Japan forum champions power of certification

17 July 2019 Event report

Hosted in Tokyo on 24 June, the SGEC/PEFC Forest Certification Forum commemorated our 20th anniversary and celebrated the enduring role of forest certification in improving the social and environmental conditions of the world’s forests.

The Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC) is our PEFC national member for Japan. For Japan, as for the rest of the world, consumers and industry alike are increasingly demanding the materials they use and buy are certified as originating from sustainably managed forests. The country is therefore experiencing a rising interest and demand for the certification of its forests.

“With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games approaching, the PEFC endorsement of the Japanese forest certification system means this, and other construction projects, can benefit from certified timber, provided locally through SGEC,” said Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International CEO.

“Building on examples such as the 2012 London Olympics and the 2013 Winter Universiade in Italy, the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games can become the first global sporting event ensuring that all wood used comes from happy forests,” he said.

Among the speakers were Mr Tatsuya Kajiya, Exeuctive Director of SGEC/PEFC Japan, Mr Joji Makimoto, Director General of the Japanese Forestry Agency, Professor Yoshinori Yasuda, Director of the Museum of Natural and Environmental History Shizuoka, along with presentations from Askul Corporation, Tombow Pencil and the Tamura Timber Company.

Simon Dorries, CEO of Responsible Wood, our national member for Australia, spoke of the importance of PEFC certification in providing environmentally conscious consumers with trust that timber and paper based products are sourced from a sustainable source.

Ben Gunneberg added that forest certification was increasingly becoming a non-negotiable for suppliers looking to gain access to international markets.

Locally-sourced timber, PEFC project certified

While in Japan, Ben Gunneberg also visited the Mount Fuji World Heritage Center, which opened in 2017.

Built with local Japanese cypress wood, the striking latticework structure resembles Mount Fuji upside-down. It was the first construction project in Japan to achieve PEFC project certification.

PEFC project certification provides independent verification that the building was constructed with certified timber, without the need for all sub-contractors to be certified.

See original article at: https://issuu.com/timberandforestryenews/docs/issue_566?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