Biodiversity Initiatives
Approach to Biodiversity*1
Recognizing the importance of natural capital, as the very foundation of human life, and the ecosystem services it supplies, Sony endeavors to avoid and reduce impact to, as well as recover, create and conserve biodiversity, both in its business activities and through community initiatives. In order to promote these initiatives, we conduct scenario analysis*2 in accordance with TNFD Recommendations, ascertain risks and opportunities for natural capital and biodiversity, then review the countermeasures.
At each stage of the product lifecycle, Sony business activities are either dependent on or impact natural capital and biodiversity. We set and work toward goals with this in mind, especially at stages where this link is particularly prominent. We request that suppliers of raw materials and components and contract manufacturers take initiatives giving consideration to biodiversity. For paper resources closely tied to biodiversity, we are continuing efforts to reduce the amount of paper used, and prioritize the purchase of environmentally conscious paper.
On the other hand, changes in land usage are cited as one of the causes of loss and deterioration of biodiversity. From a land use perspective on the site, we consider the impact of our business activities on neighboring ecosystems, carrying out biodiversity restoration, creation and conservation initiatives in the green areas of our sites, as well as in the ecosystems of the surrounding area according to the region’s specific ecosystem.
Sony takes seriously the issue of plastic pollution in the oceans, which has become a worldwide crisis. We promote activities to reduce the amount of plastics used in products and at sites, as well as the collection of plastic waste and cleanup activities at sites. Sony recognizes that food, which is essential for all people, including its employees, is closely linked to a wide range of environmental issues, including soil pollution, deforestation, food loss and waste, and climate change. We communicate these issues to employees and encourage them to adopt environmentally responsible dietary habits.
- *1In principle, the scope of site data comprises ISO 14001-certified sites among Sony Group consolidated sites, covering all manufacturing sites, distribution sites with 100 or more employees, and non-manufacturing sites with 1,000 or more employees. However, biodiversity data also includes sites that are not ISO 14001-certified. Performance against biodiversity-related targets excludes data from the Financial Services business unless otherwise noted.
- *2For more information on scenario analysis conducted in accordance with the TNFD Recommendations, please refer to “Natural Capital Disclosure (TNFD)” below.
Establishing the Deforestation Prevention Policy
Forest loss is a major cause driving many wildlife species toward extinction, threatening both biodiversity and the livelihoods of indigenous peoples. Additionally, deforestation releases the carbon dioxide stored in forests into the atmosphere, accelerating global warming. The main causes of forest destruction, reduction, and degradation include land-use conversion associated with deforestation, illegal logging that hinders sustainable forest management, non-traditional slash-and-burn agriculture that disregards natural recovery capacity, excessive wood fuel collection, and forest fires.
To eliminate such global deforestation, Sony Group established the Deforestation Prevention Policy. We follow this policy to promote environmental consideration when procuring paper, wood, biobased plastics and mineral resources, as well as when installing and operating renewable energy power generation facilities.
Deforestation Prevention Policy
(1) We use raw materials, components, and office paper that have been produced with consideration for the natural environment, indigenous peoples' rights, workers' rights, and safety in the countries of origin for renewable resources (paper, wood, bio-based plastics, etc.) and mineral resources.
(2) We encourage suppliers of raw materials and components and contract manufacturers to consider and implement biodiversity initiatives.
(3) We will evaluate the environmental impact of renewable energy power generation facilities during their installation and operation, and promote consideration to prevent any adverse effects on the environment.
Environmentally Preferable Paper Purchasing
Recognizing that paper resources are finite, Sony strives to use paper in an environmentally responsible manner, and it has established a related purchasing policy for paper and printed materials. While continuing efforts to reduce paper use, we actively procure paper that is environmentally conscious in terms of bleaching and printing, paper made mainly from recycled paper, and paper certified by third-party organizations as sourced from properly managed forests. Particularly, we promote the use of FSC-certified paper,*3 which is evaluated for both its legality and for forest sustainability.
In fiscal year 2025, Sony used a total of approximately 487 metric tons of FSC-certified paper for such items as corporation publications, including company brochures and notices of general meetings of shareholders, product catalogs, calendars, business cards, and envelopes.
