Webinar: The Forestry & Wood-Product industry and Climate Action in Japan and Washington– A virtual event on February 18 (2/19 Japan Time)

Download Event Program Here

The Consulate General of Japan in Seattle is organizing this webinar in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Forest Agency of Japan and JETRO San Francisco to promote the use of wood as a tool for climate action. The webinar will feature experts from Japan and Washington who will discuss emerging and sustainable wood-use trends in building, including mass timber construction with cross laminated timber; sustainable forest management and carbon sequestration; and government initiatives for addressing climate change through wood use.

・February 18 (Thursday), 5:00-6:30pm (Pacific Time)
(February 19 (Friday), 10:00-11:30am Japan Time)

Please register for this event by filling out this form. We will send a webinar link later.

-Brian Hatfield, Washington state Department of Commerce/ Gov. Inslee’s Forest Sector Lead
  (Welcome remarks and introduction of Washington state panel presenters)
-Mark Doumit, Executive Director, Washington Forest Protection Association
  (The Evolution of Forest Practices in Washington State)
-Susan Jones, Architect, Atelier Jones
  (The Emergence of Mass Timber in the U.S. Fight Against Climate Change: From Forests to Cities)
-Indroneil Ganguly, University of Washington CINTRAFOR
  (Environmental Benefits Associated with Wood Based Construction (especially CLT) and Wood Based Bioenergy)
-Todd Beyreuther, Mass Timber Systems LLC
  (Development of WA-grade and J-grade lamstock for modular construction)
-INAGAKI Hisao, Consul General of Japan in Seattle
 (Welcome remarks)
-HONDA Tomoyuki, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries of Japan, Forest Agency, Wood Utilization Division
  (Policy and current measures to promote wood utilization in Japan)
-Dr. ENDO Kusao, Japan Wood-Products Export Association (JWPEA), Former Professor of Kagoshima University
  (Features and trends of Japanese wood use)

Japan and Washington state are both taking active steps to address climate change and consider the forest sector as an important component in this effort. With a history of strong trade ties and industry expertise, this webinar is an opportunity to highlight trends in both Japan and Washington on sustainable forest practices and wood use; promoting even closer economic cooperation.

 

Japan sees two effective roles of wood for the mitigation of climate change; carbon sequestration and the reduction of emissions in construction and other activities. In his policy speech at the start of the parliamentary session after taking office in September, Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide declared that “Japan will achieve zero-carbon emissions by 2050”. The Japanese Government and Forest Agency have taken appropriate measures for climate change in compliance with Paris Agreement, including by promoting the use of wood and CLT.

 

Washington state Governor Jay Inslee has made the fight against climate change a key part of his policy platform for years. North America’s largest CLT factory in Spoken Valley was opened last year, and Spokane is the location 5-story CLT building called Catalyst completed last year.

 

Japan has been a major importer of logs and lumber products from Washington for nearly 100 years. Japan and Washington State have cooperated in many fields, including clean technology and the forest product industry under the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Government of Japan and the State of Washington in the United States of America on Economic and Trade Relations.

 

Contact: Consulate General of Japan in Seattle, Economy Section. ISHIKAWA & Doty　economy@se.mofa.go.jp