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Press Release

Launching of National Campaign to Fight Global Warming "Team Minus 6%"

April 28, 2005

The Cabinet adopted Kyoto Target Achievement Plan on April 28, 2005. As its basic concept, this Plan stipulates that each sectors, namely national government, local governments, business entities and individual citizens should cooperate for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. In order to achieve 6% reduction of GHG emission which is Japan's commitment under the Kyoto Protocol, Global Warming Prevention Headquarters (chaired by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, with vice-chairs Minister of the Environment Yuriko Koike and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Shouichi Nakagawa) decided to promote a national campaign for fighting global warming that called for all stakeholders to join.

To promote this national campaign effectively, a nickname "Team Minus 6%" and its logo mark was adopted. A web page "Team Minus 6%" opened today. In the web page, those who wish to participate in mitigation actions can make their registration, express their opinion and obtain information.

1.National campaign for preventing global warming

Global warming is deeply related to socio-economic activities and lives of general public. In this respect, it is essential that national and local governments, business entities and each individual be involved in the action. Taking the opportunity of the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol, the government carries out a concentrated and integrated campaign by communicating critical situation of global warming and promoting national movement encouraging citizens to take six practical actions* to reduce GHG emission, through various media. The campaign aims to enlarge the activities for mitigating global warming by each individual, enterprises, and various organizations declaring to take concrete actions for reducing GHG emission and implementing the action.

* Six actions to be taken to mitigate global warming
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Set air conditioning to 28 degree C in summer and to 20 degree C in winter. ("COOL BIZ", "WARM BIZ")

- Keep on energy efficient driving. (CO2 reduction through driving)
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Make sure to turn off a faucet every time you use it. (CO2 reduction through water usage)

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Choose eco-friendly products. (CO2 reduction through product purchase)

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Unplug electric appliances while not using. (CO2 reduction through electricity usage)

- Say no to excessive packaging. (CO2 reduction through shopping and waste reduction)

This national campaign shall be effectively collaborated with Aichi Expo and G8 Summit having global warming as their main theme. Also, it shall work with various events related to reduction of global warming sponsored by different ministries effectively, and shall seek cooperation from various circles of society, including economic circle.

2. "Team Minus 6%" campaign

The national campaign for reducing global warming is now referred to as "Team Minus 6%". The nickname "Team Minus 6%" is titled so that 6 % reduction commitment stipulated in the Kyoto Protocol shall be achieved by the effort of all of us as one "Team", not by individual basis. The naming is under the concept of team work spirit to unite in the fight against global warming.

"Team" leader is Prime Minster Koizumi and the "Team Minus 6%" secretariat will be placed under the supervision of the Global Environment Bureau of the Ministry of the Environment.

3. Logo mark for the campaign

The Global Warming Prevention Headquarters adopted the logo for the campaign, as a symbol for joint action to prevent global warming by administration, business entities and general public in union. It is proposed to ministries of national government, local governments, labour organization, NGOs/NPOs to register them in the campaign and apply the mark on their posters, brochures, bulletins, commercial messages, name cards, web site, etc., when they provide information or do awareness campaign on global warming.

4. How to participate in "Team Minus 6%"

Team Minus 6% web page shall be available today to register participation as a team member to "Team Minus 6%" and to exchange opinions.

Those individuals wishing to participate should access the URL of "Team Minus 6%" and fill out the application form for registration on the site. After the registration, digital membership card can be downloaded. Those organizations and business entities wishing to register their participation can obtain licensing right for the logo after their registration. The logo can be applied when they take voluntary awareness campaign or GHG reduction action.

5. Activities of "Team Minus 6%" for FY 2005

For the first half of this year (until September), Team Minus 6% will run campaigns for: "setting air conditioners at 28 degree C even in business occasion ("COOL BIZ")" (June through September). Light clothing for summer campaign will include:

(i) Complying with an agreement made in the cabinet meeting, "light clothing for summer" movement shall be implemented from June1 to September 31;
(ii) A fashion show titled as "COOL BIZ Collection-Let's make Japanese summer and men cool!"(sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment) shall be held on June 5, at Expo Dome in Aichi Expo. To stimulate the movement of light clothing in the business sphere, leader of economic circle will be invited as models for the show;
(iii) The light clothing movement promoted by the central government shall be widely disseminated to every circle of society including economic circle.

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