Kyoto, Shiga Prefectures Launch Joint 'Green Bidding' System

In order to support environment-friendly business, Kyoto and Shiga prefectures together introduced a new bidding system called the Keiji Green Bidding System, based on an agreement made at a meeting of the two prefectures' governors on November 28, 2005. This is the first attempt in Japan to limit bid participants to companies that have obtained environmental certifications such as ISO14001 or KES.

Kyoto Prefecture is the birthplace of the Kyoto Protocol, and Shiga Prefecture has declared itself an eco-friendly prefecture, and these two neighboring prefectures are working hand-in-hand to promote environmental protection activities by medium and small companies, which still acquire environmental certifications at a slower pace than other types of companies. The prefectures hope this will result in more eco-conscious businesses among smaller companies.

One problem, however, is that only 4 percent of companies that have registered to place bids in Kyoto and 3 percent in Shiga have acquired environmental certifications such as ISO14001. Therefore, Kyoto Prefecture may extend its system to include businesses that have been certified in the "Eco Kyoto 21" program, an original environmental certification and registration system established by the Kyoto prefectural government, and to accept applications by businesses to this program at any time in order to support eco-conscious businesses.



Posted: 2006/04/27 03:48:34 PM
Japanese version