Sports and Showbiz Celebrities Propose Seven Environmental Policies for Japan

Members of Global Environment Initiative (GEIN) proposed at its symposium on March 23, 2008, that Japan adopt seven environmental policies towards the realization of a sustainable world and focused on renewable energy. GEIN was founded in December 2007 by big-name Japanese sports and show business celebrities -- such as head coach of Japan's national football team Takeshi Okada and actress Keiko Takeshita -- with the aim of achieving a "sustainable world mainly supported by renewable energy."

GEIN proposed the following seven policies: (1) clearly set the promotion of renewable energy as a pillar of Japan's national policy on environment and energy, (2) set a national goal of obtaining 50 percent of energy in 2050 from renewable energy, (3) convert taxes like the gasoline tax into a tax for the global environment, to be used to expand the use of renewable energy, (4) properly recognize the environmental importance of renewable energy and build systems that include citizens' participation to promote their use, (5) require newly built public facilities to introduce renewable energy generation systems, (6) establish special renewable energy zones and create energy self-sufficient communities, and (7) establish international programs aimed at expanding renewable energy in cooperation with the rest of the world.

The concrete goals set by GEIN are called the "Three 50s," as in reduce energy consumption by 50 percent from 2000 levels by 2050 and increase the renewable energy rate in energy supply to 50 percent without sacrificing quality of life to achieve it.


Posted: 2008/05/31 10:05:23 AM