Environment

The government has pledged an additional $10 billion (¥1.1 trillion) in public and private financing to liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects worldwide, in order to help spur demand for the cleaner fossil fuel, trade minister Isshu Sugawara said on Thursday.

Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund will begin allocating substantial amounts of money to bonds with an environmental purpose as early as the fiscal year beginning next April.

An international conference on fuel cells that is scheduled to open here Wednesday is set to call for powering 10 million vehicles -- including trains, planes and automobiles -- with the environmentally friendly technology in 10 years, Nikkei has learned.

The government plans to build a central database to strengthen the monitoring of remote islands that define Japan’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.

Japan's government will play a greater role in developing the nation's geothermal power resources, seeking to lower the barrier for private-sector investment in this lagging area of renewable energy.

Groups of researchers from Japan, the United States, Europe and other regions studying marine waste plan to draw up international guidelines aimed at getting a better grasp on the actual situation.

The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to introduce its own electronic currency, in a bid to ease the commuter rush during next year’s Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and reduce the use of plastic shopping bags that contribute to marine pollution.

Japanese engineering company JGC will build facilities that convert plastic waste into raw materials used for chemical production, the corporation said Wednesday, a move that will help process discarded plastics no longer accepted by China and other emerging nations.

Sixteen Japanese companies will support efforts to capture carbon dioxide emissions and turn them into fuel and industrial materials, seeking to mitigate damage to the environment caused by the continued use of fossil fuels.

Many industries such as retail and tourism are affected by the weather. It is hoped that meteorological data will be used for business purposes to stimulate the economy.

The Japan Meteorological Agency gathers data from rain gauges and thermometers in various locations as well as satellites. A huge amount of data, including past observation records and future forecasts, can be said to be valuable public assets.