Figure2-4-11 Concrete Image of a Low-Carbon Society - Transportation

Japan’s pride: High utilization rate of public transportation systems

Breakdown of passenger transportation in industrialized countries Japan: 2003. Britain, Germany and France: 2002. U.S.: 2001. (Data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)

## Behavior

• With “visualization” of CO $ _{2} $ emissions for each transportation means and intelligent transportation systems, movers have access to information on operations of public transportation systems anytime and choose transportation means with less environmental burden based on information obtained

• Co-ownership and rental are main forms of vehicle use in urban areas

• Cargo owners and distributors proactively choose low-carbon transportation means

## Technology

• Individual automobiles become substantially efficient with the spread of lighter auto body, improved engine efficiency, and motor-driven vehicles (plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, fuel cell-powered vehicles)

· Various kinds of (single-passenger) personal moving vehicles introduced; choices of transportation means substantially wider

· Intelligent transportation systems contribute to easing traffic congestion and improving transportation efficiency; autonomous driving of moving vehicles realized; substantially higher safety of vehicles greatly reduces traffic accidents

## Foundations supporting behavior and technology

• Public transportation systems like railways, buses, monorails & LRT operate with the appropriate selection and combination in accordance with the size of cities and their characteristics

• Distribution managed in a sophisticated way with advanced information technology; with freight infrastructure such as freight railway stations and port facilities well developed, the low-carbon distribution system in place with the appropriate combination of railways, ships, automobiles and trucks (greater efficiency with mass transportation systems and joint collection/delivery of cargos)

· Compact cities friendly to pedestrians, bicycle riders and the elderly formed with transit malls and dedicated bicycle roads with stations of public transportation systems at the core

• Under the well-developed car sharing system, people rent cars with right sizes when necessary

· bicycle rental services spread widely under management systems utilizing sophisticated information technology

• Roads with smooth traffic without jam-up realized through promotion of measures to ease congestion, such as loop road construction, to deal with bottleneck railroad crossings, and diversified and flexible expressway tolls; automobile traffic operations more efficient via improved provision of road traffic information using intelligent transportation systems

Source: Prepared by the Ministry of the Environment based on "2050 Japan Low-Carbon Society Scenario Team" (National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Kyoto University, and Mizuho Information and Research Institute)

Figure2-4-11 Concrete Image of a Low-Carbon Society - Living Space

## Behavior

• Practices firmly in place to avoid wasteful use of energy at home and workplace and effectively utilize natural energy

· Energy-saving actions practiced based on accurate information provided via “visualization” technology

· Family members, condominium residents and company employees cooperate to achieve energy saving with the strong environmental consciousness not to use energy wastefully

• Regardless of locations of residences, people can utilize sophisticated information technology to build the work environment similar to that in company offices at home or at facilities near their home, creating substantially greater latitude in working styles; companies can choose locations more freely and can operate on the global marketplace without having offices in big citeis

## Technology

• Appliances with high energy efficiency (high-efficiency heat pump, high-efficiency lighting, etc.), made on the strength of Japan’s “monozukuri” manufacturing prowess, and natural energy utilization technologies have been developed and spread widely

· Electricity and heat are consumed in a rational combination of those produced at home or within buildings using solar energy and fuel cells and those externally provided via system power and heat conveying pipes

• Lighting and air conditioning operated in accordance with movements of dwellers using IT-based sophisticated control technology

## Foundations supporting behaviors and technology

• Wooden houses and buildings spread widely; many mid-rise buildings also becoming wooden

• Designers and professionals who can build houses suitable to climate conditions of respective regions nurtured; buildings that take in nature nicely, are comfortably warm without heating even during winter and provide comfortable living space widely spread

• High-quality housing usable for long years (“200-year houses”), construction methods to lengthen the life of buildings, and eco-friendly home renovation widely spread; existing houses command the expanding share in the home market

· Infrastructure well developed for “visualization” of CO $ _{2} $ emissions from appliances people are using anytime and anywhere (display of environmental burden, advice on environment-friendly behaviors)

Source: Prepared by the Ministry of the Environment based on “2050 Japan Low-Carbon Society Scenario Team” (National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Kyoto University, and Mizuho Information and Research Institute)

experts and public comments, offers the social vision as shown in Figure 2-4-11, and the panel said it is necessary for all entities in society to make efforts toward realizing a low-carbon society following the basic principles of (i) carbon minimum; (ii) simple life with an actual feeling of affluence; and (iii) realization of the coexistence with