Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) set forth the Fiscal 2004 Action Program on June 2, 2004 to further promote the modal shift in physical distribution started in the action program for the previous fiscal year. The main points of the new program are:
1. promoting "green distribution" by enhancing the cooperation between cargo shippers and distribution businesses;
2. addressing cargo shippers' needs by strengthening initiatives involving rail and forwarding agents;
3. expanding coastal shipping by promoting Super Eco-Ships, a new generation of vessels for coastal waters, designed to significantly reduce exhaust emissions; and
4. strengthening support and evaluation systems for corporate environmental actions.

The modal shift in freight transportation from trucking to railroad or marine transportation is a key topic relating to physical distribution described in the government's Guideline of Measures for Promoting Efforts to Prevent Global Warming, issued in March 2002. Following the guideline, the ministry formulated the 2003 Action Program to Promote Modal Shift, incorporating a variety of measures to be implemented urgently, and worked hard to carry out these measures.

The ministry laid out the new action program, including additional measures against global warming, as the measures to date were falling far short of the country's CO2 emissions reduction targets, and a review was needed prior to the second phase of implementation starting in 2005.



Posted: 2004/08/12 04:19:46 PM
Japanese version

TAG Global warming , Government , Non-manufacturing industry , System/Law , Transportation