- *3FSC-certified paper refers to paper products made from wood sourced from responsibly managed forests and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
- Approach to Resources > Paper Resources
- Packaging | Sony Original Blended Material | Sony United Kingdom
Reducing Ocean Plastic Pollution One Blue Ocean Project
Sony takes seriously the growing global problem of ocean plastic pollution. Since 2019, Sony has been implementing the One Blue Ocean Project to further promote efforts to reduce plastic use in products and business sites, as well as plastic waste collection and cleanup activities at its sites.
Under the One Blue Ocean Project, Sony promotes activities across its products and business sites based on the following four initiatives.
Reducing Plastic and Utilizing Recycled Materials
For a wide range of products, Sony is reducing the size and weight of plastic parts, minimizing plastic packaging, and expanding the use of recycled plastic.
- Products and Services > Reducing Use of Virgin Plastics in Product Bodies
- Products and Services > Reducing Plastic Packaging
Reducing Plastic Use in Production
Sony is further reducing the amount of plastic used at production sites. The amount of plastic waste generated from Sony production sites in fiscal year 2025 was reduced by 1,075 metric tons over fiscal year 2024. This represents an approximately 3,200 metric tons reduction over plastic waste generated in fiscal year 2018.
Reducing or Eliminating Single-use Plastics in Conference Rooms and Shops and Other Facilities
Sony aims to eliminate the use of single-use plastics, such as plastic bottles, straws, and cups, in conference rooms and reception rooms. Sony will discontinue, in principle, the free distribution of plastic shopping bags at in-company shops, cafés, and similar facilities, while gradually reducing and phasing out the use of single-use plastics, such as straws and cups. At the same time, Sony promotes the use of reusable shopping bags and personal cups among employees through awareness-raising activities.
By the end of fiscal year 2025, we had stopped using plastic bottles in conference rooms at 39 sites. We also stopped providing free plastic bags in shops and convenience stores at 21 sites, and plastic straws for in-house cafeterias at 22 sites.
Expanding Local Cleanup of Riverbanks and Shorelines
Some Sony sites and group companies have conducted cleanup activities in local communities, including along rivers and coastlines. Sony is gradually expanding these activities to sites around the world while also raising employee awareness of measures to address ocean plastic pollution.
In fiscal year 2025, 7,895 Sony Group employees and their families participated in 339 cleanup activities around the world, collecting 678 45-L bags of waste (approximately 7.65 metric tons). *4
- *4Sony implemented a partial spin-off of Financial Services in October 2025, and although this report excludes Financial Services business in principle, results presented here include Financial Services business.
Sony Sites*5
- *5In principle, the scope of site data comprises ISO 14001-certified sites among Sony Group consolidated sites, covering all manufacturing sites, distribution sites with 100 or more employees, and non-manufacturing sites with 1,000 or more employees. However, biodiversity data also includes sites that are not ISO 14001-certified. Performance against biodiversity-related targets excludes data from the Financial Services business unless otherwise noted.
Forest Conservation Initiatives
Sony has been actively engaged in forest conservation as a part of efforts to restore, enhance and conserve biodiversity around its sites. In recognition of these efforts, Sony Forest, Kohda and the forested area around Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation Oita Technology Center Kunisaki Satellite were recognized by the Ministry of the Environment as Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites*6 in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
- *6Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites are areas recognized by the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan, where biodiversity is being conserved through private-sector and other initiatives, as part of Japan's efforts to achieve the 30by30 goal of conserving at least 30% of land and sea areas as healthy ecosystems by 2030. Sony participates in the 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity led by the Ministry.
