Regional City Starts Carbon Reduction Project by Bundling Individuals' Emissions Reductions

Kitsuki City in Japan's Oita Prefecture, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), NPO Regional Climate Network, and KDDI Corp., a major Japanese telecommunications company, announced on August 21, 2009, that they would start a joint pilot project aiming at reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the household sector.

Although emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the non-industrial sector including households have been increasing each year in Japan, it is difficult to control such emissions, as they come from many diverse sources in small amounts.

Under the project, about 100 citizens in Kitsuki City will practice eco-friendly driving, including reducing their idling time, and reduce the use of private cars by increasing the use of buses and/or bicycles. The amount of CO2 emission reductions will be automatically recorded and measured using global positioning systems and mobile phones with onboard accelerometers. After bundling such reductions, the city will sell them to carbon offset market or carbon emission trading market. The revenue raised in such a manner would be paid back to participating citizens in the form of eco-commuting allowance or community money.

On August 24, 2009, President Monte Cassim and Professor Shunso Tsukada of APU, Mayor Kyosuke Yasaka of Kitsuki City and Chairman Itsuro Miura of NPO Regional Climate Network visited Governor Katsusada Hirose of Oita Prefecture and asked for his cooperation as they endeavor to make the project a success and hopefully expand the project to encompass the entire prefecture by exporting it to other cities, towns and villages in the prefecture.

Posted: 2009/11/15 06:00:15 AM