THE ASAHI GLASS FOUNDATION
2nd floor Science Plaza, 5-3 Yonbancho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0081 Japan
Phone +81-3-5275-0620
Fax: +81-3-5275-0871
E-Mail: post@af-info.or.jp
URL: http://www.af-info.or.jp

News Release
September 6, 2005

Results of the 14th 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 issupervised by Professor Akio Morishima, chairman of the Institute for Global Environmental
Strategies and a director of the Asahi Glass Foundation. We received 312 responses to thequestionnaire from within Japan, and 397 responses from 97 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)
・ The average time on the environmental doomsday clock for all respondents retreated by threeminutes from the previous year to 9:05, which was the average time in 1998 and 2002.
・ The average time on the environmental doomsday clock as marked by Japanese respondents
was 9:07, comparable to the precious year.
・ The average time for overseas respondents was 9:04, a reversal of 5 minutes compared to theprevious year.

Figure 1. Environmental Doomsday Clock its origin
12. Progress toward Agenda 21
・ In the categories of “conservation of forest resources,” “conservation of biodiversity,”“greenhouse gas prevention measures,” “population/poverty problems,” and “lifestylealteration,” the percentage of respondents who indicated that there had been no progresssurpassed those who stated that progress had been made. In particular, with regards to“population/poverty problems,” and “lifestyle alteration,” approximately more than 50%
respondents responded that there had been no progress.

Figure 2. Progress toward Agenda 21

・Responses varied greatly by region for “greenhouse gas prevention measures.” More than 60% ofrespondents from the United States and Canada, and Oceania reported no progress. These regions
include the United States and Australia, which have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. In contrast, 50%of respondents from Western Europe and the Middle East reported there had been progress,
exceeding those who indicated no progress.

Figure 3. Progress toward Greenhouse Gas Prevention Measures23. Environmental Problems and Their Priority
・ Respondents from most regions cited “climate change including global warming” as the global
environmental condition of highest priority
・ There was a marked differences in the selection of environmental problems with high priority
excluding “climate change including global warming” between developed and developing
regions, and also between male and female. While in each comparison the former chose “energyproblems” and “population”, the latter chose “poverty” and “preservation and restoration ofecosystems and biodiversity.”
Table Environmental Problems and Undertaken on a Global Scale by the Community

4. The Implementation of the Kyoto Protocol
and The Suppression of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
・ An overwhelming majority of Japanese respondents indicated they evaluated the implementationof the treaty “favorably.”
・ There was a small discrepancy, of 12 percentage points, among overseas respondents whoevaluated the implementation of the treaty “favorably” from those who evaluated it “unfavorably”
・ Regional difference existed in the responses, with more respondents from Oceania, Eastern Europe
and the former Soviet Union, and the United States and Canada, evaluating the implementation“unfavorably” than those who evaluated it “favorably.”

Figure 4. Views The Implementation of the Kyoto Protocol
For more information, please contact: Shunichi Samejima

THE ASAHI GLASS FOUNDATION
2nd Floor, Science Plaza, 5-3 Yonbancho Chiyoda-ku,
Tokyo 102-0081 Japan
Phone +81-3-5275-0620 Fax +81-3-5275-0871
e-mail: post@af-info.or.jp URL: http://www.af-info.or.jp
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