Conservation Activities in Sony Forest, Kohda to Promote a Richer Ecosystem
Since its inception in 1972, the Kohda Site of Sony Global Manufacturing & Operations Corporation, a manufacturer of products such as digital still cameras, has protected a natural woodland on its site, naming it Sony Forest, Kohda. The forest was designated as a wildlife sanctuary*7 (Kohda Northern Wildlife Sanctuary, Aichi Prefecture, Japan), and is vital to the neighboring ecosystem. At the Kohda Site, flight and feeding areas have been created and nest boxes installed to support owls, which are considered indicators of a healthy ecosystem. Through these efforts, the presence of owls—designated as a Near Threatened species in Aichi Prefecture—has been confirmed every year since 2016. Then, in 2013, the Kohda Site began carrying out activities in collaboration with companies, local residents, government agencies and others to secure and share seedlings of native species, necessary for regeneration of the local ecosystem. In fiscal year 2025, the site held events for employees and their families, including bamboo shoot digging and nighttime insect observation sessions, and organized its first large-scale tree-thinning event since the coronavirus pandemic. Participants worked alongside local residents and university students to maintain the forest while learning about its ecosystem.
- *7An area considered important for the protection of wild birds and mammals.
Forest Maintenance at Sony Forest, Saku Osawa to Nurture the Local Environment
In 2010, Sony Network Communications Inc. named a part of the forest in the Osawa Zaisan-ku, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture the So-net Forest, and has been conducting forest maintenance there. These endeavors are positioned as a way to nurture the nature around us to preserve it for the next generation, and as an opportunity to consider environmental conservation and diversity, bringing together employees and their families. In recognition of our efforts, we received the highest award, the Nagano Prefectural Governor's Award, in the Forest Creation Promotion Category of the Nagano Prefecture Hometown Forest Creation Awards in fiscal year 2020. In October 2025, the name was changed to “Sony Forest, Saku Osawa” and a commemorative ceremony was held with the Mayor of Saku. In fiscal year 2025, we also conducted expert interviews in cooperation with the Nature Conservation Society of Japan to identify 49 important areas for biodiversity conservation in Saku City from the perspectives of ecosystem rarity, complementarity, and habitat connectivity. Moving forward, we will continue to advance biodiversity considerations at Sony Forest, Saku Osawa based on conditions identified within selected priority areas.
Rare Species Conservation at Kunisaki Satellite
Since its establishment, Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation’s Oita Technology Center Kunisaki Satellite has upheld the principle of coexistence with the rich natural environment that surrounds it, working to maintain, utilize and protect the natural environment of its forests and other green spaces. In 2024, the site was recognized by the Ministry of the Environment as a Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site based on its value as “a place where an ecosystem characteristic of secondary natural environments exists,” “a place that provides ecosystem services and where a healthy ecosystem consisting of a diverse range of predominantly native plant and animal species,” and “a place where rare plant and animal species live or are likely to live and grow.”
Augmenting Ecosystems and Raising Awareness through Synecoculture™*8
Sony is promoting initiatives that utilize Synecoculture™ as one of its efforts to restore, create, and conserve biodiversity (For more information on the concepts and technologies behind Synecoculture™, please refer to the section “Technologies.”). Since introducing Synecoculture in fiscal year 2020, Sony (China) Ltd. (Sony China) continues to actively promote biodiversity restoration, creation and conservation through Synecoculture agricultural practices. As part of educational support efforts in 2025, we set up Synecoculture gardens at elementary schools in the Zhejiang and Yunnan provinces of China, thereby helping children in rural areas learn about biodiversity and Synecoculture cultivation methods.
Sony China has begun supplying vegetables harvested from Suzhou Farm, the world’s first Synecoculture certified farm, to the employee cafeteria of its Shanghai Branch. More than 575 kg of produce, including over 30 varieties of vegetables such as daikon radish, lettuce, and tomatoes, were supplied, receiving positive feedback from employees for their freshness and flavor. The Synecoculture initiatives in China received the "ESG Outstanding Project Award" at Bloomberg Green Gold 2026, hosted by BusinessWeek, in recognition of efforts to conserve biodiversity, address climate change and apply sustainable economic practices.
In Japan, Sony/Taiyo Corporation started a Synecoculture farm in fiscal year 2022 with the support of SynecO.*9 To date, more than 210 plant species have been introduced, and vegetables harvested at the farm are served in the employee cafeteria. In fiscal year 2025, the scope of activities was expanded to include employee participation in vegetable seed planting, herb harvesting, and herbal tea tasting events.
- *8Synecoculture is a trademark of Sony Group Corporation.
