JAL continues Support for Energy Saving Campaign ‘Team Minus 6%’

JAL is helping to raise awareness of ‘Team Minus 6%’, the Japanese government’s energy-saving campaign which encourages businesses, the general public and local governments to review how they use energy, and to economically utilize and conserve energy.

‘Team Minus 6%’ is a nation-wide energy-saving campaign initiated by the Japanese Ministry of Environment (MoE) in May 2005 in response to environmental obligations to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions pledged in the Kyoto Protocol. Under the Kyoto Protocol adopted in 1997, Japan is required to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions between 2008 and 2012 by 6% from the level in the base year of 1990. The ‘Team Minus 6%’ campaign is considered the first step towards fulfilling this target.

Since the campaign began, JAL has encouraged staff to dress in cooler lightweight clothing and promotes a ‘no neck-tie’ policy within offices during Japan’s hot and humid summer months. Dubbed by the Environment Ministry "Cool Biz", this initiative enables JAL to save energy by cutting down on air conditioner use. Air conditioning in JAL offices now only comes on when the temperature reaches 28°C.

The organization has also thrown its support behind the government’s ‘Warm Biz’ initiative. During the winter months, JAL office heaters are set at a maximum of 20°C, two degrees lower than the temperature setting in FY2004. Staff are encouraged to wear warmer clothing during these months.

By implementing ‘Cool Biz' and 'Warm Biz' activities, over the past two years JAL has managed to reduce CO2 emissions at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo and at its offices at Haneda and Narita airports, by a total of approximately 77 tons annually when compared to FY2004. This is equivalent to a 3% reduction in CO2 emissions at these facilities, and has resulted in around 51 million yen year-on-year saving in energy costs.

Due to JAL’s proactive support of the ‘Team Minus 6%’, JAL Group CEO Haruka Nishimatsu was invited by the government to participate in its ‘Cool Biz Executive’ advertising campaign. Throughout June 2007, Mr. Nishimatsu together with other business leaders will appear in adverts, posters and on the campaign’s website appealing to businesses and the public to lend their support to ‘Team Minus 6%’.

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