Eco-friendly employees can now accumulate company-specific eco-points to exchange for days off

The article reports on the increasing number of Japanese businesses which have chosen to institute an eco-points systems to encourage employees and their families to adopt environmentally friendly behaviour. It focuses on several employees who speak about their motivations for participating in their respective companies’ renditions, and the effects of it on themselves, or their immediate family.

What seems most telling is that the eco-points system is a reward system. As with any other loyalty scheme, a certain number of points can be exchanged for a material reward, which in this cases ranges from a bicycle to days off. The promise of reward is what seems to be the driving factor behind  Mr. Jōko’s daily routine of hunting down events to which he may go during the weekend and report his attendance in exchange for eco-points – “if I must go out, then I might as well go somewhere that allows me to accumulate more points”.  This shows that participation is not born out of a ‘Japanese’ desire to ‘live in harmony with nature’ (Kalland and Asquith, 1997) and thus, protect it. It was from a clear desire to exchange eco-points for the abovementioned rewards and apart from personal gains, he does not mention it as part of a larger blueprint or effort for environmental preservation.

While benefits such as that mentioned by Mr. Jōko include savings on utility bills and more conversational topics at the dinner table, the intentions behind the design of the scheme are clear – to widen their target audience to include employees’ families so that more people are environmentally aware or inclined to change their behaviour. However, if the voluntary nature of the nationwide scheme means that only some companies will participate, thus limiting the net impact. The scope of the scheme is also such that it alone may not be sufficient to influence sociocultural norms permanently. In making the scheme akin to a game with the sole goal of earning points for rewards, it achieves immediate success and fair takeup rates. Yet should the scheme end or companies deem participation surplus to requirement, will the changes in behaviour shown by participants persist?

If one were to consider the scheme successful, be it in the short run or long term, then it speaks of a problem symptomatic in Japanese society. Although it is an urban detachment in nostalgia experienced by contemporary city-dwellers that Kirby (2011) refers to, I believe that none of the participants truly see beyond the exhortations to be environmentally aware and ‘eco-friendly’, or the material rewards co-operation has brought them. A similar detachment displayed in environmental conservation movements by civilians and businesses alike may prove detrimental to a more lasting commitment that will continue beyond the scheme’s lifespan.

References

Asquith, Pamela J, and Arne Kalland. 1997. Japanese Images Of Nature. 1st ed. Richmond: Curzon Press

Kirby, P. W. 2011. Troubled Natures: Waste, Environment, Japan. 1st ed. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.

The article may be found at: http://digital.asahi.com/articles/DA3S11355016.html?iref=comkiji_txt_end_s_kjid_DA3S11355016 1/

For additional information on eco-points:

Eco-Akushon-Pointo Ni Kansuru Gaidorain Kaisetsuhen (Guidelines Regarding Eco-Action Points – An Explanation). 2014. Ebook. 1st ed. Tokyo: Environmental Policy Bureau. Accessed September 24. http://www.env.go.jp/policy/eco-point/guideline/exp.pdf.