The Overseas Environmental Consulting Group provides, by utilizing our accumulated information and human networks, a wide range of consulting services from environmental cooperation in developing countries to policy / strategy development by the Japanese government in issues such as global warming and international resource circulation.
The Environmental Policy Group supports the public and private sectors for international activities in the environmental fields, with focus the promotion of building an environmentally sound material-cycle society in Asia, the management of transboundary movement of hazardous waste, toxic chemicals management, and environmental cooperation between Japan and developing countries.
As for the promotion of building an environmentally sound material-cycle society at the global level, we prepared discussion and publicity materials for the Ministerial Meeting on the "businesses" which mobilize people, materials, money, and information.
The New Business Creation Group provides consultation and coordination services for the private sector that launches environmental business in Japan or aboard.
In practice targeting biomass and waste, we prepare a business plan by securing the raw materials needed to launch the new business, selecting the best conversion technology, finding users of the material/products, and mobilizing financial resources. We also evaluate effects of the project from environmental, economic, and social points of view.
We conduct a feasibility study of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project.
The Planning Team provides consulting services for cross-cutting challenges such as the promotion of electric cars and eco-tourism in Japan.
With soaring gasoline prices, the needs for electric vehicles instead of those with internal combustion engines are growing.
We have been conducing national monitoring studies and pilot projects on alternative fuel vehicles including Electric Vehicles (EVs) for over 10 years. This permits us to provide the valuable consulting services in the promotion and the marketing of eco-cars not only in Japan but also other Asian countries.
Japan established the Tourism Agency in October 2008 in order to promote tourism, and the development of tourism industry in Japan is expected. Based on our experiences in consulting services for resort developers in their business rehabilitation efforts, we provide consulting services for corporations who plan to move into the development of eco-resorts and eco-tourism in Japan.
For sustainable development of a country or a region, it is necessary to create mechanisms to develop new “businesses” which mobilize people, materials, money, and information.
The New Business Creation Group provides consultation and coordination services for the private sector that launches environmental business in Japan or aboard.
In practice targeting biomass and waste, we prepare a business plan by securing the raw materials needed to launch the new business, selecting the best conversion technology, finding users of the material/products, and mobilizing financial resources. We also evaluate effects of the project from environmental, economic, and social points of view.
We conduct a feasibility study of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project.
Biomass resources are considered as carbon-neutral renewable resources. However, they may not be carbon-neutral or even cause various environmental problems if biomass production for energy use leads to deforestation or peatland development, which results in increasing greenhouse gasses. Moreover, it is pointed out that recent utilization of biomass as a source of energy induced feed price increases and food shortage in developing countries. Thus, it is very important for us to carefully review what plant we grow at which area and how we use it.
For our society to be able to pursuit sustainable human activities, we believe that it is necessary to have a paradigm shift from the current lifestyle depending on fossil fuel consumption and that it is an urgent task to realize highly efficient and sustainable biomass production considering issues of global warming and food supply. For that sake, it is important to promote strategic biomass production not only in Japan but also in tropical areas including Southeast Asia where high potential of biomass production exists.
The Strategic Biomass Team proposes sustainable business operation of biomass projects in Japan and Asian countries.
Development of environmental industry utilizing untapped local resources is expected to revitalize local economy. Development of such industry requires consideration on various matters, such as aligning policies of local governments, obtaining understanding of local residents, formulating detailed business plans, assuring procurement of raw materials, finding stable users of recycled products (including energy), and reducing distribution costs.
The Environmental Project Development Team has developed numerous local environmental industries including those through "Eco-Town Projects". Our expertise and industry-government-academia networks gained through the past experiences will permit us to develop new types of environmental industry that would contribute to local development and energy conservation.
We also conduct feasibility studies of business projects, evaluate systems to be introduced, support fund procurement and subsidy utilization and build partnership among industry, governments, and academia.
Environmental risk can be defined as a possibility of adverse effects on human health and ecosystems under certain conditions by human induced environmental pollution or changes (environmental load) through environmental media. In the past, Japan experienced severe environmental degradations (air pollution, water contamination, and others) which impacted health of local residents. In recent years, fortunately, such incidents of sever pollution have seen less frequently. Instead, it is more important to properly manage risks from long-term exposure of chemical substances to not only human health but ecosystem also.
In the 3rd Basic Environmental Plan (approved by the Cabinet in April 2006), "reduction of environmental risks caused by chemical substances" is considered as one of the priority issues to be tackled in Japan. It should be noted, nevertheless, that the traditional type pollution have not completely diminished; issues of asbestos and covering-up of non-compliance of effluent/emission standards have surfaced in the past few years, and the promulgation of a special act for tackling asbestos issues and the enhancement of institutional arrangement for pollution prevention are being discussed.
