December 16, 2009

JAMA Publishes Its Annual Environment Report (2009)

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. has published its 2009 Report on Environmental Protection Efforts: Promoting Sustainability in Road Transport in Japan (available online, in Japanese and in English at http://www.jama-english.jp/publications/env_prot_report_2009.pdf), an overview of the wide-ranging measures taken by Japan’s automakers to reduce the environmental impact of their products and production activities and of road transport in its broader context.

The goal of JAMA and its member manufacturers is the achievement of sustainable mobility, and to that end measures are continuously being taken to combat global warming, reduce emissions from vehicles and production plants, and increase recycling rates, among other environmentally friendly initiatives.

This report describes the measures taken at every stage of the life cycle of motor vehicles—from development to production, use and disposal (through recycling)—to enhance their environmental impact, citing the numerical targets established in various areas and examining the results obtained in Japan of the specific measures taken so far.

Covering fiscal year 2008, the report provides detailed information on, among other issues:

  • Early compliance with fuel efficiency regulations:
    Having steadily increased over the years, the average fuel efficiency of new gasoline-powered passenger cars has now reached 16.9 km/liter, considerably surpassing the 2010 target of 14.8 km/liter.
  • The status of in-use low-emission vehicles:
    In 2008, 96% of all new vehicles sold in Japan were certified as low-emission, with vehicles whose emissions were down by 75% from 2005 standards accounting for roughly 80% of that total.
  • The progress achieved in vehicle recycling:
    Automobile shredder residue (ASR) is now recycled at a rate of between 72.4 and 80.5%, thereby exceeding, well in advance, the 2015 target of 70%.
  • Environmental protection in production processes:
    The 2010 targets for reducing CO2 and other emissions as well as waste from the manufacturers’ production plants have already been achieved.

As listed in its table of contents, JAMA’s 2009 Report on Environmental Protection Efforts covers the following topics:

  1. Summary of Activities
    (basic position and strategies; recommended measures to reduce CO2 emissions in domestic as well as global road transport)
  2. Environmental Protection in Vehicle Performance
    1. (1) Addressing climate change
    2. (2) Promoting the wider use of alternative-energy/next-generation vehicles
    3. (3) Reducing the hazards of mobile air conditioners
    4. (4) Improving air quality
    5. (5) Restricting the use of in-cabin volatile organic compounds
    6. (6) Reducing noise
  3. Environmental Protection in Vehicle Manufacturing and Distribution
    1. (1) Reducing CO2 emissions and waste in production processes
    2. (2) Reducing CO2 emissions in logistic
  4. End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling
  5. Road-Related Environmental Protection Measures
    1. (1) Improving traffic flow
    2. (2) Promoting ecodriving

 

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