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News Release
September 9, 2004

Results of the 13th Annual“Questionnaire on Environmental Problems and the Survival of Humankind”

The Asahi Glass Foundation (Chairman: Hiromichi Seya) has conducted a questionnaire since 1992 asking
the opinions of environmental experts in the government and private sectors worldwide regarding various
environmental problems and efforts to resolve them. The survey is supervised by Professor Akio
Morishima, chairman of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies and a director of the Asahi GlassFoundation. We received 324 responses to the questionnaire from within Japan, and 479 responses from100 countries abroad.
This release summarizes the focal points within this year ’s survey results. For all the results and for details,please refer to the Report.

1. Environmental Doomsday Clock (Awareness of the Crisis Facing Human Survival)“This year, compared to last, the awareness eased”•The average time on the environmental doomsday clock for all respondents retreated by seven minutes
from the previous year to 9:08. The average time on the doomsday clock among Japanese respondents
also retreated 14 minutes to 9:06. This marked a slight decline in their sense of crisis, which had
reached its peak last year.

Fig. Environmental Doomsday Clock since its origin
All respondents

12121992

1995

7:49

8:49

9Japaneserespondents
1992

1995

7:38

8:08

(-7 min)
93

3662003

2004

9:15

9:08

12

12(-14 min)

93

93

66

2003

2004

9:20

9:06

2. Progress toward Agenda 21•
There was a clear distinction among the Japanese respondents in those action plans they saw
made “Progress” and those with “No Progress”. Compared to overseas respondents, 20
percentage point higher respondents viewed “Formation of recycling systems” to have made“Progress”, but “Conservation of forest resources” was lower by 30 percentage points.

Fig. Progress toward Agenda 21: Japanese respondents’ viewEnvironmental education promotion
Recycling system formation

Progress

Local gov. and citizen participation
Science technology contribution
Environmental measures by industry
Greenhouse gas prevention measures
Conservation of forest resources
Conservation of biodiversityNo Progress

Lifestyle alteration
Population and poverty problems

3. Population Growth•
There is a difference between the developed and developing regions in what they see as
effective measures in controlling population growth.
•“Raising the status of women by promoting education” comes high in both regions, but in thedeveloping regions, independent “Family Planning” comes next.

Developed Region
Raising the status of womenby promoting education
59％

Family Planning

19％

Increasing assistance fromdeveloped to developing
countriesforfamilyplanning and education60％

2Developing Region
51％

47％

39％

4. Balancing Economic Growth and Environmental Preservation•While over 60% of the respondents from Japan and Rest of Asia and Africa from thedeveloping region indicated that it was possible to balance economic growth andenvironmental preservation, the reverse was the case in United States & Canada, Western
Europe and Oceania, where respondents who felt that a balance was difficult exceeded those
who stated that it was possible.

Fig. Balancing Economic Growth and Environmental Preservation
An extract by regions
Japan62

Rest of Asia

Balance ispossible
Africa3372

2470

US & Canada

44W. Europe431646
52

38

Oceania0%20%

Balance isdifficult

5640%

60%

80%

100%

Balancing Economic Growth and Environmental Preservation: Japanese Respondents
Reasons that Balance is Possible
Regulations foster development,processes and mechanisms for theenvironment while stimulating
consumption and investment(35%)

Technologies also progress tocreate industries to resolve
environmental
problems（21%）

Increasing efficiency of natural
resource
utilization
lessenenvironmental
burden（22%）

Reasons that Balance is difficult

Relinquish economic growth –Instead of GDP, new measures ofprogress necessary（70%）

Not possible to preserve theenvironment if past levelsofeconomicgrowthmaintained （24%）

35. Global Warming•Among respondents from the developed region, 55% selected “Extremely apprehensive” onthe current situation regarding global warming, higher to the response at 34% by thedeveloping region.
•Asian Four had the highest percentage of “Extremely apprehensive” at 74%, and whencombined with “Apprehensive” the total reached 99%.

Fig. Views expressed toward Global Warming
Developed
Developing
Developedvs
Developing
Regions

Apprehensive

ExtremelyApprehensiveJapanWithin
Developed
Regions

US & CanadaW Europe（43％）（58％）

Asian Four（ ExtremelyApprehensive ）
（％）

（53％）

（74％）

Measures to Counter Global Warming: Japan•The measure most frequently identified by Japanese respondents was “Countries that have
ratified the Kyoto Protocol implement measures to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals” at44%.

Fig. Measures to Counter
Global Warming (Japan)

Countries that have ratifiedtheKyoto
Protocolimplement measures tomeetgreenhousegas
reduction goals

Discuss
newframework with U.S.
anddeveloping
countries participation

44%
16%

22%

Persuade
non-participating
countries such as U.S. and Russia
to ratify the Kyoto Protocol

4Countermeasures for consideration after the year 2013
•The most frequently cited response among Japanese and developed region respondents
was ”Establish target for CO2 in the atmosphere”.
•Both the developed and the developing regions have high expectations in the development
and prevalence of advanced scientific technology.
Table. Countermeasures supported by Japan and by developed and developing regions
(%)
Japan

DevelopedDevelopingRegion

RegionEstablish target for CO2 in the atmosphere49

41

Policy for advanced energy conservation

4647

Developed countries required to employ newOther

42

technologies to reduce emissions
Regulate maximum emissions level to both40

developed and developing countries
Ref. Blank cells show less than 40%

6. Ozone Layer•
Within overseas, for respondents from all regions , “Use multilateral funds for MP
implementation to advance regulations of CFCs by developing countries” or “Accelerate
phase-out of HCFCs for developed countries” came as their top choice and the othersecond.
•On the contrary, Japanese respondents showed a unique response with “Compulsory
recovery and destruction of used CFCs” becoming the most popular response. This might
be related to the fact that recovery and the development of destruction technology areprogressing in Japan.

Fig. Opinions on Ozone Layer issue
JapanOverseas

29%

19%

22%

Use multilateral funds for
MP implementation toadvance regulations ofCFCs by developing
countries

Compulsory recoveryand destruction of used
CFCs

Accelerate phase-out ofHCFCs for developed
countries

530%

15%

24%