JR East takes up the challenge of ‘searching for a railway that is kinder to the Earth’

Abstract

Although the railways are said to be kind to the environment, they do consume energy and emit carbon dioxides. They must make it their own responsibility to work ceaselessly at further reducing these effects. The most important point in this respect is whether the railway companies have established a means in management for tackling the problem of improving the environment independently and continuously. In Japan, railways have been an important part of Japan's transport system. In 1994, JR East started up the Committee of Ecology and decided on three basic policies. Great strides have been made, for example, with the environment management system, energy-saving efforts, the movement to grow forests and the reduction in rubbish. It should become increasingly important to have firm strategies for this field in the future, especially in the twenty first century which is being called the ‘environment century’.