March, 2007

Ministry of the Environment
Government of Japan

Foreword●

The issue of illegal logging was discussed at the 2005 G8 Summit held in Gleneagles, U.K. and astatement was issued saying, "We will encourage, adopt or extend public timber procurement policies
that favour legal timber." On the above occasion, the Japanese Government expressed its intention to"introduce a government procurement policy favouring wood and wood products that have been
harvested in a legal and sustainable manner, in accordance with the Green Purchasing Law."
The Ministry of Environment of Japan subsequently discussed making the necessary adjustmentswith the Japanese Forestry Agency to include "legal wood" in the items designated for preferential
purchase by the Japanese Government under the Green Purchasing Law and drew up a draft "Basic
Policy for the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-Friendly Goods and Services," which was decided at a
Cabinet meeting in February 2006. Measures to promote the procurement of wood and wood productswith verified legality and sustainability, based on the above Basic Policy, have been implemented sinceApril 2006.
This booklet has been prepared by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment for the purpose of
introducing the activities of the Japanese Government to address the issue of illegal logging togovernments and other organizations of related countries.
March 2007

Japan's Green Purchasing Policy-Tackling Illegal LoggingTable of contents
1. Purposes and background…………………………………………………………………………………3
2. Purpose and basic structure of the Green Purchasing Law ……………………………………………7
3. Requirements of procuring legal wood, etc. in the Basic Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing 11
4. Guideline for Verification on the Legality and Sustainability ofWood and Wood Products ………………………………………………………………………………15
5. Results and future of the preferential procurement of legal wood under theGreen Purchasing Law……………………………………………………………………………………23

1

2

1. Purposes and background
1-1 The Green Purchasing Law and the procurement of legal wood
In order to respond to the global issue of illegal logging*1, the Japanese Government determined theinclusion of "legal wood" in the list of designated procurement items based on the Law Concerning
the Promotion of the Procurement of Eco-Friendly Goods and Services by the State and Other Entities(Law No. 100 of 2000) (hereinafter referred to as the Green Purchasing Law), starting from April 2006,
and has implemented measures to preferentially purchase products manufactured using wood withverified legality and sustainability as a raw material.
The Forestry Agency drew up and published the "Guideline for the Verification on the Legality andSustainability of Wood and Wood Products" on a national and international basis in February 2006, foruse in confirming the legality of wood. The Agency has worked to develop a supply system based on
the above since April 2006.
Moreover, the Japanese Government requests that countries that export wood and wood products toJapan understand the Japanese system and promote measures to counter illegal logging locally in therespective countries of origin to ensure that only wood with verified legality and sustainability isimported smoothly to Japan.
Furthermore, the Japanese Government implements diffusion and education projects to help users
and those in charge of procurement, in both the public and private sectors, learn the significance of
procuring and using legal wood, based on the understanding of the actual state of the supply of legalwood.

1-2 Background of the inclusion of legal wood under the Green Purchasing Law
In 1998, at the Birmingham Summit in England, Japan endorsed the G8 Action Program on Forests(concerning, among others, measures against illegal logging) and since the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit
in 2000, Japan has constantly advocated the importance of measures against illegal logging, based on
the principle that 'illegally harvested timber should not be used.'In the meantime, Japan has worked to develop technologies for timber tracing in timber- exporting
countries and for checking the state of forests using satellite data, exchanged information with related
countries, and supported projects against illegal logging implemented by the International Tropical
Timber Organization (ITTO) in order to address the issue of illegal logging.
Moreover, based on the discussion at the G8 summit at Gleneagles in England, the Japanese
Government expressed its intention to introduce measures to ensure that it procures wood withverified legality, etc. under the Green Purchasing Law and to encourage other countries to work out avoluntary code of conduct to halt the import and marketing of illegally harvested wood and wood
products.
[Summarized explanation 1] Basic attitude of Japan and its background in addressing the issue ofillegal logging

3

*1 What is illegal logging?
○ There is no internationally established definition of "illegal logging" However, it is generally
understood to mean logging in violation of the national law of respective countries.
○ More specifically, illegal logging means, among other things:
・logging for which legitimate permission has not been given;・logging in areas where logging is prohibited;
・logging of wood species, the logging of which is prohibited.

