people who cited developer launched an initiative to restore nature, the first of its kind in Japan, by paying full heed to native species and potential natural vegetation based on a survey of existing conditions and literature searching. This redevelopment project has been assigned the highest rating of AAA based on an objective quantitative evaluation by the Japan Habitat Evaluation and Certification Program (JHEP), a third-party organization (Figure 3-3-4). JHEP was introduced as a Japanese version of the Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP), a method for a quantitative assessment of the natural environment from the standpoint of wildlife habitat developed by the U.S. Department of the Interior in the 1980s. The HEP, noted for its high objectivity and reproducibility as well as for its excellence as an easy-to-understand consensus-building tool, is widely used for environment impact assessment and nature restoration projects in the United States. Separately, as of the end of March 2010, a total of 33 sites have been recognized as the excellent green space actively conserved and utilized by companies and other entities under “the Social and Environmental Green Evaluation System (SEGES)”, helping to motivate and strengthen green conservation activities.

“prioritized purchases of environment-friendly products” as efforts for biodiversity-friendly lifestyles stood at a low 26%, underscoring the need to promote the spread of products that pay due heed to biodiversity (Figure 3-35). Next, we introduce sustainable production initiatives and our choices as consumers regarding timber, fisheries resources and agricultural products.

Japan’s domestic demand for timber amounted to 77.97 million cubic meters in 2008, of which about 76% was met by imports. Timber is imported mainly from North America, Southeast Asia, Russia, Europe and Australia. In Indonesia, for example, about 1.90 million hectares (equivalent to the area of Shikoku) of forests are lost per year due to forest fires and illegal logging. One of things