SGEC endorsement by PEFC - a beacon of light

7 June 2016 News

We are delighted to announce Japan as the latest country to achieve PEFC endorsement of its national forest certification system.

To celebrate this milestone, the Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC) – our National member for Japan – held a special Forest Certification Forum today, attended by a diverse range of stakeholders and honored by the presence of Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado.

A highlight of the event came as Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, officially presented the SGEC certificate of endorsement to Satohiko Sasaki, Chairman of SGEC, presided over by Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado.

Certification a beacon of light

In her speech, Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado welcomed the endorsement of SGEC by PEFC, stating that certification was without a doubt a beacon of light in society’s journey towards sustainability.

She also commended the efforts of all the dedicated people who had worked towards gaining this recognition by PEFC. Now that SGEC had been endorsed by PEFC, she hoped that we would all be able to work with great efficiency and speed in raising awareness of the need for sustainability and sustainable forest management amongst peoples and governments and countries around the world. 

“I would like to congratulate SGEC, and all the many stakeholders involved in the development process, on their successful endorsement by PEFC,” said Mr. Gunneberg.

“The international recognition that endorsement brings, alongside the preparations for the upcoming Tokyo Olympic and Paralympics Games, are important drivers in encouraging companies, suppliers and customers to reward the sustainable management practices of the country’s many family forest owners,” Mr. Gunneberg concluded.

Preparing for the Olympics

Alongside the endorsement celebrations, we also took the opportunity to hold a PEFC Project Chain of Custody training session for auditors and companies, preparing them for the numerous construction projects planned for the Olympic Games.

“I was delighted to be offered the chance to share our experiences of PEFC project certification at the 2012 London Games,” said Alun Watkins, National Secretary of PEFC UK, ahead of the training session. “I hope that this shared knowledge can help take the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics to the next level of sustainability.”

About SGEC

SGEC, which joined PEFC in November 2014, is the largest forest certification system in Japan. Established in 2003, SGEC focusses on promoting sustainable forest management and forest certification especially among the 2.5 million small- and family owners who own at least 0.1 hectares of forests. While the average forest holding is 2.7 hectares, some 1.5 million forest owners own less than 1 hectare of – often fragmented – forests.