Japan Legislates Stricter Energy Saving Measures in Transport Sector

To achieve the goals of the Kyoto Protocol which came into effect in February 2005, the bill to amend the Energy Saving Law was enacted in Japan on August 3, 2005. This is the third amendment, following amendments in 1999 and 2003, with a special emphasis on the enhancement of energy-saving measures in the transport, housing, and construction sectors. The amended law will enter into force in April 2006.

In the transport sector, large transportation companies using trucks, buses, or aircraft, and shippers (i.e., manufacturers) will be obligated to submit an annual strategic plan and report on their energy consumption. Manufacturers, for example, will be urged to work toward a modal shift to public transportation systems and to consolidate their ordering systems. Transportation companies and manufacturers are to make collaborative efforts to further reduce CO2 emissions, and penalties will be applied if their efforts are found to be insufficient.

Companies in the construction sector will be required to notify the relevant ministry about any large-scale repairs, expansions or new construction involving non-residential buildings of more than 2,000 square meters. This requirement will also be extended to cover large residential buildings.

Japan's greenhouse gas emissions in fiscal 2002 were considerably higher than in fiscal 1990 (20 and 33 percent higher in the transport and non-industrial sectors, respectively), so efforts are urgently needed to bolster measures in these sectors.

http://www.eccj.or.jp/law/e-law.html

Posted: 2005/09/05 04:10:23 PM
Japanese version