Japan Fund for Global Environment
This booklet is funded by Japan Fund for Global Environment,
Environmental Conservation and Restoration Agency.

Sustainable Future Created by Power of Sports〜To those who support sports events〜

Sustainable Future
Created byPower of Sports

Published by SUSPON (Sustainable Sport NGO and NPO Network)
February 2021
【Contributors from SUSPON members】
Michiko Amano, Global Environmental Forum
Toyoyuki Kawakami, Japan Tropical Forest Action Network (JATAN)
Takeshi Kusano, Incorporated Non-Proﬁt Organization ezorock
Hajime Sakazaki, International World Peace Symphony
Yuki Sakamoto, Global Environmental ForumTomoko Shimura, The Nature Conservation Society of Japan
Ryoko Seguchi, Sui Do! (Tap Water Do!) Network
Natsumi Naba, Climate Youth Japan (CYJ)
Kanta Hani, NPO iPledge
Seiji Hayama, Wild Bird Society of Japan
Gakuji Fukatsu, Green Purchasing Network(GPN)
Junichi Mishiba, FoE Japan
Kiyo Yamaguchi, NPO iPledge【Editorial cooperation】
Editor: Hiromi Hiraki
Design: Hiroko Kita (colonbs design)
llustration: Hiroki Wakamura【SUSPON Secretariat (c/o Global Environmental Forum】
Kuramae Intelligent Building 8F, Kuramae 3-17-3, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0051
TEL: 03-5825-9735/FAX: 03-5825-9737
Original Japanese version publicized in March 2020
English translated version publicized in December 2021

To those who support sports events

Introduction

CONTENTS
Introduction

3

Use Power of Sports for Sustainable Earth!

4

SUSPON Working Groups
Zero Waste Working Group

6

Energy Working Group12

Biodiversity Working Group

14

Volunteer Working Group16

SUSPON Youth20

Peace and Sport Working Group

22

Responsible Sourcing Working Group24

Kanta Hani
Director, SUSPON / NPO iPledge
It was in ���� that we launched SUSPON and the preparation began ﬁve years

before Tokyo ���� would take place.

The Olympic games is a whole-of -nation project that will have a major impact onsociety not only during the event but long after it ended. SUSPON was initiated by agroup of NPOs and NGOs work ing on env ironmenta l issues to advance themovement to use the Olympics as an opportunity to promote Japan's eﬀorts towarda sustainable society.

SUSPON has presented realistic and in-depth proposals to administrative bodies,

the Organizing Committee and corporations involved in the management of the

Olympics and provided open spaces for dialogue. It is our belief that we can realize asustainable Olympics and, through it, sustainable society post-Olympics by bringing

together the experiences and wisdom of more than �� organizations participating in
SUSPON and by respecting and cooperating with administrative and businessstakeholders through dialogue.

We need a healthy global environment and peaceful society to heartily enjoy

the Olympics and sports in general. And just as sports give us health, hopes and

SUSPONc ou r a ge, t he y c a n b e a c at a l y s t to g i ve s o c ie t y t he p o we r to c r e ate a n
appropriate environment and a peaceful society.

(Sustainable Sport NGO and NPO Network)

Recent ex treme weather events and natura l disasters caused by climate

SUSPON is a network of NGOs and NPOs working together to build a sustainablecha nge tell us t hat t he whole societ y needs to work ha nd in ha nd beyondsociety in Tokyo, Japan and eventually the world, starting with making the Tokyo

national borders to tackle the climate crisis. Other wise we will no longer be2020 O l y m p i c a n d P a r a l y m p i c G a m e s a s u s t a i n a b l e e v e n t . M e m b e rorganizations will exchange information among themselves, be ac tive
participants in the movement, and reach out to related organizations andbusinesses. SUSPON focuses on three pillars: citizen participation,

making thebest use of horizontal connections, and creating a space for dialogue.

For more details,
visit suspon.net.

Member Organizations（as of February 2021）
NPO iPledge / I♡SKATEBOARD / A SEED JAPAN / International World Peace Symphony / Environment Design
Laboratory ecotone / NPO ezorock / International Environmental NGO FoE Japan / Student Group ORIGAMI /Environmental Partnership Council (EPC) / NPO Environmental Relations Association / Climate Youth Japan (CYJ)/ Green Purchasing Network (GPN) / Green Alliance Japan / CSO Network / NPO GENKI Net for Creating a
Sustainable Society / Sui Do! (Tap Water Do!) Campaign / NPO Space FUU / Global Environmental Forum / The
Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J) / Wild Bird Society of Japan / Japan Tropical Forest Action Network

able to enjoy sports even in indoors.

This booklet presents our ideas and concrete methods of organizing and runninga sustainable sports events based on SUSPON’s activities for the organizations
hosting various sports events. These include concrete proposals and tips put

together by groups who actually worked at various sports grounds and wereinvolved in diﬀerent events around the country.

We hope that you will ﬁnd this booklet useful in your eﬀorts to make sports events

sustainable and be part of the movement to build a sustainable society.

(JATAN) / V-SPORTS PROJECT / Sustainable Week Executive Committee, Ritsumeikan University

2

3

Use Power of Sports
for Sustainable Earth!

Tomoko Hoshino
Vice-President, SUSPON / Environmental Partnership Council

The earth and human society now face global warming, increasing economic
gaps and associated social problems. Even if we want to enjoy sports, it is noteasy to hold sports events amid the worries about air and water pollution,
heatstroke and infectious diseases.

On the other hand, sports can be empowering. Challenging yourself to follow
your dream, building relationships of trust bet ween people, promoting
human-to-human exchange and understanding beyond national borders andrace diﬀerences and bringing about peace, and increasing connections amongpeople in the community...these are some of the many positive eﬀects of sports.
Is it not possible to use the power of sports to make our earth sustainable?
Social prejudice such as discrimination based on economic gaps, disability andrace should not be condoned. For the sake of spots, the environment, society
and economy must be wholesome, that is, “sustainable.”

Sustainable sports events will be favorably received by society, bringing about
various opportunities including those for fundraising. To make sports events
sustainable, we need to make sure that environmental considerations are taken
into account for all aspects such as the natural ecosystem of the event venue,
sourcing of materials used, supply of water, separation of wastes and electricity
used. It is also important to take into account humanitarian considerations forthe staﬀ and volunteers as well as the beneﬁts for the local community andeconomy. In the age of SDGs, organizers of sports events will increasingly be
asked to take these aspects into account.
It is the wish of SUSPON that sustainable sports events will be held all overJapan, and that they will bring smiles and joy to the faces of people.

