Japan for Sustainability (JFS) has chosen 20 headline indicators for sustainability based on an analysis of over 200 data sets in several sustainability-related categories. This is the first ever numerical evaluation / trial calculation of national sustainability for Japan. Results show a score of 33.5 points for 2005 in relation to a hypothetical perfect score of 100 projected for 2050. Japan’s score for 1990 was 41.3 points, meaning sustainability in Japan has declined about 19% since 1990. (>>Press Release)

In Japan, a number of environmental-related efforts and initiatives are underway by a variety of players. Some say, as a whole, the level of activities in this field could be among the most advanced in the world. Yet regrettably, these positive endeavors are not strong enough to reverse the trends of global warming, environmental destruction and pollution, which steadily continue with no apparent end in sight.

To what degree do individual initiatives and achievements by each ministry, corporation, municipality, NGO and citizen contribute to a collective advancement towards an environmental sustainable society?

As a result of these efforts, is Japan closer to sustainability, compared to the year before? Have we moved forward and closer even by an inch? Or somehow have we moving backwards, farther from sustainability?

In order to make answers to these questions visible, we at JFS envision defining indicators and work little by little to draw a big picture of a “Vision of a Sustainable Japan” or “The shape of a sustainable country.”

People do something only after they realize those problems. We aim at raising the people’s awareness by visualizing and quantifying the “Vision of a Sustainable Japan.” We hope the indicators will give an opportunity for many people to look at the “Overall Picture of Sustainable Japan”