Biodiversity
'Nature Positive' Initiatives at Canon

Canon Marketing Japan
Furusato Project—Linking Our Dream to the Future

In Japan, Canon promotes an environmental conservation and environmental education project known as the Furusato Project—Linking Our Dream to the Future, with the aim of passing on a beautiful, verdant, and biologically diverse furusato (hometown) for future generations to enjoy.

Shimomaruko HQ and Kawasaki Office
Donation to Support the Protection of Nara Deer

We donated a total of 31.8 kg of collected acorns and other nuts from the premises of our Shimomaruko and Kawasaki offices to a Nara deer conservation group. The donation helps provide feed for the deer, which are designated as a national natural monument. Through this effort, we support the protection and growth of Nara's deer population and contribute to a community where people and deer live in harmony.

Yako, Kosugi, Tamagawa, and Kawasaki Offices
Catfish Growth and Development Support Through Charity

A rare gold-colored catfish has been found in the Tama River and is being protected by a Kawasaki-based NPO. Canon takes part in events run by this NPO and utilizes its products to provide charity printing services for participants. By donating the funds obtained through this charity, Canon is supporting the growth and development of catfish and contributing to ecosystem maintenance and management.

Canon Finetech Nisca
Encouraging Growth and Development of Beetles by Utilizing Waste Wood

Wood that has become unneeded when conducting greening work on the grounds of the Masuho Plant is pulverized and turned into chips, and utilized as beetle bedding material. The softwood used for these chips contains components that drive away mites, which are parasitic to insects. Thus, it forms a comfortable growth and development environment for beetles. Some years, as many as 20 to 30 adult beetles emerge.

Canon Medical Systems/Canon Electron Tubes & Devices
Surveys into Butterflies, Insects, and Plants

We periodically carry out surveys into the state of the habitats of the creatures that live on our premises. We have confirmed two species of butterflies--the Leptalina unicolor and the Eurema laeta--both of which are included in Tochigi Prefecture's Red Data Book. Apart from butterflies, we also verified the presence of Japanese stag beetles and Japanese rhinoceros beetles.

Oita Canon
Forest of Crabs

Situated on the premises of our Kitsuki Office, the "Forest of Crabs" is home to red-clawed crabs. We regularly clean the Forest of Crabs to manage its environment. Every year, just after the end of the rainy season, between five and ten crabs appear.

Fukushima Canon
Rice Terrace Ecosystem Restoration Project

At the "Forest of Birds" located in Fukushima City, we are working together with forest staff to restore the rice terraces located there. These rice terraces used to be home to species of dragonflies and benthic organisms that are rare in Japan. However, when Typhoon Hagibis struck in October 2019, an accumulation of earth and sand wiped out their habitats. Following continued efforts to restore these rice terraces, we have been able to confirm the presence of insects and frogs--an indication of the ecosystem being steadily recovered.

Miyazaki Canon
Beach Clean-ups

Many of our employees actively help clean up coastal regions designated by Miyazaki Prefecture as a natural monument, since they are egg-laying grounds for loggerhead sea turtles.

Fukushima Canon
Planting Coastal Disaster Prevention Forests

Fukushima Prefecture is recruiting NPOs and companies to take part in tree-planting initiatives as a symbol of the region's recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. The initiatives aim to safeguard the state of local disaster prevention forests, while educating younger generations about the impact of the immense tsunami that struck in the aftermath of the earthquake. Fukushima Canon has taken part in these initiatives in Minamisoma City since 2018. Every year, employees and their families plant Japanese black pine saplings to help restore the coastal disaster prevention forests.

Canon Optron
Biotopes

We created Tsumugi Pond in 2021 and a small river in 2023 as biotopes for wild birds and other creatures. These biotopes not only serve to protect biodiversity, but also function as places of relaxation that contribute to the symbiosis with our company members and the local community.

Ami and Toride Plants, Canon Ecology Industry, Canon Semiconductor Equipment, and Canon Mold
Environmental Management Activities at Firefly Nosato Park, Home to Fireflies

Together with the members of the Jitsukoku Kinrin Park Firefly Association, we carry out year-round activities aimed at creating environments for fireflies to inhabit. Our activities include weeding and ridding crayfish, which are natural predators of fireflies.

CANON ELECTRONICS
Sheep Maintain Green Areas on Plant Premises

We keep sheep to get rid of weeds around the solar panels installed at Akagi Plant. The animals help us manage our green areas without having to resort to chemicals, which negatively impact the environment. The sheep have encouraged interactions with the local community, since children from nearby nurseries and kindergartens come to observe the animals.

