With the aim of carrying out environmental education in eco-friendly schools, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment (MOE) announced in October 2004 that in fiscal 2005 it will launch a "Model Project for Eco-Renovation of School and Related Facilities and Environmental Education" that will be pursued in 10 school districts. The MOE will subsidize eco-renovations of schools such as the planting of rooftop gardens and solar power generation. Subsidies will amount to 325 million yen (about $U.S. 2.9 billion) per model area over a three year period.

The Ministry intends to use the eco-renovation process to train eco-architect engineers and promote environmental consciousness in communities around the schools.

The project accords with principles laid out in the "Law Relating to the Increase of Motivation for Environmental Conservation and Promotion of Environmental Education, or the Environmental Education Law," which came fully into force in October 2004.

The project targets public primary, junior high and high schools and their districts. It finances (1) ecological renovation of aged school facilities, (2) renewable energy devices including solar power generators and fuel-cell co-generation systems and (3) eco-friendly equipment such as ecological street lamps. The Ministry will also extend subsidies to the development of environmental education programs designed to encourage the spread of eco-renovations from public facilities to private homes or buildings, and also to the training of eco-architect engineers in the project communities.

- Ministry Promotes School Eco-Renovation/Education Project (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/796-e

Posted: 2005/02/27 03:11:25 PM
Japanese version

TAG Energy , Government , Other , System/Law