4

[Summarized explanation 1]
Basic attitude of Japan and its background in addressing the issue of illegal logging
Basic attitude of Japan in addressing the issue of illegal logging○ Illegal logging significantly hinders global efforts toward the sustainable management offorests.
○ Japan has constantly advocated the significance of the issue of illegal logging, based on theprinciple that 'illegally harvested timber should not be used' since the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa
Summit in 2000.
○ At the G8 Gleneagles Summit in July 2005, Japan agreed to the Gleneagles Plan of Action to
implement and specify actions to regulate government procurement and trading and tosupport wood producing countries, which was decided at the G8 Environment/Development
ministerial meeting. Based on the results of the summit, Japan announced a Climate Change
Initiative, on a national and international basis, to describe the specific measures taken by
Japan.

Past activities conducted by Japan○ Bilateral cooperation: Japan and Indonesia cooperated in measures against illegal logging,such as checking the state of logging using satellite data and the development of timbertraceability technologies.
○ Regional cooperation: Development of standards of legality and legality verification systems
through the Asia Forest Partnership (AFP); Participation in the Forest Law Enforcement
and Governance (FLEG) processes in East Asia, Africa, Europe, and North Asia.
○ Multilateral cooperation： Support of projects for the diffusion and education of legal
logging and verification of the legality of timber through the International Tropical Timber
Organization (ITTO).

5

○ The Gleneagles Plan of Action (excerpts)
We endorse the outcome of the G8 Environment and Development Ministerial conferenceon illegal logging. To further our objectives in this area we will take forward theconclusions*2 endorsed at that meeting, with each country acting where it can contributemost effectively.
＊ 2 The outcome of G8 Environment and Development Ministerial(1) To assist timber producing countries(2) To take steps to halt the import and marketing of illegally logged timber throughvoluntary bilateral trade agreements or other arrangements, consistent with WTO rules(3) To encourage, adopt or extend public timber procurement policies that favour legal
timber(4) To request our experts to meet in 2006, to review progress towards the commitments wehave made, share lessons on actions to tackle illegal logging, and make their findings
available○ Japan's Climate Change Initiative (excerpts)
・ Based upon the principle that 'illegally harvested timber should not be used', Japan will
introduce a government procurement policy favouring wood and wood products that havebeen harvested in a legal and sustainable manner, in accordance with the "Law on
Promoting Green Purchasing."
・Japan will encourage other countries to work out a shared voluntary 'code of conduct' tohalt the import and marketing of illegally harvested wood and wood products through the
Asia Forest Partnership, the implementation of the Joint Statement and the Action Plan for
the Cooperation in Combating Illegal Logging between Japan and Indonesia, etc.
・Japan will promote a comprehensive approach for the assistance of the timber producing
countries through Japna-Indonesia bilateral cooperation as well as supporting activities of
the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), which includes assistance for thedevelopment of a traceability system, enhancement of governance, education forpreventing corruption, raising public awareness on illegal logging, poverty reduction,
establishment of criteria on legality and verifying and monitoring systems as well as
collection and study of data on wood and wood product trade.
・Japan will contribute to advancing discussion among G8 experts to tackle illegal logging in
2006, as a follow-up of the G8 Action Programme on Forests.

6

2. Purpose and basic structure of the Green Purchasing Law
The Green Purchasing Law* 3 was enacted in May 2000 in order to establish a society which canenjoy sustainable development with a lower environmental impact by encouraging the State and otherentities in the public sector to procure eco-friendly goods and services that will contribute to the
reduction of environmental impact and through various other activities.
Green purchasing means selectively choosing products with less environmental impact whenpurchasing goods, etc. It is expected to innovate and improve all economic activities, not only bymaking the activities of purchasers eco-friendly, as they consume goods and services in their daily life,
but also by encouraging suppliers to develop eco-friendly products.
The above law obliges green purchasing by the State and other public organizations and expects thesame of local governments, businesses and citizens.
The outline and structure of the Green Purchasing Law are respectively as described in [Summarized
explanation 2] and [Summarized explanation 3].
* 3 The text of the Law Concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-friendly Goods and Services
by the State and Other Entities (Green Purchasing Law)：
http://www.env.go.jp/en/laws/policy/green/1.pdf[Summarized explanation 2] Outline of the Green Purchasing Law[Summarized explanation 3] Structure of the Green Purchasing Law

