Contents

1

Foreword

2

Overview of the Global Environment Centre Foundation

4

Activities in Fiscal Year 2004
• International Cooperation: Technical Support for Developing Countries

Contents• PR and Educational Activities
16

Projects for Fiscal Year 200518

References• Provision of Facilities to UNEP/DTIE/IETC• Overview of the UNEP/DTIE/IETC• Publications List

• Training of Environmental Technology• Board Members of the Global Environment Centre Foundation

Foreword

The entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol in February 2005 will see a major step forward ininternational efforts to deal with global warming.
While the response of each nation based on the principle of “common but differentiatedresponsibility” has demonstrated just how hard a united effort towards sustainable development
indeed is, the steady endeavour towards environmental conservation on a global scale isprogressing one step at a time with the understanding and cooperation of all relevant parties.
Against this backdrop, the Global Environment Centre Foundation (GEC) has continued to makean international contribution as best it can in areas such as vital technology transfers and humanresource training through its environmental conservation policies including global warming
countermeasures in order to realize sustainable development in developing countries and achievea balance between the environment and development.
GEC has collaborated with and assisted the International Environmental Technology Centre(IETC), a part of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Division of Technology,
Industry and Economics (DTIE) in the area of technology transfer by updating and enhancing theEnvironmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs) database.
GEC is also working to provide frameworks and technical information instrumental in improving
the environment in developing nations through the CDM/JI Feasibility Study Programmecommissioned by the Ministry of the Environment and via support for conservation activities
subsidised by the Japan Fund for Global Environment.
In terms of its human resource training efforts, GEC has drawn upon its ingenuity to provide
technical training to Iraqi personnel as part of the UNEP Project on Support for Environmental
Management of the Iraqi Marshlands as well as offering curriculum suited to the domestic needsof participants in JICA’s annual training courses.
GEC is also active within Japan in its efforts to tackle environmental issues as well, such as its
co-hosting of the CDM Forum and hosting of environmental exhibitions in an attempt to broaden
activities based on a deeper understanding.
We at GEC would like to continue to support IETC and contribute to environmental conservation
while calling upon the cooperation of all related organisations and people from all walks of life.
It is our hope that, through this annual report, we are able to foster an understanding of GEC’s
activities, and that we may look forward to your continued support and cooperation in the future.

January 2006

KUMAGAI, Nobuaki
President
Global Environment Centre Foundation

GEC 2004

1

Overview of the Global Environment Centre Foundation

Background of the Establishment

Establishment of the UNEP/DTIE/International Environmental Technology Centre
In the 1960s, in conjunction with rapid industrialization, the city of Osaka suffered from several
unprecedented environmental problems. Enormous infrastructure improvements anddevelopment of environmental technologies were subsequently achieved through cooperation
between municipal government and industry. In hopes of extending these benefits beyond its
borders, the Osaka City Government has been working to help alleviate environmental
problems in developing countries.
With this background, in August 1989, Mr. Masaya Nishio, Mayor of Osaka, announced a plan
to attract an international environmental organization to the city in order to disseminate andapply Osaka’s successful experience with urban environmental management. This plan wasannounced in accordance with the spirit of the International Garden and Greenery Exposition
held in Osaka in 1990. Following the mayor’s announcement and with the support of thenational Japanese government, the Osaka Prefectural Government, and business organizationsin the region, Osaka Mayor Nishio officially handed a request to Dr. Mostafa K. Tolba, thenExecutive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), while he wasvisiting Japan.
The result was that, in July 1990, at a summit of developed nations in Houston, USA, Prime
Minister Toshiki Kaifu announced the plan of setting the UNEP facilities up in Japan. In Augustof the same year, Mr. Naohiro Kumagai, then Japan’s ambassador to Kenya, proposed to the
2nd Special Meeting of the UNEP Governing Council that a center be set up in Japan in viewof the increasing importance of environmental technology transfer to achievement ofsustainable development. In May of the following year, a resolution to establish the
UNEP/DTIE/International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) whose mandate is the
adoption, application and operation of Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs) indeveloping countries and countries with economies in transition, was unanimously approvedat the 16th Session of the UNEP Governing Council. Official establishment of IETC wascompleted in October 1992 in Osaka when UNEP Executive Director Tolba and ParliamentaryVice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Kakizawa signed an official agreement marking the foundingof IETC. Since 1998, IETC has opened as a part of UNEP’s Division of Technology, Industry
and Economics Division (DTIE).

- Note: all titles are effective as of the years mentioned here.

Establishment of the Global Environment Centre Foundation
After official approval in 1991 by the UNEP Governing Council to set up the IETC in Japan, theOsaka City Government formed an IETC Osaka Planning Office on July 3, 1991. The purposeof the office was to carry out planning and create a network of support for the proposed
center. Following initial preparation by the Planning Office, capital endowment was received
from the Osaka prefectural and city governments. The establishment of the Global
Environment Centre Foundation (GEC) was carried out on January 28, 1992 with theexpressed purpose of supporting IETC. GEC, a nonprofit organization, obtains support fromthe local business sector.
GEC provides logistical support to IETC Osaka and collaborates with IETC on joint projects. It
also acts as a liaison between environmental organizations in Japan and the IETC. In this way,
it helps to ensure the IETC’s smooth and efficient operation. In addition, GEC promotes
environmental conservation through original projects such as the collection and disseminationof environmental technological information, training programs, seminars and symposia, as
well as research.
Thus, in all of these ways, GEC’s activities make a significant international contribution by
Japan in the environmental field.

2

GEC 2004

Mission and Objectives

GEC was established to make use of the abundant accumulation of knowledge and experiencein Japan in the field of environmental conservation. In particular, it makes use ofknowledgeable groups and individuals in the Kansai region in order to support contributions of
IETC in the field of urban environmental management in developing countries. Thus, GEC
promotes international cooperation around environmental conservation, and aims to makemeaningful, practical contributions to the protection of the global environment.
Name
Date of Establishment
Supervisory Authorities
Office Location

Endowments
Activities

Number of Staff

UN

Global Environment Centre Foundation (GEC)
January 28, 1992
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Ministry of the Environment of Japan
2-110 Ryokuchi-koen, Tsurumi-ku, Osaka 538-0036 Japan
Telephone: +81-6-6915-4121
Facsimile: +81-6-6915-0181
1,748,110,000 yen (as of March 31, 2005)(1) Providing general support for activities of UNEP relating to urban
environmental conservation in developing countries(2) Undertaking research which contributes to the conservation of the global
environment, with particular emphasis upon urban environmental
management in developing countries(3) Collection and dissemination of information which contributes to theconservation of the global environment, with particular emphasis upon urban
environmental management in developing countries(4) Conducting of training programs, seminars, and symposia which contributeto conservation of the global environment, with particular focus upon urban
environmental management in developing countries(5) Facilitating communications with international organizations, governmentalorganizations, and research organizations in various countries, in order tocontribute to conservation of the global environment(6) Any other activities necessary to achieve the mission of GEC
28 (as of September 1, 2005)

United Nations

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
DTIE

Division of Technology, Industry and Economics

Support and Cooperation

IETC

GEC

International Environmental
Technology Centre

Global Environment Centre
Foundation• An United Nations organization
established to promote theapplication and operation ofenvironmentally sound technologies
as a contribution to urban
environmental solutions andimprovement of freshwater
management in developing countries.
• The Osaka office deals withmanagement of urban environmental
problems, while the Shiga office is
responsible for freshwater resource
management.

• Provides a broad range of support
functions for the urban environmental
management activities of IETC.
• Engages in the collection anddissemination of information related
to environmental conservation
technologies, research, training andeducation programs, and promotionof environmental management
systems.
• Promotes sustainable development
through partnerships andparticipation between developing
countries and Japan.

