On Tuesday (June 7), the PEFC announced that the group was "delighted" to announce Japan as the latest country to achieve PEFC endorsement of its national forest certification system.

To celebrate this milestone, the Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC) – the PEFC national member group representative for Japan – held a special Forest Certification Forum today, attended by a diverse range of stakeholders and honored by the presence of Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado. A highlight of the event came as Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, officially presented the SGEC certificate of endorsement to Satohiko Sasaki, Chairman of SGEC, presided over by Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado.

In her speech, Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado welcomed the endorsement of SGEC by PEFC, stating that certification was without a doubt a beacon of light in society’s journey towards sustainability. She also commended the efforts of all of the dedicated people who had worked towards gaining this recognition by PEFC. Now that SGEC has been fully endorsed and recognized by PEFC in equally advancing its overall mission, she remarked that she hoped that "we would all be able to work with great efficiency and speed in raising awareness of the need for sustainable forest management on behalf of people and countries around the world".

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

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

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

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