- *9SynecO is a startup focused on building a new, beneficial relationship between human activity and the natural environment through solutions employing augmented ecosystems, such as Synecoculture, and other systems that support ecosystem evaluation and creation.
Other Initiatives
- Sony's biodiversity initiatives and local communities
- Protecting Spawning Grounds of the Endangered Loggerhead Turtle in Japan
- Participating in the Forest Conservation Project in Sumatra
- Participating in Panama’s Biodiversity Event Festi Harpia 2022
Environmental Initiatives for Food
Since 2021, Sony has addressed environmental issues related to food through its Food for the Future project. We encourage employees to make environmentally conscious food choices in their daily lives through a range of initiatives, including distributing guidebooks, serving meals made with environmentally conscious ingredients at employee cafeterias worldwide, and holding regular internal seminars and awareness-raising events. October has been designated as Food for the Future Month. In 2025, Sony conducted employee awareness activities, including serving cafeteria meals made with environmentally conscious ingredients while providing information about those ingredients, and hosting seminars featuring external expert speakers.
Food for the Future Initiatives at Sites Worldwide
Sony business sites continued to implement various initiatives under the Food for the Future project in fiscal year 2025.
At Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)'s Brunel Office in the UK, herbs and leafy greens are grown on site using hydroponic farming methods in collaboration with an external partner. In October 2025, a herb planting workshop was held for 35 employees, who deepened their understanding of reducing their carbon footprint through the hands-on experience of growing plants in a familiar setting.
The employee cafeteria at the Sony Electronics Inc. (SEL) San Diego office offered a Meatless Monday menu featuring locally sourced ingredients every Monday in October 2025. The creative menu, devised by the cafeteria chef, provided employees with new food options while supporting local producers and reducing environmental impact.
Sony Group Corporation, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation’s Shiroishi Zao Technology Center, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc., Sony/Taiyo Corporation, and Sony Device Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. in Thailand held food drives in conjunction with Food for the Future Month. A food drive is an activity in which unused food items left over at home are collected and donated through local food banks to organizations and individuals in need, such as support groups for the underserved, children’s cafeterias, and welfare facilities. Food drives were carried out in various ways, such as collecting food outdoors as part of events or setting up collection boxes at company sites, with each taking their own approach. As a result, approximately 1,100 food items were collected across Japan and donated to Second Harvest Japan and other recipient organizations.
Worldwide Cleanup Activities Catered to Regional Characteristics
As part of Sony’s One Blue Ocean Project to address marine plastic waste, business sites around the world carry out cleanup activities tailored to local conditions.
Sony Device Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. has been planting mangroves since 1999 as part of its mangrove forest conservation efforts. In 2025, the company conducted a cleanup activity in the mangrove area at the Bang Pu Nature Education Centre in Samut Prakan, collecting approximately five times more waste, primarily plastic, than in the previous year.
Sony Electronics Inc. (SEL) participated in two beach cleanups along the San Diego coast and surrounding areas, with a total of 52 employees and their families picking up a variety of trash. SEL continues to partner with an external organization, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD), to participate in cleanup events.
Sony India Software Center Pvt Ltd. (SISCPL) held a plogging*10 activity that combined jogging with waste collection, with 30 employees participating. The activity helped raise awareness among local residents while reinforcing the importance of taking action toward a clean and sustainable environment among employees.
Sony Group employees and their family members from the Tokyo Metropolitan area participated in cleanup activities around the Arakawa and Tamagawa Rivers, Yokohama Station and Katase Higashihama Beach. Additionally, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation and Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation Fukuoka employees and their families participated in the Love Earth Cleanup, a local environmental beautification event held in Fukuoka in cooperation with citizens, businesses and government.
- *10“Plogging” is a word combining the Swedish words plocka upp (to pick up) and jogga (to jog), creating a new kind of exercise combining litter cleanup and running.
