Biodiversity
Approach
The Otsuka group recognizes that biodiversity is an indispensable natural capital for all business activities. As a member of a society that benefits from nature, we will take into consideration the impact of our business activities on biodiversity and work to conserve and restore biodiversity towards realizing a sustainable society that passes rich nature to future generations.
Otsuka group biodiversity policy
Basic approach
Recognizing biodiversity as essential natural capital that supports all business activities, the Otsuka group acts as a responsible member of society. We consider the impact of our business activities on biodiversity and work to conserve and restore it, contributing to the realization of a sustainable society that passes on rich natural environments to future generations.
Activity Guidelines
- 1We will clarify the relationship between biodiversity and business activities throughout the supply chain and promote the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources.
- 2We will promote the development of biodiversity considerate products and technologies and strive to reduce the impact on nature.
- 3We will respect international agreements on biodiversity and comply with treaties and laws and ensure the proper access and use of genetic resources, as well as the fair and equitable distribution of the benefits accruing therefrom.
- 4We will communicate with various stakeholders such as administrative agencies, local residents, and NGOs, and collaborate with local communities, to conserve and restore biodiversity.
- 5We will strive to promote conservation activities by raising awareness about the relationship between our business activities and biodiversity.
Biodiversity and our business activities
Otsuka Pharmaceutical produces and markets various products, including pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, and recognizes the interdependence between its business operations and biodiversity. By gaining a clear understanding of how its activities are supported by the benefits of biodiversity and how they may impact it, the company will advance initiatives to help reduce environmental burdens.
Biodiversity
Targets and results
| Targets |
(2028 Targets)
|
|---|---|
| 2024 Results | Promotion of initiatives aimed at obtaining RSPO certification Office paper (copy paper and envelopes): 94% |
Key initiatives
Use of paper in line with the paper procurement guidelines
The Otsuka group established Paper Procurement Guidelines in 2025 to promote the use of sustainable paper.
At Otsuka Pharmaceutical, paper that meets environmental sustainability requirements, such as forest-certified paper and recycled paper, is used for product cartons, outer packaging, and office materials. In 2025, the proportion of sustainable paper used reached approximately 96%.
The company will continue to gradually expand the adoption of sustainable paper in accordance with its Paper Procurement Guidelines
Established a biotope*1
Otsuka Pharmaceutical is committed to promoting harmonious coexistence with nature and so constructed the Itano Factory to emphasize the benefits to people and the environment. To achieve this, the factory's layout was designed to make use of the landscape that existed before construction, and efforts have been made to maintain existing habitats by replanting vegetation originally native to the site. In 1998, a 450-meter-long biotope was created by reusing the cooling water that the plant discharges, providing a natural habitat for diverse aquatic creatures, including dragonfly larvae, water scorpions, and pygmy water lilies.
A further initiative began in 2004 when the company joined a project started by Tokushima Prefecture in cooperation with industry, government, academia, and the public, to protect and propagate the Kawabata-moroko*2 freshwater fish, designated as critically endangered.
These activities have also raised environmental awareness among employees. The site is additionally used for school visits and serves as a place for environmental education.
- *1A biotope is a space where ecosystems that were lost due to development, such as factory construction, are restored so that organisms originally native to the area can once again inhabit the environment.
- *2Kawabata-moroko is a freshwater fish species endemic to Japan and classified in the carp family. It is listed as Endangered IB on the Ministry of the Environment Red List. Adults reach about 5 cm in length, although individuals found in the wild are typically around 3–4 cm. The species is distributed along the Pacific and Seto Inland Sea coasts from Shizuoka Prefecture to Okayama Prefecture, in eastern Shikoku (Tokushima and Kagawa prefectures), and in northwestern Kyushu (Fukuoka and Saga prefectures).
