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Nikkei Ecology

September 2004 Issue

Cover Story 1

Environmental-friendly design sees a keen competition among companies that seek for higher product values

The purpose of eco-design no longer merely aims to meet the regulations, but to hunt for additional values of the products

Environmental-friendly design directly increases the market value of the products of TOTO Ltd., Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., and Q.P. Corporation

Information technology helps speed up the process to find the optimal design at Hitachi, Ltd. and Toshiba TEC Corporation

Japan leads the movement to establish global standardization

Cover Story 2

Learn the reality of Japan, the leading country of energy-saving efforts
A nationwide survey of 1,044 factories on how advanced they are with their energy-saving activities

Special Interview on CSR

Koji Furukawa, vice chairman and head of CSR Promotion Office of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation: “The value of the trust we lost is enormous. CSR is vital for corporate survival”

Technology Frontline

Products
[Fuel-cell powered AUV] Autonomous underwater vehicle using a fuel-cell power system challenges 300km long-duration operation

Trend
[Eco-drive promotion system] The system shows the fuel efficiency of the car in real-time

Elements
[Sludge-derived methane hydrate] Technology to achieve 98.8% high purity of methane realized

Technological people
[Yoshio Tarutani of Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.] Efforts in decreasing the production cost for the main part of fuel cells

“Honor students” in recycling
[Eco-Cement] The product has only 0.1% or lower chloride content as a result of the company’s challenging efforts against the incineration ash composition, which changes daily


Technology news clips


Learn about environmental laws

Easy-to-understand Environmental Law
[Revised Air Pollution Control Law] Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are added to the list, and measures against their fixed sources are developed

Environmental Laws Q & A
What will happen to the recycling fee charged for used cars that are to be exported after the implementation of the Automobile Recycling Law?

This Month’s Environmental Law
Promulgation of the law to provide safeguards for those who disclose information in the public interest

Taro Kono’s Report from the Diet
Asia-wide rules should be established for proper transfer of recycling resources

Trend and News

Recycling
Auto manufacturers announce recycling fees; the low pricing may cause confusions among recycling service suppliers

Measures against global warming
The Ministry of the Environment proposes 12% reduction of CO₂ to the industrial sector, which imposes increased pressure from the Kyoto Protocol

Nuclear fuel cycle
The Nuclear Power Generation Long-term Plan is under review, including discontinuation of the reprocessing plant construction suggested as an option

Measures against global warming
As China clarifies its Clean Development Mechanism rules, the implementation may have secondary effect on the neighboring Japan

Biomass
Ethanol-mixed gasoline attracts attention; sugar canes and beets become candidates for materials

Biodiversity
Plants growing from imported GM rapeseeds are found naturalized near the Kashima Port, Ibaraki Prefecture; the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries sees “no problem,” while the prefectural government decides to destroy the plants

Green procurement
EU prepares an action plan for illegal logging, which requires producing countries to establish a certification system for legal logging

Natural energy
The 5,000-kW windmill in northern Germany has carbon-fiber enforced wings

CSR Frontline
Canon Inc., Toyota Motor Corporation, and Kao Corporation rank high in the survey for “respectful corporations”

Global companies should make more efforts to realize the UN Millennium Development Goals

ECO Interview
Teruo Kise, president of TOTO Ltd.: “Environmental consideration will continue to be the focus among our CSR activities”

ECO Column
Kankan Gakugaku (Active Argument over Environmental Issues)
Katsuto Uchihashi, economic critic

Takuro Morinaga’s ECO Lifestyle
Cars, air-conditioners, etc. - They must be used only in the limited but most needed spots

Fieldwork Japan
Community-based, woody biomass power generation


Report
Vice-Rector Itaru Yasui’s “Eco Michelin”
Heated water shower toilets

Achieve the Top Sales with Eco Products!
Malt Ceramics by Asahi Breweries, Ltd

Inside-Out

[One of the nation’s largest scandals of illegal dumping of industrial waste] Connecting the dots of illegal dumping sites will draw a suspicious line that coincides with the planned route of the Tokai Belt Highway

WorldWatch Institute
The water level of the Dead Sea is declining; the cooperative conservation efforts may become the key to resolve the Middle East conflict

ECO Seminar

New Trend of ISO
[Main points in the revision to ISO14001- Part 1] Revision focuses on compatibility with ISO9000 and clear definition of the requirements

New Environmental Study
[How to understand PRTR - Part 1] Promotion of voluntary management leads to certain results

Quick Guide to Environmental Key Words
Life cycle assessment (LCA)

Learn from Environmental Reports of Companies Overseas
Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (U.S.A.)

World Trend

From U.K.
Russian President Vladimir Putin supports ratification of the Kyoto Protocol

From U.K.
Corporate environmental reports should adopt the concept of “environmental efficiency”

From U.S.A.
Diet and urbanization are likely the causes of globally increasing obese population

From Germany
The emissions trade system in EU may threaten the clean energy policies

From China
The new automobile industry development policy is closely related to the energy strategy

Nikkei BP EcoManagement Forum

The new development of risk management starts with CSR