Driven by a commitment to pass on a flourishing natural environment to future generations, Honda is actively involved in watershed preservation programs characterized by the participation of associates and their family members as volunteers in order to enrich the forests that bless the regions where the company operates worksites and leave them intact for future generations.
This series of activities began with Community Forest initiatives launched in 1976 in accordance with founder Soichiro Honda's green belt philosophy, which rejected the creation of concrete walls that would completely block off Honda sites from the surrounding communities. Based on our belief that cultivating true forests around worksites is a good way to fulfill this philosophy, we have planted tree species that are indigenous to each region.
The benefits of forests go beyond their ability to soothe the human heart. Starting with the reduction of CO2 emissions, trees offer blessings for humans that no concrete wall could ever deliver: watershed forests at the sources of rivers facilitate the flow of water by storing it up, and tree growth stabilizes the ground to help prevent disasters. Forests also serve as an environmental barometer that warns us of impending problems by withering when their environment deteriorates.
This section introduces Honda's Community Forest initiatives, which strive to cultivate healthy forests that provide enormous blessing to communities and their residents, and the watershed preservation activities that the company is pursuing in various regions based on that philosophy.