Ueno Canon Materials
Activities to Protect a Prefectural Natural Monument

We are engaged in efforts to conserve and protect a colony of Iris ensata var. spontanea (Japanese iris) that is designated as a Prefectural Natural Monument of Mie Prefecture. We began participating in these activities as a company in 2021 to protect this precious colony, which blooms in former paddy fields over an area of approximately 2,500m². Starting at the end of the Golden Week vacation period in early May , employees work by hand twice per week to remove grasses and non-native weed species that threaten the growth of Iris ensata var. spontanea. These continued efforts are contributing to nature conservation in the region.

Canon Anelva
Bird Box Making by Employees

We support employee participation in the making of bird boxes as part of environmental conservation activities. To raise awareness of these activities, we share simple bird box making methods and images of boxes actually being made through internal communication channels. Completed boxes are also exhibited at workplaces, making the importance of biodiversity more widely known through the example of living in harmony with wild birds. Employees who make and install bird boxes are contributing to the conservation of bird habitats and raising awareness of protecting nature.

Fukui Canon Materials
Local Woodland Conservation Through Oak Seedling Cultivation and Tree Planting

We are a partner company in a project operated by Fukui City to collect acorns on Mt. Asuwa, raise them from seedlings, then replant them as trees on the same mountain.
Since we began participating in 2022, we have successfully planted nine trees to date. This contribution to the conservation of satoyama (managed woodlands near human settlements) helps to protect local ecosystems, including endangered species such as Japanese luehdorfia butterflies.

Oita Canon
Oita Salamander Conservation Activities

The pond located within Canon's premises is home to the Oita Salamander, a species native to Oita Prefecture. The company engages in conservation efforts while weeding and cleaning the pond. In May, the pond comes alive with Genji fireflies and many other wildlife.

Canon Semiconductor Equipment
Channel Catfish Fishing Tournament

The channel catfish, a designated invasive species, has proliferated in Lake Kasumigaura, causing a drastic decline in native species and negatively impacting the ecosystem. Canon called upon its group companies in Ibaraki Prefecture to organize a channel catfish fishing tournament to control the population through fishing. The caught fish are collected by Ibaraki Prefecture and reused as feed for farmed fish and livestock.

Group companies
Conservation of Local Ecosystem Through Extermination of Invasive Species

Invasive species have impacts on local ecosystems and could pose a threat to native species. In order to maintain the balance of ecosystems and promote a healthy life cycle, we are working toward the extermination of invasive species (plants) growing around company grounds and the local area.

Group companies
Phenological Monitoring

Canon Group companies participate in phenological monitoring activities organized by the National Institute for Environmental Studies, in cooperation with the Japan Meteorological Agency and the Ministry of the Environment. Employees report the days on which different species of wild birds or insects on their premises make their first calls, and on which different plants first flower.

Group companies
Company Premises are Home to Endangered Species and Native Species

On our premises, we observe endangered species. For example, the golden orchid (kinran) designated as a category II (Vulnerable) can be found on the premises of Canon Chemicals in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, while the narrow-leaved helleborine on the grounds of Ayase Plant in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Canon Canada
Branch Out

Canon Canada's Branch Out Program gives employees at all levels the opportunity to help create green spaces and sustainable environments in their local communities.

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Canon Canada
Support for the Care of Injured and Sick Wildlife

Canon Canada has been partnered with the National Wildlife Centre (NWC) to help care for sick and injured native wildlife through programs aimed at conservation goals to protect ecosystems, populations of wild animals, and the health of individual animals. The funds also contribute to the construction of facilities for conservation, wildlife clinical research, wildlife medicine, training, and education. Canon Canada is also the official photography and videography partner of NWC, providing professional services to document wildlife cases and signature events.

Canon Canada
Support for Urban Farming

Canon Canada has partnered with MicroHabitat, which provides urban farming solutions to schools and corporations across Canada. The first urban farm supported by Canon Canada is set up at Gadbois Alternative School in Montreal. Eleven employees participated and prepared the garden so that students could easily plant flowers, herbs and vegetables. The farm is 100% chemical-free and pollinator-friendly, and the fruits and vegetables harvested are donated to schools and people in need.

Canon U.S.A.
Eyes on Yellowstone

Canon U.S.A. donates products and funds to Yellowstone Forever, the official nonprofit partner of the globally renowned Yellowstone National Park in U.S.A. to support surveillance activities targeting endangered wildlife species.
The Canon Eyes on Yellowstone program allows Yellowstone's scientists and managers to break new ground in conservation, endangered species protection, and the application of cutting-edge science and technology to park wildlife and ecosystem management.
The data collected from these projects have educated and inspired millions of people around the world. Eyes on Yellowstone enriches the visitor experience—real and virtual—and encourages the public to become more involved in national parks and, more broadly, environmental protection.

