Introduction and development of a factor X (eco-efficiency) tool

The key to constructing a sustainable society is to enhance people's quality of life while reducing environmental impact by using environmentally-conscious or "Green" products and services (hereafter called GPs) that are known to have less impact on the environment. Businesses must provide GPs. At the same time, consumers must be encouraged to demand GPs. For promoting the development and propagation of GPs, we need a distinct index for "what is required to achieve GPs," on which designers, engineers, managers and consumers can base their judgments. Research on 'factor X' has been conducted by many institutions and companies as a potential evaluation method for GPs, but no standard evaluation method has yet been established. The newly developed calculation method is based on the 'factor' and 'eco-efficiency' concepts and developed from three viewpoints of "prevention of global warming (energy saving)," "effective utilization of resources" and "use of nontoxic materials." This paper describes the developed indicators and its features along with the calculation results. In addition, the application of 'factor', internal use of 'factor' for accelerating the development of GPs, and external strategies for popularizing GPs are discussed.