Kyoto City to Reduce Greenhouse Gases by 40% by Fiscal 2030

Kyoto City passed a proposed ordinance to completely revise the Kyoto City Global Warming Countermeasure Ordinance on September 29, 2010, and promulgated the new ordinance on October 12. The city aims to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 40 percent compared to 1990 levels by fiscal 2030, and by 25 percent by fiscal 2020.

In order to realize considerable reductions, the revised ordinance requires businesses that emit large amounts of GHGs to introduce environment management systems or use new vehicles that do not emit GHGs. The ordinance allows those businesses to include forest conservation and management and renewable energy use in reduction effect credits.

In addition, the new ordinance requires contractors constructing buildings above a certain size to use a minimum amount of local wood and install renewable energy equipment. It also requires them to provide green areas, including trees and flowerbeds, when building new buildings or renovating existing buildings in "Important Areas for Greening," as provided for in the Urban Green Space Conservation Law.

The city established a Committee for Promoting Global Warming Countermeasures in August 2009 and has considered revising the current ordinance since then. The new ordinance will come into force in April 2011 (some provisions in April 2012).

Kyoto City to Revise Global Warming Countermeasure Ordinance (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/029720.html

Posted: 2011/01/06 06:00:15 AM