4

5

Working
Group

1

Zero Waste

Working Group

Proposals and Practice towards a Sustainable Future
Proposal

1

Introducing reusable plates/cups to replace single-use containers
At sports event venues where a lot of athletes, staff and spectators gather, large quantities of singe-use
containers for meals and drinks are consumed in a short period of time and then disposed of as wastes. In
marathon games, for examples, a large amount of single-use cups used for water supply for the athletes areoften scattered around on the street. By replacing those single-use containers with reusable bowls, plates,
cups and cutlery which can be washed and reused repeatedly, efﬁcient use of resources and reduction ofgreenhouse gas emissions can be achieved, leading to reducing the environmental impact. Since washingand keeping of reusable containers are often done by social welfare organizations, we can expect that thispractice will be beneﬁcial both for the environment and social welfare. These containers are also used at
the time natural disasters such as earthquakes.

Main Activities
The main pillars of theactivities of the Zero Waste
Working Group are promotingt h e u s e of re u s a b l e fo o dcontainers, installing water
fountains and water supply
infrastructure and reducing
food wastes. The objective is
to make these practices takeroot in society as a “legacy” of
the Olympics andParalympics.

This is how it is practiced!

1. Collection system（Photo: Environment Design Laboratory ecotone）

Message for building a sustainable society

Take the opportunity of Tokyo2020 to promote “no throwaway”
so it can take root in society. Build a material-recycle society!

In the collection system, reusable containers are used when serving meals and drinks at sports event
venues and the used containers are collected at the Collecting Station (where waste containers are also
installed to separate wastes) or at the stall. They are washed at a washing facility and put back to the venue
for use. It is important that all the stakeholders such as organizers, shops and spectators understand thesystem and cooperate and therefore communications/public relations need to be thoroughly conducted.
Using a deposit system or distributing coupons may also be useful in raising the collection rate. In Japan,
reusable containers began to be used at festivals in around 2000. Reusable containers are used at the Gion
Festival (Kyoto City), one of the three biggest festivals in Japan, from 2014 and at the Tenjin Festival (Osaka
City) from 2017. The system has played a major role in
reducing wastes and preventing the streets from being
littered with used containers.

Our Concerns and Aim towards Tokyo2020
At a large-scale event, a massive amount of wastes are
generated in a short period of time. Tokyo2020 should
aim for zero-waste by employing various methods in theorder of priority in the 3R principle (reduce, reuse,recycle) , rather than continuing the business-as-usual of
producing, consuming and disposing of a huge amountof goods.
The Zero Waste Working Group makes proposals andput them to practice about using reusable foodcontainers, installing water fountains and water supply
infrastructure and reducing food loss and waste. Our

6objective is to make the use of reusable food containers
at various facilities and events including sports andfestivals will take root in Japanese society as part of its
culture.
We are also working to increase water fountains andwater supply infrastructure at sports facilities and in thestreets to encourage people to change their behavior
and make it a legacy. We also work to make sure thatefforts to reduce food loss and waste will become morewidespread.

Reusable containers are usedat the Gion Festival, Kyoto City
（Photo: Global Environmental Forum）

7

2. Take-home-recommended system
At a large-scale sports event, food and drink stands become
crowed with spectators during a short period of time such as
before the start of the match or during the halftime, making it
difﬁcult to collect the used containers. One of the ways toreduce the amount of single-use containers under these
conditions is to produce reusable containers with an original
design and recommend the users to take them home (if notneeded, the container cost is refunded upon return). At therugby match between Japan and New Zealand at Ajinomono
Stadium (Tokyo) on November 3, 2018, a trial use of reusable cups
was experimented. With 43,571 spectators ﬁlling the stadium,
9,885 reusable cups were sold and 939 were returned. The
take-home rate was 90.5%. The trial was well received by the users,with many coming back to the drink stand with the same cup for
more, reducing the number of cups used.

（By Michiko Amano, Global Environmental Forum）

Reusable cup used at a rugby match between Japan and New Zealand in 2018

（Photo: Global Environmental Forum）

Proposal

2

Replenishing water without depending on plastic bottles
by installing water fountains
In an event held in summer in particular, the risk of heatstroke is high as activities are carried out andspectators stand in line for a long time under a blazing sun. The organizer must provide an appropriate
water replenishment infrastructure for the athletes, spectators and staff members. Developing a watersupply system using tap water instead of selling or distributing water in single-use plastic bottles willlessen the environmental impact through the reduction of waste volume and greenhouse gas emissions,and help protect human lives and health.

Facility needs to be adapted to the venue
and size of the event

1. Installing water supply facility

at and around the venue/stadium

Installing water coolers (for direct drinking or reﬁlling abottle) are supposed to be indispensable at a sports
facility. When the venue is not equipped with watercoolers, installing them at an occasion of a big game
may be considered as they will be a lasting legacy after
the event is over.
Water coolers (also used for reﬁlling a bottle)
installed at a sports facility in Tokyo（Photo: Sui Do! Network）

8

2. Installing a temporary water supply station
In a sports event that draws a large number of athletes and spectators, the water coolers already installedat the facility may not be enough. In such a case, temporary water supply stations can be set up inside andoutside the facility. Depending on the size of the event and where the station is to be set up, water can besupplied either from the tap directly or from a water storage tank.

A

Water supply fromdesktop-type water storage tank

Using a small-sized, desktop-type water tank to store andsupply tap water is an easy way to set up a water supply station.
However, since a water container is required, the organizer
needs to make an announcement to the users to bring theirown container or provide reusable cups. Depending on the sizeof the event and the number of users, personnel needs to be
assigned to reﬁll the water tanks frequently. We do notrecommend to utilize water-delivery service as it is not muchdifferent from using single-use plastic bottles as the service
consumes energy in transport and uses single-use containers.
Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture, lends desktop-type water supply tanks to events
such as community athletic meets.（Photo: Ikoma City）

B

Water supply station
direct from tap

Connecting the supply station directly to the tap at
the venue can provide fresh water to a large
number of people without the need for reﬁlling,
therefore suited for large-sized events. Since water
fountains can be installed along with reﬁlling
stations, anyone, even without a container, can haveaccess to water. This system was used at somevenues in London and Rio de Janeiro Olympincs.

C

Water truck

Reﬁll Japanʼs water supply station
set up at the Tenjin Festival venue (Osaka City)（Photo: Sui Do! Network）

At events hosted by or involving a municipality, water trucks or water tanks owned by the waterauthority of the municipality can be used. By combining it with the direct-from-the-tap water supply
B a convenient access to water can be provided without being inﬂuenced
system as outlined above in ◯,by constraints of the venue caused by accessibility to the water main.

