Illegal Logging Countermeasures by the Japan Paper Association
Kiyoshi Kamikawa
Managing Director, Japan Paper Association
The paper manufacturing industry is regulated by the “individual company’s voluntary effort” as stated in the guidelinesof the Forestry Agency, and individual companies may vary from one another in their approach to illegal logging
countermeasures. However, the common trend is to develop a raw material procurement policy and establish a legality
verification system. The Japan Paper Association (JPA) discussed and adopted the JPA’s Action Policy forCountermeasures against Illegal Logging, at the board of directors meeting on March 20, 2006 and subsequently
published it. The Action Policy was developed based on the understanding that it was very important to have a common
philosophy throughout the industry to help each individual company develop its own material procurement policy andlegality verification system, as our industry is regulated by “individual company’s voluntary effort.” Our member companies
publish their undertakings on their websites, etc., and details of member companies that have developed and publishedtheir material procurement policies and legality verification systems can be viewed by visiting the Go-ho (Legal) Wood
NAVI website operated by the Council for Tracking Illegal Logging Issue: http://www.goho-wood.jp/kigyou/jirei1-3.html

Measures by Private Companies
As the paper manufacturing industry is regulated by the“individual company’s voluntary effort,” individualcompanies may vary from one another in their approach
to illegal logging countermeasures. However, thefollowing actions are generally taken:

5)

An FM certificate and CoC certificate areacceptable for wood from previously certifiedforests.

B. Domestic Wood1)

1. Development of a Material Procurement Policy
2)

If a wood chip supplier is certified by theindustry organization, a certificate of thelegality of the wood is acceptable.
If a wood chip supplier is not certified by theindustry organization, its supplies of wood will
be handled in the same manner as imported
wood.

Companies develop their material procurement
policies ensuring that they will not deal in illegally
harvested wood, and publish the policies on theirwebsites, environmental reports, and other publications.
In many cases, the policy includes diffusion of wood fromcertified forests, diffusion of timber from planted forests,utilization of previously unused wood and other clauses
according to each company’s material procurement
situation.

3. Separate Management

2. Development of a Legality Verification System

4. Safe-keeping of Related Documentation

Companies develop their legality verification systems
ensuring that they do not deal in illegally harvested wood,and they publish the contents of such systems on theirwebsites and environmental reports, etc. The following isan overview of a verification system.

Companies keep related documentation safe for five
years at the minimum and present them, as necessary,
for audits, etc.

A. Imported Wood
1)

2)

3)
4)

The company asks each of its suppliers tosubmit a memorandum of understanding
stating that it does not deal in illegally
harvested wood.
The company asks each of its suppliers tosubmit a traceability report indicating the site oflogging, tree species, and forest management
methods, etc.
Suppliers monitor their
logging sites
round-the-clock and ensure that there is no
illegal logging activity.
The paper manufacturer regularly inspects thelogging sites and ensures that there is no
illegal logging activity. The inspection may bedelegated to an import company.

The paper manufacturer must use wood that is legallycertified. Therefore, there should not be need forseparating certified wood from un-certified wood.

5. AuditCompanies annually receive third-party audits to checktheir undertakings against illegal logging, and publish
such activities and results on their websites,
environmental reports, etc.
Each of these companies has its own voluntary efforts
and therefore, its measures may not be uniform
throughout the industry. Please refer to their websites forfurther details.

Figure 1. Paper Industry’s Illegal Logging Countermeasures

JPA’s Action Policy for Countermeasures against
Illegal Logging
Forests fulfill an important role to supply wood,
maintain ecosystems, and mitigate global warming. JPA
recognizes that illegal logging hinders sustainablefulfillment of these functions of forests, and is deeply
concerned that illegal logging lowers the image andcompetitive strength of the paper manufacturing industry.
Therefore, JPA has stated nationally and internationallythat it would, in cooperation with international forestry
and paper manufacturing industry groups, promote
countermeasures against harvesting and trading illegallylogged wood.

1.

2.
3.

4.

In addition, the government has decided to introduce
policy measures to strictly limit government procurement
to wood and wood products that are legally verified. This
policy is based on the principle of not using illegallylogged wood, and is in accordance with the agreement
reached at the G8 Summit meeting.

5.

On this backdrop, JPA has decided to clearly express
anew its philosophy and countermeasures against illegal
logging as follows:

6.

JPA and its members strongly object to allillegal activities that obstruct sustainable forest
management or potentially hinder themaintenance of the forests’ ecosystems orotherwise damage the health of forests.
The JPA members ensure that their logging
activities comply with the logging legislations of
the country in question.
The JPA members do not deal in illegally
harvested or imported wood or wood products,
and thus ensure the exclusion of illegally
harvested wood or wood products from themarket.
The JPA members develop their own
procurement policies for wood materials (suchas pulp and wood chips), and establish
systems to verify the legality of the raw
materials and end products.
JPA and its members will cooperate with thenational
government’s
countermeasuresagainst illegal logging, and hope that illegal
logging countermeasures will be promoted in
all wood producing and consuming nations ofthe world.
JPA will cooperate with domestic andinternational forest-related groups in promoting
countermeasures against illegal logging.