7

[Summarized explanation 2]
Outline of the Green Purchasing Law(Law Concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-friendly Goods and Services by the State andOther Entities)

1. Objective (Article 1)
The objective of this law shall be to establish the necessary provisions in a) to encourage the State,etc. to procure eco-friendly goods, etc., b) to provide information, and c) to encourage a shift indemand towards eco-friendly goods, etc. to establish a society which can enjoy sustainable
development with a lower environmental impact.

2. Duties (Articles 3, 4, 5)
The law stipulates the basic duties of the State, local governments, businesses, and citizens in order toencourage a shift in demand towards eco-friendly goods, etc.

3. Promotion of procurement of eco-friendly good, etc. by the State, etc.
(Articles 6, 7, 8, 9)(1) Drawing up of a basic policy
The State shall determine the basic policy for the promotion of procurement of eco-friendly
goods, etc. by the State and independent administrative institutions, etc. The Minister of theEnvironment shall discuss with the head of each ministry or agency, etc. in advance of drafting
the basic policy, and obtain an approval of the cabinet decision.
(2) Drawing up of the procurement policy
The head of each ministry or agency (Chairman of the House of Representatives, Chairman of
the House of Councilors, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Ministers, etc.) and the head ofeach independent administrative institution, etc. shall draw up and shall publish every fiscal
year a policy to promote the procurement of eco-friendly goods, etc. in line with the Basic
Policy and procure goods, etc. based on the above policy. After every fiscal year ends, theyshall prepare and publish a summary of its procurement track record of eco-friendly goods, etc.
and submit it to the Minister of the Environment.
(3) Request of the Minister of the Environment
The Minister of the Environment may request the head of each ministry or agency, etc. to takethe measures which are deemed particularly necessary to promote the procurement of ecofriendly goods, etc.

4. Promotion of the procurement of eco-friendly goods, etc. by local governments,
etc. (Article 10)
Prefectures, cities, towns and villages as well as local independent administrative institutions shallendeavor to draw up a policy every year for the promotion of procurement of eco-friendly goods, etc.
and shall procure goods, etc. based on the above policy.

8

5. Considerations to be given when promoting the procurement of eco-friendly
goods, etc. (Article 11)
The State, etc. and prefectures, cities, towns and villages shall give due consideration so as not toincrease the procurement amount of goods, etc. because of promotion of the procurement of ecofriendly goods, etc.

6. Provision of information on eco-friendly goods, etc. (Articles 12, 13, 14;
Supplementary Provision 2)(1) Provision of information by businesses
Those who engage in the manufacture, etc. of goods, etc. shall endeavor to provide thenecessary information to understand the environmental impact in relation to the said goods.
(2) Provision of information by environmental labels, etc.
Those who provide the information concerning the reduction of environmental impact
concerning the goods, etc. manufactured, etc. by other businesses shall endeavor to provide
effective and appropriate information based on scientific knowledge and also by paying
attention to conformity with international agreements.
(3) Provision of information and consideration by the StateThe State shall consolidate and analyze the conditions concerning the provision of information
on eco-friendly goods, etc. and consider the ideal status of an information provision system.

9

[Summarized explanation 3]
Structure of the Green Purchasing Law

Law concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-Friendly
Goods and Services by the State and Other Entities(Law on Promoting Green Purchasing)
Objective (Article 1)
The objective shall be:(1) to encourage the State, etc. in the public sector to procure and(2) to provide information, etc. on goods that contribute to the reduction of environmental impact(eco-friendly goods, etc.)→ in order to establish a society which can enjoy sustainable development with a lower environmental impact.