A and ◯
B s ys t e m s ca n b e ow n e d by t h e eve n t h os t b u t ca n a l s o b e re n t e d f ro m aA b ove ◯company/organization that lends out such systems for events, if there is one. The host can reduce
costs by utilizing the rental system. Supplying cold water is also possible with an equipment thatallows refrigeration.

（By Ryoko Seguchi, Sui Do! (Tap Water Do!) Campaign）

9

Enjoying activities generates a positive chain

1. What is waste separation navigation?
Volunteers, standing behind trash bins, communicate with spectators coming to throw away trash andencourage them to properly separate recyclable resources from wastes. It is not that volunteers
separate wastes on behalf of spectators but ask them to separate by themselves, prompting them tocomply with the separation rules.

（Photo: NPO iPledge）（Photo: NPO iPledge）

Proposal

3

Navigating waste separation
at large-size sports events
At large-size events, massive amounts of wastes
of various types are discharged at once at thevenue which makes it difﬁcult to separate andrecycle wastes. Although waste bins for sorted
c o l l e c t i o n a re i n s t a l l e d a t m a n y s p o r t i n gfacilities, how to separate wastes is noteffectively communicated to spectators because
municipalities implement different ways of（Photo: NPO iPledge）

10（Photo: Global Environmental Forum）

2. Signiﬁcance of volunteer activities
When volunteers enjoy the navigation activity themselves and engage in communications with
spectators, it not only facilitates proper separation of wastes but also generates positive consciousness
and actions among the spectators. This may make the entire venue a clean and peaceful space.

sorting the wastes and instructions of sorting are
not easy to understand. As a result, wastes andresources are mixed and wastes are left at places
other than trash bins. In such cases, volunteers
can navigate how to sort wastes prompting
spectators coming from other parts of Japan aswell as the world to appropriately separate. It
can keep the venue clean and facilitate recyclingof materials. The waste separation navigation
system has been adopted at many outdoor music
festivals such as Fuji Rock Festival as well asother outdoor events and beaches. Festivals
generate a particularly large amount of wastes
but navigation volunteers can facilitate proper
sorting by asking for the understanding andcooperation of spectators. In some cases, thematerials collected at the venue are recycled into
garbage bags and toilet paper to be used at thefollowing yearʼs event, a case of good practice ofmaterial recycling.

3. Participatory measures to conserve environment
By asking spectators to separate wastes by themselves, the organizer can make the environmental
conservation measures, and eventually the event itself, more participatory. The experience may
encourage spectators to be more aware of the need for separation of wastes and other environmental（By Kanta Hani & Kiyo Yamaguchi, NPO iPledge）
issues after returning to their daily life.

（Photo: NPO iPledge）

11

Working
Group

2

EnergyPractice

Working Group

Practice

1

Natural disasters caused by global warming are the biggest risk for all the athletes and children who live
the future. To contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the Tokyo2020 Games, we conduct
research on the state of athletic facilities in terms of energy and recommend the use of renewable energy.
Practice

2

Make the use of renewable energy a common practiceso that we can enjoy sports for ever!

Expanding the use of renewable energy is one of theSDGs and in fact renewable energy such as hydropowerand bioethanol fuels were used at the 2016 Rio deJaniero Games.
As the Games aspiring to be a sustainable event,Tokyo2020 should promote the use of renewable energy
to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. It is also hopedthat the promotion of renewable energy at Tokyo2020
will leave a positive legacy that will facilitate easieraccess to renewable energy in future events.

Proposals and Practice towards a Sustainable Future
Proposal

Make electricity used at Tokyo2020 100% renewable by changing
power purchase agreement and using green electricity certiﬁcate!

There area three ways to use electricity produced with renewable energy.
1 In-house power generation and consumption (installing solar panels, etc. at own facilities and using the power●

generated by them at the facilities).

2 Change to a power purchase agreement that includes more supply of electricity produced with renewable energy.
●
3 Purchase green electricity certiﬁcate (*1) and deem that the electricity used was produced with renewable energy.
●(*1) Green electricity certiﬁcate: Environmental added value gained from renewable energy is made into tradable certiﬁcates (securitization).

12

Survey of power purchase agreements by municipalities
where the Tokyo2020 athletic facilities are located
The Working Group conducted a survey with themunicipalities owning or managing the athleticfacilities to be used in Tokyo2020 to ﬁnd out
whether they have an environmentally-conscious
power purchase agreement (2018). Among the 24
municipalities surveyed, 7 had a policy on
environmentally-conscious agreement (Hokkaido
Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Kawagoe City, Tokyo
Metropolitan Government, Kanagawa Prefecture,
Yokohama City, Shizuoka Prefecture). A survey
conducted by the Ministry of the Environment in2018 on the Environmental Conscious Contract Act
cited reasons for not being able to conclude suchan agreement, including: “there is not a system inplace to evaluate and screen power purchaseagreements and their providers;” “the requirements
under the Act are difﬁcult, requiring expertise to
implement” and “coordination among the relevant
units is difﬁcult.” From the hearing we conducted
w i t h t h e a t h l e t i c fac i l i t i es, we f o u n d t h a t
co n c l u d i n g a n e n v i ro n m e n t a l l y - co n s c i o u s
agreement is not a requirement in the facility
management contract, showing that thecontractees, that is local governments, are notactively engaged.

Our Concerns and Aim towards Tokyo2020
Global warming accelerates extreme climate andweather events. Bigger and stronger typhoons andhurricanes destroy city functions, heatwaves cause
humans health damage and the temperature rise of airand seawater impacts farming and ﬁshing products,
affecting peopleʼs lives. Sports events are also affected.
Holding safe sports events faces threats as winter games
are being impacted and worries about the health ofathletes and spectators rise. Since the entry into force oft h e 2 0 1 5 Pa r i s Ag re e m e n t , t h e e n t i re wo r l d i saccelerating the move towards decarbonization.

Survey of the power purchase agreement of the athletic facilities
The Energy Working Group conducted a survey on the power purchase agreements of 23 facilities to be used inTokyo2020 (2016). The result showed that there are only two entities that concluded the power purchase agreementfrom the environmental point of view. The respondents cited reasons such as: “it will increase the burden on the
person in charge;” “it is difﬁcult to actually put it into practice;” “there is no request to make such an agreement fromthe responsible organization (central or local government),” among others. Since the state and independentadministrative corporations (IAC) are obliged to conclude a power purchase agreement that takes into accountenvironmental concerns, the athletic facilities run by those entities did have an environmentally-conscious purchaseagreement. On the other hand, many of the facilities run by municipalities did not have one, since it is not obligatory
for local governments to conclude such an agreement.

