27.8% of Local Governments in Japan Have Green Purchasing Programs

Only 27.8 percent of the local governments have drawn up their green purchasing procurement policies, according to results of a survey made public on the website of the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in March 2006. The survey was conducted nationwide in November 2005 to find out about their efforts and problems involved for green procurement.

Since the Law Concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-Friendly Goods and Services by the States and Other Entities, or the so called Law on Promoting Green Purchasing, came into effect in April 2001, the need for local governments to promote green purchasing has been much publicized because their expenditures account for more than half of total public sector spending in Japan. To the question about whether local governments were implementing the procurement systematically, the answer was "yes," for 96.7 percent of prefectures and 14 cities with a population of about a million or more, and 53.1 percent for other cities and Tokyo's 23 wards. The corresponding ratio of among towns and villages was only 15.2 percent, indicating a great delay in smaller municipalities.

As for obstacles to green procurement, "prices are high" topped the list of replies at 44.9 percent, followed by "consciousness of
green procurement is low" at 37.1 percent, and "bulk procurement is difficult because procurement is done separately by each department" at 36.8 percent, indicating that cost factors are still major impediments to green purchasing.

http://www.env.go.jp/en/laws/policy/green/index.html

Posted: 2006/06/03 12:43:50 PM
Japanese version