Cool Biz campaign

Cool Biz (Japaneseクール·ビズ, Kuru bizu ) is a started in 2005 campaign of the Japanese Ministry of the Environment to reduce energy consumption by air conditioners and thus protect the climate. In particular, they seek to the agreements of the Kyoto Protocol are complied with.

Content of the Recommendation

The voluntary scheme provides that office and work rooms are cooled to only 28 ° C instead of as before at 26 ° C in the hot summer months. To withstand the high ambient temperature in the workplace, employees are encouraged to forego the usual office attire ( suit and tie ) and replace it with airy clothes. In practice, it looks like that the employee waive the Japanese Business otherwise obligatory tie and allowed to wear open the top button of the short-sleeved shirt. It has been found in a study that the body temperature near thus Decrease by about 2 ° C.

The acceptance of this " dress code " was mixed in the population. Thank it took quite an effort to dispense with the otherwise very formal Japanese Business clothing. They came initially without a tie "naked" before. However, authorities and large companies were leading by example and made the waiver of the tie to duty, why could enforce the rules without any problems there.

Up until the day before the start of the scheme and immediately the day after the end shall again formal wear.

Warm Biz

In winter, from November to March is considered a reverse recommendation that heaters should be set at not more than 20 ° C. This is to be compensated by correspondingly warmer clothes.

History

Regulation first came in 2005 from 1 July to 30 September in force. Prior to this action were Japanese politicians, especially the then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, demonstratively in casual clothes on to lead by example.

In 2006 the term was extended due to the success of the action; they already started on June 1. This runtime is also true for 2007.

Success of the action

For 2006, the government estimates that 1:14 million tons of CO2 emissions could be saved by the action. This corresponds to the average stress caused by 2.5 million households in a month.