Main Activities

Message for building a sustainable society

How it is practiced so far

State of environmentally-conscious power purchase agreementby municipalities owning main athletic facilities
Name ofmunicipality
Hokkkaido Prefecture
Sapporo City
Miyagi Prefecture
Sendai City
Fukushima Prefecture
Ibaragi Prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
Saitama City

EnvironmentallyOrganization-wide
Environmentallyconscious practicepractice
conscious contract defined in plans etc.,(in power purchasepolicy in place
other than contract policy
agreement)

◯

◯

×

×

×

×

×

×

×

◯

×
×
×

◯

×
×
◯

×

×
×

Tokyo MetropolitanGovernment◯◯

Kanagawa Prefecture

Kawagoe City
Chiba Prefecture
Chiba City

Yokohama City
Shizuoka Prefecture

◯

×

◯

×
×
×
△

×
◯

×

×

×

◯

◯

◯

◯

◯

◯

×

◯

◯

◯
◯

<Legend> [Environmentally-conscious contract policy in place] 〇: Already in place ×:
No in place [Environmentally-conscious practice deﬁned in plans etc., other thancontract policy (*2) ] 〇: Environmentally-conscious practice deﬁned in plans etc., otherthan contract policy ×: Environmentally-conscious practice not deﬁned in plans etc.,
other than contract policy [Organization-wide practice (in power purchase agreement)]〇: Organization-wide practice exists △: Practiced at the individual level of the person
in charge ×: No practice exists

Practice3

Study session on introducing renewable energy for municipalities
The Energy Working Group conducted a “Study Session on
Introducing Renewable Energy” in January 2020 to increase theuse of renewable energy by municipalities, while taking into
consideration the current issues faced by them. We provided alecture on the signiﬁcance of introducing renewable energy andhow to actually implement which was followed by an exchange ofviews with the participating municipalities.
(By Gakuji Fukatsu, Green Purchasing Network (GPN))(Photo: Green Purchasing Network (GPN))(*2) plans etc., other than contract policy: For example, basic environmental plan, environmental management system,
global warming countermeasures implementation plan, basic policy for green purchasing and so on.

13Working
Group

3

Biodiversity

Working Group

Proposals and Practice towards a Sustainable Future
Proposal

1

Led by Wild Bird Society of Japan, we carried out a campaign for a change of the venue for canoe andslalom events together with local groups, since before the creation of SUSPON. These efforts bore fruitas the change of the venue, when the IOC accepted the request from the TMG for change in February
2015. The fact that even a mega city like Tokyo has a biodiversity-rich area was acknowledged though
this change of the venue . It meant that the area was recognized as a place where many citizens could
easily enjoy the beneﬁts from biodiversity. In the future, collaboration with other activities carried out
by various groups will be necessary, such as networking among different wetlands around the Tokyo
Bay and the bay recovery efforts.

Main Activities
Make 2021 a year for not only
sports but for the environment -Taking Tokyo2020 as a catalyst, we

Proposal

2

aimed to mainstream biodiversity

Change of the canoe/slalom venue and activities beyond( t o i n co r p o ra t e t h e co n s e r va t i o n

Towards inscription of Kasai-oki Sanmaisu, a natural tidal ﬂat,on the Ramsar List
The sea area around Kasai-oki Sanmaisu, a natural tidal ﬂat off the coast of Kasai Rinkai Park, hadsatisﬁed the conditions as a natural environment to be inscribed on the Ramsar List. However, consent
was necessary for the inscription from the TMG, City of Edogawa and ﬁsherpeople. The Working Groupthen organized a symposium to let people know the history of Kasai Rinkai Park and the appeal of its
nature. We also invited the president of the ﬁshing cooperative from Arao tidal ﬂat of Kumomato
Prefecture that had been inscribed on the Ramsar List to talk about the coexistence between theconservation of the tidal ﬂat and ﬁshing. These activities came to fruition when the decision was madein 2018 at the Conference of Parties Meeting held in Dubai, UAE, to inscribe the site on the Ramsar List.

and sustainable use of biodiversity
i n t o a l l s o c i o e co n o m i c ac t i v i t i es
from the global to daily-life level).
(Photo: Nobuya Iida/Wildlife Protected Area, Biodiversity Center of Japan WebGIS)

Message for building a sustainable society

Le t us a i m f o r n et g ain,(*) not zero- net loss,o f To k y o 2 0 2 0 ʼs i m pa ct on biodiversity!
(*) No only to keep the impact to zero but to enrich biodiversity.

Our Concerns and Aim towards Tokyo2020
The 1964 Tokyo Olympics drastically changed Tokyoand greatly impacted the social and naturalenvironments.
One of Tokyo2020ʼs objectives is to hold a sustainable
games but its impact on the natural environment fromthe construction of venues is not insigniﬁcant. The
canoe/slalom venue planned to be built in Kasai Rinkai
Park in Edogawa City, Tokyo, would have undermined theservices from biodiversity, that is, interacting with nature,that Tokyo citizens had enjoyed. Luckily, the venue was
moved to a different place thanks to the efforts of those
who are involved and the courageous decision of theTokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG).
The Biodiversity Working Group would like to go astep further We proposed and realized theinscription of Kasai-oki Sanmaisu, a natural tidal ﬂat
off the coast of Kasai Rinkai Park, on the Ramsar List
under the Ramsar Convention ( * ) , so that it canpromote conservation efforts that can be carriedout under an agreement of the parties concerned.
These efforts facilitate the recovery of biodiversityof the Tokyo Bay, which used to be richer as shownin the word “Edo-mae” (referring to the ﬁsh from theTokyo Bay) which remains even today in Japanese
vocabulary. We also have worked with the TMG in
public relation work to communicate to people
visiting the area at the time of Tokyo2020 about therich natural environment still found in the mega
city and the efforts to conserve the environment
while beneﬁting from the blessings of nature.

(*) Ramsar Convention: The convention was originally established to protect waterbirds but now functions as one on the protection and wise use of wetlands in general.

