" Initiatives and Achievements of Local Governments in Japan " Article

Local Governments' Goals and Measures in Anti-Global Warming Campaigns

In Japan, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been increasing; 6.4 percent more GHG were emitted in 2006 than in 1990. Thus, in order to reach its national commitment under the Kyoto Protocol of "minus six percent," Japan needs to reduce its GHG emissions more than 12 percent.

In Japan, it is notable that local governments seem to be taking the lead in devising and implementing anti-global warming measures. Some of them have established drastic goals and have started to move steadily towards realizing these goals.

Expectations about local governments' efforts led e's Inc., a company providing various eco-products and services and run by Junko Edahiro (Co-chief Executive of Japan for Sustainability), to conduct a survey in March 2008 of local governments' goals and measures to deal with global warming. In order to understand the current situation, the company started by ranking local governments by their rates of increase of GHG emissions compared to the base year 1990. To determine the reduction targets and policies of each local government, the company conducted a questionnaire survey of 47 prefectures, 17 major cities (government ordinance cities), and 34 capital cities, based on a web search. The results are available for downloading at http://daily-ondanka.com/. (Japanese Only)

e's Inc.
http://www.es-inc.jp/en/index.html

The survey revealed that some local governments have been working toward to achieve some very ambitious goals.

First, the following cities are examples of local governments that have set short-term goals with the target year 2010. Reduction rates are relative to 1990 levels.

Shizuoka City: reduce GHG by 37%
Nagoya City: reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and other GHG by 10% each
Kyoto City: reduce GHG by 10%
Osaka City: reduce GHG by 7%
Sakai City: reduce CO2 by 8%

The following are local governments that have established ambitious long-term goals.

Kashiwa City: reduce GHG by 25% by 2030 from the 2000 level
Chiyoda Ward: reduce CO2 by 25% by 2020 from the 1990 level
Yokohama City: reduce GHG by more than 30% per capita by 2025 from the 2004 level, and more than 60% by 2050 from the 2004 level
Hiroshima City: reduce GHG 50% by 2030 from the 1990 level, and 70% by 2050 from the 1990 level

It has been said that the Earth currently absorbs 3.1 billion tons of CO2 per year. Meanwhile, human beings generate 7.2 billion tons of CO2 by burning fossil fuels annually. In order to limit CO2 emissions from human activity to within the amount that nature can absorb, total world emissions must be reduced by 60 to 70 percent. Yokohama and Hiroshima cities have set their reduction targets in reference to these figures.

Although setting high goals alone cannot reduce emissions, most of the local governments that are setting high goals are also carrying out educational campaigns and model projects, and many have also adopted ingenious policies that could help lead to the concrete achievement of emission-reduction targets and an exit from global warming. The relevant elements of these policies can be classified into three categories: (1) providing incentives for activities that will contribute to curbing global warming, (2) establishing partnerships among actors, and (3) securing policy effectiveness through regulatory methods.

One example of incentives being offered for activities to curb global warming are systems created by local governments to award points or prizes to individuals or groups for their performance in environmental campaigns, energy conservation efforts, and so on.

For instance, Nagoya City has a system called EXPO Eco-Money. Taking the 2005 World Exposition held in Aichi Prefecture as the starting point, Nagoya City began giving points called Eco-Money to people for environmental action such as refusing plastic bags at stores or using public transportation. Under the slogan, "Let's start and continue EXPO Eco-Money," the system is still being used. Accumulated points are redeemable for eco-products or for making donations to a tree-planting project.

Present EXPO Eco-Money Page
http://eem.jp/jp/index.html (Japanese Only)
EXPO Eco-Money Page until Septemer 2005
http://eem.jp/jp/expo2005/en/top.html (English)

Another example is the Energy-Saving Lifestyle Support Program in Chikugo City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Under this program, when a group consisting of three households manages to reduce its total use of electricity by more than five percent compared with the same month of the previous year, they receive gift vouchers redeemable at local shops; the value of the vouchers is geared to their rates of reduction. Kagawa Prefecture promotes the Summer Eco-Challenge campaign, involving the voluntary participation of groups, each consisting of 10 or more households or organizations, which are awarded book coupons when they achieve more than a six percent reduction in electricity use during the month of August compared to the same month of the previous year. They also receive prepaid travel IC cards for outstanding reduction performance. Mie Prefecture has the Mie Eco Point system, which awards gifts or services from collaborating companies to households that achieve outstanding reductions in electricity use.

Ube City in Yamaguchi Prefecture promotes a Fifty-fifty program, in which public schools receive a subsidy equal to half of the money they have saved through their efforts to reduce electricity, fuel and water costs. The amount is calculated on the basis of the city's budget for these costs over the previous two years. Schools saved about 8.8 million yen (about U.S.$ 89,000) in fiscal 2007.

