Abstract
In alignment with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by the year 2050, forests and the forest industry have recently come into focus as a major player in CO2 absorption. For Japan, one hurdle to this trend is the fact that half of the country’s planted forests are now more than 50 years old. This means that if forests are maintained without cutting, carbon absorption in the future will not be possible. Proper management of forests, including thinning and reforestation, will therefore become extremely important as a means of contributing to the role of forests in sinking CO2 for the future. For both forest and business sustainability, it will also be necessary to improve safety measures for forest workers and to boost their productivity. This paper describes some of the recent trends in automation and the development of new machines in forest operations with a focus on sustainability.
