Basic Policies on Environmental Activities and Environmental Education in Mie Prefecture (Outline)
Mie Prefectural Government revised the “basic policy on environmental education” to establish the “basic policy on environmental activities and environmental education”. This was in order to encourage citizens and groups to voluntarily promote environmental education and to take specific types of action, leading to an expanded network for community based environmental activities, for a sustainable society.
Policy concept
- The New Policy clearly states the basic ideas and direction for environmental activities and education in Mie prefecture, based on national and international development over environmental activities and education. This includes the newly established Law for Enhancing Motivation on Environmental Conservation and Promoting Environmental Education.
- The policy places emphasis on “networking among citizens and groups involved in activities and linking those players with opportunities for activity” and “linking knowledge to action”, and associates environmental education with environmental activities. It also encourages the various players to activate environmental projects, and each citizen to actively engage in them, in addition to presenting the basic idea of the measures to be taken.
- The policy presents “seven principles” for solving issues and implementing measures. It also states the basic initiatives by player and by theme through collaboration and cooperation among various players, based on the notion of “public interest in the new area”.
- The policy shows the basic ideas for environmental education which will lead to environmental activities based on the current challenges in the Mie Prefetural government. These challenges are concerned with collaboration among the environmental activity bases, environmental efforts by private businesses in the community as “corporate citizens”, prevention of global warming, realization of a society with zero waste and international environmental corporation.
- The policy provides the basic idea of the cooperation between the Mie Prefectural Environmental Study and Information Center and the Training Section of Mie Prefectural Board of Education. It allows for collaboration among those entities, municipal governments, NPOs and other groups, and the establishment of schemes for leaders’ activities and community-based environmental activities. It also clarifies the concept of recommendation, evaluation and policy review every five years by the “Forum on Environmental Activity and Education in Mie Prefecture (Tentative name)”.
Challenges in terms of "linking the activity players,opportunities and measures"
- Improving the networking function between the various players for closer relationships.
- Exploring opportunities for activity and places for NPOs and community groups to work together, and linking efforts by schools and business entities.
- Promoting links between environmental administrative efforts, and cooperation between educational and environmental administrations, and associating environmental issues with other measures.
Basic policy
Concept for forming the new basic policy
- Encouraging citizens and groups to voluntarily engage in environmental activities.
- Aiming at a sustainable recycling society based on the current environmental measures in Mie Prefecture.
Basic policy for enhancing motivation for environmental activities and promoting environmental education
- Purpose of environmental education: Capacity building for voluntary activities aiming for realization of a sustainable society.
- Purpose of enhancing motivation for environmental activities: Capacity building for engaging in voluntary activities for environmental activities, pollution prevention, protection of natural environment, lifestyle reviewing and other activities, which have a directly desirable impact on the environment.
Challenges in linking awareness with activities
Educating people to be eco-conscious and knowledgeable about the environment by showing basic policies to encourage learners to transform their awareness and knowledge of environmental issues into action.
Basic concept of the policy and measures
The policy and measures are designed to involve citizens and various groups in environmental projects, based on the “A Comprehensive Plan for Fulfilling Life in Mie”, the “Environmental Basic Plan” and the “Education Promotion Vision”.
Direction of the policy and measures
To heighten our powers of worldwide environmental protection
(1) Efforts linking citizens and groups as players
It is necessary to enhance “community capability” to address and solve environmental issuesand improve the environment through engagement and collaboration of the citizens and groups based on the concept of “public interest in the new era”.
a. Efforts in communities and families
- Promoting cooperation among various players including NPOs and community groups
- Utilizing natural and cultural assets for improving children’s activities.
