LearningJapan’sLessonsonEnvironmentalPollu5onandEconomic

Development �

SoichiroSekiSeniorAdvisor

MinistryoftheEnvironment,Japan

December16,2016

3E Nexus

Ministry of the Environment

Soichiro Seki �Educa5onn  GraduatedfromTokyoUniversity,FacultyofEngineeringProfessionalCareern  2016ProjectResearcher,IR3S,TokyoUniversity

SeniorAdvisor,MinistryoftheEnvironment(MOE)n  2014ViceMinister,MOEn  2012DirectorGeneral,GlobalEnvironmentBureau,MOEn  2011DirectorGeneralforWaterEnvironmentand　　　　　　

DecontaminaRon,MOEn  2006Director,MunicipalWasteManagementDivision,MOEn  2005Director,IndustrialWasteManagementDivision,MOEn  2003Director,AirQualityManagementDivision,MOEn  1998SeniorEnvironmentalEngineer,TheWorldBankn  1985JICAEnvironmentExperttoThaiGovernment

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Ministry of the Environment

•  Japanachievedhigheconomicgrowthin1950s,60sandearly70swithli\leconsideraRonoftheenvironment,whichcaused;

n SeriousenvironmentalpolluRon,n Massdisposalofwaste,andn DestrucRonofnature.

•  FourmajorpolluRoncasesoccurredinthisperiod.

Huge prices Japan must pay later3

Environmental Problems under High Economic Growth

Ministry of the Environment

In the 1950s: Local residents experienced numbness in their hands and mouth after eating fish caught in local waters. n  Causative agent:

Methyl-Mercury n  Number of officially

certified patients ：2,274 (as of March 2013)

Minamata Disease

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Environmental Pollution-Induced Health Damage

Ministry of the Environment

Environmental Pollution-Induced Health Damage

In the 1960s: n  Causative agent: sulfur oxide n  Air pollutants from a

petrochemical complex caused severe cases of bronchitis and asthma among many local residents.

Yokkaichi Asthma

In the 1960s: n  Causative agent: Cadmium n  Cadmium from mine flew into

rice farm and was taken in by residents through intake of rice.

Itai-itai Disease

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Ministry of the Environment

High Economic Growth (1955-1972)�

•  Theaveragerealeconomicgrowthratemarked9.1%throughthe1950s,60sandearly70sinJapan

Theaveragerealecono

micgrowthra

te(%)

EconomicgrowthrateinJapanYear

9.1%between1956-1973

4.2%between1974-1990

0.9%between1991-2009

Income-doubling plan started

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Ministry of the Environment

What happened during 1955-1972

（23 times）

（6.3 times）

（5.1 times）

（10.1 times）

（5.5 times）

NOx emission

SOx emission

Energy supply

GDP

Oil consumption

1972(fiscal year)

Source：Statistics from Economic Planning Agency and Ministry of International Trade and Industry

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1955 1960 1965 1970

Ministry of the Environment

Inthe1950sandtheearly1960s,n EconomicgrowthrateshadbeenexcepRonallyhigh.ThiswasparRcularlytrueforindustry,andespeciallyforpolluRngindustries.

n ProducRonandconsumpRonacRviResarespaRallyveryconcentratedinindustrialzonesandurbanareas.

n Thestrongcommitmenttoindustrialgrowth,andarelaRveneglectofenvironmentalquality,weresharedbymostsegmentsoftheJapanesesociety.

(OECDReview1977:EnvironmentalPolicesinJapan)

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Causes of Environmental Degradation in Japan�

Ministry of the Environment

Source: Prime Minister’s Office “Opinion poll on environmental pollution” (1966, 1971 and 1975)

（unit：%）

1966

1971

1975

Unacceptable 27

Up to cases 38

６

Acceptable 29

49

28

10

13

51

26

7

16

Don’t know

Public Responses to Environmental Pollution

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Ministry of the Environment

Source: Prime Minister’s Office “Opinion poll on social issues” (1971, 1974)

1971

1974

Merit surpasses demerit

27%

Both merit and demerit 29%

Can not say 18%

14%

Don’t know 12%

Public Response to Economic Growth

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Demerit surpasses merit

Ministry of the Environment

n Bythelate1960s,Japanhadbecomeoneofthemostpollutedcountriesintheworld.

n Aratherabruptchangeinsocietaladtudesthentookplace.

n EnvironmentaldisrupRon,whichhadbeen,atleastapparently,relaRvelywell-toleratedbecameunacceptableleadingtothequickdevelopmentandimplementaRonofstrongandmulRfacetedpolicies.

(OECDReview1977:EnvironmentalPolicesinJapan)

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Policy Change �

Ministry of the Environment

1960s 　Now

Air and Water Pollution in Industrial Areas

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Ministry of the Environment

Pollution Economic loss (yen/year）

Expenditure for pollution control

(yen/year) Minamata Disease 12.6 billion 0.1 billion

Itai-Itai Disease 2.5 billion 0.6 billion

Yokkaichi Asthma 1.3 billion 14.7 billion

*The above values are 1989 price of equalized values of economic loss and actual pollution control expenditure with assumption that maturity period is 15 to 30 years.

Economic Loss due to Environmental Pollution

21 billion (without any countermeasures taken.(total))

100 yen = 1 USD

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Ministry of the Environment

Sustainable Development

GrassrootsanR-polluRonmovements

Lawsuitsagainst

polluRon PolluRoncontrollegislaRons

Towards Sustainable Society �

Nationwide serious environmental pollution

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BasicEnvironment

Law3RsLaws

Ministry of the Environment

Sustainable Society �

IntegrationofThreeSocieties15

Ministry of the Environment

The4thBasicEnvironmentPlansays; �

Sustainablesocietywepursueis;asocietywhichachieves(1)low-carbonsociety,(2)soundmaterial-cyclesociety,and(3)societyinharmonywithnature,whileensuringsecurityandsafetyasabasis,withciRzens’parRcipaRon,andwhichpreservesasoundandrichenvironmentbothgloballyandlocally.

(CabinetDecisiononApril27,2012)

What is sustainable society in Japan?�

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Ministry of the Environment

Japan’s Lessons�

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p  Underhigheconomicgrowth,Japanhadbecomeoneofthemostpollutedcountriesintheworldbythelate1960s.

p  Duetoawide-spreadanR-polluRonsenRmentamongJapanesepopulaRon,drasRcpolicychangetookplacearound1970.

p  By1980s,Japanbecameoneofthecleanestcountriesintheworld.

Lessonslearned:PrevenRonisfarbe\erthancurenotonlyforpolluRoncontrolbutalsoforclimatechange

miRgaRon.

Ministry of the Environment

Leap Frog Developments

（リープ・フロッグ）En

vironm

entalLoa

ds

EconomicGrowth

Previous development path for developing countries Development path toward a low-

environment-load society

Development path of industrialized countries

Previous development path for industrialized countries

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