Technologies
Synecoculture™ and Augmented Ecosystems
Synecoculture and Augmented Ecosystem is a scientific framework aimed at the creation of a sustainable society where human activities and the natural environment coexist, developed by Masatoshi Funahashi, a researcher at Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. and President and Representative Director of SynecO, Inc. In practice, it involves growing a wide variety of plants together in dense clusters, utilizing the self-organizing mechanisms inherent to ecosystems to create rich ecosystems that produce useful plants and other resources. The basic principles are “no tillage,” “no use of fertilizers,” and “no chemicals”—the only things brought to the site are seeds and seedlings. In order to socially implement and disseminate this research and help build a sustainable society, SynecO, Inc., established by the Sony Group in 2021, is working with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on demonstrations of the adoption of Synecoculture as locally-based sustainable agriculture in Senegal, a semi-arid region, and Cameroon, where the goal is utilization of sustainable forest resources. In West Sumatra, Indonesia, as part of a partnership between the Sony Group and the World Wide Fund for Nature Japan (WWF Japan), Sony Group has been collaborating with SynecO, Inc. to conduct a demonstration project that unites Synecoculture with forest regeneration. In urban areas, the company works to create multifaceted value by promoting green space design that harnesses augmented ecosystems, and constructed Green Pool, an augmented ecosystem green space located in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo. Through these activities, Sony works to create a sustainable society and environment based on the renewable capital that society and nature share at their roots.
Awareness Campaigns
Activities Under the Wow! Wow! Biodiversity Project
Since fiscal year 2015, Sony has partnered with the Nature Conservation Society of Japan to promote the Wow! Wow! Biodiversity Project, which includes nature experience events and photo contests open to the public, as well as the sharing of biodiversity-related information through social media. Since fiscal year 2016, Sony China has participated in the project and carries out similar awareness-raising activities across China. The annual photo contests, which invite submissions of creatures encountered in nature, have become popular in both Japan and China. The contests help raise awareness of the beauty of nature and the importance of biodiversity among a growing number of people.
The photo contest in China celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025 and has attracted approximately 13,500 entries to date. To mark this milestone, photo tours were held at 12 sites across China, along with lectures on biodiversity. In addition, Sony China collaborated with the α™ interchangeable lens camera brand to launch anniversary campaigns across social media platforms, helping expand participation in the photo event. The campaigns generated strong engagement, with 1,262 posts submitted and the main hashtags receiving 844,000 views.
Now in its 11th year in fiscal year 2025, the Wow! Creature Photo Contest in Japan received 1,402 entries from 679 people. In addition to exhibitions of the winning entries held across Japan, biodiversity lectures and wildlife photography workshops using Sony cameras were offered during the exhibition period, providing more people with opportunities to learn about the importance of biodiversity.
Synecoculture™ Presented at Five International Events in China
In 2025, Sony’s innovation technology Synecoculture™ initiatives were presented at five international events: the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the 16th UGIH Systemic Innovation (Workshop Pre-event for COP30 (the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) held in China), Sony Expo & Bilibili World, the Shanghai International Carbon Neutrality Expo, and the 2025 Sustainability Global Leaders Conference. These events reached approximately 952,000 attendees in total and generated more than 206 million page views on social media.
Across these events, Synecoculture was introduced as an ecological farming approach based on the principles of “no tillage,” “no use of fertilizers,” and “no chemicals.” The presentations provided opportunities to share Sony’s ongoing work related to augmented ecosystems and biodiversity.
At CIIE, a green tea product cultivated using Synecoculture methods was introduced as a commercial product for the first time, following the technology’s initial exhibition at CIIE in 2023. The approach has been applied to the cultivation of Lu’an Guapian green tea in Anhui Province, with testing confirming non-detectable pesticide residues while maintaining product quality. At other events, stakeholders engaged with the initiative through booth visits, tastings, and technical exchanges, including discussions with international experts at the 16th UGIH Systemic Innovation Workshop. At Sony Expo & Bilibili World, activities such as a seed-sowing program and fruit tastings were conducted to support experiential learning. At the Shanghai International Carbon Neutrality Expo, a collaboration featuring the “Peter Rabbit” IP was used to communicate the concept to a broader audience.
Sony will continue to communicate Synecoculture’s approach and outcomes through appropriate channels, while advancing efforts to enhance biodiversity and resilient ecosystems.