14

葛西沖三枚洲Proposal

3

Activities need to be continued for wise use of the site
The Ramsar Convention was adopted in 1971, well before the Biodiversity Convention or SDGs. The
convention advocates wise use of wetlands as one of the main principles. “Wise use” means to utilize theblessings of the wetland while maintaining its ecosystem. That means that we need to have the perspectiveof sustainable use. The convention requires the planning for conservation and use of the wetland on the
List. Currently discussions are held on a continuous basis where the TMG is acting as a secretariat. The
Biodiversity Working Group will continue to engage in such discussions so that our objectives can beachieved.
(By Tomoko Shimura, The Nature Conservation Society of Japan & Seiji Hayama, Wild Bird Society of Japan)

15

Working
Group

4

Volunteer

Proposals and Practice towards
a Sustainable Future

Working Group

Proposal

Make volunteering experience in Tokyo2020

Appendix: “Guide for
Volunteers Working to Builda Sustainable Future”

a learning opportunity for building a bright, sustainable future
It has been conﬁrmed that what volunteers experienced in their activities impact their perspective and way ofMain Activities

thinking, causing changes in their behavior. If the organizer of an event can show its concern for the environment,

Sustainability is needed for

education, gender and economic and other gaps and volunteers carry out their activities conscious of such concerns, it

us to live in good health andmay eventually help achieve SDGs. Developing spontaneity, assertiveness, ability to work with others andpeace whenever andcommunication ability through volunteering should be an important asset for the volunteers which will be useful inwherever we are. We areliving in a partnership-oriented society. We also hope that more and more people will join the work to build a

discussingenvironmentally-c

participatory society in the future through such volunteering opportunities.

onscious volunteering andtaking actions to spreadsuch activities in society.
(All photos on pp.16-19: NPO ezorock)Message for building a sustainable society

Take Tokyo2020 as a catalyst to turn every volunteering activity
into an “opportunity to learn about building a sustainable future” !

Our Concerns and Aim towards Tokyo2020

The awareness of those who are involved in the management and coordination of Tokyo2020 towards the

To b u i l d a s u s t a i n a b l e f u t u re , eac h o n e o f u s

year in different events held in different parts ofvolunteer staff is a key to the success of the Games. Paying attention and respect to the wishes andneeds to learn many things and use her/his

Japan and learning about what is needed to build apersonality of each one of the volunteers can motivate them to perform better, resulting in a smooth

imagination and autonomy to take actions andsustainable future, from “the ability to think on youroperation of the Games. It is important to create such a virtuous cycle.

make decisions in a responsible way. The number ofown,” and “the ability to do what you do best.”

ProposalManage risks and avoid accidents

volunteers needed for Tokyo2020 is expected to be

From these experiences, we think it is importantthe highest in history of the Olympics, greater thanthat Tokyo2020 becomes an event where volunteers

70,000 for the 2012 London Olympics. Volunteers

can enjoy their activities and provides an

It is necessary to create a booklet containing manuals and policies including a coordinatorʼs manual and thewill engage in a wide range of activities in many

“opportunity of learning for building a sustainable

operational structure so that the division of duties and responsibility are clearly understood. It is very

parts of Japan from guiding athletes and spectators

future” for each one of them. To realize that, theimportant to to share this manual with all the operation staff. On the day of the event, the organizer must

to interpreting, security, assisting record keeping,organizers that receives volunteers need to makestrive to maintain smooth communications based on the established contact system among the relevantc h e c k i n g t h e t i c ke t s, s e p a ra t i n g a n d re c yc l i n g

t h e v o l u n t e e r i n g a c t i v i t i e s “o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r

sections to avoid risks and respond to spectators and others. Those who are responsible should always act

wastes, and many more.

learning” instead of treating them as unpaid labor.

with the worst-case scenario in mind and the operation staff have to be well aware of the evacuation routes

We are working with thousands of volunteers a

16

Proposals to Organizers Receiving Volunteers

1

in cases of emergency.
17

Proposal

2

Ensure that volunteers understand the signiﬁcance of activities
and their roles
Scheduling and organizational structuring should be made so that each one of the volunteers can have arole. Hold a brieﬁng session or exchange meeting, depending on the kind of activities and the degree of
responsibility, to communicate the characteristics of the activities, the daily ﬂow of work, division of roles,
things to keep in mind and so on, so that the volunteers can relieve any anxiety they may have prior to theevent and participate in the activities with peace of mind. If there is a pamphlet describing the receivingorganization or the operator of the event, distribute one to each. These points should be communicated tothem not only prior to the event but also on the day.

Proposal

3

Prevent troubles from happening so thatthe organizers themselves can feel good
It is important to take every opportunity to communicate repeatedly and ﬁrmly to the volunteer staff therules and things to keep in mind in their activities. Sometimes, it is necessary to refuse the participation ofvolunteers who do not meet the needs of the receiving organization or have easy thoughts. When minors
participate as volunteers, care must be taken as to when they leave for home to ensure their safety andthey should not be left alone during their activities.

Proposal

4

Make sure volunteers feel good about their work andtake care to create a good atmosphere on the day of the event
Pay attention to the breaks, lunch, water replenishment and physical conditions of volunteers andprepare necessary provisions in anticipation of the weather on the day. When issuing instructions,
keep in mind that they are your peers, not subordinates. Care should be taken in grouping so thatthe ﬁrst-time volunteers participating alone can get along with others in the group. Be consciousof the age and gender balance and use ingenuity to create an atmosphere enabling the volunteers
to get along with each other frankly, by calling one another by nickname, for example. On the dayof the event, it is important that conscious efforts are made so that all can share the same goal
and be team players.

Proposal

5

6following proposals apply to any kind of volunteer work. These are what you need to pay attention to andbear in mind if you work as a volunteer. We hope that you ﬁnd these useful.

Proposal1

Value spontaneous feelings.
Whatever the motive, you make the decision to take part in volunteer work on your own. If you are
not serious, you may be turned down. You need to participate on your own initiative andunderstand the purpose of the activity you wish to join and what you are asked to do. Do nothesitate to express your opinions, proposals and what you want to initiate to the staff. On the dayof the event, you are assigned a particular role, but what is important is to enjoy your activity,
while taking breaks appropriately to suite your physical conditions.

Proposal

2

Treat each other as equals.
Volunteering is different from part-time jobs or paid work. Volunteers are not personnel toprovide a service to someone unilaterally. Do not be self-deprecating or act patronizingly to thestaff members, other volunteers and visitors and stay friendly as if you are interacting with yourclose friends. If you behave in this way, others will naturally open their heart to you.

Communicate the outcome of the event and convey gratitude.
What you do after the event is over is also
important. For example, you can send thevolunteers photos taken during the activities andgroup photos and responses of the users,s p e c t a t o r s a n d t h e s t a ff by e m a i l t o m a i n t a i ncommunications even after the event. You can ask
them to send their feedback and answer aquestionnaire. Keep the volunteers updated on thef u t u re a c t i v i t i es a n d e ve n t s a n d a s k f o r t h e i r
participation so that their participation will not
end with one event but continue in the future.