〈Article 10〉

Ministries and agencies, etc.
〈Article 6〉
Basic Policy for the Procurement of Eco-Friendly
Goods, etc. (Cabinet Decision)◆ Environmental requirements on designatedprocurement goods, etc.
(eg. recycled paper, low emission vehicles)◆ The way for setting procurement targets〈Article 7〉
The Diet, courts, ministries and agencies◆ Each organization makes and publicizes a
Procurement Policy which decides targets ondesignated procurement goods, etc. based on the
Basic Policy every year.
◆ Procuring goods, etc. based on the Procurement
Policy◆ Announcing the result of green procurement andreports it to the Environment Minister at the endof every fiscal year

Local governments and local
independent administrative institutions

Endeavor to make a green
procurement policy every fiscal year
and procure goods, etc. based on thepolicy.

Not increasing the total procurement
amount for the reason of implementing
this law.

Companies and citizens
Environment Minister requests other ministers totake more positive actions if needed.

Selecting eco-friendly goods as far
as possible when purchasing goods

Provision of appropriate information on eco-friendly goods, etc.
〈Article 12〉
Manufacturers, importers, etc. should
provide environmental information on
their products.

〈Article 13〉
Eco-labeling bodies, etc. should promote eco-labelingprograms on scientific basis and in complying with international standards.

〈Article 14〉
The Government considers appropriate information providing systems on eco-friendly goods, etc.

10

3. Requirements of procuring legal wood, etc. in the Basic Policyon Promoting Green Purchasing
3-1 The securing of legality, etc. of wood and wood products in government
procurement
In accordance with the basic policy for the promotion of procurement of eco-friendly goods, etc. as
specified in Clause 1, Article 6 of the Law concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-Friendly
Goods and Services by the State and Other Entities (A partial revision was approved in a Cabinet
meeting on February 28, 2006.; hereinafter referred to as the Basic Policy on Promoting Green
Purchasing), the Japanese Government has taken measures to promote the government procurementof wood and wood products with verified legality (hereinafter referred to as legal wood) since April
2006.
As for the government procurement of legal wood, it is specified in the Basic Policy on Promoting
Green Purchasing as one of the evaluation criteria (requirements) of designated procurement items
that "lumber that is used as the raw material is to be in compliance with the regulations concerning
forestry in its country of origin." Moreover, "to be obtained from a forest that is conducting asustainable operation *4" is rendered one of the factors for consideration.
＊4 A sustainable forest means：
There is no international agreement concerning the definition of a sustainable forest (especiallyfor respective forest owners). Accordingly, for the time being, a forest is treated as one that meetsthe requirements when the issuer of certificates, etc. has determined that it is possible toreasonably explain that sustainability is secured concerning the above forest, based on thesituation in respective countries and discussion on sustainability, etc.
For example, a forest that has obtained forest certification or one with a plan concerning its treatment(a plan for logging, forestation, etc.) that has been publicly recognized from a sustainability
perspective is regarded as a sustainable forest.

3-2 Items covered by the basic policy
The following five categories of wood and wood products are among the designated procurement
items under the Basic Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing:① Paper (Example: forms, printing papers, etc.)② Stationary (Example: business envelopes, notebooks, etc.)③ Office furniture (Examples: chairs, desks, shelves, etc.)④ Interior fixtures and bedding (Example: bed frames)⑤ Public works material (Example: lumber, glued laminated timber, plywood, laminated veneer
lumber, flooring, etc.)※ For more details of the items, refer to the Basic Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing on the
webpage of the Ministry of Environment (URL:
http://www.env.go.jp/en/laws/policy/green/2.pdf).

11

3-3 Details of the designated procurement items under the Green Purchasing Law(example)
The following is excerpts of the description of "lumber, etc." in the category of Public works"Material," as an example of requirements for designated procurement items:

12

Item Type

Item Name

Evaluation Criteria, etc.

Lumber, etc.

Lumber

Evaluation Criteria(1) Lumber from thinning and left over forest wood must have asmall diameter.
(2) For cases other than (1), lumber used is to be in compliancewith the regulations concerning forestry in its country oforigin.
Factors for Consideration
Lumber that is used as the raw material (with the exception of
lumber obtained from thinning, left over forest wood, andlumber with a small diameter) is to be obtained from a forestthat is conducting a sustainable operation.

