Resources for International Cooperation

  • Evaluation
    • In the 1990s, urban air quality continued to improve in Japan. The very strong decoupling of emissions of conventional air pollutants from GDP already achieved (-82% for SOx and -22% for NOx while GDP rose by 140% over the 1970s and 1980s) was further reinforced in the 1990s (-5% for SOx, NMVOCs and CO, while GDP rose by 13%).
    • Japan's emission intensities for SOx and NOx (kg/unit GDP) are below the OECD average by 85% and 71%, respectively. Among OECD countries, Japan has the third lowest emission intensity for SOx and the lowest for NOx.
    • Japan has been in the vanguard among OECD countries on regulating toxic chemicals. Significant emission reductions have been achieved for a range of substances (-60% for total dioxin emissions, -45% for benzene, -43% for trichloroethylene and -50% for tetrachloroethylene from 1995 to 1999) by major emitting companies.
    • Motor vehicle emission and fuel quality standards have been further strengthened and are now the strictest in the world.
    • Automobile fuel efficiency has increased, although the gain has so far been offset by an increase in the volume of traffic.
    • Japan still faces the challenge of decoupling the use of road transport from GDP growth for both passenger and freight transport. Growth in demand for transport outstripped GDP growth in the 1990s, and demand management measures remain weak. This is Japan's Achilles heel when it comes to urban air quality and CO2 emissions.
    • No substantial measures have been introduced so far to reduce NMVOC emissions, particularly from large stationary sources.
    • Levels of fine particulate air pollution are an increasing cause of concern in large metropolitan areas.
    • There is very little use of economic instruments to reduce air emissions.
  • Recommendations
    It is recommended to:
    • continue efforts to reduce NOx and NMVOC emissions, in light of the persistent NO2 and photochemical oxidant issue in metropolitan areas;
    • further develop and implement comprehensive policies to control fine particulate emissions from both mobile and stationary sources and to meet environmental quality standards;
    • continue efforts to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals, ensuring in particular that voluntary agreements are efficient and effective;
    • use cost-benefit analysis more systematically in integrating major air management and transport decisions, including those for road investment;
    • strengthen the management of motor vehicle traffic through a comprehensive package of policies including traffic demand management measures (e.g. land use planning, economic instruments, information technology) and measures promoting the use of more fuel efficient vehicles and of less polluting transport modes.