Tropical forests and peatlands store vast amount of carbon and sustain global water cycle and biodiversity, which has a great impact on climate change. However, their values have not been properly assessed, and overexploitation and fires have released 2.2 to 3.7 billion t-CO2/yr (6 to 11% of global emission), and caused extreme weather.
For proper management of the vast forests, it is essential to monitor and evaluate their current status with high accuracy and frequency by satellite observation.
Sumitomo Forestry (SFC) and IHI started collaboration in 2021 to tackle climate change through proper management of tropical forests and peatlands in the form of sustainable business. Two companies are working on technologies to bring the unequaled peatland management model established by SFC to the world by collaborating with IHI’s state-of-the-art technologies on satellite monitoring.
METI supports development and dissemination of the peatland management model to the world through its "Sharing Scheme of Satellite Data (using satellite Daichi, Ibuki, and Shizuku)." We maximize the value of tropical forests and peatlands and contribute to global climate change action by bringing together the technologies and knowledge of Japan. In the future, we are planning to launch constellation of satellites in equatorial orbit to realize all-time-monitoring of the world’s tropical forests and peatlands to enhance our observation technologies.
This session will introduce the initiatives, knowledge, and technologies of METI, SFC, and IHI. In addition, the pioneers from industry, government, and academia will discuss the importance of the use of satellite data, conservation of tropical forests and peatlands, and climate change action through those efforts.

• • Mitsuru Osaki Hokkaido University Professor Emeritus
  • Shigeru Sasabe Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. Representative Director, Vice President
  • Sisva Silsigia PT. Wana Subur Lestari (Sumitomo Forestry Group)
  • Michael Allen Brady The Center for International Forestry Research Principal Scientist & Team Leader
  • Nur Masripatin Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia Senior Advisor
  
  ▼Online speakers
  • Fumiharu Namiki IHI Corporation Vice Presidet, Aero-Engine & Space Operations

In this session, Sumitomo Forestry and IHI introduced NeXT FOREST, an innovative collaboration for tropical forest and peatland management and its global development powered by the two companies. The venue was filled with audience from various countries in Africa, Asia, and South America, etc,, demonstrating once again the high level of global interest in the use of forests to tackle climate change.
Professor Emeritus Osaki of Hokkaido University explained the great potential of trpical peatlands as a countermeasure aginst climate change and the importance of monitoring to assess the potential, and introduced the world's first satellite constellation concept "iEOS" (*1) orbiting in tropics.
Mr. Sasabe, Vice President of Sumitomo Forestry, introduced the company's history since its establishment dating back to the Edo period and the "Sumitomo's Business Spirit" that is still rooted today. He also explained that the company is currently engaged in a wide range of wood-related businesses from upstream to downstream, i.e. from environment & resources business to housing & construction business.
Mr. Namiki, Vice President of Aero-Engine & Space Operations, IHI, explained about the company's world-class space development, utilization, and sensing technologies, illustrationg by a variety of its achievement. He also introduced the company's efforts to promote "climate change actions that harmonize nature and technology" by maximizing the use of the technologies it has cultivated so far.
From WSL (Sumitomo Forestry Group) in Indonesia, Ms. Sisva gave a presentation on the "stock-based water management" of tropical peatlands which succeeded in sustainable management for the first time in the world, especially focusing on groundwater level management as its key. She also mentioned that remote sensing and advanced monitoring/analysis in the tropics through collaboration with IHI are essential for the global spread of the peatland management model. She concluded the session by introducing "NeXT FOREST," the next vision of forests that will contribute greatly to tackling climate change while harmonizing economy and environment.
Dr. Michael Brady of CIFOR(*2), who served as a commentator, mentioned about WSL's business, saying, "Similar to Sumitomo Forestry's Besshi Copper Mine, they were exposed to many failures and criticisms at the beginning of their business. However, after overcoming these challenges, we can now confidently say that it is an unparalleled success story". He also expressed his hope for the future innovative efforts of Sumitomo Forestry and IHI.
Participants from South Korea and Nigeria asked about cooperation and support from the Japanese and Indonesian governments for Sumitomo Forestry's presentation. Mr. Sasabe replied that the company is cooperating with the Indonesian government in the form of a pilot project to develop ideal peatland management techniques.
*1: International Equator Observation Sensing Network
*2: Center for International Forestry Research

Tropical forests and tropical peatlands store a large amount of carbon and are essential to mitigate climate change. However, carbon dioxide equivalent to two to three times of Japan's emissions is released from them every year, as a result of overexploitation and forest fires. It is an urgent issue to suppress these emissions through proper mamagement of tropical forests and peatlands.
"NeXT FOREST" will contribute to climate change actions through global deployment of the forest management techniques cultivated by Sumitomo Forestry by collaboration with IHI, which has advanced technologies of sensing and analysis.
In addition, tropical forests and tropical peatlands contricute greatly to conservaion of biodiversity and global water cycle. NeXT FOREST aims to evaluate properly not only the amount of carbon stocks but also the various values of forests and peatlands.