Glued

Evaluation Criteria

laminated(1) Lumber from thinning, glued laminated timber, left overtimberwood blocks from wood processing factories etc., left overPlywood

forest wood must contain 10% or more by volume of those

Laminatedwith a small diameter. Lumber other than described above isveneerto be in compliance with the regulations concerning forestry

lumberin its country of origin.
(2) For cases other than (1), lumber used (with the exception of
lumber obtained from thinning, left over forest wood, andlumber with a small diameter) is to be in compliance withthe regulations concerning forestry in its country of origin.
(3) For material used to finish the interior of living spaces,
average formaldehyde discharge may not exceed 0.3mg/L,
maximum discharge may not exceed 0.4mg/L.
Factors for Consideration
Lumber that is used as the raw material (with the exception of
lumber obtained from thinning, left over forest wood, andlumber with a small diameter) is to be obtained from a forestthat is conducting a sustainable operation.

13

Note:
1. Lumber, glued laminated timber, plywood, and laminated veneer lumber underconsideration in the evaluation criteria of this section(referred to as lumber, etc.) are to be used
for carpentry in buildings.
2. Evaluation Criteria (2) for lumber, etc is to be applicable only in cases where restrictions exist on
either function or demand.
3. Measurement for formaldehyde discharge should be performed in accordance with Japan
Agricultural Standards (JAS).
4. Confirmation of the legality and the sustainability of the forest where pulpwood producing wood andpaper originates from is to be conducted in accordance with the Forest Agencys Guideline

Concerning the Certification of Legality and Sustainability of Wood and Wood Products (February
15, 2006).
In cases where the contract between the lumber company and the processing and marketingcompanies has been made prior to April 1, 2006, the proof that the lumber is legal in accordance tothe guideline above is not necessary, as long as the party that is maintaining the lumber and the
products documents on a certificate by April 1, 2006, that the said contract has been completed
before April 1, 2006.

14

4. Guideline for Verification on the Legality and Sustainability ofWood and Wood Products
The following is the overview and operation of the Guideline for Verification on Legality andSustainability of Wood and Wood Products (prepared by the Forestry Agency in February 2006).
The Basic Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing stipulates that confirmation of the legality andsustainability is to be conducted in accordance with the above guideline.
The entire text of the above guideline is posted on the website of the Forestry Agency (Guideline's
URL: http://www.rinya.maff.go.jp/policy2/ihou/eiyaku.pdf) as well as that of the Council for Tackling
Illegal Logging Issue (URL: http://www.goho-wood.jp/world/index.html). Moreover, a hard copy of
the guideline published by the above council is available in English, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian,Russian, or Spanish in a pamphlet titled "For Exporters of wood and wood products to Japan."

4-1 Overview of the guideline
This guideline has been prepared by the Forestry Agency to indicate some points to which suppliersof wood and wood products should pay proper attention when they verify the legality andsustainability of their supply. The overview of the above guideline is as follows:

4-1-1 Definition(1) Legality
The timber to be procured should be harvested in a legal manner, consistent with theprocedures in the forest laws of timber producing countries and areas.
(2) Sustainability
The timber to be procured should be harvested from forests under sustainable management.

4-1-2 Methods to verify the legality and sustainability
Examples of methods of verification concerning the legality and sustainability of wood and wood
products are as follows. Refer to 4-2 below for the operation of the respective methods.
(1) Verification method via a forest certification system (See Reference No. 1.)
This is a method to verify by receiving a forest certification seal (provided by FSC, PEFC,
SGEC, etc.).
(2) Verification method by company under the authorization of associations for forest owners,
forestry or wood industry (hereinafter referred to as an association) (See Reference No. 2).
Respective associations establish their own voluntary code of conduct and authorize individualcompanies. An authorized company issues a legality verification certificate to a company
operating at the next stage, i.e. the related company closest in commercial process, to make achain of verification on legality and sustainability.
(3) Verification method by original measure of each company (See Reference No. 3).
This is a method to verify by an original measure set by respective companies undercomprehension of the distribution process from harvesting to delivery.

15

4-1-3 Preservation of verification documents
Related companies must preserve the certificates for a certain period of time.

4-1-4 Assessment and review
This guideline will be properly reviewed as required based on the assessment of the activities ofrelated parties.

