The Japanese Ministry of the Environment announced on December 25, 2007
the results of a questionnaire survey on green procurement of wood from
sustainable forest management. One of the aims of the survey was to
raise awareness of legally sourced timber and wood products, as well as
to understand the current situation with respect to green purchasing
issues.
http://www.japanfs.org/db/2063-e

Total of 17 Products, 37 Companies Granted Eco-Rail Certification

The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
announced on December 6, 2007 that four products and one company had
been newly awarded an Eco-Rail Mark at the 12th meeting of the Eco-Rail
Mark Management and Certification Committee. The Eco-Rail Mark is given
to products and companies that make an active effort to reduce
environmental impacts through a modal shift to rail transportation.
http://www.japanfs.org/db/2064-e

Japanese Forest Soils Consume Twice the Methane of Those in the US and
Europe

Forested land in Japan can absorb almost twice the atmospheric methane
as forested land in Europe and the U.S.A., and emits less than half the
nitrogen oxide measured in terms of unit surface area,
the Forestry and Forest Products Research Instituted of Japan
announced on December 20, 2007 in a brief study report.
Methane consumption and N2O emissions were measured and analyzed at 26 sites with typical Japanese forest soils. In this study, the annual mean rates of methane uptake and N2O emissions per hectare were estimated for all studied sites, obtaining 6.9kg and 0.2 kg respectively.

http://www.japanfs.org/db/2065-e

Hitachi's New Printer Cuts Power Use by 30 Percent

Hitachi Ltd. of Japan, on December 3, 2007, launched sales of its new
mid-range model of continuous-feed printer, the HT-4558-120A, which
consumes about 30 percent less electricity than conventional printers
when it goes into sleep mode after a certain period in standby mode.
http://www.japanfs.org/db/2066-e

Japanese Council Highlights Importance of Supporting Africa in Fight
against Global Warming

In its mid-term report released on January 21, 2008, the Advisory
Council to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan on International
Cooperation emphasized the importance, in regard to global warming, of
providing comprehensive support to African nations for the construction
of infrastructure, development of human resources, design of systems and
policies, and build-up of distribution systems and markets, as well as
expansion of official development assistance (ODA) funding.
http://www.japanfs.org/db/2067-e

Japan's Innovative Products and Services Win 4th Eco Products Awards

Japan's Eco-Products Awards Promotion Council announced the winners of
its fourth annual Eco-Products Awards on November 15, 2007, and the
awards ceremony took place on December 13 at Eco-Products 2007, Japan's
major eco-exhibition held at the Tokyo Big Sight.
http://www.japanfs.org/db/2068-e

New Data Center Service Aims to Reduce Environmental Impacts of Energy
Use

NTT Data Corp. began offering management services to data centers in
January 2008 to protect the environment through energy saving measures,
as it was announced on December 26, 2007. The new service, called the
Green Data Center, evaluates IT installations in the company's data
centers and those of its customers; provides consulting services; and
designs, builds, operates, and manages data centers using energy
efficient technologies, such as improved virtualization, power supply
systems, and air-cooling efficiency -- all based on customer needs.
http://www.japanfs.org/db/2069-e

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