Aeon : Third Tree Planting to be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday, June 10 (462KB)

This is a translation of the original Japanese document and is provided for informational purposes only. If there are any discrepancies between this and the original, the original Japanese document prevails.

June 1, 2017 AEON Environmental Foundation

AEON Environmental Foundation (Takuya Okada, Chairman of the Foundation and Honorary Chairman and Advisor of AEON Co., Ltd.) will conduct the third Phnom Penh Tree Planting on Saturday, June 10 in the Kingdom of Cambodia (hereinafter, "Cambodia").

The Phnom Tamao Zoological Park and Wildlife Rescue Center, where the tree planting will be conducted, is one of the largest wildlife reserves in Cambodia, located approximately 45 kilometers south of the capital city of Phnom Penh. In addition to protecting over 1,200 rescued animals of 100 different species including endangered species, the Center also serves as a relaxation space for the citizens. However, the woodland areas in the Center have been devastated by civil conflicts and lumbering and require immediate measures for regeneration.

The Foundation started planting trees in 2015 as part of a three-year plan to help with forest regeneration within the Center and to preserve its biodiversity. In the past two years, it has planted 14,000 native saplings together with 1,600 volunteers from both Cambodia and Japan. This is the final year of the program, and we plan to plant 7,000 trees together with 800 volunteers, bringing the total to 21,000 trees over the three-year period.

The Foundation's tree-planting activities in Cambodia commenced in 2002and has planted 10,360 trees together with a total of 1,220 volunteers along the road approaching the World Heritage site of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap as well as around the ancient ruins of Chau Srei Vibol, which is part of Angkor Wat. The cumulative total of trees planted in Cambodia including this year's tree planting will exceed 31,000.

In addition, the Royal University of Phnom Penh has participated in the Asia Students Environment Platform (ASEP) held by the Foundation since 2015, aiming for developing personnel who can play an active role with global perspectives in environmental fields. We plan to hold seminars to consider biological and cultural diversity from an international perspective at the university this year.

AEON Environmental Foundation will actively endeavor to implement environmental conservation efforts including tree planting with a view to passing on a vibrant, beautiful natural environment to the children of the future.

Details

Date and time: Saturday, June 10, 2017 9:00-10:30

Venue: Phnom Tamao Zoological Park and Wildlife Rescue Center, the Kingdom of Cambodia Participants: 800 volunteers (400 from Cambodia, 400 from Japan)

Number of trees: 7,000 trees Area: 1.5 ha

Hosts: Kingdom of Cambodia Forestry Administration, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and AEON Environmental Foundation

Cooperation: Phnom Tamao Zoological Park and Wildlife Rescue Center, AEON (CAMBODIA) Co., Ltd., AEON MALL (CAMBODIA)Co., Ltd., and AEON SPECIALIZED BANK (CAMBODIA)PLC.

Prospective Attendees: H.E. Veng Sakhon, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Kingdom of Cambodia

H.E. Dr. Say Samal, Minister of Environment, Kingdom of Cambodia

Ambassador Hidehisa Horinouchi, Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the Kingdom of Cambodia

Takuya Okada, Chairman, AEON Environmental Foundation (Honorary Chairman and Advisor of AEON Co., Ltd.)

Reference

AEON Foundation was established in 1990 based on AEON Basic Principles of "Pursuing peace, respecting humanity, and contributing to local communities, always with the customer's point of view at its core". Since it was founded, its main projects have been work in reforestation and biodiversity, and provision of grants to groups undertaking environmental activities. Over 11.46million trees (※1) have been planted since AEON began planting trees in 1991.

►AEON Environmental Foundation Website: http://www.aeon.info/ef/en/index.html

※1 As of 2016

■Tree Planting at Angkor Wat (2002, 2004, 2005)

■Tree Planting at Angkor Empire ruins at Chau Srei Vibol (2010, 2011)

■AEON Hometown Forests Program (2014)

Over the three years of 2002, 2004, and 2005, the AEON Environmental Foundation worked with more than 880 volunteers to plant 7,100 trees along the road approaching the World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat. In 2010 and 2011, the Foundation planted 3,260 trees with 340 volunteers in the area surrounding the ancient Angkor Empire ruins to protect them from wind and rain. In June 2014, ahead of the grand opening of AEON Mall Phnom Penh, AEON Hometown Forests Program was held and approximately 10,000 trees were planted with 1,500 participants from the region.

■Battambang Prosthesis Center Support Campaign (1998 -2000)

In a partnership with the Japanese Red Cross Society, AEON 1% Club Foundation (hereinafter, "AEON 1% Club") provided support for the Battambang Prosthesis Center in Cambodia for three years beginning in 1998. The Center provides landmine victims with artificial limbs and encourages their social recovery through rehabilitation. AEON 1% Club collected donations at AEON Group stores and offices as well as contributions from AEON 1% Club to provide a total of over 173 million yen to support the Center.

With hopes for the swift recovery of the country's educational system that has been eroded by long years of civil war, AEON 1% Club has conducted a support project collecting donations at AEON Group stores and offices as well as contributions from AEON 1% Club since 2000. The total amount of the donation to the Japan Committee for UNICEF has reached 300 million yen. 150 schools have been constructed in the region, and more than 370,000 children have graduated from these schools so far.

Cambodia, 2001

Through contributions from the AEON 1% Club and the cooperation by a team lead by Professor Yoshiaki Ishizawa of Sophia University, as well as the APSARA Organization, the Preah Norodom Sihanouk Museum was established to preserve and exhibit Angkor Empire-era Buddha statues that were excavated by the Sofia Asia Center for Research and Human Development between 2000 and 2001. The Museum was donated to the Cambodian government to allow the people of Cambodia to be the ones to research and preserve these cultural artifacts. The inauguration ceremony was held in November 2007 and was attended by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni.

In some regions of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, securing sanitary water is difficult. Consequently, unsanitary water from ponds and underground water that is likely to contain substances harmful to human health are being used as water for daily use. Some children also have to spend a substantial amount of time fetching water long distances from their homes and are unable to attend school. To support both the health and education of children in these countries, the AEON 1% Club implemented the AEON and UNICEF Safe Water Campaign in 2010 to set up water supply facilities in villages and towns where they live. In the period up until 2016, the campaign has made it possible for approximately 493,000 people in the three countries to use safe water, with people in Cambodia accounting for approximately 379,000 of these people.

Since 1990, the AEON 1% Club has hosted the Teenage Ambassador Program, an international exchange initiative that aims to provide the children of the next generation with diversity in values and a global outlook. 2,256high school students from 18 countries including Japan have participated in the program, 120 of which experienced exchange with Cambodia. In addition, the AEON Scholarship Program, which grants scholarships to students from other parts of Asia studying in Japan as well as students at other universities and graduate schools in Asian countries, has granted scholarships to 5,047 university students from seven different countries, 59 of which were Cambodian students studying in Japan or students in Cambodia.

In appreciation of his contribution to the development of Cambodia's economy and cultural exchange through years of environmental and social contribution endeavors, Takuya Okada was honored by the Kingdom of Cambodia with the title of Le Grand Officer in 2007, and the highest honor of the Royal Orderof Sahametrei Grand Cross in 2010.