1. Environmental Policies in Japan Part 2: Present Environmental Status
Serbia Webinar: December 18, 2014
Environmental Policies in Japan Part 2: Present Environmental Status
and Environmental Policies
Yasuhiro KANDA
Director
Hyogo Prefectural Institute of Environmental Sciences
Hyogo Environmental Advancement Association
Good afternoon. Can you hear me?
I am Yasuhiro KANDA of the Hyogo Prefectural Institute of Environmental Sciences.
I am going to give you a presentation on environmental policies in Japan.
Last October, I gave a lecture on Part1: History.
Today I will present Part2: Present Environmental Status and Environmental Policies.

2. Contents Part1. History of Environmental Pollution
　　　　　　　　　　　　　and Environmental Policies
　　　 - Transition of Environmental Issues
　　　 - Four Major Environmental Pollution Diseases
- Pollution Diet, etc.
Part2. Present Environmental Status
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　and Environmental Policies
- Global Warming
- Biological Diversity
- ３R（Reduce, Reuse and Recycle)
- Environmental Pollution, etc.　
Here is the contents of my presentation.
Both Japan and Hyogo has a system or structure of environmental policy like this: global warming, biological diversity, 3R, and environmental pollution, etc.
I will explain the policies in this order.

3. Global Warming 1 Source: IEA CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion 2013
First Global Warming. The left Figure shows “Top10 emitting countries” in the world. China is No.1, USA No2. and Japan is the fifth largest country.
The right Figure shows “Trends in CO2 emission intensities for the top five emitting countries.”
1990 data is thinly colored, and 2011 is thickly colored. The chart shows the changes of each country for 20 years.
The horizontal axis is CO2 per capita, and the vertical axis is CO2/GDP.
So, it is good for each country to move toward left and down.
USA and Russian Federation moved toward left and downward.
But, Japan did not move much, although Japan is located in a position better than USA and Russia.
Source: IEA CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion 2013

4. Global Warming 2 GHG emissions in Hyogo: trends and forecast
▲3.8%
▲2.2%
Total ▲6.0%
This chart is on GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions in Hyogo: trends and forecast.
1990 is the standard year of Kyoto Protocol. Hyogo achieved minus 8.2%, which is larger than the national target of minus 6%.
However, there was an nuclear accident in 2011, and nuclear power plants were stopped and Emission coefficient has risen from to 0.414: This means that GHG from electricity consumption has risen about 50%.
However, we cannot complain about this. We have to accept the situational change.
Hyogo has made a plan to reduce 6% compared with 2005, which is larger than the national target of minus 2.2%.
Emission coefficient

5. Global Warming 3 Policy measures Low carbon model city
Sector Specific Measures
(Industrial, Commercial, Residential, Transport, Energy)
(Top Runner, BEMS/HEMS, CASBEE, etc.)
Regulations on Fluorocarbons
Sink (forestation)
Local government’s plan
MRV (measurement, reporting and verification)
COOLBIZ, WARMBIZ, smart move, light down campaign
Carbon footprint at households
Initiatives of public organizations
Carbon tax
Emissions Trading
Carbon Offset
Feed In Tariff (promotion of Renewable Energy)
Adaptation
R&D etc.
I have picked up policy measures for Global warming.
To build some model cities with the assistance of national government and to disseminate the experiences to other cities is a common policy measure.
“Sector” of the “Sector Specific Measures” means Industrial, Commercial, Residential and so on. Sector specific measures are basic approaches.
GHG reduction requires energy saving and transformation of energy system, which means all social and economic activities are relevant.
So, various available policy measures are introduced to reduce Green House Gas emissions.

6. Biological Diversity 1 World Japan 5-30 Million Species 20,000 66,000
Endangered,
Vulnerable
Red List
Identified
Estimated
Japan
Next is Biological Diversity. In the world, 5-30 million species are estimated to exist, 1.75 million identified, 66,000 listed in red list, and among them 20,000 species are designated to be endangered or vulnerable.
In Japan, 300,000 species are estimated to exist, and 90,000 are identified. Although the land of Japan is small, Japan has many species, and many of which are “endemic”: species that can be seen only in Japan.
Many species in small land
High rate of endemic species
300,000
Species
3,600
5,600
90,000

7. Biological Diversity ２ Monitoring Sites 1000 Project Alpine Zones
Satoyama
Seagrass Beds
Geese and Ducks
Forests
Japan has various types of nature: alpine zones, satoyama, seagrass beds, etc.
Flora and Fauna is surveyed regularly by experts or academics and also by citizens.
Monitoring Sites 1000 is a project that promote citizens participation in the survey.
Seabirds
Sea Turtles
Algal Beds
Source: Biodiversity Center of Japan

8. Biological Diversity 3 Basic Act on Biodiversity
Fundamental Principles:
Conservation of biodiversity, Use of biodiversity
Preventive & adaptive method, Long-term standpoint, etc.
Nature Conservation Law
Ex. Shirakami-Sanchi
World Heritage site (Natural)
Purpose:
to protect and manage natural resources and natural ecosystems in cooperation with other related laws.
Natural Parks Law
Ex. Fujisan
World Heritage site (Cultural)
Basic law exists also in the area of Biological Diversity, which stipulates Fundamental principles.
They are to conserve and use biodiversity at the same time, and to introduce preventive method and also adaptive method for effective management, and to have long-term standpoint.
There are various laws under this basic act. Here I picked up two laws: nature conservation law and natural parks law, because the differences between the two laws are interesting.
The purpose of the Nature Conservation Law is to protect natural resources, and the purpose of Natural Parks Law is to preserve nature, especially scenery, for citizens.
The differences become clear if these laws compared with the world heritage system.
For example, Shirakami-sanchi is a mountain with valuable ecosystem. It is designated as a natural World Heritage Site.
On the other hand, for example, Mt. Fuji has a splendid shape, and is designated as a cultural World Heritage Site.
However, the two are not differentiated each other so distinctly. Mt. Fuji used to obtain natural World Heritage Site, but since it was found to be difficult, it obtained cultural World Heritage Site.
It is difficult to draw a line between how far to preserve and how much to use nature. Relationship between nature and humankind is very complex.
Purpose:
to preserve beautiful scenic areas and their ecosystems and
to contribute to the health, recreation and culture of citizens by promoting their utilization

9. Biological Diversity 4 Nature Restoration Projects In Hyogo
Oriental White Stork
(Photo: Hyogo pref.)
Mt. Rokko (Photo: wiki)
(Photo: City of Toyooka)
This slide picks up 3 nature restoration projects in Hyogo.
Mt. Rokko, which is located in Kobe, was a bald mountain about 100 years ago. In 1938, a mudslide occurred and caused big casualty. In order to prevent the mudslide, trees were planted and now the mountain became a green rich one.
Oriental White Stork used to be seen elsewhere in Japan, but became extinct. The city of Toyooka, a city in the northern part of Hyogo, was the last habitat.
Russian Khabarovsk, which is a sister province of Hyogo prefecture, kindly gave a pair of Oriental White Stork.
The pair of Storks were raised and breeding went successful. At present, about 70 storks are living in the city.
Behind the success, there was a various cooperation from local society: pesticide free agriculture is an important local practice. Chemical free environment is necessary for storks to find their feed.
At first, farmers were reluctant to change their agricultural practices, but now they are glad to produce “oriental White Stork Rice”, which has a bland value and can be marketed at higher price.
The coastal area of Amagasaki City was a Heavy Chemical Industrial Zone. Industrial structure changed and the zone became an idle space.
There are citizens movements to make the land a green wood, even though it takes 100 years.
Amagasaki
21st Century Forest
(Photo: Hyogo pref.)

10. Biological Diversity 5 Satoyama Satoumi
(Source: Hokusetsu-Satoyama Museum)
Satoyama and Satoumi are Japanese approaches to live with nature. Satoyama was popular in Japan and by re-examining the effects of Satoyama, the word “Satoumi “ was recently invented.
Development is a type of crisis for biodiversity. But, no human intervention is also a crisis, because it decreases the diversity of nature.
In Japan, people entered in a nearby mountain, cut trees to get firewood or to make charcoal, took edible plants like mushroom in a proper scale.
However, Japanese lifestyle has changed and people began to have little incentives to enter a nearby mountain. As a result of that, biodiversity of mountains had decreased. Recently, there are movements to enter mountains and to use natural resources, where people can enjoy his/her harmony with nature.
Satoumi is a sea version of satoyama. Nature integrated lifestyle is getting a lot of attention.
Satoumi
(Source: Satoumi net)

