Joint Release with the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Agency for Natural Resources and EnergyInterim Report on Promotional Measures on “Housing and Living Styles toward a Low-Carbon Society”Energy Efficiency and CO₂ Emissions Reduction Measures in the Area of Housing and Buildings

In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Japan, it is necessary to further improve and enhance efforts in the consumer sector (households and companies), where emissions are increasing the most, now standing at 1.4 times as high as the level of 1990.

Therefore, METI, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism jointly established the "Council for the Promotion of Housing and Living Styles toward a Low-Carbon Society." With regard to measures in the area of housing and buildings, the council has been considering a wide range of efforts to realize a low-carbon society and the direction of the formulation of specific measures, focusing on housing and living styles. Upon compiling the report, public comments were invited for the period from May 10 to June 11, 2012, so as to collect opinions broadly from the public.

* Reference: Council for the Promotion of Housing and Living Styles toward a Low-Carbon Society
http://www.meti.go.jp/committee/summary/0004688/index.html (in Japanese)

The council streamlined the goals for efforts in energy efficiency and CO₂ emissions reduction in the area of housing and buildings, the basic idea of considering measures, and the vision that should be targeted in the future, considering discussions held so far at the council, new issues resulting from the Great East Japan Earthquake, and opinions collected through the invitation of public comments. Based on these results, the council compiled a report on the direction of measures should be taken from now on as follows:

(1) Creating an environment for making compliance with energy efficiency criteria of housing and buildings obligatory

Aiming to make compliance with the energy efficiency criteria of newly constructed housing and buildings obligatory by 2020, it is important to take measures such as disseminating knowledge among building owners, designers and constructors, developing human resources that are able to evaluate energy efficiency performance, providing technical support to mid- and small-sized builders, and enhancing the production system of and supporting technological development for energy efficient architectural materials.

(2) Promotion of energy efficiency performance labeling for housing and buildings

As for the labeling system necessary for evaluating housing and buildings with high energy efficiency functions in the market, it is important that the energy efficiency performance is shown in an easy-to-understand manner, such as showing which product achieves a higher level of energy efficiency.

(3) Promotion of energy efficiency and power saving achieved in terms of the style of living, utilizing the experience of the power saving efforts taken this summer

Utilizing efforts toward promoting power saving this summer, the council is striving to entrench the habit of power saving without trying so hard that the comfort of living is sacrificed, such as by adequately setting the temperature of air conditioning or switching off lights that are not needed. In addition, it is important to further promote efforts for power saving with devices such as BEMS (building electricity management systems) and HEMS (household electricity management systems).

(4) Roadmap on Promotion of Housing and Living Styles toward a Low-Carbon Society

Period for the implementation of each measure and relationships among the measures concerning the housing and living styles for realizing a low-carbon society are shown in a roadmap.

Attached materials

Interim Report on Promotional Measures on "Housing and Living Styles toward a Low-Carbon Society" (Including the attached Roadmap on Promotion of Housing and Living Styles toward a Low-Carbon Society) (PDF:663KB) (in Japanese)

July 10, 2012

Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy