There are two topics that I would like to comment on today. The first is "Japan's New National Energy Strategy," and the second is "Lifetime Energy Education at Schools and Community Centers," which includes programs being conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
First of all, I would like to comment on the New National Energy Strategy that was taken up by the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy on the 7th of this month. Countries around the world are currently reviewing their energy policy in light of the need to achieve energy security amid recent changes in international energy supply and demand. We therefore believe that Japan's strategy, which has energy security as its primary objective, is most appropriate. "Securing a stable energy supply" is already a pillar of the nation’s Basic Law on Energy Policy and Basic Energy Plan, and as it is an element of national strategy, we sincerely hope that mid- to long-term perspectives will be kept in mind as more concrete plans are developed.
Of the five numerical targets set forth in the strategy, electric power suppliers are particularly eager to continue their aggressive efforts to achieve the targets for nuclear power generation and energy saving. Furthermore, we hope that discussions will move forward with the understanding that these targets can best be achieved by creating a favorable business environment and supporting the voluntary efforts of the private sector, rather than by relying on regulations or legal requirements.
I believe that the basic framework of the strategy will be reflected in the Coordination Subcommittee of Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy discussions of the Basic Energy Plan, but speaking from the standpoint of the electric power industry, I would like to comment on two points that we consider to be particularly important.
The first point is that the energy strategy is a part our nation's mid- to long-term policy, and I hope that every effort will be made to ensure that the government does not deviate from its goal of establishing the foundation of a stable energy supply. In particular, we hope that conditions will enable the realization of the Framework for Nuclear Energy Policy, and that nuclear energy will be accorded a higher policy priority -- a goal that we have long dedicated ourselves to realizing. In addition, coal-fired thermal generation offers the advantages of supply stability and resource availability, and we hope that the important role it plays in an optimal combination of power sources will also become more widely known.
The second point is that, from the standpoint of environmental protection, we hope the government will clarify the importance of Eco Cute and other heat pump technologies described in the Kyoto Protocol Target Achievement Plan, and that they will support technology development and societal acceptance of rapidly advancing electric automobile technologies that are clean and energy efficient.
I would now like to comment on Lifetime Energy Education at Schools and Community Centers. These programs, which will officially begin in April, will be conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. In the past, electric power companies have conducted activities aimed at increasing public understanding of environmental and energy issues with the cooperation and support of many groups and organizations in a variety of industries and fields. We have, for example, collaborated with the Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs and the National Middle School Social Science Education Study Committee, the latter of which is made up of middle school social science teachers. In addition, each electric power company has also offered on-call lecture services.
In addition to these grassroots activities, we will henceforth also be collaborating with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. We will aggressively participate in Community Children’s Classes, and will cooperate in providing opportunities for lifetime education programs on environmental and energy issues.
The Community Children's Classes are part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s "New Plan for Children’s After-School Activities," which was first implemented in 2004. Directed at primary and middle school students, and administered by local PTA members and other adults, the plan provides students with opportunities to play, engage in sports, study, or participate in cultural activities after class has ended and on school holidays. In 2005, approximately 8,000 school classrooms were utilized under the plan. At the Community Children's Classes, electric power company employees will be available to teach energy classes. In addition to using experiments and models to demonstrate power generation, they will assist students with electric craft projects, and provide instruction in electric cooking.
In addition, we will also be involved in lifetime education efforts in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Electric power companies, as well as companies from the oil, gas, and other energy industries, will provide speakers whenever lectures on energy education are held at community centers and public education centers as part of cultural and educational seminars in the lifetime education program.
Each of the electric power companies has already allocated staff and office resources to deal with requests from community members for both types of activity.
It is our hope that by enabling a broad range of citizens -- from primary and middle school students up to adults -- to obtain true, accurate information about energy and the environment, it will lead to a greater understanding and awareness of energy and environmental issues in the future, and enable people to think about those issues in a more personal way.