11. 3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) 1①
Input of Natural Resources
Reduce
Production（Manufacturing, Distribution, etc.)
resource efficiency: GDP/①
Material Recycle
Consumption, Use ②
Reuse
recycle utilization rate:
　　　　　　　　　　　②/①+②
Discard
Next is 3R: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.　
The left chart is an image of material flow in a sound material cycle society.
First, material comes from natural resources, and is used for production, and products are distributed to consumers, and products are discarded.
Some of the discarded products are reused at production or another consumer.
The rest of discarded material goes to material recycle, or final disposal. If the waste is incinerated in an efficient incinerator, electricity can be generated, which is called “Thermal Recovery.”
Producer/manufactures and consumers are encouraged to reduce materials.
In order to secure a reuse flow, producers and consumers are encouraged to buy reused materials.
For material recycle, manufactures are encouraged to design products which can be easily recycled. Government is promoting “DfE: Design for the Environment.”
At the final disposal site, Proper Disposal is required not to contaminate the environment.
The right charts show trends of three indicators. All show that 3R is going well in Japan.
The upper chart is on resource efficiency, which is GDP divided by circle1 is increasing.
The middle chart is on recycle utilization rate, which is circle2 divided by circle1 plus circle2.
The lower one is the amount of final disposal: circle3, the lower the better.
All three indicators are expected to achieve the targets.
Treatment (Recycling, Incineration, etc.)
Thermal Recovery
Proper Disposal
Final
Disposal ③
final disposal:　③
Image of a Sound Material Cycle Society

12. 3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) 2
Basic Act for Establishing A Sound Material Cycle Society
Waste Management Law
Resources Utilization Law
Containers & Packaging
(steel can, aluminum can, non-colored container, charcoal colored container, other colored container,
paper pack, cardboard, other container, PET bottle, other plastic container/package)
Home Appliances
(Television set, Refrigerator, Air conditioner, Washing machine)
Food Waste
(manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, restaurant)
Construction Waste
(concrete, construction materials consisting of concrete and iron, wood, asphalt-concrete)
End-of-life Vehicle
(retailer→Freon collection→airbag collection→shredder residue collection)
Small Electronic Appliances
(almost all electronic appliances: depends on city area)
Green Purchasing Law
This slide shows law system.
There is a basic act for recycling, and under the act, various laws exist.
Waste Management Law deals with waste. This law is for proper final treatment.
Resource Utilization Law promotes each industry to take voluntary actions including DfE.
Containers and Packaging Law designates 10 items to be recycled. Since containers and package waste are generated at every household and everyday, municipal government has a role for collection. Those who use container or package for selling their products are required to pay money for recycling.
Home Appliances Law designates just four types of appliances: television set, refrigerator, air conditioner, and washing machine. Manufactures paly the major role for recycling.
Food waste recycling law makes food manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer and restaurant set each target of recycling rate.
Construction waste recycling law designates four materials such as concrete and regulates construction companies.
End-of life Vehicle flows from end-user to retailer to company who collects Freon gas and to company who collects Airbag and to company who collect shredder residue. Recyclable parts or material can be sold in market. Those collecting companies obtain money from an organization that manages deposit money that user pays when the user purchases the vehicle.
Recycling of Small Electronic Appliances is a bit different from other recycling laws. The law does not or cannot designate types of appliances to be recycled.
This law does not make users to pay for recycling as the Home appliance law does. Whether recycle ca be done or not depends on the types of appliances and collection efficiency. Recycling company and municipal government decide which items to be recycled.
The Green Purchasing Law regulates national or local governments to purchase green products.

