Tokyo has one of the most efficient water systems in the world. Its method of detecting and repairing leaks has halved the amount of water wasted by the City in the past ten years from 150 million m3 water to 68 million m3 water. Its' focus on same-day-repair work - has helped to drastically reduce the leakage rate - from 20% in 1956 to 3.6% in 2006, as well as reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 73,000 t CO2 annually.
Shibaura Water Reclamation Center has built Japan’s first reclaimed wastewater treatment facility that use ceramics in filtering reclaimed wastewater treatment. The coming into operation of this facility will make it possible to meet the needs for toilet water in office buildings and water for sprinkling the streets in the Nagatacho-Kasumigaseki and Yashio-East Shinagawa areas.
Tokyo’s final waste disposal has decreased about 60% over the past 10 years thanks to efforts by citizens and businesses, etc., while TMG has aggressively implemented pioneering policies ahead of national initiatives to address the global environmental issues that are threatening our survival, to create a low-carbon urban city. However, the climate change crisis and resource constraints are posing great challenges on a global scale. The Panel discussed the desirable future direction of policies and measures pertaining to the sustainable use of resources from a global perspective, aiming to create a sustainable society.
Tokyo is helping energy companies to reduce CO2 emissions and shift to renewable energy by requiring them to regularly publish the amount of carbon dioxide they are emitting, and demonstrate their plans to shift to renewable supplies. In the first year of operation, six out of nine electricity companies had reduced their emissions by a total of 680,000 tons CO2. The strategy is simple - by requiring energy companies to show customers their green credentials, the City is driving greater competition for renewable-sourced energy. The City wants 20% of all energy to be renewable by 2020.
A mandatory rating and disclosure program of environmental performance for large new buildings in Tokyo.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) has developed a cap-and-trade program that many advanced nations and regions are also moving to implement since the first introduction of such a scheme by the European Union in 2005. TMG’s program is the first one to be implemented in Japan and Asia. It requires installations under the cap to reduce CO2 emission for the 1st period from FY 2010 to FY 2014 by average 6% compared to the base year emission.
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