General public access to our facilities is strictly restricted because our production bases, namely refineries and complexes, handle hazardous materials. This has allowed the green spaces in the facilities to become rich in biodiversity, function as sanctuaries for birds and other small animals, and in some spots, become ideal habitats. Hokkaido Refinery, Chiba Complex, and Aichi Refinery use these green spaces and natural parks to provide opportunities for environmental education to children and students of local elementary schools.
On July 21, 2019, Aichi Refinery hosted the Green Belt Experience, an event where children and their parents in Chita City can observe nature and collect insects inside the green belt. The green belt was designed to make Aichi Refinery a friendly business site without harming the neighborhood and protect the surrounding ecosystem in the area. With the support of members of the Student Executive Committee for “Inochi wo Tsunagu Project”, who work for environmental protection, the children were overexcited in collecting grasshoppers and dragonflies on the grass.
On May 11, 2019, Chita City Nature Investigation Team, in cooperation with Aichi Refinery, organized “Green Space Visit” event at Aichi Refinery. Together with team, some 110 local residents gathered, and under the warm sunshine, they visited the locally famous Aichi Refinery’s Green Belt, collected insects. We were glad to see local residents having a good time at our refinery.