18

There are a variety of activities volunteers can be involved in and their interests vary. However, theHelp volunteers work on their own initiative.
Volunteers need to be provided with correct and adequate information about the weather, thenumber of spectators and others. It is recommended that the operation staff consciously ask thevolunteers for their input and views, as these are useful in noticing things they were not aware of
before and broaden their perspectives. By actively listening to volunteers and conducting a survey,
when necessary, about the activities and the operating system can improve the event itself.

Proposal

Proposals to volunteers

Proposal

3

Act responsibly.
The receiving organization and many companies involved in the activity make preparations toreceive volunteers. Therefore last-minute cancellation or being late for work or leaving early forselﬁsh reasons are to be strictly refrained. In the eyes of the public, volunteers and the staff are
the same. Keep the rules and behave in a restrained manner. If a trouble occurs on site or if you
are not sure what to do, refrain from making a decision all by yourself and ask the staff of the(By Takeshi Kusano, NPO ezorock)receiving organization for advice.
19

WorkingGroup

5

SUSPON Youthlimited to Owned and Shared sectors whereas the London Games included the category of Associated.
Regarding the transport sector, the Tokyo Organizing Committee the objective of “aiming at reducing
pollution and improving fuel efﬁciency of the Games ﬂeet, while utilizing the public transport as much as
possible” in the Pre-Games Report on Sustainability (April 2020). Suppose a spectator uses public
transport to travel between the hotel and the event venue. The relevant CO2 emissions are not includedin the calculation of CFP for the Tokyo Games as this travel is not funded by the Organizing Committee.
But the London Organizing Committee included them in the CFP calculation because they thought it was
important to reduce CO2 emissions from the travels of spectators to achieve the goal of making theGames sustainable. We propose that the Organizing Committee to adopt a comprehensive calculation
method incorporating the transport sector to lessen the Gamesʼ impact on the environment.

Main Activities
Many young people are using Tokyo2020 as an opportunity to raise awareness of sustainability. We interact
with youth organizations working in ﬁelds other than the environment and are carrying out activities with

Carbon footprint of Tokyo2020

focus on “a society we want to realize with the Olympics as a catalyst” and “how sustainability is related to it.”

Carbon footprint of Tokyo Games London Games(calculated as of January 2018)

Breakdown of footprint of Tokyo Games(Unit: thousand)and London GamesCO2emissions

Message for building a sustainable society

London（BAU）

We want people around the world not only watch the Gamesbut pay attention to sustainability.
We want a society where the voice of the youth is heard!

Tokyo
（BAU）

Tokyo
(after review
of venues)

Reductions
from thereviewof venues
Spectators

Tokyo(after implementing
measures)

Reductions
frommeasures

Operation

Tokyo

London
（BAU）

Tokyo
（BAU）

(after review of venues)

Construction

1,730t-CO2

1,660t-CO2

1,580t-CO2

Operation

460t-CO2

530t-CO2

530t-CO2

Spectators

670t-CO2820t-CO2820t-CO2

Transport
infrastructure

590t-CO2

Not applicable Not applicableTotal

3,450t-CO2

3,010t-CO2

2,930t-CO2※CFP of Rio Games (BAU): 3,560 t-CO2

Characteristics of Tokyo2020 CFP

Construction

Our Concerns and Aim towards Tokyo2020
It is important to think about the connection
between sports events and the environment on theoccas io n of t he Ol y mpi cs a n d Pa ra l y mp i cs. T he
Organizing Committee and other entities ofTokyo2020 are actively working on the following
activities aimed at decarbonization.
- Transport with less environmental impact- Measures to reduce CO2 emissions througheffective use of resources- Carbon-offset from renewable energy and citizensʼ
initiatives on reducing CO2- Participation in Sports for Climate Action

Transport infrastructure

Framework as part of the activities of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

1Spectators※BAU（Business as Usual）

On the other hand, many issues remain unsolved,
such as identifying the proportion of the actual
emissions of greenhouse gases from the Games tothe target amount. Following the sustainability
activities carried out at the 2012 London Olympics,
To k yo 2 0 2 0 s h o u l d a i m t o b e co m e a m o d e l f o rbuilding a sustainability-conscious city and society
as the Olympics held in a mature city, Tokyo.

Include transport in the sectors to measure carbon footprintof Tokyo2020.
Currently, the transport sector is not included in the by-sector measurement of carbon footprint (CFP *1),
a basis for calculating the entire CFP of Tokyo2020. It appears clearly insufﬁcient as compared to the
London Olympics (see tables at right). One of the reasons for not including the transport sector forTokyo2020 is the difference in the calculation method of CFP. At London Olympics, the OSA Scheme
adopted in the CFP calculation classiﬁes as “Owned,” “Shared” and “Associated” (*2) according to the shareof ﬁnancial contribution from the Organizing Committee. The scope of CFP calculation of Tolyo2020 is(*1) Carbon footprint (CFP): A mechanism to present in an easy-to-understand manner greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent)emitted throughout the life-cycle of products and services from procurement of raw materials to disposal.

20

Operation

Source of London Games CFP: london2012 Carbon footprint study -- Methodology and reference footprint (March 2010)

Proposal2(*2)
Owned : Activities
fully funded by theO r g a n i z i n g
Committee (e.g.,construction ofvenues);Shared : Activity
partly funded by theO r g a n i z i n g
Committee as apartner (e.g.
development of theathletes village
co-funded by theO r g a n i z i n g
Committee andother entities);
Associated :Activities notfunded by theO r g a n i z i n g
Committee but
having certain
impact on the CFP
calculation.

Create a clear guideline on sustainability-conscious procurement code.
Problems with the procurement code have been pointed
out by many NGOs. As for the procurement of palm oil(oil extracted from the fruit of oil palm) by Tokyo2020,in particular, palm plantations are said to have major
impact on logging of forests. As setting clear rules on
the use of palm oil is difﬁcult, it is likely that past hostcountries did not have rules on the procurement of palmoil. Tokyo2020 needs to show clearly how it is going tosolve the issue or improve the situation.

Proposals and Practice towards a Sustainable Future
Proposal

Construction- At the time of BAU: CFP is small because no transport
infrastructure is built.
- At the time of venue review: CFP is reduced due to the review, suchas changing from new construction of a venue to utilizing an existing
facility.
- After implementing measures: Efforts will be made to further reduce
CFP in operation of the Games.