Canon U.S.A.
Protection of Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles and Support at Ocean Release Events

Canon U.S.A., Inc. supports the New York Marine Rescue Center (NYMRC) Marine Mammal rescue release program. It has been an annual summer tradition for Canon U.S.A., Inc. employees, their families and friends to watch the moment when a cold stunned sea turtle that was rescued by the NYMRC and nursed back to good health is released back into the ocean. Through Canon's sponsorship the turtles were satellite tagged, so the NYMRC can continuously track their journey after they returned back into the Ocean.

Canon U.S.A.
Eco Start Program

A sustainable program in partnership with production print customers and Trees for the Future, a sustainable agriculture and ecosystem restoration organization, in which a portion of the proceeds from the sales of production system sold are donated to the organization to plant trees in Africa. Aiming to offset average CO₂ emissions in the first year of product use, more than 2.78 million trees have been planted since the program began in 2011. The donation also contributes to sustainable development and agricultural practices in poverty-stricken communities in Sub-Saharan Africa by planting trees through its unique Forest Garden system.

Canon U.S.A.
Participation in Coral Reef Conservation Projects

Canon U.S.A., Inc. have been participating in a Coral Reef Restoration Project led by the Rescue A Reef Program at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science.
Students and citizen scientists outplant corals that are propagated from coral species on a reef or grown in a lab. Research includes cross breeding corals that will be able to resist warming ocean temperatures. Students continue to document the project using Canon cameras, and the "Canon Reef" has been growing in size since being planted in 2019.

© University of Miami / Amy Tune

Canon U.S.A./Canon Canada
Clean Earth Crew

Canon U.S.A., Inc. and other U.S.-based Canon Group companies work with employees, their families and friends to help protect the environment by cleaning parks and beaches near Canon's office locations.

Canon Virginia
Beehive Installation and Pollinator Garden Development

Leveraging its expansive site, Canon Virginia is working to create habitats where pollinators can thrive by installing beehives and developing a pollinator garden. These initiatives aim to conserve biodiversity and help restore the local natural environment.

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Canon Italia
Support for Cetacean Sanctuary Research Project

Canon Italia has for many years supported the Cetacean Sanctuary Research project of Tethys Research Institute, which aims to protect and study whales and dolphins in the Mediterranean. The project facilitates the loan of professional cameras and video equipment to researchers, enabling them to collect scientific data. The project also accepts external participation through citizen science, allowing participants and scientific staff to gather data on the socio-ecology of whales, contributing significantly to marine conservation.

Canon Spain
Bosque Canon (Canon Forest) Reforestation Project

With the help of our partner Bosquia, we successfully concluded a project to reforest Bosque Canon (Canon Forest.) We planted trees, including pine trees and white birches, in Forcarei, a village in northwest Spain. Over the course of their expected lifetime of 30 years, these trees will offset 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide emitted by our business activities. In recognition of these activities, Canon Spain has become the first manufacturer in the Spanish printing industry to receive the COMPENSO seal from the Spanish Ministry of Environment.

Canon Europe
Supporting Coral Reef Conservation

Canon Europe has partnered with the London-based Coral Spawning Laboratory as an official imaging solution supplier. The cameras and lenses provided by Canon are used to observe and study the life cycle of corals which can be used by the researchers to optimize the coral spawning process. The Coral Spawning Lab team will be able to accurately document how the coral's lifecycle plays a role in the restoration of reefs around the world.

Canon Romania
Tree Planting Through "Print Your Green Future!" Sustainability Campaign

We launched a campaign to plant one tree for every office MFDs (imageRUNNER series) purchased by our Romanian sales partners. In collaboration with the Transylmagica Association, we planted 527 oak saplings at the base of Mt. Ciomatu as part of the Reintroduction of Oaks in the Ciuc Basin project.

Canon Giessen
Protecting Insects

In Europe, insect populations have been shrinking for more than 10 years. Loss of habitats, the use of agricultural insecticides, a lack of nesting areas, and climate change have all contributed to this decline. When insect numbers fall, it also leads to a decrease in the number of the birds that feed on these insects. At Canon Giessen, we install insect hotels, dead hedges , and insect troughs on our premises to protect insects.

Canon Production Printing Netherlands
Reseeding Activity

Under the supervision of our partner Instituut voor Natuureducatie en Duurzaamheid (IVN), we reseed part of a flower field near our former headquarters to diversify plants, insects, and birds.

