‘Cool Biz’ taken seriously, goes international

The Japan Times

Students in suit, tie need not apply

Environment Minister Yuriko Koike said Friday students applying for jobs had better not wear jackets and ties to the interview.

Students who passed the civil service’s written examination must next visit specific ministries and agencies for interviews.

Those applying to enter the Environment Ministry, however, have been showing up in suits despite the government’s “Cool Biz” summer dress campaign, which shuns suits and ties.

“It is regrettable that young people go for the ‘safe’ ways,” Koike said at a news conference.

The “Cool Biz” campaign, which started June 3, has been pushed as a way to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by curbing the use of air conditioning and promoting sales of cooler apparel.

The Taipei Times

Men urged to doff suits
A group of women’s rights and environmental activists called yesterday for men to discard business suits in the summer in favor of casual shirts to reduce reliance on air conditioning. The activists, led by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Shu-ying (黃淑英) urged the men to get stop wearing suits during summer to help save energy. Noting that air conditioning is the prime reason for surging power consumption in summer, Huang said that one degree higher on air conditioner thermostats nationwide in summer means the country could save 300 million kwhs — the amount that Penghu residents use in an entire year. Wearing suits requires a temperature of between 22?C to 23?C to make an office or room comfortable in summer, Huang said, claiming that room temperatures could be raised if men wore less clothing.

2 thoughts on “‘Cool Biz’ taken seriously, goes international”

  1. Sweet. My new job is biz-cas too. For some reason we just have to abbrev everything at the off.

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