The AGC Group has been implementing the Glass Power Campaign since October 2005 to promote the use of laminated glass for disaster resistance. We have developed this type of glass by applying the technology developed for our automotive laminated safety glass to large-sized architectural glass. This glass is uniquely designed not to shatter into tiny pieces even if it breaks. Recently, a number of natural disasters have struck Japan, including earthquakes and typhoons. On these occasions, some people were injured by broken glass and evacuation centers were rendered unusable due to broken window glass. In light of this fact, we regard it one of our missions as a glass manufacturer to foster the use of glass that contributes to safer living. To fulfill this mission, we have been donating laminated glass for disaster resistance to evacuation centers throughout Japan, and giving lectures on disaster prevention and global warming at elementary and junior high schools. In fiscal 2008, we made five donations of our highly disaster-resistant glass and gave 11 lectures at schools.

In December 2008, we gave a presentation on the Glass Power Campaign at a preliminary meeting of the Third Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) held by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. We received support for the Campaign from participants from Bangladesh and Fiji, who said, “The activity is really great. In any country, we must give first priority to providing people with safe evacuation centers.”

Lecture at a school	Reporting the activity at a preliminary meeting of the AMCDRR

Asahi Glass Osaka Plant has been maintaining a forest, named “Asahi Glass Inochi-no Mori”, it established in July 2007. At the time of the original planting, the 8,300 seedlings of 53 species including Castanopsis, Machilus, and Quercus were only about 20 centimetres tall. They have now grown higher than the employees, who have been removing weeds during their lunchtime, watering and fertilizing, and repairing damaged trees. The forest attracts butterflies and dragonflies and is alive with birdsong.

July 2007	June 2009

Some 70% of Japan's land area is covered by forest, of which about 40% is artificial forests. Many of the artificial forests are left untended due to the lack of funds for thinning, and vital forest functions, including CO2 absorption through photosynthesis, watershed protection, prevention of sediment runoff, and protection of wild birds and animals, are deteriorating. Office Chonai-Kai, an environmental NPO, is implementing the Morino Chonai-Kai (Forest Neighbourhood Association) project to promote thinning and the use of thinned wood. Supporting companies agree to purchase paper made from thinned wood at prices higher than those of similar paper available on the market, thereby helping to foster the use of thinned wood and indirectly contributing to sustaining healthy forests.

The AGC Group is a regular purchaser and user of the “Forest Thinning Support Paper” produced by the Morino Chonai-Kai, based on the Group's basic environmental policy of giving consideration to the influence of its activities on the natural environment, including biodiversity. In fiscal 2008, we used as much as 39 tons of this paper as a result of adopting it for external communications such as our CSR report and corporate brochures as well as for internal communications including the Group's in-house magazine and training guidebook. The amount used is equivalent to about three hectares of thinned forest, which is nearly three times the area of Tokyo Dome. We will continue to contribute to the promotion of thinning through the proactive use of this paper.

CSR Report 2009	AGC Report 2009	The Group's in-house magazine, "We are AGC!"