Japan Advocates Combating Global Warming--by Others

Japan today outlined ways to combat global warming but stopped short of advocating any sweeping steps to bring its own mighty industries to heel.

Tokyo’s annual environmental “white paper,” approved by the Cabinet and now due to go before Parliament, concentrated on the ecological effects of what many people believe to be rising world temperatures caused by massive emission of carbon dioxide and other industrial pollutants.

Japan should pass on to developing countries its know-how on pollution control and energy efficiency and ensure that its foreign aid goes to ecologically sound projects, the document said.

At home, there should be more energy advisers to industry. Factories should agree to uniform vacations for workers and close down for the holidays, and the country should consider introducing daylight saving time to conserve energy.

The report said Japan--as the biggest importer of tropical woods--should make citizens aware of the depletion of the world’s great rain forests and encourage manufacturers to find alternative sources of timber supply.

The 1990 white paper was the result of a compromise between Japan’s still fledgling “green” lobby, represented by the government’s Environment Agency, and the powerful pro-business Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

The final statements on energy policy, though relatively bold for cautious Japanese bureaucrats, did not appear to foreshadow real improvements.