Funding
Human resources
Information

Japan
Osaka
Prefecture
Osaka City
Business
Organizations
Individuals
Providing information
Educational programs
Dissemination activities

Environmental
conservationin developing
countries
Transfer of ESTs
(International contributions by
Japan in the environmental field)

GEC 2004

3

Activities in Fiscal Year 2004

International
Conference/
Event

GEC co-hosted an international workshop and symposium with IETC in
Kawasaki City in June entitled “Urban and Industrial Symbiosis” to promote
IETC's activities of spreading information on Environmentally Sound

April,
2004

UNEP
Special Envoy

Project of
Tha Chin RiverMay

May 16-23
India

Project.
In its ongoing process to overhaul its database of environmental
technology information NETT 21, GEC updated the Water Pollution Control
June

It also formed a working group to carry out a field survey on the activity by
local residents and the current state of pollution in Thailand’s Tha Chin River

June 16-25
SB20(Germany)

June 9Symposium of
Urban & Industrial
Symbiosis (Kawasaki)
June 30
1st WorkingGroup
Meetingbasin as a part of its international cooperation within developing nations.
GEC’s contribution to the mitigation of global warming lies in its role as the

July
July 19-28
China

secretariat for CDM/JI Feasibility Study (FS) Programme commissioned by
Ministry of the Environment since 1999, and its ongoing efforts to unearth
promising CDM/JI projects and gather updated information and knowledge.
At the UNFCCC COP10 held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, GEC co-hosted a

train personnel from developing nations and furthered efforts to enhance its
October

May 25-26
26th International Environmental
Auditor Training Course

July-Aug.
On demand seminars for
EMS Implementation
Event etc.
July 20-Aug. 31
Call for Proposals of CDM
Modelled Validation ProgrammeAug. 23-Oct.15
Urban Solid Waste
Management Course

Aug. 5- 6“27th Internal Environmental
Auditor Training Course”

Aug. 23
1st Study Group Meeting

EB16

Nov. 5
2nd Study Gourp Meeting

Also carrying on from 2003, GEC disseminated Environmental

Review of FS Progress Reports

GEC’s public relations and awareness-raising activities include its support
China in July.

DecemberDec. 6-7
COP10(Argentine)

Global Warming
Laboratory Classroom

Oct. 1-31
World
Environment
Day Photo
Exhibition(Osaka)Sep.1- Mar. 31
Global Warming Laboratory
Classroom (Osaka)

Oct. 31
Onchi River
Festival 2004
(Osaka)Nov. 13-14
Environmental Festival 21st (Osaka)

Training Courses.
for UNEP Special Envoy Ms. Tokiko Kato on her visit to India in May andNewsletter No.26(Japanese)

Newsletter No.16(English)

CDM Forum 2004
Osaka (Sep. 14)
Tokyo (Sep. 17)

NovemberPublicity/
Dissemination

EB15

nations.
Management Systems (EMS) by offering its Internal Environmental Auditor

May 8
On-demand seminar for corporations

June 24
2nd Meeting

June 7-July 29
Heavy Metal and Other
Hazardous Substance
Pollution Control

Sep.13-Dec.3
Air Pollution
Control Course

former participants and to better understand the needs of developing

Osaka CDM
Network Project

EB14
SB20

Sep. 24
3rd WorkingGroup
Meeting

Carrying on from last year, GEC conducted five JICA training courses toApr. 13-May 11
Call for Proposals of CDM/JIFS Programme

June 11
Publication of adopted FS Projects

September

Board meetings and other gatherings, and then published it on its website.

Information Gathering andDissemination/Educational andPromotional Activities

EMS Course

CDM Project

May 24-July 6
Environmental Policy &Environmental Management
System Course

Aug. 10
2nd WorkingGroup
Meeting
8/23-27
On-siteSurvey(Thailand)

CDMI/JI FS projects.

Internet-based network which aims to follow up on the progress of the

JICA Training
Projects

Augustside event with related organisations where it reported the results of the
In addition, the Centre accumulated information at the CDM Executive

GEC Networking
Project

Contribution to Measures for the
Mitigation of Global Warming

Apr. 19
1st Meeting

May 7
Symposium for
IETC 10-year
Celebration (Osaka)

by IETC to conduct the Sustainable Sanitation Training Course forTechnology in Japan database.

Promotion of Technology Transfer
to Developing Countries

IETC

Technologies (ESTs) and technology transfer. GEC was also commissioned
approximately two weeks in December as a part of UNEP Iraqi Marshland

Projects Supporting
UNEP/DTIE/IETC

Annual Report 2003
(Japanese)

EB17
COP10

Dec. 6-17
Sustainable
Sanitation Training
Course (Osaka)

Annual Report 2003
(English)Dec. 16
3rd Study Gourp Meeting

The year 2004 marked the tenth anniversary since the inauguration of IETC.
To mark this occasion, GEC co-organized a commemorative international
symposium with IETC in May.
The Centre also continued to run the Global Warming Laboratory

January,
2005

Classroom in elementary schools in Osaka Prefecture.

February

Jan.18-22
The United
Nations World
Conference on
Jan.21
Disaster
Mini Concert (Kobe)
Reduction (Kobe)

Jan. 17-Feb.10
Environmental Management in
the Republic of Cuba Course

Mar.3
UNEP/GEC Session(Thailand)

EB18
Feb. 24
3rd Meeting

NETT21

March

4

GEC 2004

Mar.
Renewal of
Water Pollution
ControlTechnology DB

Feb. 7-9
EMS Entry Level Training

Mar. 3
One Day
Seminar(Thailand)

Evaluation of FS Final Reports

Feb. 5-6
One World Festival (Osaka)Feb. 13
Newsletter No.27
Kansai TV(Japanese)
Newsletter No.17(English)Mar. 19
Environmental Education
Matching Fair (Osaka)

GEC 2004

5

Activities in Fiscal Year 2004

International
Conference/
Event

GEC co-hosted an international workshop and symposium with IETC in
Kawasaki City in June entitled “Urban and Industrial Symbiosis” to promote
IETC's activities of spreading information on Environmentally Sound

April,
2004

UNEP
Special Envoy

Project of
Tha Chin RiverMay

May 16-23
India

Project.
In its ongoing process to overhaul its database of environmental
technology information NETT 21, GEC updated the Water Pollution Control
June

It also formed a working group to carry out a field survey on the activity by
local residents and the current state of pollution in Thailand’s Tha Chin River

June 16-25
SB20(Germany)

June 9Symposium of
Urban & Industrial
Symbiosis (Kawasaki)
June 30
1st WorkingGroup
Meetingbasin as a part of its international cooperation within developing nations.
GEC’s contribution to the mitigation of global warming lies in its role as the

July
July 19-28
China

secretariat for CDM/JI Feasibility Study (FS) Programme commissioned by
Ministry of the Environment since 1999, and its ongoing efforts to unearth
promising CDM/JI projects and gather updated information and knowledge.
At the UNFCCC COP10 held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, GEC co-hosted a

train personnel from developing nations and furthered efforts to enhance its
October

May 25-26
26th International Environmental
Auditor Training Course

July-Aug.
On demand seminars for
EMS Implementation
Event etc.
July 20-Aug. 31
Call for Proposals of CDM
Modelled Validation ProgrammeAug. 23-Oct.15
Urban Solid Waste
Management Course

Aug. 5- 6“27th Internal Environmental
Auditor Training Course”

Aug. 23
1st Study Group Meeting

EB16

Nov. 5
2nd Study Gourp Meeting

Also carrying on from 2003, GEC disseminated Environmental

Review of FS Progress Reports

GEC’s public relations and awareness-raising activities include its support
China in July.

