News Release
New Seicho-No-Ie Movement Policy was announced: targeting realization of “Zero Carbon” emissions within the next five years
Religious Juridical Person, “Seicho-No-Ie” has decided its new Movement Policy for 2007 introducing “Zero Carbon” movement, which is to try to control minimizing the amount of CO2 emissions that come from Seicho-No-Ie activities, and offset the CO2 emissions through introducing natural energy, contributing to forestation, etc. to bring the CO2 emissions to net zero.
It was announced at the Seicho-No-Ie Delegates’ Conference held on February 27-28, 2007 (at the International Headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo) where representatives from 59 Missionary Areas in Japan and Missionary Headquarters and branches overseas such as the United States, Brazil, and other countries and regions gathered.
In the Policy, the year of 2007 as Phase 1 Five-Year Plan Movement Policy for Year One, it is specified that the office of International Headquarters, Main Temple (in Saikai City, Nagasaki), and Uji Detached Temple (in Uji City, Kyoto) (not including commuting to and from work and/or publication activities) to realize “Zero Carbon” emissions within the next five years.
To be concrete, we will make efforts to decrease CO2 emissions at the aforementioned three offices through evaluating the amount of CO2 emissions comes from energy usage; such as electricity, city gas, LP gas, water and sewage services, heavy oil, fuel for official vehicles and CO2 emissions that accompany business travel (methods of transportation) or travel to and from Headquarters’ sponsored events, meetings.
On the other hand, as ways to offset the remaining CO2 which couldn’t be cut down, we will promote introducing natural energy such as solar and wind power systems, contributing to forestation, and purchasing Green Energy Certification.
The naming of “Zero Carbon” was adopted in order to make our members ages from young to elderly generations to well understand the movement objectives.
This is generally referred to as “carbon neutral.” There are some cases have already implemented by Washington Office of World Bank, Marks & Spencer, a major supermarket company in U.K., and Tokio Marine & Nichido, fire insurance company in Japan.>
Seicho-No-Ie International Headquarters and Main Temple have obtained ISO14001 certification as a religious organization for the first time. Since then, our Spiritual Training Centers and 53 Missionary Centers in Japan have obtained the certification.
Expecting to complete obtaining ISO14001 certification at our all 66 offices in Japan within year 2007, we declared “Zero Carbon” movement as an advance activity to put a brake on global warming.
As for major activities of Spiritual Training Centers and Missionary Centers in Japan, we are aiming to achieve “Zero Carbon” emissions within the next ten years.