4-2 Operation of the guideline
This guideline is based on the principle of nondiscrimination between inside and outside Japan, whichmeans that it will be applied equality to companies that intend to supply wood and wood products for
public procurement in Japan, irrespective of whether the wood is produced in Japan or in a country
outside Japan. Accordingly, the verification process starts with the implementation of proper legal
procedures at the time of logging, for both the wood produced in Japan and that produced in a country
outside Japan. The way the verification system concerning legality and sustainability is operated
according to the guidelines is described below.

4-2-1 Verification concerning wood and wood products exported to JapanThe method used to verify the legality of wood and wood products for export to Japan in timberproducing countries starts with the implementation of proper legal procedures during the logging
process. An export permit is insufficient to meet the requirements concerning legality.
Accordingly, suppliers in respective countries that export wood and wood products to Japan are
required to issue legality certificates through one of the three methods as described in 4-1-2 above, incompliance with the concept of the guidelines set by the Japanese Forestry Agency.
Please note that it is possible for exporters to verify legality with an export permit if this is issued inconjunction with a forest logging permit issued by a public organization.

4-2-2 How the legality of wood is verified (in Japan)
The starting point is a certificate that certifies that the logging of wood by the forest owner is incompliance with relevant laws and regulations. In cases in Japan, the forest owner provides thefollowing documents for certification to the material manufacturer and the relevant association.
(1) In the case of forest reserves: a copy of the notice of permission for logging wood in forest
reserves; (2) In the case of forests with a plan for logging, afforestation, nurturing, etc.: A copy of thecertification (that specifies the location for logging); (3) Forests other than (1) and (2) above: A copyof the logging notification (notice of compliance); (4) In the case of national forests: A copy of thesales contract (that specifies that it is legal wood.).
By starting with the legality verification activities as above, companies at the respective stages
between logging and delivery implement separative custody management described in the guideline
to form a chain of verification on legality and sustainability.

16

4-2-3 Verification method by using forest certification
Forest certification is conducted by the SGEC (Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council) in Japan. There
are others elsewhere in the world as shown below:
・FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
・PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification)
・SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative)
・CSA (Canadian Standards Association)
・LEI (Lanbaga Ecolabel Indonesia)
・MTCC (Malaysia Timber Certification Council)

4-2-4 Verification method by company under the authorization of association
Respective associations establish a voluntary code of conduct for the supply of wood and wood
products with verified legality and sustainability.
Under this voluntary code of conduct, the scheme to guarantee the association member's adequatemeans of supplying wood and wood products is verified with legality and sustainability (for example, ascheme to assess and guarantee the system for separative management, document management, etc.)
and points to which proper attention must be paid when supplying wood and wood products and otherarticles are prescribed and publicly announced.
The authorized company issues the paper (verification documents), to the related company closest in
the commercial process, which verifies that the wood and wood products they supply feature legality
and sustainability and are under separative custody management. Moreover, verification is issued
repeatedly at each supply stage to establish a chain of verification on legality and sustainability.
In order to qualify for the authorization of companies, an association must meet the following
requirements: (1) It has articles of association, association bylaws, etc.; (2) A venue for decisionmaking (general meetings, etc.) is secured; (3) A responsible member works in the secretariat and awork execution system is established; (4) Bookkeeping is conducted and auditing is implemented; (5)It is an association that is likely to continue operating; (6) It has knowledge of the relevant area
(industry sector). It is further required that the above association be capable of explaining the above
by documents, etc.

4-2-5 Verification method by the original measures of each company
In case a major company, etc. conducts verification not using (1) the verification method under theauthorization of an association and (2) the method by the forest certification system and the chain ofcustody system but its original measures under comprehension of the distribution process, fromharvesting to delivery, it is necessary for the above company to verify legality and sustainability in amanner of equivalent reliability to that of the verification method used by the company under theauthorization of association for forest owners, forestry or wood industry as stated above is secured.
In such cases, the following must be implemented:

17

(1) When making a code of conduct for verifying legality and sustainability, by arranging
agreements with the company at each stage from harvesting to delivery, acknowledgement of
the company concerning the code of conduct and practice of separative custody management
should be secured.
(2) Each company should verify legality and sustainability and practice measures for separative
custody management, based on the code of conduct.
(3) Assessment and publication of the situation concerning the implementation of original
measures (Assessment by third party institutions is desirable to ensure objectivity.).