13. Air Pollution 1 ppm SO2 1970-2010 ppm NO2 1970-2010 General station
1980
1990
2000
2010
SO2
General station
Roadside station
ppm
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
NO2
Next is on air pollution.
The upper graph shows trends of SO2 from 1970 to There are two types of monitoring station: one is for general air and the other is to examine the influences of automobile. You can see that from 1970 concentration has dropped sharply.
The lower graph shows trends of NO2 from 1970 to Roadside station is higher than general station. The gap is an influence of automobile. The concentration did not decrease for long years. It was just recent years that concentration dropped to satisfy environmental standards. Various measures were taken to decrease automobile pollution.
General station
Roadside station

14. Air Pollution Control Law
The purposes of this Act are to protect the health of citizens and to protect the living environment from air pollution
by, among other things, controlling emissions, etc. of Soot and Smoke, Volatile Organic Compounds, and Particulates associated with the business activities of factories and workplaces and with the demolition, etc. of buildings, etc.,
by promoting the implementation of measures against hazardous air pollutants and 
by setting maximum permissible limits for automobile exhaust; 
This slide is an article of the purpose of Air Pollution Control Law, which shows basic structure of regulations.
The first block says the purpose is to protect citizens health and living environment.
The second and third blocks describe how to achieve the purpose.
The second block says to regulate business activities, and the third block automobile.
The last fourth block is on victims compensation.
and to protect victims where air pollution has caused harm to human health by providing for the liability of business operators for damages.

15. Measures in the Hyogo Automobile NOx/PM Total Emission Reduction Plan
Air Pollution 3
Measures in the Hyogo Automobile NOx/PM Total Emission Reduction Plan
1. Automobile unit regulation
strengthening automobile exhaust gas regulations,
thorough control of vehicle inspection etc.
2. Automobile model regulation
automobile registration regulation on models in
specified areas
3. Automobile traffic regulation in specified areas
4. Promotion of low emission vehicle
5. Traffic stream measures and others
This slide is to explain what kinds of measures are taken for automobile pollution. Hyogo has a “Automobile NOx/PM Total Emission Reduction Plan.”
I have listed up five measures among many measures written in the plan.
First is automobile unit regulation. This is a regulation on exhaust gas. This regulation is conducted nation wide.
Second is automobile model regulation, which does not allow old type automobile with low quality of exhaust gas to be registered in designated area. This pink area is one of the three designated areas in Japan.
Third is a regulation which does not allow old type automobile with low quality of exhaust gas to run though the designated area. This regulation is stipulated in Hyogo prefecture’s ordinance.
Fourth is “promotion of low emission vehicle” by providing financial assistance.
Fifth is to improve traffic measures so that traffic jam not to occurr.

16. Air Pollution 4 Photochemical Smog ■Number of Alert Announce Days
○Number of Victims
2010
1970
1980
1990
2000
Air pollution is not yet solved in Japan.
The upper-left chart is on photochemical smog: tropospheric ozone pollution.
When the ozone concentration becomes high, prefectural government issues an alert to the public to avoid health damage.
The number of victims has dropped sharply, but the number of alert announcement days has not been decreased. It keeps around 100 days.
The lower-right chart is on the mechanisms of ozone and PM2.5 generation.
Recently PM2.5 is getting public attentions, because mass media reported brown haze in China and it is said that some parts of the brown haze come to Japan.
Research institutes including my institute is analyzing where PM2.5 comes, using simulation models.
PM2.5 generation mechanisms
Source: MOE

17. BOD/COD Environmental Standard
Water Pollution 1
BOD/COD Environmental Standard
Achievement Rate
1980
1990
2000
2010
Achievement Rate
River
93.0%
Total
88.2%
Sea
78.4%
Lake
53.7%
Next is on Water Pollution.
In Japan, rivers and lakes have environmental standards of BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) and sea water has environmental standards of COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand). The vertical axis is achievement rate of environmental standards.
You can see that river water has improved, but sea water remains at a certain level, and achievement rate of lake water is still low.

18. Water Pollution 2: Enclosed Seas
Baltic Sea
North Sea
Seto-inland Sea
Black Sea
Enclosed sea is located near at hand, but it has a characteristic that water exchanges between inner sea and outer sea is limited and once pollution occur, it is difficult to recover.
The upper-right chart shows the Seto-Inland Sea. It faces 13 prefectures including Hyogo. The red line is a border line of catchment area. In this area, special law is implemented and strict regulation is applied.
In the world, enclosed sea can be seen in various areas: the lower-right chart is the Chesapeake bay. The left chart shows Baltic sea, North Sea, Black Sea and Mediterranean sea.
As I introduced at the previous lecture, international conferences are hold in every two to three years by International EMECS Center, which is a Hyogo’s affiliate organization.
Mediterranean Sea
(Source: Google map)
Chesapeake Bay