DecemberDec. 6-7
COP10(Argentine)

Global Warming
Laboratory Classroom

Oct. 1-31
World
Environment
Day Photo
Exhibition(Osaka)Sep.1- Mar. 31
Global Warming Laboratory
Classroom (Osaka)

Oct. 31
Onchi River
Festival 2004
(Osaka)Nov. 13-14
Environmental Festival 21st (Osaka)

Training Courses.
for UNEP Special Envoy Ms. Tokiko Kato on her visit to India in May andNewsletter No.26(Japanese)

Newsletter No.16(English)

CDM Forum 2004
Osaka (Sep. 14)
Tokyo (Sep. 17)

NovemberPublicity/
Dissemination

EB15

nations.
Management Systems (EMS) by offering its Internal Environmental Auditor

May 8
On-demand seminar for corporations

June 24
2nd Meeting

June 7-July 29
Heavy Metal and Other
Hazardous Substance
Pollution Control

Sep.13-Dec.3
Air Pollution
Control Course

former participants and to better understand the needs of developing

Osaka CDM
Network Project

EB14
SB20

Sep. 24
3rd WorkingGroup
Meeting

Carrying on from last year, GEC conducted five JICA training courses toApr. 13-May 11
Call for Proposals of CDM/JIFS Programme

June 11
Publication of adopted FS Projects

September

Board meetings and other gatherings, and then published it on its website.

Information Gathering andDissemination/Educational andPromotional Activities

EMS Course

CDM Project

May 24-July 6
Environmental Policy &Environmental Management
System Course

Aug. 10
2nd WorkingGroup
Meeting
8/23-27
On-siteSurvey(Thailand)

CDMI/JI FS projects.

Internet-based network which aims to follow up on the progress of the

JICA Training
Projects

Augustside event with related organisations where it reported the results of the
In addition, the Centre accumulated information at the CDM Executive

GEC Networking
Project

Contribution to Measures for the
Mitigation of Global Warming

Apr. 19
1st Meeting

May 7
Symposium for
IETC 10-year
Celebration (Osaka)

by IETC to conduct the Sustainable Sanitation Training Course forTechnology in Japan database.

Promotion of Technology Transfer
to Developing Countries

IETC

Technologies (ESTs) and technology transfer. GEC was also commissioned
approximately two weeks in December as a part of UNEP Iraqi Marshland

Projects Supporting
UNEP/DTIE/IETC

Annual Report 2003
(Japanese)

EB17
COP10

Dec. 6-17
Sustainable
Sanitation Training
Course (Osaka)

Annual Report 2003
(English)Dec. 16
3rd Study Gourp Meeting

The year 2004 marked the tenth anniversary since the inauguration of IETC.
To mark this occasion, GEC co-organized a commemorative international
symposium with IETC in May.
The Centre also continued to run the Global Warming Laboratory

January,
2005

Classroom in elementary schools in Osaka Prefecture.

February

Jan.18-22
The United
Nations World
Conference on
Jan.21
Disaster
Mini Concert (Kobe)
Reduction (Kobe)

Jan. 17-Feb.10
Environmental Management in
the Republic of Cuba Course

Mar.3
UNEP/GEC Session(Thailand)

EB18
Feb. 24
3rd Meeting

NETT21

March

4

GEC 2004

Mar.
Renewal of
Water Pollution
ControlTechnology DB

Feb. 7-9
EMS Entry Level Training

Mar. 3
One Day
Seminar(Thailand)

Evaluation of FS Final Reports

Feb. 5-6
One World Festival (Osaka)Feb. 13
Newsletter No.27
Kansai TV(Japanese)
Newsletter No.17(English)Mar. 19
Environmental Education
Matching Fair (Osaka)

GEC 2004

5

Activities in Fiscal Year 2004

International Cooperation: Technical Support for Developing Countries

Promoting IETC's Activities of Disseminating Information on
Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs) and Technology Transfer

ESTs
Environmentally Sound
Technologies, as defined in
Agenda21, should protect
the environment, are lesscontaminative, use various
resources in a moresustainable manner, recycle
more of their wastes and,products and handle residual
waste in a more acceptablemanner than thetechnologies for which they
were substitutes.
Core Criteria
refers to universal core
criteria (EST evaluation
standards)
International Symposium
on Urban and Industrial
Symbiosis
Participants: 200

Hosting an Experts Workshop and Public Symposium on ESTs andSustainable Urban Development
Since 2001, IETC has promoted the following projects under the “EST Initiative” in order toencourage the transfer and dissemination of ESTs in developing countries.
The EST/ESTPA Project aimed to establish the EST Guidelines to assist decision makers indeveloping nations to identify and select ESTs, to create a system called ESTPA for theassessment of ESTs including verification by third parties as well as to formulate the ESTPA
Guidelines to act as a handbook for the system’s use.
GEC has been working with IETC to promote such EST initiatives, and in 2001 set up aJapanese experts group to establish core criteria for determining which technologies should
be deemed suitable as ESTs. Building upon these results, GEC then organized an international
workshop and symposium held on June 9, 2004 in Kawasaki City on environmental
technology and sustainable urban policy targeting companies and the general public entitled“Urban and Industrial Symbiosis”.
The symposium also included a panel discussion oninternational trends in urban environment management,
eco-industrial concepts in the Asia Pacific region and theissues involved in realizing a recycling-oriented society.
Discussion was also held on the benefits for Kawasaki
City in becoming known as a pioneer environmental city
through an international network.

Public symposium in Kawasaki City

International Symposium on Urban and Industrial Symbiosis- Environmentally Sound Technologies and Sustainable Urban Management
Date
Venue
Organisers
Programme

NETT 21(New Environmental
Technology Transfer inthe 21st Century)
a database developed by
GEC from 1996 onward todisseminate information on
Japan’s environmental
technologies for the purposeof promoting EST transfer indeveloping countries.

June 9, 2004, 13:00-17:00
Institute of Industrial Promotion Kawasaki, Kawasaki, Japan
UNEP/DTIE/IETC, Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Kawasaki City, GEC• Plenary Speeches“Environmentally Sound Technologies and Sustainable Development”(Dr. Halls, Director of UNEP/DTIE/IETC)“Environmentally Sound Technologies for Sustainable Urban Management”(Prof. Hanaki, the University of Tokyo)• Panel Discussions
Theme: Urban and Industrial Symbiosis-Environmentally Sound Technologies and Sustainable Urban Management

Promoting the Spread of Information on ESTsIn FY 2004, GEC improved the overall user friendliness of
its database on environmental technology information
NETT21 by enabling cross searches of nine of thedatabase’s ten fields.
GEC also established an expert panel to investigate the

ESTIS
an IS management tool toassist the transfer of ESTs

update and expansion of its Water Pollution Control

UNEP/GEC Session
GEC conducted PR for the
NETT 21 database during the
Poster Session (refer to page
14 for related article).

and Japan’s Information Providers. The results were thentechnology database seven years on from its public
launch, as well as examining coordination between GEC
used to improve the database by organising its technicalscope and classification categories and establishing acommon platform for use when receiving informationfrom companies.
In March 2005, GEC acted as a co-host at the Forum on
Environmental Technology organised by the Japan
Society of Industrial Machinery Manufacturers (JSIM)and the Thai Ministry of Industry where it presented the6

GEC 2004(*) The database is now easier to view with
the introduction of a common platform anda series of pictures and graphs.

“UNEP/GEC Session on Environmentally Friendly SMEs” in order to promote the transfer of
ESTs. The session featured a panel discussion which addressed the need for government
participation and incentives in order to disseminate environmental technologies as well as therole that ASEAN should play in the spread of ESTs and cleaner production (CP).
UNEP/GEC Session “Environmentally Friendly SMEs”- Importance of Information Management for Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs) Transfer
Date
Venue
Programme

March 3, 2005, 14:15-17:00
Bangkok, Thailand• Keynote Speeches“Policy of the government of Thailand on SMEs and Environment Technologies”(Mr. Naphavaranonth, Director of Factory Environmental Technology Bureau, Ministry of Industry, Thailand)“Environmentally Sound Technologies and Sustainable Development”(Dr. Srinivas, Programme Officer, UNEP/DTIE/IETC)• Panel Discussion
Theme: Environmentally Friendly SMEs

Urban Water Issues
The Johannesburg Summit in 2002 addressed the critical importance of securing a safe watersupply and a basic level of sanitary facilities. As such, IETC is now more actively involved in
the areas of urban water supply and public sanitation.