In the field of safety management, numerous serious accidents have occurred in manufacturing industry since 2003. This may be contributed by mass retirement of baby-boomers who hold extensive skills and know-how in industrial safety management.
In coordination with the Chemical Risk Management Team, the Environmental Risk management / Safety Management Team conducts policy studies and basic researches for public entities and provides consulting services for private firms in the field of water/soil management and hazardous chemical substances and waste management.
In addition, we carry out policy studies and basic researches for public entities and consulting services for private firms on safety management in preventing industrial accidents and environmental pollution.
The Chemical Risk Management Team has been mainly working on policy studies and basic researches contracted out by government agencies and their affiliated organizations on chemical management systems, including those on PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) and control measures of HAPs (Hazardous Air Pollutants) in Japan and other industrialized countries. It should be noted that through these works, we have built extensive networks in the chemical management field - with governments, industry associations, research institutions and individual experts.
In recent years, various international accords on chemicals have been developed, including the enactment of an UN recommendation on GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals) and the adoption of SAICM (Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management), and people have started concerning about health damage by chemical substances. Therefore, the necessity of introducing/developing a chemical management system in Asian nations has been increased. Utilizing our experiences in Japan, we conduct studies on the current conditions of introducing chemical management systems in Southeast Asia and carry out capacity development in the field of chemical management as a Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) project.
Establishing an environmentally sound material-cycle society requires social system design based on laws and regulations, and, in recent years, a new viewpoint such as global warming and resource security.
At the Sustainable Society Design Group, we propose practical social systems by fully utilizing networks we have built over the years in the field of waste management. We also assist the development of local resource circulating systems by optimizing location advantages and function of existing material industry, ports, and relevant facilities. Our consulting services also cover PFI projects and public-private partnership projects regarding 3Rs.
Establishing an environmentally sound material-cycle society in Japan requires concrete actions from new perspectives - prevention of global warming, assuring resource security, and developing an integrated distribution/transportation system for raw materials and wastes - based on institutional mechanisms provided by laws and regulations.
Building an environmentally sound material-cycle society requires a comprehensive resource/waste management strategy, from waste reduction to recycling to environmentally sound treatment. In recent years, we also need to consider prevention of global warming, management of chemical substances, and local government management for building such a society.
The Recycling and Waste Management Team proposes the most suitable waste management approach for given local conditions from waste reduction to environmentally sound treatment. Moreover, we propose and realize the best solution by conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), considering lifecycle costs, promoting public participation from the planning phase, and utilizing resource circulating technology as a means to materialize management approaches.
The two concepts, "keeping a sustainable society under restrictions in actual life" and "achieving a sustainable society with respect for living healthfully and comfortably" have sometimes been seen as conflicting views and thus considered independently in urban areas. Sustainable Design Group finds solutions that fulfill both concepts at the same time.
"Environment," "society," and "economy" or so-called 'triple bottom line,' and "human" component are main elements that consist of urban sustainability. At Sustainable Design Group, we provide the most appropriate services ranging from basic planning to actual management/operation of the urban development, using tools such as "Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)," "technology assessment and feasibility analysis", "environmental design", "psychometric analysis", and "environmental education and visualization methods".
In order to realize the sustainable development, it is necessary to promote not only "sustainable production" that the business sector is positively advancing but also "sustainable consumption" that general consumers can wisely select/use products/services. This relationship applies to that between governments and consumers. While the business sector and governments have clearly identified their roles and activities, consumers have not fully identified their responsibilities and taken appropriate actions.
In response, we, at Sustainable Lifestyle Design Team, set our goal to develop a "sustainable lifestyle - partnership" in which governments and the business sector together support promotion of sustainable values and lifestyles from consumers’ points of view. We collect and quantify information about activities of individuals and assist the advancement of the partnership though providing solutions for corporate marketing and government policy formulation/implementation.
Many technological options exist for the prevention of global warming; however, there are various obstacles in the fields of institutional mechanisms, economic conditions, and public awareness when these options are applied to regional or urban development projects. In other words, one of the most urgent tasks in the fight against global warming is to develop the "practical and effective measures that suite the local conditions." Followings are some of the key components in developing such measures.
Considering the abovementioned points, the Low Carbon Society Design Team supports the development of concepts and institutional mechanisms, and evaluation of technical components of measures to address global warming in urban development / renewal.
Revitalization of public transportation and local areas and addressing global warming in urban areas require new way of thinking, approach, and social systems, which is not in the traditional demand-based approach. The Social System Team proposes new systems and mechanisms for implementing policies to promote public transportation, industry development, development of local information systems, area management, and anti-global warming efforts.
With ample knowledge accumulated in above-mentioned efforts, we support the development of strategies to establish new social systems to address issues, especially revitalization of public transportation, area management and urban development with consideration of mitigating global warming.
