Japan's Foundation for Promoting Personal Mobility and Ecological Transportation has published a manual to promote environmental efforts in the trucking industry. This manual will enable small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to set goals and evaluate progress toward environmental improvements. It will also stimulate voluntary and ongoing environmental activities.

The manual, derived from the concepts in ISO 14031 and ISO 14001 (international environmental management standards), is simple, compact, and promises to be effective. It consists of the following five points:

1. Development of Mechanisms and Systems for Environmental Efforts
Formulating environmental policy and implementation frameworks, providing employee education, etc.

2. Eco-Driving Campaign
Promoting eco-driving practices, such as setting up fuel-efficiency targets and reducing motor idling in order to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions

3. Introduction of Low-Pollution Vehicles
Setting a target and evaluating efforts of introducing low-pollution vehicles or diesel engine vehicles complying with the latest regulations

4. Inspection and Maintenance of Vehicles
Developing and implementing a system for inspection and maintenance based on original standards beyond and above mandatory items

5. Reduction, Proper Disposal and Recycling of Discarded Vehicles and Waste Materials
Managing discarded vehicles and waste materials appropriately

The carbon dioxide emissions from the transportation sector amounted to 259.91 million tonnes in fiscal 1999, accounting for 21.2 percent of total emissions in Japan. The CO2 emissions from commercial trucks were about 43.44 million tonnes, making up 16.7 percent of the emissions from the transportation sector. Japan had approximately 55,000 trucking companies, out of which 99 percent were SMEs (the data as of March 2001). There were 980,000 commercial trucks nationwide (as of January 2002). "Green management" by trucking companies plays a role as one of the significant measures by which the private sector is expected to make voluntarily efforts to prevent global warming in the Japanese government's "Guideline of Measures to Prevent Global Warming" decided on March 19, 2002.

The fuel efficiency has been improved by up to 13 percent among the trucking companies which have introduced eco-driving. When "green management" is implemented under this manual, improvements will be measured clearly and quantitatively.

In fiscal 2002, the foundation is distributing the manuals in cooperation with Japan Trucking Association, disseminating the concepts and implementing a voluntary registration system for trucking companies. The foundation plans to draw up the Green Management Promotion Manual for buses and taxis by the end of this fiscal year.


Posted: 2002/10/28 05:30:29 AM
Japanese version

TAG Energy , Global warming , Non-manufacturing industry , Transportation , University/Research institute