GEC Sanitation
Programme (GESAP)The site consists of threemain themes, namely “TheGlobal Situation in the
Sanitation Sector”; “Water
and Wastewater Reuse”; and“Sewerage Works in Osaka,
Japan”.

GEC began the GEC Sanitation Programme (GESAP) in 2003 and created the GESAP website
in 2004 in order to promote the transfer of water-related ESTs in developing nations. The
GESAP site can be accessed through the GEC website.
Promoting the Dissemination of Energy-Saving Technology
at Business-Related Buildings
In FY 2003, GEC added a new Support Tool to the “Energy Saving Technology at BusinessRelated Buildings” database within NETT21 to facilitate searches on energy-saving
technologies, thereby enhancing and improving the technical information on ways to conserve
energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
GEC further developed the Energy-Saving Support Tool in FY 2004 to target personnel inbusiness-related buildings within Japan as well as in developing nations. The Centre alsocollected information relating to Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) to promote
improvements in energy saving.
Report on Eco-Towns

ESCO
A client-oriented business
which supports energy
saving initiatives by
providing a comprehensive
plan from design andconstruction to financing ofenergy-saving projects. An
ESCO may offer to guarantee
cost savings from energy
conservation and thenreceive part of those savings
as remuneration.

Although IETC has previously been involved in waste management, it is now also working on
a new project to promote the concept of eco-towns in developing nations based on similar
experiences in Japan.
In 2004, GEC responded by carrying out studies and analysis of the issues and roles of those
involved in the formation and administration of eco-towns in Japan and the relationship of
eco-towns to the 3R principle (reduce, reuse and recycle) and the creation of a recyclingoriented society. GEC then compiled the results of its study and drafted materials to aid IETC
when launching projects in developing nations.

Eco-Town
The Eco-Towns developed inJapan utilize a framework
whereby environmentallysound enterprises are built
on accumulated land using
local technologies andindustries, thereby
stimulating the local
economy and ensuring
employment as well as
simultaneously achieving
waste management andconservation of water and air
quality.

GEC 2004

7

Activities in Fiscal Year 2004

International Cooperation: Technical Support for Developing Countries

UNEP Project on Support for Environmental
Management of the Iraqi Marshlands
Training Course on Sustainable Sanitation
In 2004, GEC supported the implementation of theWorkshop in progressTraining Course on Sustainable Sanitation which
operates within the framework of IETC’s ongoing projectto help the management and restoration of the Iraqi
Marshlands (herein referred to as the Project).

Participants view the rapid filtration facility
at the Hirano Sewage Treatment Plant

Training Course Outline
Training period
ParticipantsParticipants view small scale
wastewater purification
tanks in Toyono, Osaka

Content of Lectures &Activities

December 6-17, 2004
Iraqi Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works,
local governments located within the marshlands and academia
Wastewater treatment technologies, site visit to small and large scale wastewater treatment
plants, practice of Marshland Information Network and ESTIS, low-cost sewerage systems,
prevention of water-borne diseases, industrial wastewater control, PR activities on sewerage
works, site visit to advanced wastewater treatments and wastewater reuse facilities

It has been verified that many settlements in the vicinity of the Iraqi Marshlands lack basic
sanitation systems, and that waterborne infectious disease have reached epidemic
proportions. It is therefore recognized that the amelioration of sanitation and wastewater
treatment are critical factors in Iraq and this course was introduced as one of the Projects
training activities.
The course was attended by 27 participants from the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of
Municipality and Public Works, Southern Governates and academics.
GEC organized the training course with the cooperation of Osaka City, Osaka Prefectural
Government, academics and experts, and conducted workshops on the last two days of thecourse under the theme of future wastewater management in the Iraqi Marshlands.
The training course improved the policy-making and planning capabilities of the Iraqi
Government’s technicians and decision makers with regard to wastewater management, andis expected to enable them to participate more effectively in secondary training within Iraq andthe wastewater pilot project being scheduled within the framework of the Project.

UNEP Project on Support
for Environmental
Management of the Iraqi
Marshlands
Please refer to the IETC
website for details:<www.unep.or.jp>

Outline of the UNEP Project on Support forEnvironmental Management of the Iraqi Marshlands
Since August 2004, IETC has been implementing an environmental management project made up of
ecological policymaking including wetland management, wetland monitoring, training courses andother capacity building, and the trial provision of drinking water, wastewater and sanitation facilities,
all with an eye to the long-term restoration and regeneration of the Iraqi Marshlands. The funds forthe project (approximately 11 million dollars) have been provided by part of the Japanese
Government’s contributions to the United Nations' International Reconstruction Trust Fund Facility for
Iraq.

Condition of the Wetlands
The Iraqi Marshlands were once the largest wetland region in the Middle East renowned for theirindigenous ecological systems and biodiversity. However, dam construction and irrigation from theupper basins of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers together with drainage projects under the former
regime have led to a dramatic reduction in their size and have dealt a severe blow not only to theecosystem but local fishing and agricultural industries as well.

8

GEC 2004

International Cooperation in Developing Nations

Environmental Conservation Activities Involving Local Residents of Thailand’s Tha
Chin River Basin
The death of large numbers of fish in Thailand’s Tha Chin River in 2000 led to an awareness ofthe need for environmental conservation by the local residents of the four provinces throughwhich the river flows. The Thai Government sought thecooperation and assistance of GEC based on theexperience it had acquired from GEC’s activities in thecity of Lamphun. In response to this request, GEC
formed a support team in 2004 and in August of thesame year carried out field studies on the local activities
of residents along the Tha Chin River and its state ofpollution, as well as examining the details of Tha Chin
Project carried out by Mahidol University.

Environmental
Conservation Activities
Involving Local Residentsof Thailand’s Tha ChinRiver Basin
Implemented with theassistance of the Japan Fundfor Global Environment of
the Environmental
Restoration andConservation Agency for
2005.

School children taking a pack test

Outline of the Study
Date
PurposeMembers
Key Destinations

Field Studies No.

August 23-27, 2004
Discussion of ways to support environmental restoration and implementation of hearings on
preliminary field studies to that end
Experts from the agricultural and livestock industries, industrial wastewater specialists andenvironmental activists
1. Chai Nat Province (dam facility, organic farms, Chao Phraya River distributary,
Ban Nong Khae Elementary School etc.)
2. Suphanburi Province (temple upstream of agricultural test facility)
3. Nakohn Pathom Province (Mahidol University, Wat Don Wai School, deaf-mute School,
pig farming village etc)
4. Samut Sakohn Province (Temple upstream of a factory drainage ditch,
EM [Effective Microorganisms] fermentation plant, fish-processing factory etc)
River water quality measurements (5 in total)

Tha Chin River

Chao
PhrayaRiver

Upstream-midstream

Tha Chin River
River span: 320km
Flow area: 12,000km2
Inhabitants: 2.5 million

MYANMAR
LAOS

Chai NatProvince

fertile land/ swinery,poultry farm

THAILANDagricultural drainage
CAMBODIAVIETNAMSuphanburi
Province

Tha
Chin
River

Downstream
NakohnPathomProvince

advancing industrialization

factory effluent

Tha Chin River
Contamination
1. Industrial
wastewater
2. Domestic
wastewater
3. Contamination fromland development
4. Wastewater fromswinery
5. Agricultural
wastewater

Samut Sakohn
Province(

Water quality measurement point)

Worsening pollution
causes mass fish deathsin 2000

GEC 2004

9

Activities in Fiscal Year 2004

International Cooperation: Technical Support for Developing Countries

Contribution to Measures for the Mitigation of Global Warming

Kyoto Protocol
The international instrument
adopted at the 3rd
Conference of the Parties(COP3) to the United Nations
Framework Convention(UNFCCC) which sets out aframework for international
efforts to mitigate global
warming. The protocol
ordains targets for the
reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions in developed
countries, as well as
established flexible
mechanisms to achievethese targets in the form of
the Kyoto Mechanism (Clean
Development Mechanism(CDM), Joint Implementation(JI), and Emissions Trading(ET)).
CER (Certified Emission
Reduction)
Credits issued in response to
greenhouse gas emission
reductions achieved by CDM
projects

CDM/JI Project Surveys• CDM/JI Feasibility Study (FS) Programme
In 1999, GEC was appointed as the secretariat for the CDM/JI Feasibility Study (FS)Programme commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment. The objectives of the
programme are to discover promising projects for the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism)and JI (Joint Implementation) established under the Kyoto Protocol, and to accumulate knowhow and experience on CDM and JI for use in drafting domestic and international rules. In
2004, 25 FS projects were conducted and a database of the results as well as manuals for
project implementation were published on the GEC website.
CDM/JI Flow & GEC Projects
CDM Process
CDM/JI
Feasibility Study (FS)Programme

Feasibility Study

In order to realise a CDM
project, it is essential to
first investigate its
feasibility, and then to
draft a project design
document (PDD).
In 2004, 25 FS projects
were undertaken.

