HOME > Corporate Social Responsibility > Division CSR Activities > Real Estate Development & Forest Products
Building Businesses Meeting Social Needs
The Real Estate Development & Forest Products Division’s value chain, which ranges from procuring forest products to building and operating real estate properties, plays an important role. Greater awareness of environmental issues and in Japan, problems with falsification of earthquake-resistance strength data in new buildings, have made the public more demanding as far as reliability is concerned and we aim to build businesses meeting the needs of society. The Real Estate Development Unit has actively adopted third-party certification to evaluate buildings for durability and comfort, and CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency), a system for evaluating all buildings’ environmental efficiency, carried out by a research organization under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, to ensure safety and environmental conservation.
The Forest Product Unit is promoting use of renewable wood resources. When procuring timber and wood products we place a priority on sustainability and legality and also pay attention to environmental conservation. Appropriate fractional management of these resources allows consumers to participate indirectly in preserving the world’s forests.
The Real Estate Development and Forest Products Division aims to meet consumers’ varied needs while being environmentally responsible and at the same time working to make life safer and more enjoyable.
Energy-saving with Next-generation All-electric Homes
All-electric system condominium IMPREST Yokohama Tsurugamine
Sojitz’s real estate development unit pioneered the use of all-electric systems using electricity as the sole power source for heating and cooling, hot water supply and cooking in the condominiums it supplies. We believe that living in a “green,” energy- saving way and being eco-friendly and economical at the same time requires the judicious adoption of cutting-edge technology for facilities and systems. Customers who live in our condominiums employing our advanced all-electric systems—safe and clean IH (induction heating) cookers, natural refrigerant heat pump hot water systems drawing heat from the air and powered by money-saving off-peak hours electricity—appreciate living comfortably, economically and in harmony with the environment.
Japan Building Materials Mall Helping to Expand Business
The Japan Building Materials Mall, operated jointly by Sojitz Building Materials Corporation with its Chinese consultant YZJ Investment & Management Co. Ltd., is inviting a second round of tenants to exhibit their products. Showroom space has been expanded to attract more exhibitors and the center offers full support to exhibiting firms wishing to establish themselves in China, helping with distribution of their products. By having more exhibitors, Sojitz hopes to stimulate synergy for effectively showcasing high-quality Japanese products in the Chinese market. YZJ Investment & Management Co. Ltd. also has a business partnership with Shanghai COSCO Property Management & Development Co., a group company of major ocean shipping company China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO), an arrangement expected to lead to more opportunities for using exhibitors’ products in the Chinese market.
Boosting Demand for Forest-certified Products
Afforested plantation in the Solomon Islands
Sojitz was the first Japanese company to obtain exclusive sales rights to lumber from afforested plantations in the Solomon Islands with International Forest Certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), from British lumber company Kolombangara Forest Products Ltd. (KFPL). We also obtained Chain of Custody (CoC) certification from the FSC and regularly supply certified forest products to plywood makers in Japan.
As Japan’s largest seller of raw wood in the industry, Sojitz will handle more forest-certified products from forests responsibly managed to ensure sustainability, in order to expand demand for lumber grown and harvested in an environment-friendly manner.
