Flanked by Diet members and educators, members of an environmental nonprofit group unveiled the outline of a law to systematically promote environmental education during a symposium in Tokyo on Saturday.

The legislation would call for the central and local governments to establish five-year action plans, allot a prescribed number of hours of environmental education for students as well as annually offer at least 24 hours of "environmental education" to local residents. The goal of the law would be to realize a more sustainable society.

"This draft is not perfect, the numbers of people and hours in it need to be debated, but it is a first step that we hope will help to spur discussion," said Konoe Fujimura, of the Japan Association of Environment and Society for the 21st Century, the driving force behind the legislation.

The draft defines environmental education broadly, emphasizing the need to help people understand the environmental problems we face today and make correct choices on acting to build sustainable social systems.

It would also make environmental education a required course for would-be educators and new public servants.

Likewise, governments would need to fund projects in collaboration with nongovernmental groups, such as the drawing up of model curriculum. Corporations would also be responsible for offering environmental studies courses.

Masahiro Tabata, a Lower House member of New Komeito, one of the ruling coalition parties, said members of his party have started to facilitate the exchange of ideas between relevant ministries.

"I hope this proposal gathers steam so that we can make the debate more concrete," he said.

Educators and representatives of business sectors both said that current environmental education efforts are piecemeal at best. Participants cited a shortage of capable instructors and funds in promoting environmental education among students and society.

"Environmental education really needs to be embedded institutionally, given official status in school curriculum," said Makoto Ijima, a teacher at Musashino Junior High School in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture.

The group is to hold symposiums on the draft throughout the country to help it gather momentum and is hoping to get politicians to submit the legislation to the Diet next year.