Drafting CDM Project
Design Document
Project Validation Examination
and Registration
Project Implementation

Monitoring

COP (Conference of theParties)
The supreme decision
making body of the
UNFCCC. Held annually.

CER Verification/
Certification/ Issuance

CDM Modelled
Validation
Programme
The objectives are toenhance project developers’
capacities to draft project
design documents (PDDs),
and to train validators. Fivemodelled validation projects
were carried out during
2004.

CDM/JI-related
Up-front Payment
Programme
Aims to support the costof newly introduced
equipment for project
implementation.

List of 2004 CDM/JI Feasibility Study Projects
Category

Project

Country

Waste Management

Cogeneration by utilising wasted biomass
Sewage-origin biogas electricity generation
Landfill gas capture & electricity generation
Landfill gas capture & electricity generation
Landfill gas capture & electricity generation
Electricity generation by solid waste incineration
Landfill gas capture & electricity generation
Landfill gas capture & electricity generation
Landfill gas capture & electricity generation
Sugarcane biomass cogeneration
Biomass electricity generation in sugar mills
High-efficient biomass electricity generation
Bagasse biomass electricity generation
Rice husk biomass electricity generation
Bio-diesel fuel manufacture from sunflowers
Biogas electricity generation
Bio-ethanol manufacture for vehicle fuelBio-diesel fuel manufacture from tung trees + plantation of tung trees
Wood biomass electricity + plantation
Local community participatory reforestation
Collaborative forestation with locals
Incineration of HFC23 waste streams
Destruction of CF4, SF6, & NF3
Renewable (solar & wind) energy development
Fuel switch of boilers from coal to natural gas

ThailandKazakhstan
Indonesia
VietnamUkraineIndonesia
China
RussiaThailand
PolandThailand
MalaysiaBrazilCambodia
ThailandThailandLithuania
South Africa
VietnamEcuadorIndonesia
MexicoRepublic of Korea
Cambodia
RussiaBiogas analysis wells
at waste landfill site
(Kajima Corp.)
Biomass Utilisation

Measurement for forestation(Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.)

Afforestation/Reforestation
OthersPhotovoltaic and wind power
generation apparatus(Marubeni Corp.)

10

GEC 2004

Waste Management
Biomass Utilisation
Afforestation/Reforestation
Others• Collection and Distribution of Information at International Conferences
Rules on methodologies, verification and certification are
all issues currently being debated in detail at theinternational level, so it is crucial to accumulate

CDM Executive Board (EB)The supervisory body for the
CDM responsible forauthorising/approving
baseline and monitoring
methodologies andguidelines.

knowledge in these areas in order to support efforts
toward the realisation of CDM/JI projects. GEC attended
the UNFCCC COP10 held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in
December 2004, to collect and distribute information, as
well as to hold a side event in collaboration with theSide Event held at COP10

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). GEC also participated in the 20th sessionof the Subsidiary Bodies of the UNFCCC (SB20) held in Bonn, Germany, and the CDM

Subsidiary Bodies (SB)
Advisory bodies to the COP.
One is the Subsidiary Body
for Scientific andTechnological Advice(SBSTA), and the other is theSubsidiary Body for
Implementation (SBI).

Executive Board meetings. GEC was also officially admitted as an NGO observer at the COP9
in 2003.
Osaka CDM Network
In order to promote the active participation of companies located in the Kansai region, GEC set
up the “Osaka CDM Network” in February 2004 in coordination with the Environment ISO
Group of Kansai Branch, OISCA and the Business Innovation Centre Osaka.
In 2004, the Osaka CDM Network conducted three general meetings, two research seminars
and two external presentations.
Study on New Energy Systems
GEC is continuing its work of managing and collecting data obtained from the solar power
generator installed atop the roof of the GEC office building and other equipment in an attempt
to test their long-term durability and verify the demonstration facility as a new energy system.

Osaka CDM Network
The Osaka CDM Network,
which incorporates
academics and experts aswell as members ofgovernment and public
interest corporations, beganfour research seminars,
namely energy conservation,
waste management,
biomass and forestation, inorder to help find solutions
to the issues facing
participating firms. Network
membership has grown to
24 companies from an initial
16.

Research seminar at
Sansokan Hall, Osaka(August 23)

GEC 2004

11

Activities in Fiscal Year 2004

Training of Environmental Technology

Capacity Building for Developing Nations

Country Report
A report prepared by eachparticipant describing theenvironmental administration
system, environmental
situation and other related
issues in his or her country.
Action Plan
When the training is over,each participant works out
measures for environmental
improvement in his or her
country based on thefindings and competenceacquired through thetraining.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Group Training Project
Commissioned by JICA, GEC has continued to offer the following five group training courses
while enhancing their respective curricula. The courses target administrative officials andengineers in developing countries. Participants must present their “Country Report” at thestart of the session and an “Action Plan” at the end of training in all training courses.
Training
periodNationality ofparticipants

Main course
contents:

1) Heavy Metal and Other Hazardous Substance Pollution Control
June 7 - July 29,
2004

Seven trainees
from Brazil,
Chile, China,
Egypt, Indonesia,
the Philippines
and Thailand•Lectures- Introduction to heavy metal pollution- Air and water pollution control
measures etc.
•Practical training- Sampling and analysis of air and water- Analysis of heavy metals in soil, waste etc.
•Facility tours
Phoenix Kobe reclaimed land site
- Refuse incineration plant- Sewage treatment, water purification plant etc.
Purpose: to develop well-qualified human resources who are able tocollectively evaluate emission sources and environmental contamination bypoisonous metals and harmful chemical substances, and to establish
preventive measures against environmental pollution by poisonous metals etc.

2) Environmental Policy and Environmental Management Systems
May 24 - July 6,
2004

Nine trainees from
Bulgaria,
East Timor, Gabon,
Indonesia,
Madagascar,
Malaysia, Palestine,
Peru and Surina•Lectures/Discussion/Tours- Global environmental preservation,
sustainable development and EMS- International initiatives to protect
the environment- Joint action by governments,
industry and citizens etc.
Purpose: to master pragmatic andLecture at the JICA Osaka
practical methodologies, such as theInternational Centre (OSIC)
framing of environmental policies,
techniques of the environmental assessment, guiding corporation policies,
and methods of enlightening citizens.

3) Urban Solid Waste Management II
August 23 October 15,
2004

10 trainees from
Uruguay, Cuba,
Colombia, Thailand,
Papua New Guinea,
the Philippines,
Mozambique,
Morocco,Mongolia & Jordan•Lectures- Outline of waste management- Processing of domestic/industrial
wastes etc.
•Practical training- Analysis of composition of waste- Practice in designing a landfill site etc.
•Facility tours
Lecture at GEC- Recycling plant, Final disposal sites etc.
Purpose: To develop leaders and core people who can play a major role inmaking solid waste treatment plans and in implementing treatment
businesses in their countries.