Some local governments have buy-back programs for electricity generated from renewable sources, something yet to be seen on the national level. Saga Prefecture, in Kyushu, promotes a Top Runner Program for Photovoltaic (PV) Electricity, and pays extra for the "environmental value" of green power to the amount of 40 yen (about U.S. 40 cents) per kilowatt hour. Generally speaking, in Japan utilities pay an environmental value purchase price for excess PV-generated electricity of roughly 10 to 15 yen (about 10 to 15 cents), meaning that Saga Prefecture is providing a superior economic incentive for generating PV electricity. Shiga Prefecture, near Kyoto, pays PV power generators 10 yen (about 10 cents) per kilowatt hour for the first year, 7 yen (7 cents) for the second year and 5 yen (5 cents) for the third under a Model Promotion Program for Individual PV System Installation.

Cases in the category of "establishing partnerships among actors," include Kakegawa City in Shizuoka Prefecture, which has a program to help companies obtain environmental ISO 14001 certification with the cooperation of private citizens. The program aims to support local companies by matching them with volunteer experts who can help them with planned eco-actions such as ISO certification, allowing the companies to save on cost and labor. This program is expected to encourage the adoption of environmental measures among local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) because the present cost of obtaining ISO certification is one of the biggest barriers to environmental action by SMEs.

Japan's Trend for Local and SME Versions of Environmental Management Systems
http://www.japanfs.org/en/newsletter/200805-2.html

Besides its Fifty-fifty school program, Ube City also has a Network for Climate Change Action, a partnership organization consisting of local industries, academia, citizens' groups and so on, which is leading a project to promote energy-saving fluorescent lamps in cooperation with the regional electrical appliance store association and FM radio station. In this project, consumers can purchase energy-saving fluorescent lamps for half the normal price at association member shops. It is anticipated that publicity on the FM radio station and the bargains offered by local appliance shops will accelerate a considerable shift from conventional incandescent light bulbs to energy-saving fluorescent lamps -- a standard global warming prevention practice.

In another partnership-type program, the Wakayama and Kochi prefectural governments are issuing CO2 absorption certificates to partner companies that provide labor or capital for forest management. Kochi has also collaborated with musicians, hoping to expand publicity for its forest management efforts.

Meanwhile, Shinjuku Ward of Tokyo and Ina City in Nagano Prefecture signed a carbon offset agreement in February 2008, under which Shinjuku's forest management activities in Ina City will be regarded as CO2 emission reductions by the ward. The two municipalities' agreement, which will come into effect in fiscal 2009, can potentially make it easier for both sides to reduce CO2 emissions by sharing their disparate resources.

Approaches for implementing the third type of measure, "Securing policy effectiveness through regulatory methods," are exemplified by Kyoto Prefecture, which has a "reduction planning system" and a program involving "Eco-Meisters," personnel that specialize in promoting anti-global warming measures. Kyoto requires companies that emit large amounts of CO2 and major construction contractors to draw up and submit emission reduction plans, while requiring home appliance shops and automobile dealers to assign an Eco-Meister.

In Tokyo, the metropolitan government has set a target of reducing CO2 emissions by 25 percent from the 2000 level by 2020. Tokyo believes that not only a reduction planning system but also more drastic efforts are needed to achieve this target, and thus is preparing to introduce a cap-and-trade type emissions trading system in 2010.

Large Tokyo Offices Plan 6% GHG Cut by 2009
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1460-e

Hiroshima City, which has set ambitious long-term targets, plans to introduce an emissions trading system based on the participation of citizens. In order to achieve its reduction goals of 50 percent in fiscal 2030 and 70 percent in fiscal 2050 (both compared to the fiscal 1990 level), the local government plans to introduce a reduction planning system as well as an emissions trading mechanism under which the planning system will be used to decide emissions quotas (caps) in fiscal 2009. This new attempt, in which third parties purchase CO2 emissions reduced by citizens and sell them to major businesses through emissions trading markets, is an ambitious approach that uses regulations to create markets and provides leadership to citizens and major companies, encouraging them to play a part in preventing global warming.

The Japanese government has established an advisory panel on global warming, led by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda; a subcommittee has also been set up to discuss the creation of model environmental cities. This subcommittee will select and provide support to about 10 model cities that are pursuing innovative efforts, in the hopes that they will play a leading role in realizing a low carbon society in Japan.

Japan Establishes Cabinet Advisory Panel on Climate Change
http://www.japanfs.org/db/2057-e

Local governments have a relatively close relationship with citizens, and so their ambitious goals and new efforts that go beyond preconceived notions have raised expectations in Japan.

(Written by Junko Edahiro)