vehicles as a part of Eco Airport (eco friendly airport) activities. Furthermore, we are strengthening international initiatives, such as participating in the “Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE)” where air traffic control authorities and airline companies cooperate to attain efficiency in flying. We are also leading the discussion to develop a global scheme to reduce $ CO_{2} $ emissions from international aviation. Furthermore, the efforts to promote the use of alternative aviation fuels are being conducted, collaborating with the various stakeholders.

## (7) Enhancing energy-saving capabilities in housing and buildings

The rise in the amount of energy consumed by the civilian sector is more prominent than in other sectors, which makes improving energy-saving capabilities in housing and buildings an urgent task. For this reason, the energy conservation standards were reviewed in 2013, with full enforcement of the standards for buildings being in effect as of April 2014, and full enforcement for residential housing being planned to be in effect in April 2015.

Furthermore, in order to display energy conserving performance in a way that is easy for consumers to understand, in addition to improving and popularizing the “residence performance labeling system” and CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency), the Building Energy Conservation Performance Labeling System (BELS) was started in April 2014.

Also, in light of the fact that as a part of the Energy Master Plan it will be mandatory for new housing and buildings to comply in stages to the energy conservation standards by 2020, in October 2014 the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism consulted the Chairman of the Panel on Infrastructure Development regarding “ways to handle energy conservation measures for housing and buildings going forward”. In January 2015 the initial report was completed, and on March 24th of the same year the compliance obligation to the energy conservation performance standard for buildings other than residential housing larger than a certain size was created, and the Cabinet approved the “Bill for Improving Energy Consumption Performance for Architectural Structures”, which takes steps to establish an accreditation system for the energy consumption capability improvement plan.

Aside from this, in order to promote energy saving/decreasing $ CO_{2} $ emissions for housing and buildings, MLIT is supporting various efforts, such as businesses that award points—which can be exchanged with various merchandise—for building new eco-housing or doing eco-reforms, the introducing of cutting-edge $ CO_{2} $ emissions decreasing technology and energy conserving renovation, as well as efforts by small and medium-sized contractors in building zero energy housing and certified low-carbon buildings, while also implementing a lowering of the interest rate by using the Japan Housing Finance Agency's securitization support business framework. In addition, it is working for the development and dissemination of things like the design and construction technology of energy-saving houses and buildings through holding workshops for design and construction professionals and providing support for the technological development of the leading private firms.

Furthermore, in order to stimulate energy-saving measures in pre-existing establishments, we are formulating supportive taxation measures for renovation work towards energy conservation in already existing residences and buildings.

## (8) Promotion of energy-saving methods in sewage

The reduction of carbon monoxide is being advanced by the implementation of energy-saving measures such as high efficiency equipment for sewage treatment, and with new energy measures such as the processing of raw sewage into solid fuel, and the high temperature incineration of raw sewage.

## (9) Promotion of environmental measures for construction machinery

MLIT is implementing a system that gives type approval for construction machinery, such as hydraulic shovels and bulldozers, that meets the fuel consumption standards for major construction machinery. In addition, we support the purchasing of construction machinery that has been certified by said system by things such as low-interest financing plans.