- Involving families in environmental activities, recycling and waste reduction
- Saving resources and energy, ensuring integrity of foodstuffs and promoting local production for local consumption
b. Efforts in schools
- Making a total plan for environmental education, promoting cooperation among schools and communities
- Working on the “School Environmental Day”
- Providing education focusing on “life” and “sensitivity”
- Working on the prefectural school environmental management
- Promoting cooperation among bases for environmental studies and training organization for teachers
c. Efforts in the workplace
- Promoting social contribution as a corporate citizen
- ISO14001 and M-EMS (for small sized businesses)
- Green purchasing
- Promoting environmental management
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| NPO activities in the local community | Environmental classes at requested places |
There is a natural pond within the plant premises of company A in Yokkaichi city, which is one of the rare cases in the nationwide urban areas. The plant management designated the pond and the green belt around the lake as a bird sanctuary in order to preserve and regenerate the waterside environment and the surrounding greenery. Since then, about 50 different species of wild birds have made it their habit to come flying to the pond every year. Also, the local people are allowed to visit in order to experience the environment becoming better in addition to enjoying a nature ramble. (Courtesy of the Tokai Office of Ajinomoto Co. Ltd.)
(2) Development, registration and utilization of required human resources
Establishing systems in schools, companies and local communities to utilize human resources for environmental activities.
| Training leaders | Utilizing the registration of eligible human resource projects |
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| Training teachers on environmental issues | Facilitator training |
(3) Using activity bases and exploring activity opportunities
Revitalizing the functions of activity bases, providing various opportunities and promoting cooperation among the bases.
| Using the existing facilities for environmental education | Using opportunities and sites for various types of environmental education |
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| Activity at Mie Prefectural Environmental Study and Information Center | Natural observation in the field |
(4) Providing information
Making environmental information available in order that citizens can access it whenever they need
| Providing information on environmental activities and education | Using the information system of the Training section of the Board of Education |
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| Website “The Environment in Mie” | Website “Mie Learning Net” |
(5) Improving programs
Improving programs to encourage learners to engage in the activities.
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| Workshop for planning program | Making programs in the natural environment |
(6) Efforts from the International perspective
Working on education for sustainable development and international understanding
| International environmental cooperation | |
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| Training for government officials of Henan Province in China | ICETT accepting trainees from overseas |
(7) Efforts for prevention of global warming
Improving effective schemes for reducing greenhouse gases Supporting civilian environmental movement for CO2 reduction
Introducing and promoting new energy
Eco-point
(8) Realizing a zero-waste society
Making programs which will be utilized at any opportunity of environmental education depending on players, age group and community.
Promoting community networking by collaboration and cooperation with the existing groups
(9) Natural Environmental Conservation and Regeneration
Provision of education for natural environmental conservation, issuance of the red data booklet of Mie Prefectural version, utilization of the list of special natural treasures, and preservation and regeneration of the landscapes in urban areas, and agricultural and fishery villages.
Preservation of various types of natural environment
Securing biodiversity
Formation of a good landscape
Training interpreters
Mie Prefectural Environmental Study and Information Center was founded in 1999 to collect environmental information and disseminate it to the citizens. The center displays the environmental information, develops educational materials, offers training, classes, workshops and seminars, trains leaders for environmental activities, and provides environmental information via the internet. It is an environmental study facility open to citizens of all ages. It accepts numerous guests from both inside and outside of Mie Prefecture and also offers classes at requested sites. Schemes to promote environmental activities and education
Providing schemes for making recommendation and evaluation on policies for environmental activities and education
1. Promotion scheme
Promotion scheme for Environmental education
Establishment of a promotion system for the activities of environmental education leaders by promoting cooperation between Mie Prefectural Environmental Study and Information Center and the Training Section of the Board of Education, and collaboration and networking among the municipal education bases and NPOs.
Scheme to promote environmental activities
Establishment of a scheme to promote community based activities
Implementing policies
Setting up Mie Prefectural Forum for Environmental Activities and Education (tentative name) for recommendations and evaluation on the policies on environmental activities and education, and for making action plans.
2. Evaluating and reviewing measures and basic policies
Making review in five years based on the status of environmental activities and education, and both the national and International situation
Meeting room called the “Forest of Creation” of the Department of Environmental Protection on the 8th floor of the Mie Prefectural Government office building, used as a place for environmental education.
Basic Policies on Environmental Activities and Environmental Education in Mie Prefecture (Outline)（PDF:345KB）