WWF and Seiko Epson Advance International Corporate Partnership
Announcement posted by Epson Australia 15 Jul 2026
WWF and Seiko Epson Corporation (Epson) have launched the second phase of their International Corporate Partnership. Over the next three years, building on past collaboration, both organisations plan to strengthen their activities in support of "Nature Positive (*1)"—the international goal of halting biodiversity loss and shifting toward restoration by 2030.
This collaboration marked the first international corporate partnership between WWF and a Japanese company in the electronics and precision instruments sector. The company also began effort to address its environmental footprint and help ensure a responsible supply of forest resources, becoming the first Asian company to join Forests Forward (*2), WWF's programme for private sector action on forests.
In Phase 1, which began in March 2023, Epson donated 240 million yen to WWF over three years to support forest conservation activities, particularly in Southeast Asia and South America. These efforts supported early conservation progress across multiple landscapes, including initiatives to address deforestation pressures and strengthen habitat protection efforts.
Key initiatives in Phase 2
1. Supporting forest conservation activities
In Phase 2, Epson will focus on supporting WWF-led forest conservation activities in Indonesia, Thailand, and Brazil, where deforestation pressures are particularly severe and which also have links to the company's business operations. Epson plans to donate 240 million yen over three years, matching contribution under Phase 1, to support efforts to conserve existing natural forests and accelerate restoration. WWF will implement initiatives aimed at protecting forest ecosystems, conserving biodiversity habitats and addressing the further loss of natural forests, which play a critical role in biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.
Asian elephants are on the brink of extinction in large part due to habitat loss. In Thailand, efforts are underway to conserve forests and habitats in collaboration with local communities. ©Gordon Congdon
2. Minimising environmental impacts of its business
Minimising the environmental impact of the supply chain has become increasingly important as a part of corporate sustainability efforts. For Epson, whose products include printers and other paper-using devices, the responsible use of forest resources is directly relevant to its business operations and essential for long-term business resilience, especially in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss. Together, with WWF, Epson has committed to strengthening responsible forest-resource use to help prevent deforestation and promote appropriate forest management. In this new phase, the company plans to formalise and implement its deforestation-free supply chain commitments, including improving traceability and engaging with suppliers, in line with requirements under the Accountability Framework initiative(*3).
Right: Setting up camera traps to study wildlife inhabiting the forests of Indonesia. ©WWF Indonesia
Message from the Representatives
Sadayosi Tobai, CEO of WWF Japan
Our collaboration with Epson during Phase 1 served as an excellent example of how private companies can contribute to global forest conservation. In particular, their participation in Forests Forward - the first by an Asian company - demonstrated their leadership as a global enterprise. In Phase 2, we are confident that by paying closer attention to the multifaceted impacts that forest ecosystem conservation has on the environment, society, and the economy, we can jointly create value through our partnership to help regenerate the Earth.
Junkichi Yoshida, President and CEO of Seiko Epson
We are deeply honoured to be moving our partnership with WWF into its second phase. The situation facing the world's forests continues to be challenging, and we recognise the importance of continuing to address these challenges and taking action. Through our efforts to date, we have reaffirmed the vital role that forest conservation plays in addressing biodiversity and climate change. Moving forward, we will continue to steadily advance our initiatives in collaboration with WWF toward a future where nature and people can coexist sustainably.
*1. About Nature Positive
An international goal to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and shift from decline to recovery. At the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in 2022, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) was adopted, setting forth the international goal of achieving "Nature Positive" -that is, "urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss to put nature on a path to recovery by 2030."
*2. About Forests Forward
Forests Forward is a signature WWF programme for corporate sustainability action in support of nature, climate, and people. WWF's local and global experts help companies unlock the power of forests to achieve ambitious goals with meaningful results. HTTPs://forestsforward.panda.org/
*3. About Accountability Framework
The Accountability Framework initiative (Afi) is a global initiative that provides companies with a comprehensive roadmap for developing, implementing and monitoring initiatives aimed at responsible production and trade, particularly within agricultural and forestry supply chains. Accountability Framework is a set of common principles, definitions and guidelines designed to help companies eliminate deforestation, ecosystem conversion and human rights abuses from their supply chains.
Ends
About Epson, Epson Australia and Epson New Zealand
Epson is a technology innovation and engineering company whose philosophy of efficient, compact, and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company uses technology and engineering ability to implement real-world solutions in precision innovation, industrial & robotics, office & home printing, and visual & lifestyle.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of more than JPY 1.4 trillion.
Epson Australia offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the commercial, industrial, consumer, business, photography and graphic arts markets, and is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) solutions for the retail market. Epson is the market leader in Australia and worldwide in sales of projectors for the home, office and education. Established in 1983, Epson Australia is headquartered in North Sydney and is a subsidiary of the Epson Group headquartered in Japan.
Epson New Zealand offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the commercial, industrial, consumer, business, photography and graphic arts markets, and is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) solutions for the retail market. Epson is a market leader in New Zealand, Australia and worldwide in sales of projectors for the home, office and education. Epson New Zealand is headquartered in Auckland and is a branch of Epson Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of the Epson Group headquartered in Japan.
www.epson.co.nz
About WWF
Established in Switzerland in 1961, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is the leading conservation organisation in the world, with a global network active in over 100 countries. With a mission to build a future in which people can live in harmony with nature, it promotes the realisation of a sustainable society. In particular, WWF is working to restore the world's rich biodiversity and realise a carbon-free society to prevent global warming.
https://wwf.panda.org