About

Saitama Prefecture, located in the center of the Kanto Plain, lies inland and is bordered by seven other prefectures. At approximately 3 800 km2, or about 1/100 of national area, it ranks as 39th in size out of 47 prefectures. Currently, Saitama's population is 7 180 000. Due to the location situated metropolitan area, population has increased dramatically after World War Ⅱ, in accordance with Tokyo's rapid growth. However, affected by recent trend migrating back to urban centers, the current growth in population has become more moderate due to rapid decrease of social increase over natural increase.

Compared nationally, Saitama features more sunny days and fewer storm and flood damage than anywhere else in Japan. On 16 August 2007, the city of Kumagaya in the northern part of the prefecture recorded a temperature 40.9º C, which broke the record for highest temperature in the country for the first time in 74 years.

There are various cities in the prefecture including densely populated urban cities, suburb cities located ubiquitously, and hilly and mountainous area tackling depopulation. And although the prefecture does not lie near the ocean, with the wide range of industries like agriculture, manufacturing and service industries located in its borders, Saitama can well call itself "Japan in miniature".

Thus, we are aiming towards the formation of an assembly of low-carbon garden cities featuring restored rivers and green spaces.  These cities will fuse rich natural environments with rapid technological innovation and serve as a vision for the future by bringing together a low-carbon, recycling-oriented society that lives in balance with nature. 

And so, Saitama, so easily a microcosm of the rest of Japan, is leading the country to take action against global warming, striving to realize low-carbon communities, and proactively reporting its progress and results.

Strategy

In February 2009, Saitama prefecture established the “Stop Global Warming: Saitama Navigation 2050” plan which establishes goals for Saitama's global warming strategy indicating policies and objectives for these goals to be met. Further, in March 2009, the Prefectural Ordinance to Promote Global Warming Countermeasures was enacted, in order to strengthen the effectiveness of its anti-global warming strategy. Based on this rule, Saitama Prefecture is preparing an introduction on emissions trading system, unique to its prefecture, that set a cap for large businesses.

The prefectuere is also proactively promoting the widespread use of renewable energy. They have begun providing assistance for installation of photovoltaic equipment for residential use since 2009. This program is nationwide top class assistance system, and many more of the Saitama Prefecture residents are taking part in this program. Furthermore, hey are promoting revitalization for natural spaces which extracts CO2 causing global warming. Saitama is adjacent to the Tokyo metropolitan area and lost much of its natural spaces during Japan's rapid post-war (post-1950) economic growth. To retrieve these lost spaces, in 2008 they established “Sainokuni green fund” which allots a 1.5 per cent vehicle tax (about 500 yen per vehicle) to fund revitalization efforts for these spaces. They are actively moving forward and utilizing this fund to create green areas in their cities and conserve about 3 000 hectares of forest in the prefecture by 2011.

The problems posed by global warming need to be addressed not only by developed countries but by the entire world. They believe it is essential for addressing global warming that local governments take the initiative and lead their country instead of waiting for national policies.

Twice a year, the 4 governors and 5 mayors of metropolitan area including Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama and City of Yokohama, Kawasaki, Chiba, Saitama, Sagamihara hold a summit conference to discuss regional issues and coordinate how they will be addressed. Due to the fact that Tokyo metropolitan area produce approximately 20 per cent of Japan's total greenhouse gas emissions, the local governments work together on global warming strategy policy.

Some efforts have been directed overseas.  As a governor who is seriously committed to environmental policy, the governor of Saitama was selected to attend the Governor's Global Climate Summit 2 which was held in the U.S. state of California from September 30th to October 2nd in 2009. The original congratulatory letter and video message sent to the summit were given by the governor himself and introduced a number of actions being taken against global warming. With the governor's own voice, their efforts against global warming were made known with the governor's own voice to every participant attending from around the world.

The outline of  “Stop global warming : Saitama navigation 2050” (Saitama Prefecture Global Warming Strategy Action Plan)

Targeted future objective - By the year about 2050, they will aim at realizing the aggregation of Low-Carbon garden cities tinged by renewed green and river.

Term of plan - 12 years from 2009FY to 2020FY.

The goal of GHG reduction - Reduce 25 per cent GHG emissions in Saitama by the year 2020 below 2005 level.

7 navigation for global warming strategies

1. Creating Low-Carbon, energetic industrial societies.
2. Switch to Low-Carbon business style.
3. Switch to Low-Carbon lifestyle.
4. Switch to Low-Carbon, eco-friendly energy societies.
5. Creating Low-Carbon garden city full of flavor.
6. Maintenance of forest that cherishes rich prefecture ground.
7. (Strategies for source of CO2 absorption) - Promotion of environmental education towards Low-Carbon societies.

7 key schemes expressly to be tackled early on

1. Establishment of cap and trade type emissions trading system.
2. Improvement of eco-specification of buildings.
3. Minimizing environmental loads caused by car traffic.
4. Promotion of advent of Ecolife DAY and Eco-point mileage.
5. Re-evaluation of business style and lifestyle.
6. Expansion of the spread of solar power.
7. Renewal of green and river.

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