18

19

• Separate custody of verified
and non-verified
timbers• Verification by thelegality and sustainability domesticallyand internationally

Sawmills

Second woodprocessing industry
Distributors(Wholesalers)• Separate custody of verified
and non-verified
wood products• Separate custody of verified
and non-verified
timbers• Separate custody of verified
and non-verified
wood products

Verification by
distributor’s acquisition of CoC
Certification

Supplies with a
specification ofverified wood
products

Suppliers* Chain of Custody Certification System: A system where a third-party organization evaluates and certifies a company concerningwhether a company that handles wood and wood products provides an appropriate custody management to ensure that wood andwood products produced from certified forests will not be mixed with those from non-certified forests.

• European wood and wood products - FSC and PEFC
• American wood and wood products - FSC, USA:SFI, Canada:SFI and CSA,South America: FSC• South Asian Wood products - FSC, Malaysia:MTCC, Indonesia:LEI• Oceanian wood and wood products - Australia: FSC and PEFC, New Zealand:
FSC• African wood and wood products - FSC• Japanese wood and wood products - SGEC and PFC[Main Certification Systems of Exporting countries of Wood and Wood products]

Verification bywood processing
plant’s acquisitionof CoC Certification

Verification bysawmill’s acquisition of CoC
Certification

Acquisition of CoC Certification separately

Verification is a method similar to attachinglabels onto products,
in accordance with thestandard of respective
certification systems.

Verification bytimber market’s acquisition of
CoC Certification

Timber Market

Verification by theacquisition of Forest
Certification

Acquisition ofForest Certification

Forest Owners

Verification by Forest Certification and CoC (Chain of Custody)
Certification Systems (Image drawing)

Reference 1

Purchasing officers enter into
a conditional
contract thati n c l u d e s t heuse of verified
wood and wood
products of thelegality andsustainability.

Government agencies of Japan20* In case of the imported wood and wood products, the exporters are added to the above
flow chart.

Industrial Associa- Preparation of a self
tions
course of action

Guarantee of legality
and sustainability

2. Sustainability• The timbers must be harvested from theforest under the management of sustainable forest.

Industrial Associations
Preparation of aself course of action

Preparation of aself course of action

Preparation of aself course of action

Industrial Associations

Preparation of aself course of action

Industrial Associations

Suppliers• Supplies witha speci cation of verified
wood productsof legality andsustainability.

Submission ofverification

Preparingverification inwriting

Guarantee
of a separate
custody• Verified wood
products oflegality andsustainability
under a separate custody are
distributed.

Submission ofverification

Preparingverification inwriting

Distributors(Wholesalers)

Guarantee
of a separate
custody• Verifi ed wood
products oflegality andsustainability
under a separate custody areprocessed.

Submission ofverification

Preparingverification inwriting

Second woodprocessing industry

Guarantee
of a separate
custody

Industrial Associations

Guarantee
of a separate
custody• Verified timbersof legality andsustainability
under a separate custody areprocessed.

Submission ofverification

Preparingverification inwriting

Preparingverification inwriting

Submission ofverification

Sawmills

Timber Market• Verified timbersof legality andsustainability
under a separate custody aredealt.

Submission ofverification

1. Legality• The logging must comply with the forest
laws of the countries or areas of origin.

Preparing verification in writing

Forest Owners

Purchasing officers enter into
a conditionalc o n t r a c t th a t
includes theuse of verified
wood and wood
products of thelegality andsustainability.

Verificationin writing

Government agencies of Japan

Verification by private enterprises authorized by relative organizations( Image drawing)

Reference 2

21

Self verification by private enterprises

Suppliers grasp respective processes.

Preparing verification in writing• Supplies with a
specification ofverified wood products of legality andsustainability.

Suppliers* In case of the imported wood and wood products, the exporters are added to the above flow chart.

• Together with a preparation for a self course of action to prove the legality and so forth, by means of the execution of contracts with respective business entities on each phases from a logging to a supply, such self course of action spreads overthe business entities concerned and actions of the separate custody are carried out.
• Each business entity proves the legality and so forth and carries out the separate custody of wood and wood products in accordance with such self course of action.
• Assessment and release of the status quo of actions. Assessment should be done by the third party for keeping its objectivity.

