The Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council was first endorsed in 2016. The system maintained its endorsement in January 2022 and the Sustainable Forest Management standard achieved EUDR alignment in June 2025.

2021 system elements

Endorsement milestones

To maintain its PEFC endorsement, the system must meet specific endorsement milestones. The first milestone is the start of the periodic review within five years of the national approval of the sustainable forest management standard.

• National approval date: 30 March 2021
• Review date: 30 March 2026

2021 system assessment

• Status: Assessment finished, system endorsement maintained
• Assessment Report
• Type: Assessment of revised system
• Assessor: Article Three
• System submitted for assessment: 30 April 2021
• Consultation: 17 May - 16 July 2021

Watch the recording of the webinar to find out more about this national system.

System history

• EUDR alignment of Sustainable Forest Management standard: 30 June 2025
• Re-endorsed: 31 January 2022
• Endorsed: 3 June 2016
• Joined PEFC: 29 July 2014

SGEC/PEFC Japan

History before PEFC

• 2002: Proposal of a forest certification scheme suitable for forests in Japan by the Committee for the Establishment of SGEC Forest Certification.
• 2003: The "SGEC Forest Certification Scheme" was established.
• 2011: Reform of SGEC including i) Registration as a corporate body, ii) Revision of standards, iii) Adoption of third party certification was implemented.
• 2014: SGEC became a member of PEFC.
• 2016: SGEC was endorsed by PEFC.

What are the benefits of being part of the PEFC alliance? 

• Reliability of the consumers to SGEC will increase by participating in the PEFC member countries.
• Broader expansion of the CoC certification network by connecting SGEC’s and PEFC’s CoC
  certificates.
• The PEFC label is beneficial to the exporters of domestic timber with the label of PEFC.
• Integration of experience and information between SGEC and PEFC will be valuable.