Canon Production Printing Germany
Installation of Deadwood Hedges

To create shelters and living spaces for animals, we installed deadwood hedges in green areas. An area was marked out with wooden posts, and the space in between was mainly filled with old wood and green cuttings from trees and shrubs. A few weeks after the hedges were completed, we observed many insects and small animals choosing it as their habitat.

Axis Communications
Tree-Planting Activities and Technical Support in Ireland

We are participating in Cloudforests activities which involve planting trees on the northwest coast of County Clare in Ireland. In addition to participating in tree-planting activities, we are supporting Cloudforests with Axis technology. We record time lapses with a 4K camera and capture live video 24/7/365 with an automatic Axis camera to provide the forest scenery.

Axis Communications
Axis Forest, Cultivating a Lush and Green Future

Partnering with the environmental organization "Tree-Nation," which has the goal of global reforestation, we have launched the tree-planting project "Axis Forest." For each participant in "OPEN," an Axis event series held in six European cities in 2023, we have planted one tree in the Axis Forest. In Mozambique, a country faced with serious forest destruction, a total of 3,500 trees has been planted, 175 tons of carbon dioxide were captured. We aim to plant 5,000 trees by the end of 2024.

Canon Bretagne
Protection of Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs, which prey on garden pests, play an important role in biodiversity and help preserve the balance of green spaces. However, hedgehog populations have been declining in recent years. Human activities such as habitat fragmentation and intensive agriculture with pesticides are the main causes of the decline. At Canon Bretagne, in cooperation with the LPO (Bird Protection League), we raised awareness its employees about hedgehog ecology and the protection activities at home. Two shelters were then built using dead wood on the premises to create a hedgehog-friendly environment.

Canon Hi-Tech (Thailand)
Eliminating Common Water Hyacinths to Maintain Water Quality

In Thailand, canals of various sizes connect to the Chao Phraya River. But during the rainy season, common water hyacinths grow in such abundance that these waterways become clogged. This profusion of common water hyacinths restricts the flow of water in the canals, leading to a deterioration in water quality and the destruction of ecosystems. In some cases, they even cause flooding. Every year, volunteers from Canon Hi-Tech (Thailand) work with local government workers and local residents to eliminate common water hyacinths before the rainy season starts, and to clean areas close to the canals. The removed common water hyacinths are recycled into biofertilizers.

Canon Hi-Tech (Thailand)
Protecting Marine Ecosystems

Thailand is one of the countries generating substantial quantities of marine plastic pollution, which contributes to the extinction of coral reefs. Corals are vital habitats, food sources, and nurseries for plants and aquatic animals. But by blocking sunlight, plastic waste can impede the photosynthesis of corals; and of course, the waste is concerning as a form of pollution in and of itself. By reducing our plastic waste emissions, at Canon Hi-Tech (Thailand) we have been engaging in coral reef protection activities including restoring marine ecosystems, regenerating coral reefs, and protecting sea turtles.

Canon Marketing (Thailand)/Material Automation (Thailand)
One Million Trees Project

Fifty-four employee volunteers supported the One Million Trees project organized by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and planted 106 trees in Benjakitti Forest Park in the center of Bangkok. Launched in 2022 by the governor of Bangkok, the One Million Trees project aims to plant at least one million trees in the capital over four years. The project, participated by public and private organizations as well as residents in Bangkok, seeks to create a "wall of green" to filter dust in the atmosphere and to expand green areas and shade in the capital.

Canon Marketing (Thailand)
Environmental Improvement Activities for Wild Animals

In Khao Yai National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, we set up mineral licks for wildlife. Additionally, we removed invasive plant species and cleared weeds from drainage channels. Forty-eight employees and their families participated in this activity. By guiding participants along nature trails and observing wild animals, we conveyed the importance of forests and wildlife.

Canon Prachinburi Thailand
Canon Marine Rangers

Canon has been collaborating with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) since 2019 to address critical marine and coastal issues in Thailand through its Canon Marine Rangers program. The program has targeted more than 10 areas across the country to date, encouraging participation in the local community and raising awareness of marine ecosystem conservation. In its most recent activities, the program focused on ecosystem restoration through initiatives such as mangrove planting and waste removal at the Aquatic Animal hatchery Innovation Center within the Khao Samphao Khwam Community in Chanthaburi Province.