(Figure) Source:
The 8th session of
Decarbonization
Working Group,Tokyo2020
Organizing
Committee(Photo: Climate youth Japan (CYJ))

Proposal3

Create opportunities to reﬂect the voice of young people!
So far there have been several occasions where public comments were solicited and citizens could
participate in projects in relation to Tokyo2020. However, there has been no occasion where youth
can have dialogue with the Organizing Committee in the planning process. Large-scale sports
events will have a major impact on society. We hope that a mechanism will be created so thatyoung people, who will be the central actors in the future society, are heard in the eventʼsplanning process.
(By Natsumi Naba, Climate Youth Japan (CYJ))
21

Working
Group

6

Peace and Sport

same hope of world peace while paying respect toall the countries equally. Concretely, the ceremony

Working Group

follows the alphabetical order of the countries,
starting with Afghanistan. The ﬂag-bearer holding
the ﬂag of Afghanistan waves it while saying, “Maypeace prevail in Afghanistan.” The ceremony ends
the payer for all the 193 countries with Zambia

Main Activities

and Zimbabwe. It is composed of simple

The Olympics are often called “festival of peace.” While inquiring into the relation between peace and sports,

p e a c e p r e v a i l i n x x x c o u n t r y,” a n y o n e c a n

we are working to spread the World Peace Prayer Ceremony (WPPC) among more organizations andparticipate in it whether young or old, Japanese orindividuals.

foreigners, with or without disabilities.

movements of waving a small ﬂag and saying “MayMessage for building a sustainable society

Proposal2

Let us use Tokyo2020 as an opportunity to construct the defenses
of peace in the minds of people around the world and leave a legacy
for sustainable society!

Our Concerns and Aim towards Tokyo2020“Peace” is a prerequisite for building a sustainable

world peace. Holding the Olympics and Paralympics

society. Unfortunately, however, we continue to see

in such a country has a special signiﬁcance and greatwars and conﬂicts occurring somewhere in the world.

persuasive power.
The preamble of the UNESCO Constitution states “thata festival of peace will be an ideal opportunity tosince wars begin in the minds of men, it is in thesend out an appeal for peace to society clearly andminds of men that the defences of peace must be

loudly. Furthermore, as a country that experienced

constructed.” Let us work together to build thethe horror of nuclear weapons through the bombings

defences of peace in the minds of people around theof Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many Japanese strongly

world through Tokyo2020 and towards a peacefulwish for the abolition of nuclear weapons and theand sustainable world.

Proposals and Practice towards a Sustainable Future
Proposal

1

Hold WPPC, an event of prayer for world peace, during the Olympics.
The World Peace Prayer Ceremony (WPPC) is a ceremony where all the participants pray for peace ofthe country and the world without regard to the differences in nation, religion, idea and others, whileraising the national ﬂags of 193 countries. It was ﬁrst held in Los Angeles in 1986 and has since been
held in different parts of the world. It is an event that tries to unite the whole human race under the22

Display a message for peace at the opening ceremonyand other occasions in Tokyo2020.
At the parade of nations during the opening ceremony of Tokyo2020, we propose that the word
“peace” is displayed in three languages when a countryʼs delegation has entered the stadium: theofﬁcial language of the country, English and Japanese.
<Examples> France: La paix peace 平和, United States of America: peace 平和

Proposal3

Use “folded- paper crane of peace.”
We propose that the spectators will be taught how to fold a paper
crane and asked to make one. They are then asked to write the word
“peace” in the ofﬁcial language of their country. Distribute the paper
cranes to the spectators at the entrance of the venue.

The Olympics, a “festival of peace,” will be held inTokyo, Japan, amid such a situation. The Olympics asParticipation fee is free, the time required is around 40 minutes(Photo: International World Peace Symphony)

Proposal

4

Offer a silent prayer.
We will ask relevant entities to consider offering a silent prayer for peace on August 6 (the day the atomic
bomb was dropped on Hiroshima) during the Olympics at the time when the bomb was dropped (8:15 AM).
If a prayer is offered at a sporting venue where many people gather, it will create a sense of unity.

Proposal

5

Install a “campus of peace(provisional name).”Install a bulletin board on the wall or at a corner of thestadium on which the spectators can write the word
“peace” in their mother tongue and the name of thecountry. They can take a selﬁe in front of the board andshare it on social media. We hope that the word “peace”
will spread around the world in this way.
(By Hajime Sakazaki, International World Peace Symphony)

23

Working
Group

7

Responsible Sourcing
Working Group

Proposals and Practice towards a Sustainable Future
Proposal
1
Proposal
2

Main Activities
Serious deforestation is being caused indifferent countries of the world byillegal logging and large-scale
developments. We are making
proposals and monitoring the situation
so that the materials used and sourced
for Tokyo2020 are environmentally andsocially friendly andsustainability-oriented.

Proposal3(Photo: International Environmental NGO FoE Japan)

Message for building a sustainable society

Let us use Tokyo2020 as an opportunity to makesustainability-oriented responsible sourcing
an industrial standard in Japan.

Our Concerns and Aim towards Tokyo2020
Tokyo2020, with its commitment to a sustainable
Games, has established a sustainable sourcing code as atool to put that principle to practise. In particular,
individual standards have been set for items Japan isheavily dependent on sourcing from abroad, such aswood, paper, palm oil and marine products, to respond tosustainability risk in the supply chain related to theoperation and preparation of the Games.
Take wood, for example. Japanʼs demand for wood has
been partly responsible for undesirable acts of forest
logging such as illegal logging and large-scale forest
developments (conversion into farmlands) that cause
deforestation and forest degradation around the world.
Deforestation and forest degradation promote climatechange and cause biodiversity loss and infringement ofrights of indigenous and local communities relying on
the forest ecosystem for living. That is whey the questionis addressed as Goal 15 of SDGs and recognized as animportant and shared challenge for the world.
The Tokyo2020 sourcing code and its operation will
have a major impact as a guideline for sourcing activities
of Jap anese co m p ani es, m uni c i p ali ti es and th e
government after the Olympics. That is why it isimportant to disclose information as to the actuali m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f s o u rc i n g t o ﬁ n d o u t i f i t i ssustainability-oriented and conducted in a responsibleway.

Establish and disclosesustainability-oriented sourcing standards and policy.
Involve a wide range of stakeholders
in standard-setting and clarify what Tokyo2020 meansby sustainability in the supply chain.
Accept the views/proposals from NGOs and parties
concerned from the place where the materials are sourced
and be accountable to them.

