The Hindu : International : Japan, cool and casual

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 02, 2005

International

International

Japan, cool and casual

Move to meet Kyoto protocol targets

TOKYO: Japan's public servants loosened their collars on Wednesday, showing up to work at the centre of power in Tokyo without their customary suits and ties as part of an unusual effort to fight global warming.

Public buildings will cut down on air-conditioner use this summer, and officials are asking bureaucrats to dress more casually to help beat the heat.

``It's so comfortable not to have a necktie,'' said Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who strode into his office — where the thermostat was set at a steamy 28 degrees Celsius — wearing a long-sleeved, blue Okinawan shirt with white trim.

The effort is aimed to help Japan meet its targets under the Kyoto global warming protocol. Tokyo needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 6 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012.

To help make the goal, air-conditioners in government buildings will be set at 28 degrees, the maximum allowed by law. Offices usually keep the temperature at around 25 degrees. The Energy Conservation Centre estimates that if all offices in Japan increase summer temperatures to that level, it could save 310,000 kilolitres of oil in one summer. The new policy is expected to boost the economy.

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