Major Japanese Industries Commit to Join Fight to Prevent Global Warming

In June 2007, at a joint meeting of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment, it was announced that major business associations---representing 18 different sectors such as the medical and newspaper industries---will start tackling global warming through measures such as a commitment to lay out voluntary action plans for each industry sector by the end of fiscal 2007.

The voluntary action plan campaign, led by the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren), aims to encourage each sector to set out global warming action plans for their industry, and it has been producing good results (see website below *1).

According to the report on the campaign's progress, the Japan Medical Association, Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association, and other industry associations have already drawn up their action plans, while the Life Insurance Association of Japan and others have set numerical targets for the first time in each of their industrial plans.

The joint ministry meeting has been assessing and reviewing the Action Plan to Achieve the Kyoto Target, approved by the Cabinet in 2005, since November 2006, and it released a mid-term report in September 2007, which pointed out the need to encourage industries that have not yet drawn up their own plans or set any targets to complete those tasks, essentially expanding the efforts to combat global warming to all industry sectors. The final report should be completed by the end of 2007 (see website below *2).


- Japan's Major Industries Reduce 2005 CO2 Emissions by 0.6% over 1990 (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1697-e
- Japan Must Accelerate Measures for Kyoto Target Achievement Plan (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1493-e

Posted: 2007/12/12 12:46:35 PM
Japanese version