Education for Sustainable Development (UN-DESD) in Japan," an initiative related to "Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)," calls for the promotion of efforts in higher education. In line with this, a panel of the Ministry of the Environment worked out the "Vision for Environmental Leadership Initiatives for Asian Sustainability in higher education (Environmental Leadership Vision)" in March 2008. The Vision defines environmental leaders as "those who look at environmental problems in light of their own experience and moral values, are committed to leveraging their area of expertise to realize sustainable development in their professional and private lives, and exercise leadership in fulfilling their social responsibilities," and then maps out the ideas and measures to foster environmental leaders at universities, etc. in order to ensure a sustainability in Asia. Putting teeth into the Vision, the Ministry of the Environment, under the "Environmental Leadership Initiatives for Asian Sustainability (ELIAS)," is proceeding with (a) the development and dissemination of model higher education programs; (b) the establishment of a multi stakeholder consortium for developing environmental leaders," a framework of cooperation among all stakeholders from industry, academia, government and civil society for the purpose of developing environmental leaders; and (c) the development of network of universities in the Asia-pacific region committed to developing environmental leaders.

## ③ Stimulation of demand by promotion of green purchasing, etc

It is also important to implement policy measures to stimulate demand for environment-friendly products in order to create an environmental industry.

As one of such measures, in Japan, the central government and other public-sector institutions are taking the initiative in green purchasing to promote the procurement of eco-friendly goods (goods and services that contribute to reducing environmental loads). Comparison between FY 2000, before the enforcement of the Law Concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-Friendly Goods and Services by the State and Other Entities (hereinafter referred to as the "Law on Promoting Green Purchasing"), and FY 2007 shows the rises in market shares for many eco-friendly goods. For example, staplers (hotchkiss) with the recycled plastic content of over 40% in the weight of plastics, saw its market share skyrocket from less than 20% before the enforcement of the Law on Promoting Green Purchasing to around 90% in FY 2007 (Figure 5-4-6). In FY 2007, the "Law concerning the Promotion of Contracts Considering Reduction of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases and Others by the State and Other Entities (Green Contract Law)" was enforced with the mechanism under which the national government and other public entities in their procurement make a comprehensive evaluation to include environmental performances in addition to prices and conclude purchase contracts with suppliers that offer the best goods and services, etc. At present, environmental conditions are required in contracts for the purchases of electricity, vehicles and ships, etc. and energy-saving renovation businesses (ESCO businesses) as well as designs for construction of buildings or large-scale renovation work.

In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from households, which have increased considerably in recent years, the Ministry of the Environment has been undertaking “Eco-Action Point model projects” since FY 2008, under which points (Eco-Action points) are issued for the purchase of goods and services and actions contributory to global warming countermeasures and accumulated points can be exchange for a variety of goods and services. In FY 2009, three nationwide projects and six regional projects were adopted. The projects for the penetration of eco-action points are aimed at establishing business models at the initiative of economically independent private businesses and thereby promoting the utilization of goods and services that contribute to a broad range of measures to cope with global warming.

Furthermore, beginning in FY 2009, in light of the economic and employment conditions in Japan, eco-points for home electric appliances, housing eco-points and the so-called eco-car tax reductions were introduced for the purposes of global warming countermeasures and reinvigoration of economic activities. Eco-points for home electric appliances, exchangeable for a variety of goods and services, are issued for the purchase of green electric appliances (air conditioners, refrigerators and TV sets for digital terrestrial broadcast reception with four or more of the unified energy-saving label $ \star $ ) to encourage replacement demand. The validity period for the eco-points for home electric appliances was extended until December 31, 2010, under the “Emergency Economic Countermeasures for Future Growth and Security” (adopted in December 2009 by Cabinet decisions) and the second supplementary budget for FY 2009 enacted in the 174th session of the Diet. With some changes in the structure, including improved application procedures for the higher convenience for users, tougher energy-saving standards for TV sets and promotion of the use of white LED bulbs, etc., these eco-points made a fresh start as a new system on April 1, 2010. For construction of eco-friendly new houses and eco-friendly home remodeling, a new system of housing eco-points was created, with housing eco-points exchangeable with a