4) Air Pollution Control II
September 13 December 3,
2004

12

GEC 2004

Eight trainees from
Chile, Czech,
Egypt, Iran,
Jordan, Morocco(2 participants),
Republic of Peru

•Lectures- Basic knowledge on air pollution- Air pollution control technology etc.
•Practical training- Flue gas desulfurization technique- Environmental management
technology etc.
•Facility tours- Power plant, Refuse incineration plant etc.
Purpose: to raise engineers and administrative officials having leadership andtechnique capable of taking comprehensive and planned counter measureagainst air pollution.

5) Environmental Management in the Republic of Cuba
January 17 February 10,2005

10 trainees from
Cuba

•Lectures- Environmental management in Japan- Pollution control measures etc.
•Practical training- Waste water and solid waste
sampling and analysis etc.
•Facility tours- Sewage treatment plant, Incineration
Tour of Nanohana Project in Shiga
plant etc.
Purpose: to cultivate an ability to formulate a comprehensive environmental
management plan, taking into consideration measures against public
nuisance caused by industry and urban life as well as sustainable
development and environmental conservation.

GEC Networking Project for Former Training Participants
In order to provide a follow-up framework for former JICA training participants and to seek theneeds of developing nations, GEC operates the GEC Network, a website solely for former

Environmental
Management in the
Republic of CubaIn the 1992 “Earth Summit”,
Cuba publicized its
environmental policy and has
been improving its legal
system and administrative
mechanisms, and cultivating
human resources in theenvironmental field.
Therefore, JICA focused on
the environment as a key
area for collaboration and set
up this course as a new
country-focused training
course in cooperation with
GEC. It will accept 50
participants for 5 years
starting from 2001.

training participants. The Centre is currently working to strengthen the network via theInternet-based information exchange. In addition to making the Information Board and JICA
Training Texts available online, the Country Reports, other submitted reports and photos taken
throughout the courses were also posted online in April 2004.
Upgrading the GEC Participants Network
1998
May 2001
April 2002
May 2003
April 2004

GEC commences one-day seminar and publication of newsletters
Full-scale operation of the GEC Information Board begins
GEC Network expanded to include four environmental JICA training courses offered by the Osaka City Government.
JICA training course curriculum text made available online
Country Reports, other reports and Photo Album made available online

One Day Seminar
Held in countries where
Network membership ishigh, the theme of eachseminar is intended to reflect
the specific needs of thatcountry.

Europe Area: 13

GEC
Middle East Area: 47

Central America Area: 72

South America Area: 96

Africa Area: 130

Asia & Oceania Area: 374(As of Mar. 2005)

Dissemination of Environmental Management Systems (EMS)EMS Training Courses
As in the previous year, GEC conducted the “Internal Environmental Auditor Training Course”
twice in 2004, and the “EMS Human Resource Training Course”, which targets municipalities
and their affiliated organisations, was conducted 10 times.
Dissemination of EMS Overseas
Among the five JICA courses it currently offers, GEC has upgraded its EMS lectures tofacilitate the spread of EMS overseas.

Environmental Policy &Environmental
Management System
CourseIn the course, GEC conducts
six day-long training using
texts approved by the UKbased Institute ofEnvironmental Management
and Assessment (IEMA). On
the exam on the final day,participants can obtain amaximum of five points ofthe ten points required toobtain the IEMA qualificationof Associate Environmental
Auditor.

GEC 2004

13

Activities in Fiscal Year 2004

PR and Educational Activities / Provision of Facilities to UNEP/DTIE/IETC

Promotion of IETC Policies & Joint PR

GEC Publications
Refer to page 19
World Environment Day
2004 Photo Exhibitionan event held in conjunction
with UN World Environment
Day on 24 October at Eco
Museum of Osaka

Promotion of EMS
GEC provided opportunities to promote IETC policies by utilizing IETC’s EMS Training Kit in the
JICA training courses.
Joint PR Projects
GEC carried out PR work in order to expand awareness of IETC’s activities by including articles
relating to IETC projects in its newsletters and website. The Centre also hosted the World
Environment Day 2004 Photo Exhibition from 1 to 31 October 2004 under the theme of “Seas,
Oceans and Watershed Links” to celebrate IETC’s tenth anniversary.
Joint Overseas Seminar
GEC was a joint host of the Environmental Technology

Joint Overseas Seminar
Refer to page 6 for related
article• Forum participants:
Approx. 450• UNEP/GEC Session
participants:
Approx. 120

Forum in Thailand where it collaborated with IETC topresent the UNEP/GEC Session entitled “Environmentally
Friendly Small and Medium-sized Enterprises” in order topromote the transfer of ESTs.
The session also featured presentations from Thaigovernment officials and ASEAN Secretariat personnel
involved in disseminating ESTs in the Asian regions
under the theme of Dissemination of ESTs and theUNEP/GEC Session in Thailand

Transfer of Technology to Small to Medium-sized Businesses.

UNEP Special Envoy
Ms. Tokiko Kato
Ms. Tokiko Kato, who iscurrently the sole UNEP
Special Envoy, has achieved
a number of successes
through participation in
UNEP-affiliated events andencouragement of local
residents involved inenvironmental conservation
activities.
A report of Ms. Kato’s
activities as Special Envoy isavailable on the GEC
website.

Support for UNEP Special Envoy Activities

At the commission of the Ministry of the Environment ofJapan, GEC provided support for UNEP Special Envoy
Ms. Tokiko Kato as she visited areas of environmental
interest both in Japan and abroad and provided
encouragement for the work of NGOs.
In 2004, Ms. Kato carried out international exchanges
through music and inspected local activities taking placeat the grass-roots level with a visit to India in May andChina in July with attendance at the opening ceremony

Visit to India (Ms. Kato with children,
Ahmedabad, India)

of an environment leadership programme jointly held by
UNEP and Tongji University. In addition, Ms. Kato performed a mini-concert in conjunction
with the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe from 18 to 22 January 2005.
She introduced the activities taking place in the countries she visited while an official from the
UNEP headquarter called attention to the importance of environmental conservation inpreventing disasters.
Ms. Tokiko Kato’s miniconcert at Kobe Eiko Church

Harvesting apricots in Wu
Cheng, Datong (China).

14

GEC 2004

Activities Highlights of Ms. Kato, UNEP Special Envoy
Date
October 30, 2000
April 17-27, 2001
August 10-19, 2001
April 6-13, 2002
June 2-4, 2002
August 22-31, 2002
May 13-24, 2003
September 8-18, 2003

Countries Visited
Appointed as UNEP Special Envoy
Visit to Thailand and Indonesia
Visit to Mongolia
Visit to Korea
Attended the “WSSD PrepCom 4 Meeting” on sustainable development in Bali, Indonesia
Attended and held a concert at “WSSD” held in Johannesburg, South Africa
Visit to Uzbekistan, Kirghiz Republic
Visit to Republic of the Fiji Islands, Kingdom of Tonga

Hosting of Seminars and Symposia

International Symposium for UNEP/DTIE/IETC 10-year Celebration
Environmentally-Sound and Human-Centred “Machi-zukuri” Urban Planning
On 7 May 2004, GEC and IETC co-hosted an international symposium at International House,

International Symposium
for UNEP/DTIE/IETC
10-year Celebration
Participants: Approx. 400

Osaka, to mark the tenth anniversary of IETC’s inception under the theme of EnvironmentallySound and Human-Centred “Machi-zukuri” Urban Planning.
UNEP Deputy Executive Director Mr. Kakakhel emphasized the need to shift technology awayfrom mass production and mass consumption towards that which does not cause a depletionof natural resources, while Ministry of the Environment’s Vice Minister for Global
Environmental Affairs Mr. Hamanaka stated the importance of spreading Japan’s global
warming mitigation technology to the world through IETC. In the panel discussion held after
the keynote speeches, panelists gave presentations on and discussed urban greening, energyconserving and other technologies, the exchange of said technologies and strategies todisseminate them to the world and especially Asia.
CDM Forum 2004
Since 2000, GEC has co-hosted a CDM Forum every year with the Ministry of the Environment
in order to promote understanding and participation in CDM/JI projects. The 2004 forum washeld in Tokyo on September 14 and Osaka on September 17.

