Initiatives

Reducing CO₂ emissions in business activities

Preserving forests and gardens owned by the company

Fujita Kanko owns about 763 hectares of forests and gardens throughout Japan and contributes to the absorption of CO₂ by preserving nature. In addition, Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo works to preserve the groundwater and trees in its garden, which it has taken care of for many years. Thanks to the hotel's effort, fireflies hover over the clear streams of the garden every summer, and the charming sight has become a seasonal tradition.

Ecological room cleaning "Hotel de Eco" (WHG Hotels)

With the understanding and cooperation of our guests, we provide eco-cleaning of guest rooms (simple cleaning that only consists of disposing of garbage, changing towels, and restocking amenities) for those who stay two or more nights. We work together with our customers to reduce CO₂ emissions by reducing the amount of energy used during cleaning.

Using hot spring heat (Hakone Kowakien)

We have reduced the amount of fuel spent on heating boilers by using some of the water from the hot spring as a source for heat pump water heaters, exchanging heat with hot springs, and then using it to heat up the hot springs. Water from the heated hot springs and the hot springs used in the heat exchange are distributed to nearby hotels and apartments.

Installment of cogeneration systems (Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, Hakone Kowakien, Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo's South Building)

We have installed a cogeneration system that uses waste heat left over from generating power for heating, cooling, and hot water, thereby reducing CO₂ emissions and ensuring that no energy goes to waste. It also provides a reliable reserve power supply for the sake of disaster prevention and safety loads in the event of an emergency such as an earthquake or fire. Because of that, we are prepared to respond to emergency situations according to our Business Continuity Plan (BCP).

Reducing waste and promoting recycling of resources

The spirit to use up the ingredients and let nothing go to waste (Hakujukan hotel of Eiheiji Temple)

Hakujukan, located in front of the gate to the Eiheiji Temple, follows a teaching by Tenzo Goroshi of Daihonzan Eiheiji Temple: "Bear in mind that we cook with the precious life of the ingredients, and use up that life without any waste." Putting that teaching into practice, we try to use up all of our ingredients in our cooking while wasting as little as possible. For example, we use vegetable scraps to make soup stock and take leftover trimmings of ingredients such as mushrooms, chop them up, and use them as ingredients for fried tofu fritters.

Efforts to reduce food waste

As a provider of meals at many establishments, we recognize reducing food waste as an important issue, and put up posters and promote the "3010 Movement" (which encourages party guests to enjoy food in the first 30 minutes and last 10 minutes of the party to reduce food waste) throughout the company. Some of our hotels sell leftover food from the breakfast buffet through the food sharing app TABETE to users who empathize with TABETE's goals and need that food.

Use of biocompost (kitchen waste disposal) (Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu, Yunessun)

Instead of burning kitchen waste that is left over from kitchens and restaurants on a daily basis, we liquefy them using the power of biology. By setting up compost, we eliminate the CO₂ emissions from transporting and burning the waste.

Collecting empty room amenity bottles (Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo)

In support of L'Occitane's Green Program,^* Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo has begun collecting and recycling previously disposed amenity bottles ahead of all hotels nationwide.
* Green Program: A program that allows customers to return empty containers (plastic, glass, aluminum) for designated products at L'Occitane stores in exchange for points. Its tagline is "Let's recycle to do beautiful things for Earth."

Conserving biodiversity and local environments

Reducing use of plastic products (company-wide)

In 2019, we reduced the number of plastic straws used in our hotels, restaurants, banquet halls, and other facilities by approximately 600,000 by switching to straws made of paper or biodegradable plastic.^* We are making similar considerations for all hotel amenities.
* We can provide plastic straws with special shapes, such as bendable straws, at the guest's request.

Conserving the environment and recycling resources at golf courses (Camellia Hills Country Club)

We convert some of the cut grass, leaves, branches, trees, and other debris from golf courses into compost instead of throwing them away. This way, we recycle resources and help grow grass and trees. We also scatter wood chips on sidewalks and woods in order to prevent mud from spreading in rough weather and make the courses move convenient for players to use.
* The golf courses are home to a variety of flora and fauna, and are part of our contributions to the conservation of the local environment.

Nesting surveys of sea turtles (Shimoda Aquarium)

Since 1991, we have conducted surveys on the nesting habits of loggerhead sea turtles, the only one of its kind that nests in Honshu. Since 2014, when the loggerhead sea turtle was designated as an endangered species of wild fauna and flora in Shizuoka Prefecture, we have been commissioned by the prefectural government to conduct nesting surveys and activities to protect and monitor nesting sites. The nesting surveys are conducted as part of classes with local elementary schools and are part of our environmental education activities for local residents.

Offering Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee (WHG Hotels, Camellia Hills Country Club)

The Rainforest Alliance Certification is given to products that use raw materials supplied by farms that meet specific requirements on conserving forests and ecosystems, conserving soil and water, and improving work environments.
This coffee is available in guest rooms of WHG Hotels and the Camellia Hills Country Club's restaurant.

Raising employees' awareness of SDGs

Promoting actions toward SDGs from the bottom up

In order to broaden our employees' understanding of sustainability, all of our establishments are promoting actions toward SDGs from the bottom up. Each establishment's initiatives are reported to the SDGs Committee, and the president recognizes good efforts once a year.

Correspondence education for employees

As part of our employees' correspondence education, we offer several courses on SDGs and provide subsidies for the lecture fees. We will continue to improve our courses on sustainability while supporting our employees in understanding the correlation between business and the environment. We also aim to make use of the courses when providing services to our customers, communicating with business partners, and building relationships.

Endorsing "Fun to Share"

"Fun to Share" is a campaign promoted by the Ministry of the Environment that addresses climate change with the goal of having fun sharing the latest knowledge with everyone and creating a low-carbon society. We supported its predecessor, "Challenge 25 Campaign"—which was the nationwide promotional campaign to fight global warming—and also the "Akari Mirai Keikaku," the "Minna de Setsuden Action!", and other decarbonization actions. By endorsing these initiatives and making announcements on our website and through other media, we educate employees about the efforts they can easily make at work and at home.

Disclosure based on TCFD