A new government-led campaign aims to improve Japan's overall energy efficiency 35% by 2030.

The new national campaign focuses on household energy consumption. Policymakers count on cutting-edge technology to play a major role in realizing a greener society: Energy-efficient LEDs will replace incandescent and fluorescent lighting in Japanese homes, and lights will switch off automatically when rooms are empty. One in every four households will be equipped with a next-generation hot-water system that uses ambient heat to fill bathtubs with warm water, and two in every 10 cars on the road will be electric vehicles.

A 35% improvement in energy efficiency over 15 years would be on a par with the progress made during the two decades following the oil crisis of the early 1970s. The government-led campaign during that time involved cuts in late-night TV broadcasting and a reduction in the use of neon lighting and private cars, among other steps.

Truong Duy