On April 21, 2008, Hokkaido Prefecture released a declaration of its commitment to establish a sustainable society, an expression of its determination to make Hokkaido an "eco-island" where people can create true prosperity appropriate to their locality and live in harmony with nature. In a symposium held to celebrate release of the declaration, Ms. Junko Edahiro, a joint chief executive of Japan for Sustainability, gave the keynote speech.

The declaration advocates the following eight activities as ways to practice mindfulness about protecting the planet and coexisting with nature: (1) reduce daily carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent (1.1 kilograms) per capita; (2) conserve energy and resources in businesses and offices; (3) participate in the prefectural campaign to plant 30 trees per capita; (4) reduce daily waste by 10 percent (80 grams) per capita; (5) promote consumption of local resources; (6) take part in clean-up activities in the prefecture; (7) take part in environmental activities to protect local rivers and lakes by making use of opportunities to appreciate the wonder of the nature; and (8) promote environment-friendly management in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and the tourism industry.

Hokkaido plans various environmental initiatives as the host prefecture of the Group of Eight (G8) Summit in Toyako, which will focus on environmental issues. It will establish a global warming monitoring network, utilize and promote the use of bioethanol, promote its model eco-point system, develop industries related to recycling, establish and develop rules for utilizing the Shiretoko Peninsula World Heritage Site in an environment-friendly way, ensure healthy water cycles through partnerships among stakeholders in river basins, establish a recognition system for environment-friendly companies, draw up guidelines for environmental events, and promote the environmental initiatives of municipal offices. Through these efforts, the prefecture hopes to further accelerate and enhance its environmental policies.

http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/foreign/english.htm
http://www.japanfs.org/en/public/gov_18.html

Posted: 2008/07/26 10:07:12 AM

TAG Ecosystem , Energy , Food/Water , Global warming , Local government , Material reduction