Suppliers must prove and release the legality and sustainability of woodand wood
products from the logging to the nal supplies.

Suppliers grasp respective processes.

• Verifi ed products oflegality and sustainability under aseparate custody
are processed.

Second woodprocessing industry

Suppliers grasp respective processes.

• Verified timbers oflegality and sustainability under aseparate custody
are processed.

1. Legality• The logging must comply with the forest
laws of the countries or areas of origin.

2. Sustainability• The timbers must be harvested from theforest under the management of sustainable forest.

Sawmills

Forest Owners

Submission

Purchasing officers enter into
a conditionalc o n t r a c t th a t
i n c l u d e s t heuse of verified
wood and wood
products of thelegality andsustainability.

Verificationin writing

Government agencies of Japan(Many kinds of self verifications by private enterprises can be supposed. This is one of examples.)Reference 3

22

5. Results and future of the preferential procurement of legal
wood under the Green Purchasing Law
5-1 Establishment of a legal wood supply system
The Forestry Agency of Japan published a Guideline for Verification on Legality and Sustainability ofWood and Wood Products in February 2006 right before the implementation of the policy for the
preferential procurement of legal wood under the Green Purchasing Law in April. Many state andlocal-level briefing sessions on the authorization of legal wood suppliers by trade associations that has
newly become mandatory were held and the diffusion and promotion of the system of authorization of
suppliers of legal wood was promoted. As of the end of 2006, 19 state organizations and at least one
organization in each prefecture have declared themselves ready to conduct the authorization of legal
wood suppliers, with about 3500 lumber companies having been authorized by the end of December
2006 (About 800 were authorized by a state organization and about 2700 by a local organization, etc.)
Authorization by trade associations is also spreading in the furniture and other industries.

5-2 Diffusion of legal wood
When the supply system is duly established and confirmation of legality starts after the
implementation of the above policy, followed by a transition period, it becomes important toimplement diffusion activities to find ways to connect wood and wood products with verified
legality to the procurement policy of local governments and private companies as well as thepurchasing activities of citizens as consumers.
The Japan Federation of Wood Industry Associations, the central organization of the Japanesewood industry, established a website of the Council for Tackling Illegal Logging Issue titled the"Goho Wood Navigation page (http://www.goho-wood.jp) " in October 2006 to provide a variety of
information on the supply of legal wood, took part in the Eco-Products 2006 exhibition (held in
December 2006), which is a major event for the diffusion of eco-friendly products, and presented
exhibits to demonstrate activities addressing the issue of illegal logging, the importance of the
procurement of legal wood, the mechanism and progress of the supply system of legal wood, andcommercial products made using legal wood.
As a result of the above activities, major housing companies in the private sector are reviewing
legal wood for inclusion in their material procurement policies. Moreover, some of the major
furniture manufacturers have started citing desks, chairs and shelves made by using legal wood as
designated items under the Green Purchasing Law in their 2006-7 winter product catalogs.

5-3 To promote the procurement of legal wood
The supply and procurement of legal wood in Japan have just started. A stable supply of legal wood,
including that imported from overseas, and winning consumer trust are required for the above
movement to progress and to ensure the activities addressing the issue of illegal logging achieve
positive results.

23

24

Ministry of the Environment
Government of Japan
Godochosha No. 5, Kasumigaseki 1-2-2, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8975, Japan.
Tel: +81-(0)3-3581-3351
URL: http://www.env.go.jp/en/ E-mail: MOE@env.go.jp

Edited by Japan Federation of Wood Industry Associations (JFWIA)
Nagatacho Bldg. 6F, Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014, Japan
Telephone: +81-(0)3-3580-3215 Facsimile: +81-(0)3-3580-3226
E-mail: info@goho-wood.jp URL: http://www.goho-wood.jp/world/index.html

This booklet is printed on the paper made of thinnings (10% of thinnings and 90% of recycled paper ) and printed with soy ink.
Ministry of the Environment uses the Eco Mark as a logo after being certified by the Japan Environment Association.