About 82 percent of Japanese are concerned about the environment and 80 percent are willing to change their lifestyles to curb global warming, according to a recent Cabinet Office opinion poll.
In the survey, which covered 5,000 people, 82.4 percent of the respondents said they are concerned about the environment, while 80 percent said they are working to curb global warming on a personal level, up 6 percentage points from a survey three years ago.
The poll, conducted between June and July, shows 50.9 percent support the introduction of daylight-saving time, down from 54 percent three years ago. Proponents of daylight-saving time say it could help prevent global warming.
When asked what efforts they would make to help the environment, 70.4 percent said they would reduce waste and recycle more, while 54 percent said they would use their air conditioners less.
The survey also shows that 53.3 percent of the respondents turn off lights and electrical appliances when not in use and that 40.1 percent make use of public transportation or bicycles.
Despite the apparent interest in the environment, however, 58.1 percent said they were unaware greenhouse gas emissions from Japan have risen 10 percent since 1990.
And 69.8 percent were unaware that carbon dioxide emissions are increasing faster from households than from industrial sources.
In the previous survey, 74.1 percent said they were personally working to prevent global warming, while 82 percent voiced concern over ozone layer depletion and other environmental issues.