Shiga Prefecture Unveils Sustainability Scenario for 2030

Shiga Prefecture Sustainable Society Research Team released its sustainability scenario, entitled "Shiga's Scenario towards the Realization of a Sustainable Society in 2030," in March 2007. The 23-page scenario consists of environmental targets for 2030, together with proposals to meet the targets, and the prefecture's socioeconomic assumption in 2030, as well as a scenario for realizing a sustainable society.

The environmental targets for 2030 are set based on the following five pillars: (1) cutting greenhouse gas emissions by half from 1990 levels, (2) restoring water quality in Lake Biwa to 1960s levels, (3) restoring the area of reed communities to 1950s levels, (4) doubling the scenic lake areas from the 2000 level, and (5) reducing landfill waste volumes by 75 percent from 2000 levels.

In the scenario, in order to achieve these targets, the research team says that businesses should switch to cleaner fuels for production, for example by tripling the share of natural gas from the current level; increasing the modal shift ratio; and introducing renewable energy sources, such as solar power and biomass for commercial buildings. For citizens, it proposes environmentally-friendly housing, the promotion of rail, and bicycles and walking as means of transportation, and the reuse of bathwater and rainwater. Local governments are urged to improve the management of forests, sewage and drainage systems, and to recycle and reuse waste.

The team also proposes a "tri-parties beneficial policy model" to move toward the goals. This model is a mechanism in which businesses, citizens, and local governments share not only environmental benefits but also economic gains. Core elements of the model are a sustainable tax system for greening existing taxes, and sustainable finance, including low-interest loans for environmental investment and project finance. The team presents concrete scenarios, consisting of the realization of a low carbon economy, rehabilitation of the environment of Lake Biwa, and establishment of recycling systems.

http://www.lberi.jp/root/jp/01topics/scenario_eng.pdf
- Shiga Prefecture Sustainability Vision to Half CO2 Emissions by 2030 (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1332-e

Posted: 2007/09/20 03:05:49 PM
Japanese version