CDM Forum 2004
Participants:
Tokyo - Approx. 380;
Osaka - Approx. 120

PR Activities

In order to introduce its activities to a wider audience, GEC regularly publishes and distributes
newsletters and annual reports in both English and Japanese.
GEC also conducts PR activities by presenting exhibition booths at several events.

Global Warming
Classroom Laboratory
held 23 times over 2004
(878 participants)

GEC is also working to spread awareness of its projects and deepen understanding of global
warming among schools through the operation of the Global Warming Classroom Laboratory
in Osaka prefectural primary schools, which it began in 2003 at the commission of the Osaka
Environmental Counselors Association (OECA).

Upkeep of the Global Environment Library

The library has been open to the public since 1997 and offers a range of references on the
global environment, particularly UNEP-related publications. GEC publications (newsletters andannual reports) and other publications (project reports, technical materials etc) are organizedand posted on the website, partly in PDF format. The collection at March end numbered 5,681
publications (including 319 UNEP-related references).

Maintenance and Enhancement of Information Systems

Library Use
The library is open for use on
Wednesday and Friday from10:00am to 12:00pm and13:00pm to 17:00pm byprior booking. Books are notavailable for loan, but can beviewed and copied within
the library (As of September2005).

Carrying on from 2003, GEC is involved in the ongoing maintenance and upgrading of its
information systems with the cooperation of IETC. In 2004, the Centre updated its server andrenewed web pages to improve the security and user-friendliness of its website GEC
Participants Network (GEC Network).

Provision of Facilities to IETC

GEC continued to provide support for IETC facilities in 2004.
GEC 2004

15

Projects for Fiscal Year 2005
GEC will make even greater efforts and contribute to developing nations tackling environmental conservation in
the hope that the 21st Century will develop into a Sustainable Society. It plans to achieve this by supporting IETC
and promoting international cooperation to foster environmental conservation while drawing upon the experienceand dynamism that lies within private enterprise in the Kansai region and the rest of Japan.
GEC’s IETC support projects include its commission to implement the Training Course on ESTs for Drinking
Water Provision as a part of the UNEP Iraqi Marshland Project. The Centre will also continue field surveys relating
to the formation and administration of Eco-towns to support Eco-town projects in developing nations.
Meanwhile, in order to promote the spread of information on ESTs and technology transfer, GEC is continuing tooverhaul its environmental technology database NETT21.
Building upon the results in FY2004, GEC will promote international cooperation towards environmental
conservation in Thailand’s Tha Chin River basin, and will support the establishment of a partnership between
residents, universities and government across four provinces.
GEC will continue not only to conduct but also enhance the five training courses and promote the GEC Network
Project for Former JICA Training Participants through the active use of the GEC website.
In addition to continuing studies and operations to foster the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint
Implementation (JI) projects, GEC will also gather CDM/JI-related knowledge and information and distribute it tocontribute to the mitigation of global warming.
GEC’s work to disseminate awareness of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) will include thecontinued operation of the Internal Environmental Auditor Training Course.

International Cooperation: Technical Support for Developing Countries
1) Promoting IETC’s activities of disseminating information on Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs) andTechnology Transfer
1) Implementation of commissioned projects to provide drinking water through ESTs as part of the UNEP Project on
Support for Environmental Management of the Iraqi Marshlands2) Implementation of Eco-town surveys
3) Hosting of “Thematic Session on Environmentally Sustainable Industrial Development and the Concept of
Eco-Towns in the Asia Pacific Region”
4) Provision of information for IETC's EST Information System
5) Updating of GEC Sanitation Programme (GESAP)
2) International Cooperation in Developing Countries
1) Support for Local Activities for the Restoration of River Environments in Thailand
In 2005, GEC will begin full-fledged support for the establishment of a partnership among interested parties in four
provinces to conserve the Tha Chin River.
3) Contribution to Measures for Mitigation of Global Warming
1) CDM/JI Projects• Conducting CDM/JI Feasibility Study (FS) Programme and CDM Modelled Validation Programme to discoverpromising CDM/JI projects and accumulate knowledge.
• Hosting symposia to report on FS projects• Attending the COP and CDM Executive Board Meetings to both collect and provide information.
2) Study on Reduction of Greenhouse Gases using CDM and other Kyoto Mechanisms• Offering support to Osaka-based companies through the Osaka CDM Network by provision of CDM data andproject participation
3) Demonstration of New Energy Systems: GEC is continuing its work of collecting data obtained from the solar power
generator and other equipment in an attempt to test their long-term durability and verify the demonstration facility
as a new energy system.

16

GEC 2004

Training of Environmental Technology
1) Human resource development in developing nations
1) JICA Training Projects: 5 courses• Heavy Metal and Other Hazardous Substance Pollution Control• Environmental Policy & Environmental Management Systems• Urban Solid Waste Management• Air Pollution Control• Environmental Management in the Republic of Cuba
2) GEC Networking Project
GEC will reinforce its network capability by information-exchanges with former participants.
2) Dissemination of Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
1) EMS Training Courses• Operation of training programs such as the “Internal Environmental Auditor Training Course”, and“On demand seminars” for municipalities and private enterprise• EMS Implementation Course: targeting the municipalities and their affiliates, this course teaches trainees how to
set up EMSs.
2) Overseas Dissemination of EMS
Through its JICA training courses, GEC is working to spread the adoption of EMS in developing countries.
3) Introduction of EMS within GEC
GEC established an EMS within its office in July 2001, and intends to continue its operation into the future.

PR & Educational Activities
1) Promotion and Joint PR of IETC Policies
1) Dissemination of EMS: GEC promotes IETC policies by introducing IETC’s EMS Training Kit in the JICA training
courses.
2) GEC works to publicize IETC projects by placing related articles in its publications. GEC also collaborates in hostinga photo exhibition to introduce UNEP activities. In addition, GEC will co-manage a booth at the New Earth 2005.
3) Co-hosting Seminars Abroad: The Centre hosts seminars to disseminate EST information systems such as ESTIS
and EMS to promote the spread of information on ESTs in developing nations
2) UNEP Special Envoy Project *GEC supports the environmental activities of the UNEP Special Envoy Ms. Tokiko Kato both in Japan and abroad.
It also publishes special leaflet to commemorate Ms. Kato’s fifth year in this role.
3) Maintenance and Enhancement of Information Systems
1) Efforts to maintain and upgrade information systems2) Upgrading and improvement of the Japan-based environmental technology information database (NETT21)
3) Continued work to improve the security and user-friendliness of GEC Network web pages4) Updating GEC home page4) Seminars and Symposia
GEC carries out PR towards local residents through collaboration with affiliated organisations, hosts CDM symposia
and operates exhibits at environmental exhibitions.
5) PR Activities
1) Provision of information on GEC activates and the environment over the Internet
2) Publication of GEC newsletters and annual reports
3) Accepting tours of GEC facilities
4) Providing education on global warming mitigation measures in schools
6) Management of the GEC LibraryUpgrading and managing library facilities

Provision of facilities to IETC
Providing facilities and equipment to IETC

* This support indirectly contributes to IETC by raising the profile of UNEP in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.

GEC 2004

17

References

Overview of the UNEP/DTIE/IETC

Name

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE)
International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC)

Date of Conclusion of

October 30, 1992

the Agreement between
Japanese Government
and UNEP
MandateThe main role of the IETC is to promote the adoption, application, andoperation of Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs) to address urban
environmental problems such as sewage, air pollution, solid waste, and noise,and the management of freshwater to developing countries and countries
with economies in transition.