Canon (Suzhou)
Fry Release Activities

Canon Suzhou has been continuously participating in the fry (young fish) release activities at Lake Tai, one of China's largest freshwater lakes, held by the Huqiu District Environmental Protection Industrial Association in Suzhou New District. The company was awarded a certificate of honor and a plaque by the Ecological Environment Bureau of Suzhou for improving the quality of the lake and contributing to ecological diversity and sustainability through these activities.

Canon Medical Equipment (Dalian)
Plant Surveys

Around factories, plants native to Northern China such as the pagoda tree, the Nanking cherry, and the flowering plum, as well as plants such as the cherry plum and Rudbeckia have been planted. We regularly survey each of those plants by recording their blooming time and growth status. The flowers are in full bloom from April to May each year, filling employees' hearts with splendor.

Canon Hong Kong/Canon Electronic Business Machines (H.K.)/Canon Engineering Hong Kong
Wetland Restoration through Rice Farming at Mai Po

Volunteers from three companies participated in rice paddy harvesting activities at the Mai Po Nature Reserve as part of WWF Hong Kong's "Growing Mai Po" project. The initiative revitalizes traditional rice farming to restore wetland ecosystems and create habitats and feeding grounds for local and migratory birds. This nature-based approach has contributed to the return of more than 20 bird species and supports the recovery of wetland biodiversity.

Canon Hong Kong/Canon Electronic Business Machines (H.K.)/Canon Engineering Hong Kong
Plantation Enrichment Program

As corporate partner of "The Green Earth," Canon Hong Kong has been supporting the "Plantation Enrichment Program" since 2018, with the aim of contributing to the sustainability of country parks in Hong Kong. Through this program, the three participating companies help conserve and restore the natural environments of Clear Water Bay Country Park and Tai Lam Country Park by joining volunteer-led tree planting activities.

Canon Opto (Malaysia)
Greening Malaysia Programme

We participated in a mangrove planting and river cleaning event held on April 22, Earth Day, hosted by the Selangor Department of the Environment, then we planted mangroves. The event formed part of the Greening Malaysia Programme, a state-backed goal to plant 100 million trees in Malaysia over five years from 2021 to 2025. The programme aims to raise public awareness toward the importance of improving biodiversity and protecting forests. Canon Opto (Malaysia) donated 500 mangrove trees and, together with the Selangor Department of the Environment and NGOs, we planted 1,000 mangrove trees and collected one tonne of rubbish.

Canon Australia
Support for reforestation activities

As a gold partner of Rainforest Rescue, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection, planting and preservation of rainforests, Canon Oceania regularly supports the planting of trees in the forests of Daintree National Park in Mossman, Queensland.

© Jasmine Carey

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Canon Australia/Canon New Zealand
Canon Oceania Grants Program

Canon Australia and Canon New Zealand have been supporting community, educational, environmental and other organizations working for a better future through the Canon Grants Program. One of the recipients of the 2025 Canon Oceania Grants was the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust. The organization works to create environments in which moth and butterfly populations can thrive through the conservation of biodiversity in New Zealand. The grant is being used to support research investigating long‑standing hypotheses related to copper butterflies, the largest group of butterflies in New Zealand.

Canon New Zealand
Supporting Hinewai Reserve

Canon New Zealand supports Hinewai Reserve, an ecological restoration project that aims to foster the natural regeneration of native vegetation and wildlife. We purchased 154 credits, 20% of total, from this project which helped purchase farmland that included old growth forest and then to remove highly invasive and exotic plants to allow native plants to flourish. The native plants sequester more carbon dioxide and the soils supporting natives also sequester far more carbon dioxide that pasture grass. Restoring biodiversity also restores the co-benefits of the life supporting ecosystem services (e.g., cleans drinking water of the local township, reduces soils erosion and creates habitats for local native insects and birds.

© M. Klajban

Canon New Zealand
Supporting Owenga Station

Canon New Zealand supports Owenga Station, the largest private conservation reserve on the Chatham Islands, through the purchase of locally sourced carbon credits. The project permanently protects more than 1,000 hectares of forest, contributing to CO₂ absorption while helping conserve and restore rare, island‑endemic flora and fauna. In 2025, Canon New Zealand purchased 344 carbon credits, supporting the removal of 2,384 tones of CO₂ from the atmosphere annually.

Canon New Zealand
Supporting the Tempello Biodiversity Project

Canon New Zealand supports the Tempello Biodiversity Project in the Marlborough region through the purchase of carbon credits. The project includes 1,600 hectares of indigenous forest and promotes ecosystem restoration, supporting a wide range of native bird species and biodiversity.
In 2025, Canon New Zealand purchased 350 carbon credits, contributing to the annual removal of 2,189 tones of CO₂ from the atmosphere.