Kyushu University Tropical Agriculture Research Center
Natural Resource Management Laboratory (hyakumura laboratory)

Seminar Report (May 2017, 4)

Seminar Report (May 2017, 4)

Global Illegal Logging Issues and Wood Consumption in Japan: Toward Effective Implementation of the Clean Wood Act

The "Act on Promotion of Distribution and Use of Legally Harvested Timber, etc. (Clean Wood Act)" was enacted in May 2016. Detailed regulations (basic policy, ministerial ordinance, enforcement regulations) have also been prepared and the Act will finally come into effect in May 5. Stakeholders are increasingly interested in what exactly will be required of companies that handle timber under this Act, and whether illegally harvested timber will truly disappear from the market.

Therefore, this symposium aims to provide a correct understanding of the new law, including the purpose of its enactment, the scope of subjects and items, and what is required by the new law, and will clarify the full picture of the Clean Wood Act, including a comparison with the content of due diligence in illegal logging countermeasures in Europe and the United States. In addition, based on the past efforts of each company, we discussed the roles that each company should play in their different positions and the desirable level of efforts to ensure effective operation to achieve the purpose of the new law in the future.

【Webinar Summary】
Date: March 2017, 4 (Monday) 17:13-00:17
Venue: Waseda University, Building 9, Meeting Room XNUMX
(Waseda Campus (1-6-1 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku))

【Program】

[Sponsored]
Waseda University Institute for Environmental Studies W-BRIDGE Project, Kyushu University Tropical Agriculture Research Center, Certified NPO International Environmental NGO Friends of the Earth Japan, Global Environmental Forum

[Support] Forestry Agency

[Seminar Outline]
The seminar was attended by 123 people.
In the first part, Mr. Uchida from the Forestry Agency's Wood Utilization Division gave an overview of the Clean Wood Act. In the moderator session, Mr. Momii from Deep Green Consulting was invited to discuss the extent of the law, taking into account the contents of the Enforcement Regulations, Ministerial Ordinance on Criteria, and Basic Policy.
In the second session, Mr. Sekino from Itochu Kenzai Co., Ltd., Mr. Kumagai from Sojitz Corporation, and Mr. Iizuka from Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. were invited as first-class timber-related businesses from trading companies, and they introduced the environmental considerations that their companies have been working on in timber procurement. Mr. Sekino emphasized the keyword "certified timber" and emphasized that his company is promoting environmental measures by increasing the number of certified timber handled. Mr. Kumagai from Sojitz then introduced the due diligence system that the company has built for the entire group. Mr. Iizuka from Sumitomo Forestry then introduced the efforts that the company has started in response to the Green Purchasing Law. In the moderator's session, Mr. Sakamoto from the Global and Human Environment Forum focused on the content and interpretation of Article 6, which stipulates the requirements for due diligence, one of the foundations of the Clean Wood Law, and asked questions such as 3) what is considered legal in legality confirmation, XNUMX) how the reliability of documents is judged, and XNUMX) whether there are any other specific methods, although avoiding handling is one way to reduce risk. Although each of the three companies has a different perspective, opinion, and approach, they are all pursuing efforts that far exceed the level required by the existing legal timber system. If these efforts continue, it is expected that there will be a ripple effect on other companies. If the level of information provided by Type XNUMX timber-related businesses can be maintained at a high level, it gives the impression that there is hope for future discussions on the implementation of the law.
Next, we welcomed Mr. Watari from Kajima Construction Co., Ltd., Mr. Kamikawa from the Japan Paper Association, and Mr. Sasaki from Sekisui House as speakers from the second-class wood-related businesses. Mr. Watari shared his frank opinions on the Clean Wood Act from the general construction industry, which was not directly subject to the Green Purchasing Act, and introduced the CSR activities related to forests and wood under the act. Mr. Kamikawa introduced the due diligence system that the Japan Paper Association developed and announced in June 2016, ahead of other industries. Mr. Sasaki from Sekisui House introduced the fair wood procurement that they have been working on since 6, and the suggestions for the next stage that they are currently looking forward to. In the session with the moderator, Mr. Morita from the National Federation of Wood Associations joined us, and hyakumura from Kyushu University acted as moderator, and the discussion focused on the following three points. 2007) As a Class 11 wood-related business, what concerns do you have about receiving wood from Class 5 wood-related businesses? XNUMX) How would you respond if wood that has not been fully verified for legality is delivered? XNUMX) What ideas do you have for raising awareness and spreading awareness of this issue, such as legally harvested wood, to the Japan Wood Association? Mr. Watari of Kajima Construction commented that "the problem is that the basic understanding of illegal logging and legally harvested wood is very low among clients and designers in the industry." Without their awareness being raised, it is difficult for general contractors to take action, and this was cited as one of the major challenges. On the other hand, Mr. Sasaki of Sekisui House said that "as a housing manufacturer that has worked with us up until now, we have already built relationships with the manufacturers we supply to, so there are times when we have the opportunity to consider joint development of the materials we use," indicating that a fairly flexible response is possible depending on the level of understanding of the trading partner. Mr. Kamikawa of the Japan Paper Association said that considering that paper companies have the ability to be either Class XNUMX or Class XNUMX, it is difficult to strictly distinguish between Class XNUMX and Class XNUMX in practice, and that in either case, it is desirable to properly establish traceability and confirm legality. They also expressed the opinion that leaving everything to the first-class committee is unlikely to work very well, and that proper efforts should be made to verify legality across the board. Additionally, Morita from the National Federation of Wood Associations stated his opinion that "Though XNUMX years have passed since the Green Purchasing Law was enacted, there are limitations to the efforts made by companies under the umbrella of the National Federation of Wood Associations, and this is largely due to the fact that it has been limited to government procurement. Therefore, although Article XNUMX of the Clean Wood Act is only a voluntary obligation, it is significant that it stipulates that all businesses must use legally harvested timber, and I believe that by making appropriate and skillful use of the essence of due diligence in the future, there is an opportunity to expand the market for legally harvested timber."

This symposium was held as part of the Waseda University Center for Environmental Studies' W-BRIDGE project, "Promoting awareness of illegal logging measures through the promotion of 'Fair Wood'."

Related Links

Past webinar (held on June 2020, 6)Supply chain management for sustainable timber procurement: Delivering risk-free timber products to end usersThe report ofCLICK HERE .

Past seminar (held on December 2019, 12)What will happen to the world's forests with ESG investment? Will deforestation stop if the flow of money changes?The report ofCLICK HERE .

Past seminar (held on December 2019, 5)New trends in timber supply chains in the SDGs era: What is timber due diligence for the sustainable product market?The report ofCLICK HERE .

Past seminar (held on December 2018, 4)What is responsible timber procurement and product manufacturing in the ESG era? - Considering timber due diligence to achieve the SDGsThe report ofCLICK HERE .

The announcement was madeTimber Due Diligence Guidance" and "Timber Due Diligence HandbookIsCLICK HERE .

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