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Press Release

Publication of Environmental Statistics 2003

May 26, 2003

In order to fully understand today's increasingly complicated environmental problems and take effective measures, data that reflect the state of the environment objectively must be accumulated and utilized. For the second straight year, the Ministry of the Environment published Environmental Statistics 2003, a publication that provides data gathered from a wide range of perspectives, including the state of the environment, environmental load and the measures taken to tackle environmental problems.

Many of today's environmental problems, including urban and domestic pollution and global environmental problems, are closely related to the pressure that our daily lives and ordinary business activities exert on the environment. We must all gain a correct understanding of environmental problems and take actions to solve them.

Accumulating and utilizing data that objectively reflect the state of environmental problems play an important role in providing a correct understanding of complicated environmental problems. However, the collection of necessary data by citizens, researchers, and persons in charge of environmental affairs in businesses or public administration is a laborious task because of the highly diversified nature of environmental problems. In addition, there is a need not only to focus on the current situation but also to shed light on the various socio-economic activities that cause these problems and to track the implementation of corrective measures. Data must also be collected on a global scale.

In view of this situation, the Ministry of the Environment gathers information on the environment from a wide range of perspectives to cover the causes and current state of environmental problems as well as the measures that have been taken to tackle these problems. The data have been compiled into Environmental Statistics 2003, a publication that started with the 2002 edition.

Characteristics of Environmental Statistics 2003

The publication presents all data in tables, not in graphs or diagrams, using quantitative values to facilitate use by government offices, industries, and research institutions. Special consideration was given during compilation to include (i) data showing secular changes, (ii) detailed type-specific data, and (iii) region-specific data (by prefecture or country).

he data were collected from a wide range of areas. Specifically, in line with the results of environmental indicators reviewed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), the data are published in three categories to reflect the cycle of "human activities" => "pressure" => "state" => "response" in relation to environmental problems.
- Indicator D for "human activities" and "pressure" (driving force including environmental pressure)
- Indicator S for "state" (the state of the environment)
- Indicator R for "response" (societal responses)

Environmental Statistics 2003 is organized into nine chapters namely; economy and society, global warming, material cycle, atmospheric environment, water environment, chemical substances, natural environment, global environment and environmental measures.

The publication with a CD-ROM storing the updated data is on sale (available in Japanese only) at a price of 2,200 yen per copy (including tax). To order, please call the Sales Department of Gyosei (publishing company) at +81-3-5349-6654 or send a facsimile to +81-3-5349-6677.

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