The Cool Biz campaign is a Japanese campaign initiated by Japan's Ministry of the Environment from the summer of 2005 as a means to help reduce Japan's electricity consumption by limiting the use of air conditioning. This is made possible by changing the standard office air conditioner temperature to 28 ° C (or about 82 ° F) and introducing the liberal summer dress code within the Japanese government bureaucracy so that staff can work in warmer temperatures. The campaign then spread to the private sector.
This idea was proposed by then Minister Yuriko Koike under Prime Minister Junichir's cabinet? Koizumi. Initially the campaign was from June to September, but starting in 2011, when there was a shortage of electricity after the 2011 T-hsu earthquake and tsunami was extended. Now start from May to October.
Video Cool Biz campaign
Plan
According to the Ministry of Environment, central government ministries set the air temperature at 28 ° C until September. The Cool Biz dress code advises the workers to tie the collar so that they stand up and wear long pants made of breathable material and absorbs moisture. In addition, workers are encouraged to wear short-sleeved shirts without a jacket or tie. Many workers, though, are confused as to whether they should follow the new provisions - many are coming to work with their jackets in their hands and ties in their pockets. Even those who like the idea of ​​dressing more relaxed sometimes become self-conscious during their travels as they are surrounded by non-governmental employees who are all dressed in standard business attire. Many government workers say they feel rude not to wear a tie when meeting private sector partners.
All government leaders take part in Cool Biz. Prime Minister Koizumi is often interviewed without a tie or jacket, and this results in a significantly improved campaign profile.
Maps Cool Biz campaign
Results from Cool Biz Campaign
On October 28, 2005, the Ministry of Enivronment announced the results of the Cool Biz campaign. MOE conducted a web-based questionnaire survey on the Cool Biz campaign on September 30, 2005, which included about 1,200 men and women taken at random from an internet panel recruited by research firms. The survey results show that 95.8% of respondents know Cool Biz, and 32.7% of 562 respondents replied that their offices set the AC thermostat higher than in previous years. Based on these figures, the Ministry estimates that the campaign resulted in a reduction of CO 2 emissions by 460,000 tons, an equivalent CO 2 volume emitted by about 1 million households for one month.
Some companies including Toyota ask their employees not to wear jackets and ties even when meeting with business partners.
Results for 2006 were even better, generating emissions reductions of CO 2 1.14 million tonnes, equivalent to CO 2 emissions by around 2.5 million households during the month.. The ministry also stated that they intend to continue to encourage people to set the summer office temperature not lower than 28 Â ° C as well as work to have the concept of Cool Biz take root fixed in society.
In July 2009, the Cabinet Office announced the results of a new questionnaire survey, which showed that 91.8% of respondents knew about the Cool Biz campaign, and 57% of them practiced the campaign.
Economic results
While Cool Biz deploys energy savings to all businesses, the tie business suffers. They claim that their summer sales dropped dramatically (about 36%), and asked the Minister of the Environment to end the campaign.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) analyzed that the Cool Biz campaign increased the demand for changing clothes and generated a positive macroeconomic effect on GDP of 18 billion yen in the summer of 2005. Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute announced that the total effect economy of more than 100 billion yen in 2005.
Biz Warm
During the winter of 2005, there were talks on many major news networks promoting the "Warm Biz" style for winter, showing that people wore waistcoats, knitted sweaters, and lap covers. The warm biz is not supported by the Japanese government at first. The food industry is eagerly promoting this campaign by selling food that warms people, like Nabemono.
However, the electric utility industry has little enthusiasm for the campaign. Because of the popular fossil fuel heaters in northern Japan, Warm Biz has little effect on electricity consumption. Thus, Warm Biz is more commonly referred to in the context of environmental conservation since heating fossil fuels releases more carbon dioxide than the AC does.
Super Cool Biz
After the T-hoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the closure of many nuclear power plants for safety reasons caused a lack of energy. To save energy, the government recommends setting air conditioning at 28 degrees Celsius, shutting down unused computers, and calling for moving work hours into the morning and taking summer vacations more than usual. The government then launched a "Super Cool Biz" campaign to encourage workers to wear appropriate office suits but cool enough to withstand summer heat. Polo shirts and coaches are allowed, while jeans and sandals are also acceptable under certain conditions. June 1 marked the start of the Super Cool Biz campaign from the Ministry of the Environment, with "newspaper ads and photographs of ministerial workers smiling somewhat consciously in front of their desk wearing polo shirts and colors Okinawa kariyushi shirts. "The campaign is repeated in 2012.
Cool Biz outside Japan
South Korea's Ministry of the Environment and the Trade Union Congress have promoted their own Cool Biz campaign since the summer of 2006. The concept also inspired the United Nations to launch the "Cool UN" initiative in 2008.
See also
- Cool Japanese
References
- Change Tool: Cool Biz, Japan
External links
- Cool Biz Campaign Results (2006) (in Japanese) , Ministry of the Environment
- Biz Cool Campaign Result (2005) (in Japanese) , Ministry of the Environment
- Wall Street Journal: Japan Sweats for Waging War on Air Conditioners , September 18, 2007
- NPR Morning Edition: Suitable Japanese Trade, Cutting Carbon Emissions , October 2, 2007
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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