III Forest Management and Conservation, and International Contribution

1. Mitigation of Global Warming

To meet the goal of 3.9% CO2 removal by forest sinks, it is required to implement steadily the "10 Years Action Plan on the Mitigation of Global Warming by Forest Carbon-sink". Various activities have been taking place, including focused implementation of forest management and conservation, securement and education of forestry workforce, establishment of reporting and verification systems for carbon accounting, promotion of new distribution and processing system for wood, and promotion of public participation toward forest management.

According to the national survey conducted by the Cabinet Office in December 2003, with regards to the cost of forest management to mitigate global warming, 41% answered that it "should be owed by the entire people" and 40% answered it "should be owed by both corporations and the public, depending on the share of CO2 emission," showing a certain degree of understanding towards cost burdens.

2. Forest Management and Conservation

The standing volume of planted forests has been increasing in every area. Area of forests of 45 years or younger which need appropriate care, such as thinning, make up 80% of the total planted forests. There are some forests where public functions, such as prevention of soil erosion, have declined significantly due to over-crowding.

Therefore, through the 5-Year Program on the Promotion of Urgent Thinning, 300,000 ha of forests are thinned annually. It is important to promote forest management and conservation, not only through planting and tending, but also through erosion control works, which are one of the important measures regarding forest conservation. In this regard, it is planned to establish the "Forest Improvement and Conservation Works Master Plan". Furthermore, as cooperations between upstream and down stream areas strengthen, there is movement that local authorities introduce a new taxation system relating to forest.

3. Volunteer Activities

The number of forest volunteer groups has reached 1,165 in 2003, about four times the number in 1997. Forest management conducted by fishery --related groups is also common nation-wide.

4. World-wide Movements for Fullfillment of the Multifunctional Roles of Forests

Formulation of criteria and indicators to assess and evaluate "sustainable forest management" has been expanding in the world. In this regard, Japan has released its First Country Forest Report in 2003, based on the Montreal Process criteria and indicators.

In 2003 Japan, which is one of the largest wood importers in the world, and Indonesia signed "Joint Announcement" and "Action Plan" on the cooperation in combating illegal logging. Various measures for bilateral cooperation are to be taken under the "Action Plan".

Forest certification and labeling are becoming popular world-wide. In Japan, the Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC), launched in June 2003, has established its original forest certification system taking into consideration the high rate of planted forests and small-scale ownership in Japan.

In order to contribute to the mitigation of global warming, Japan is proactively supporting relevant activities to facilitate afforestation and reforestation project activities under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), taking into account the necessary procedures including the rules agreed upon in the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP9) in 2003.

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