Approach

Contacts

Osaka Officemanagement of urban environmental issues

Shiga Officemanagement of freshwater resources

Osaka Office2-110 Ryokuchi-koen, Tsurumi-ku, Osaka 538-0036 Japan
tel: +81-6-6915-4581
fax: +81-6-6915-0304

Shiga Office1091 Oroshimo-cho, Kusatsu-city, Shiga, 525-0001 Japan
tel: +81-77-568-4581
fax: +81-77-568-4587

e-mailietc@unep.or.jp

IETC homepage http://www.unep.or.jp/
Posts

Director
Deputy Director
Senior Liaison Officer
Programme Officers (3)Administrative/Fund Management Officer

Programme Activities(implemented in 2004)(as of October 2005)• Project for Environmental Management of the Iraqi Marshlands:- Roundtable (Amman)- Training Courses on Phytotechnology for Wetland Management (Cairo), on
sustainable Sanitation (Osaka) and on Water Quality Management (Shiga)- Iraq News (Japanese edition)• Development and maintenance of the EST Information System (ESTIS)- EST Information System (ESTIS) training workshop (Hanoi)• Disaster Management• Symposia, seminars, etc.
- Working session on sustainable cities at the Globe 2004 (Vancouver)- International Symposium for IETC 10-year Celebration (Osaka and Shiga)- World Environment Day Photo Exhibition 2004 (Osaka and Shiga)- International Symposium on Environmentally Sound Technologies andSustainable Urban Management (Kawasaki)• Newsletter- “IETC’s Voice” (Japanese edition)

18

GEC 2004

Board Members of the Global Environment Centre Foundation

President

KUMAGAI, Nobuaki

Executive

MASUDA, Takafumi

Chancellor, University of Hyogo
Professor Emeritus, Osaka University
Former Director General /Director of Environment Division,

Director
Directors

Environment and Sewerage Bureau, Osaka City Government

AKIYAMA, Yoshihisa

Chairperson, Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren)

KATAYAMA, Toru

Executive Managing Director, Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center

MATANO, KagechikaSpecial Adviser, IKEA Japan K.K. (Former Ambassador to Sweden)

MATSUSHITA, Masayuki Chairperson, Kansai Association of Cooperate Executive

Auditors

MORISHIMA, Akio

Chair of the Board of Director, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

NOMURA, Akio

Chairperson, Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry

OHTA, Fusae

Governor of OSAKA

SEKI, Junichi

Mayor of OSAKAKUSAKAWA, Taizo

Director General, Environment, Agriculture, Forestries andFisheries Department, Osaka Prefectural Government

Councilors

KONISHI, Toshiaki

Treasure of Osaka City

IGOSHI, Masashi

Deputy Mayor of Osaka

KANEKO, Kumao

Diplomatic Commentator/President, Japan Council on Energy,
Environment & Security

KAWAJI, Kenichiro

Managing Director, Osaka International Centre of the Japan International
Cooperation Agency

Board of

KOBAYASHI, Shoichiro

Advisor, Kansai Electric Power Co., Ltd.

MIWA, Kazuo

Vice-Governor of Osaka

MIZUNO, Minoru

Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University

OHTSUKA, Ryutaro

President, National Institute for Environmental Studies

ONOGAWA, Kazunobu

Director, United Nations Centre for Regional Development

SHIBANO, Hirofumi

President, Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.

SUZUKI, Yutaka

Vice-President, University of Hyogo

YAMAMOTO, Kenjiro

Chairperson, Osaka City Environment Council

AMANO, Akihiro

Director, Kansai Research Center,

Technology
and Planning

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

FUJITA, Masanori

Director, Kochi National College of Technology

HINO, Yasuo

Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka City University

KATAYAMA, Shozo

Chairman, Environmental Committee,
The Osaka Chamber and Commerce and Industry

KOSAKA, Akira

Professor, Faculty of International Public System,
Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University

MAEDA, Yasuaki

Professor, Chemistry of Advanced Materials, College of Engineering,Osaka Prefecture University

MASUDA, Noboru

Professor, College of Agriculture, Osaka Prefecture University

MITSUOKA, KazuhikoDirector, Environment Division, Environment and Sewerage Bureau,
Osaka Municipal Government

MIYAKE, Hidetaka

Executive Director, Urban Environment Office, Environment, Agriculture,
Forestries and Fisheries Department, Osaka Prefectural Government

MORIOKA, Tohru

Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University

PAK, Pyong Sik

Associate Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University

SERITA, Kentaro

Professor, Department of Law, Faculty of Law, Aichi Gakuin University

SHINOZAKI, Yukiko

President, City-Life Institute

TAKEDA, Nobuo

Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University

WATANABE, Masataka

Professor, Faculty of Environmental Information,
Keio University(As of July 1, 2005, honorific omitted; names in alphabetical order [Surname])

GEC 2004

19

References

Publications List

Publications in 2004
Publication nameContents

Size/ pages/ date of publication

CDM Manual for
Project Developers
and Policy Makers(Japanese / English)
CDM Methodologies
Guidebook(Japanese / English)

Outlines the latest developments in CDM/JI
frameworks, CDM Executive Board, COP etc.
Drafted at the commission of Ministry of theEnvironment.
A guidebook to provide know-how on drafting
quality CDM methodology. Drafted at thecommission of Ministry of the Environment.

• Japanese version:
A4/183 pages/August 2004
• English version:
A4/90 pages/December 2004
A4/100 Pages
November 2004
* CDM Projects: refer to page 10

CDM Forum
Contents

Size/ pages/ date of publication

Pamphlet distributed at the forum(including reports of 2003 CDM/JI Feasibility Study Group)

A4/49 pages
September 2004

Periodicals
Publication nameContents

Size/ pages/ date of publication

GEC NEWSLETTER No.26(Japanese edition)
GEC NEWSLETTER No.27(Japanese edition)
GEC Newsletter No.16(English edition)
GEC Newsletter No.17(English edition)
Global Environment Centre Foundation
Annual Report (Japanese edition)
Global Environment Centre Foundation
Annual Report (English edition)

An introduction to
the activities of GEC
An introduction to
the activities of GEC
An introduction to
the activities of GEC
An introduction to
the activities of GEC
Report on projects of GEC
for fiscal year 2003
Report on projects of GEC
for fiscal year 2003

A4/8 pages
August 2004
A4/8 pages
February 2005
A4/4 pages
October 2004
A4/4 pages
March 2005
A4/24 pages
October 2004
A4/20 pages
November 2004

• Series of NETT21:
Database on New Environmental Technology Transfer in the 21st Century by GEC,
and number of data listings for each topic.
Database on: • Air Pollution Control Technology in Japan: 128• Waste Treatment Technology in Japan: 98• Water Pollution Control Technology in Japan: 96• On-Site Green Technique (OGT) in Japan: 83• Air Pollution Continuous Monitoring Technology in Japan: 83• Water Pollution Continuous Monitoring Technology in Japan: 53• Cleaner Production Technology in Japan: 190• Energy-Saving Technology at Business-Related Buildings: 94• Soil and Groundwater Contamination Survey and Countermeasure Technologies: 37• Japanese Advanced Environmental Equipment (provided by JSIM): 621
Total: 1,483 data listings (as of September 2005, complete data available in English via the GEC Website)• Visitors to the Global Environment Centre Foundation: 140 (1 April 2004 - 31 March 2005)

Global Environment Centre Foundation Annual Report 2004
Date of issue: January 2006
Issued by Global Environment Centre Foundation (GEC)
2-110 Ryokuchi-koen, Tsurumi-ku, Osaka 538-0036 Japan
Tel: +81-6-6915-4121 Fax: +81-6-6915-0181 Web page address (URL): http://gec.jp© Global Environment Centre Foundation (GEC), 2006
This annual report is printed on kenaf paper using soybean ink.

20

GEC 2004

Global Environment Centre Foundation

2-110 Ryokuchi-koen, Tsurumi-ku,
Osaka 538-0036 Japan

TEL: +81-6-6915-4121
FAX: +81-6-6915-0181
Homepage: http://gec.jp