Current Situation and Issues towards the Realizationof Sustainable Sourcing of Materials
CASE

1

How tropical wood is used in public works contracted
by Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
TMGʼs Environmental Goods Sourcing Policy (pubic

observed, there was not much change in terms of curbing

works), policy applied to materials used in public works,

the use of tropical wood, the original purpose of theprovides that “the use of wood from tropical rainforests

policy. The use of tropical wood in “unavoidable cases” hasand softwood should be refrained” to curtail the use of

actually become the norm. Further efforts fortropical woods. However, the policy allows for the use of

improvement are needed to achieve the original purpose

wood from tropical forests “in unavoidable cases,” insofarof the “Policy to Curtail the Use of Tropical Wood.”

as they are sourced from a certiﬁed forest or its legality(By Junichi Mishiba, International Environmental NGO FoE Japan)

and sustainability have been conﬁrmed, thus trying tocontribute to the conservation of tropical forests. WhenFoE Japan did a research on how this policy is actually
implemented in March 2019, it found that tropicalp l y w o o d w a s u s e d f o r c o n c re t e m o l d i n g a t t h econstruction site for renovating the building of Akabane
Fire Station of Tokyo Fire Department. Three kinds ofconcrete molding plywood was used, two of which were
PEFC (*1) certiﬁed product and the remaining one
non-certiﬁed product. After that, TMG notiﬁed the relevant
entities through the TMG Construction Council andintroduced measures to strictly enforce the policy such as
by conﬁrmation on the site and photo-taking by ofﬁcers of
TMG while the moulding is done. The result is that
although a tendency to use wood from certiﬁed forests is

Customary land of an indigenous people
has been ruthlessly logged without their consent(Photo: FoE Japan)(*1) PEFC certiﬁcation: Forest certiﬁcation system that mutually approves different examination standards of countries.
It was established with the leadership of the forest industry.
24

25

That is why we NGOs have argued that conﬁrming that the
CASE

Situation of sourcing of paper
The sustainability-oriented paper sourcing policy forTokyo2020 meets the standards in legality, planned forest
management, ecosystem conservation including natural forestsand peatlands, respect of rights of indigenous peoples andlocal communities and labor safety. It allows the use of
FSC-certiﬁed (*2) and PEFC-certiﬁed products. However, tworeportedly involved in many land disputes, deforestation
caused by the development of peatlands and natural forestsand forest ﬁres, despite having obtained PEFC certiﬁcation, andtherefore do not satisfy the standards for souring forTokyo2020. Due to these behaviors, FSC severed its relations
with these companies deemed to have violated its values (as ofNovember 2020). JATAN, together with other organizations,were of tropical wood produced in Malaysia andand that it is necessary to trace back to the logging site toIndonesia. Needless to say, tropical forests are importantﬁnd out where the raw material has come from.

to maintain biodiversity and provides a basis of living for

Further, we found that molding plywood produced by an

local communities. Besides, the conservation of tropicalIndonesian company was used in the construction of theforests plays a signiﬁcant role in curbing climate change

Ariake Arena and the National Stadium. The company

as the greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation ofoperates a wide range of forestry business such as wood,

tropical forests ranks third in emission sources after China

palm oil and paper but has been pointed out by NGOs andand the US.

m e d i a t o h ave b e e n i n vo l ve d i n i l l e g a l l o g g i n g ,paper manufacturing companies operating in Indonesia are

Drainage canal dug to clear-cut a peatland forest.
(Photo: Japan Tropical Forest Action Network (JATAN))

sent a letter of warning to the sponsor companies ofTokyo2020 about the risk of sourcing paper such as this andreceived positive responses.
The TMG Green Purchasing Guidelines, revised following theJapan, the largest consumer country of tropicalclear-cutting, human rights violations and tax evasion.

plywoods for the past decades, is particularly responsible

Through the report by Rainforest Action Network “Broken

for the conservation of tropical forests. Tokyo2020 is an

P ro m i s e s ” a n d i n t h e p ro c e s s o f t h e c o m p l a i n t

ideal opportunity to change Japanʼs sourcing of wood to a(communication) lodged against TMG and JSC based onsustainable one. The Tokyo2020 authorities need to

the report, it was conﬁrmed that the raw materials for the

respond seriously to the criticism from the NGOs and show

plywood included those from clear-cutting of a forest

suppliers and other relevant industry stakeholders the

inhabited by orang utans.

need to trace the product back to the logging site andFaced with these criticisms by NGOs, the Tokyo2020

conﬁrm that the sustainability risk on the supply chain is

authorities began disclosing information on the molding

low. Otherwise, wood sourcing for the Tokyo Olympics will

plywood used for the construction of facilities frombe criticized as “sustainable washing” and leave a negative

February 2018. But it includes only the name of thelegacy in Japanese wood industry.

country and number of plywoods and no information on

discussion of sourcing standards for Tokyo2020, has introduced

As of May 2020, 70% of plywoods used in 9 facilities

product is certiﬁed is not enough to remove such a risk

(By Yuki Sakamoto, Global Enviornmental Forum)

the logging site is provided. Nor is adequate explanationa provision in Standards 2 which are recommended standards,

or information provided to show that proper conﬁrmationthat said, “except for cases when an entity excluded fromwas conducted.

eligibility for certiﬁcation in any of the certiﬁcation systems is
involved in the supply chain.” This is an important legacy ofTokyo2020 for sustainable sourcing. It is desirable to enhance
this provision by including it in mandatory Standards 1 and to
spread it to other organizations (for example, the State andother municipalities) beyond TMG.
(By Toyoyuki Kawakami, Japan Tropical Forest Action Network (JATAN))

Peatlad forest clear-cut by an Indonesian paper
manufacturing company for sourcing of raw materials.
(Photo: Japan Tropical Forest Action Network (JATAN))*2 FSC certiﬁcation:
A forest certiﬁcation system established earliest in the world.
It is deemed most reliable of all certiﬁcation systems.

CASE

Tropical wood molding for constructionof the New National Stadium and Tokyo2020 sourcing codeT h e s u s t a i n a b l e s o u rc i n g co d e es t a b l i s h e d by

National Stadium that was being built. Japan SportTokyo2020 is the ﬁrst sourcing policy created by JapaneseCouncil, the main contractee of the New National Stadium,organizations of a public nature that included policy on

maintains that the applicable molding plywood is asustainability in a comprehensive and concrete way with a

PEFC-certiﬁed product and meets the sourcing code. On

breakdown of the concept. The policy is a applaudable in

the other hand, the Malaysian Human Rights Commission,

this sense but has some issues in its operation.

a governmental body, and local NGOs in Malaysia pointIn April 2017, Global Environmental Forum and otherout that this company has caused illegal logging andJapanese and overseas environmental organizations andhuman rights violations in the process of producing

NGOs revealed that concrete molding plywood produced

plywoods.

by a company in Sarawak, Malaysia, was used at the New

A gate set up by a logging company within the customary land of an indigenous people(Photo: International Environmental NGO FoE Japan)