Japan's Forestry Agency started a publicity campaign in fiscal 2005 to boost use of domestic timber in Japan. The agency designated October as a special month for promoting the campaign, and held symposiums and seminars for consumers and companies, while publicizing the campaign through radio and television.

As the consumption of domestic timber has declined, the area of badly managed forests in Japan has increased. To maintain healthy forests that absorb a lot of CO2, it is necessary to plant seedlings, take care of them, thin and log trees and use them effectively. The agency hopes that the campaign will raise awareness that using domestic timber will help maintain healthy forests and is an environment-friendly activity.

In the Kyoto Protocol Target Achievement Plan approved by the cabinet in April 2005, the Japanese government declared that it aims to reduce average annual CO2 emissions by 6 percent from 1990 levels; it expects two-thirds of this percentage, or 3.9 percent, will be reduced through CO2 absorption by forests. The agency adopted a campaign logo "3.9 Green Style;" because the numbers 3.9 in Japanese can be pronounced "san kyu", which sounds like "thank you" to Japanese people, the name implies gratitude to forests. It hopes that Japanese people will use more domestic timber products in their daily lives as a way to achieve the 3.9 percent target.



Posted: 2006/02/15 11:28:11 AM
Japanese version

TAG Ecosystem , Global warming , Government