19. Water Pollution 3: Land Reclamation in Osaka Bay
Source: The Association for the Environmental Conservation of the Seto Inland Sea
The left side picture is a satellite view, and the right side chart shows when, in what age, land reclamation was conducted in Osaka bay.
Some of you may know the Port Island, Kobe Airport and Kansai Airport. Others include waste landfill sites.
You can imagine that most of the coastline became artificial.
In shallow areas like sea-grass bed or tidal flat, various living organisms exist and they play important roles for material circulation.
Recently functions of shallow area are being reexamined. Blue carbon, greenhouse gas capture, is one of the functions.
Source: Yahoo map
Source: Fisheries Agency
Source: MOE
Source: MOE

20. Trends in Fish Catches in Seto Inland Sea
Water Pollution 4:
Trends in Fish Catches in Seto Inland Sea
Source: The Association for the Environmental Conservation of the Seto Inland Sea
1990
2000
2010
1980
1970
Production Amount
1,000 tons
cultivation
fish
Fish
Other aquatic animal
Shell fish
Seagrass
The Seto-Inland Sea used to be a sea where “fish catches”(production amount of fish) are very high, but recent years fish catches are declining.
One of the causes of the problems seems to be the loss of tidal flat & sea weed bed; the place for fish spawning (egg-laying).
Another possible cause is lack of nutrients, Nitrogen and Phosphorus, which were regulated to enter into the sea by the policy measures against eutrophication.
The reduction of the nutrients were accomplished by the regulation of the Law on Seto-Inland Sea. Now, the revision of the law is being conducted to stop simply reducing nutrients and to introduce adaptive measures, which, in some cases, to increase nutrients flow from land to the sea.

21. Water Pollution 5: Satoumi and Substance Circulation
This is an image of Satoumi: the goal we are trying to achieve. From woods, nutrients (Nitrogen and Phosphorus) flow into the sea, where nutrients are taken in by Phytoplankton, and then go to Zooplankton, fish, and then human life. This is an ideal material cycle, and proper measures to control nutrients are being discussed.
Source: Ministry of the Environment

22. Environmental Education
Children’s presentation at an elementally school
Finding organisms at a tidal flat
Hyogo EE Center
Playing a nature game
Environmental Education is an area of environmental administration, and important for transforming socio-economic structure into a more environmentally conscious one.
The Left photos are an inside and an outside picture of Hyogo EE Center.
The upper middle picture shows that elementary school children are giving presentation on their environmental conservation activities.
The lower middle picture shows teachers are playing a nature game: they are looking for artificial things hidden in nature. This game is to strengthen nature observation power.
The right pictures are EE on tidal flat. Parents and children are looking for living organisms.
Photo: Hyogo pref.

23. Conclusions Command and Control emission standards, land use, etc.
Procedural regulation
Environmental Impact Assessment,
Pollutant Release and Transfer Register
Economic incentives
subsidy, tax, emissions trading, etc.
Voluntary measures
agreement, pledge and review, etc.
Information disclosure
environmental report, carbon disclosure, eco-label, etc.
For my conclusions, I will introduce the classification of policy measures.
Command and Control is a measure that government imposes various standards like emission standards on factories. Permission on land use plan is also a command and control measure.
Procedural regulation is a policy like EIA. EIA does not decide this project is all right and that is not, but imposes procedures which developers should take. PRTR requires factories to file a report to government, and government opens the data to the public. This type of policy measure is relevant with information disclosure.
Economic incentives are effective measures, but when they are going to be introduced, big controversy occurs and often becomes too little to be an incentive.
Voluntary measures can be seen elsewhere in Japan. Local governments and big factories often make an agreement that stipulates higher level of environmental management. Legal compliance is a national minimum. In order for a factory to be accepted by the local community, factory needs to do something above minimum. Pledge and review are often used as a GHG reduction measure.
Information disclosure is used for evaluating company wide activities and product performances.
In the old days, command and control was the main policy measure. But, in order to deal with Global Warming or 3Rs, socio-economic structures need to be changed and policy measures, which involves public participation, are becoming more important.

24. Tank You Very Much For Your Attentions.
That’s all for my presentation.
Thank you very much.
Tank You Very Much For Your Attentions.