Canon Makes Commitment To Replant Our Forests With 50,000 Trees

As scientists and entrepreneurs everywhere develop innovative new technologies to fight climate change, Canon is sticking to the power of an age old carbon sink: trees.

The camera company has recommitted to its partnership with Arbor Day Foundation in a program called “Replanting Our Forests" to help fight climate change with reforestation. Canon has been involved in the program since 2009, planting some 460,000 trees in that time. This year, the company's goal is to plant 50,000 more.

Adding this many trees to the environment can make a big difference: One large tree can provide enough oxygen to supply four people for a full day; in one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO2 produced by a car driven 26,000 miles; and forested watersheds provide drinking water to more than 180 million Americans. 

“Environmental sustainability and community engagement are two supporting pillars of Canon,” Toyotsugu Kuwamura, executive vice president and general manager of Canon, said in a press release. “Arbor Day Foundation’s mission mirrors our Kyosei philosophy and our pledge to make a difference in the community and help care for the environment.”

Arbor Day Foundation aims to rebuild forests across the globe. This year's U.S.-based efforts are taking place in 35 forests across 23 states. Canon's help will target the distribution and planting of trees on Tate’s Hell State Forest in Florida to dampen the effects of strong rain storms, as well as the Webb Tract, a watershed in Illinois.

This philosophy is at the core of Canon's mission as a company. Kyosei signifies all people working together for the common good, which Canon manifests through various initiatives to conserve energy and resources as well as reducing environmentally hazardous materials used in its products. 

To incentivize this year's program with Arbor, Canon is planning to plant one tree per imageRUNNER ADVANCE copier sold. The copier is ENERGY STAR® certified and was designed to lower energy use and minimize waste. Pushing the initiative further, Canon also began planting and dedicating trees on the headquarters’ grounds to commemorate anniversaries and milestones as a way to embrace its corporate philosophy of giving back to the environment.

“Canon’s corporate support is incredibly beneficial to our ‘Replanting Our Forests’ program, and we thank the company for their ongoing support and dedication to our cause,” Dan Lambe, president of Arbor Day Foundation, said in a press release. “Their active presence in our program can be seen in revitalized forests, neighborhoods, and communities that are beginning to regain benefits to quality of life that they previously lost due to deforestation.”