Quality of the Environment in Japan 1996
Part II
2. Protection of the Ozone Layer
In order to protect the ozone layer, the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was adopted in March 1985, as was the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in September 1987. While the Vienna Convention prescribes general re-sponsibilities for each party country, the Montreal Protocol incorporates regulatory measures including the reduction of production of ozone de-pleting substances, and each party became obligated to cooperate to put specific countermeasures into force in order to protect the ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol has been revised three times since its adoption, in 1990, 1992 and 1995, due to the detection of ozone layer depletion to lower levels than were originally expected. Regulations have been rein-forced in stepwise fashion. Revisions include adding new substances to be regulated and speeding up the regulation schedule of originally regu-lated substances.
Japan ratified the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol and established the Law concerning the Protection of the Ozone Layer through the Control of Specified Substances and Other Measures (here-after referred to as the "Ozone Layer Protection Law") in 1988. Later, revisions of the Montreal Protocol prompted Japan to revise the Ozone Layer Protection Law as needed. Most recently, Japan partially revised the Law in June 1994, based on revisions made to the Protocol in 1992.
Japan recognizes the need for efforts to protect the ozone layer through international cooperation in addition to domestic measures, and from this standpoint is also training personnel in charge of ozone layer protection from developing countries in order to encourage the swift ratification of the Protocol by these countries and to assist in its proper implementation in these countries.
Finally, in order to boost scientific knowledge regarding ozone layer depiction, Japan is developing satellite-mounted ozone layer obser-vation equipment and conducting observations and monitoring of the ozone layer, ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere and harmful ultraviolet rays.
3. Acid Deposition
The acid deposition problem first came to worldwide attention in North America and Northern Europe, where it affected ecosystems of lakes and forests, and buildings, including ancient remains. These prob-lems k d to the signing of the Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution Gonvention (Vienna Convention) in 1979, which became the basis for in-ternational countermeasures.
The East Asian region has also experienced increases in emis-sions of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides along with economic growth which are becoming real acid deposit problems. International measures to preempt the harmful effects of acid deposits are becoming an urgent task.
As a first step toward efforts at regional cooperation in East Asia to respond to this need, the Environment Agency proposed a concept of the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia. In order to real-ize this Network, Expert Meetings on the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia have been held since 1993, attended by experts from East Asian countries and concerned international organizations.
As a result, at the third meeting held in Niigata in November 1995, the concept of the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia was adopted, regarding the establishment of an acid deposition monitoring network in East Asia.
It was emphasized that the monitoring network should be estab-lished as soon as possible, by the year 2000 at the latest, a monitoring network center should be set up in Japan, and efforts should be made to encourage official agreement by each country to the items agreed upon at the third meeting.
It was proposed that a working group be formed to conduct joint scientific and technological discussions needed to complement and rein-force the Guidelines for Monitoring Acid Deposition in East Asia adopted at the second meeting.
4. Prevention of Pollution of the Marine Environment
(1) Summary of the Problem
The ocean covers three-fourths of the Earth's total surface, holds 90% of the world's water resources, is an important location for life form production, and also has an effect on climate, through mutual interac-tion with the atmosphere, making it an essential element in maintaining all life on the Earth.
The characteristics and resources that the ocean possesses have been utilized and developed by humans since ancient times. But in re-cent times in particular, with the increasing reliance on marine re-sources and increases in all types of pollution that occur with human ac-tivities, conservation of the marine environment has become an impor-tant issue. Since ocean region surveys tend to be conducted in seas near advanced countries, the overall picture of the state of global marine pol-lution is not necessarily clear. Nevertheless, in closed seas, such as the North Sea, Baltic Sea, and Mediterranean Sea, the occurrence of red tide is increasing, in addition to pollution from hazardous substances such as heavy metals. Moreover, because the threat of major marine pollution exists from supertanker navigation and the development of sea bottom oil fields, and because damage incurred from the occurrence of a single accident can spread over large areas for long periods of time, conserva-tion of the marine environment has become an important issue. In par-ticular, a succession of major oil spills in recent years caused by super-tanker accidents, and large-scale oil spills that occurred during the Gulf War of 1991, have had serious effects on the marine environment, again moved international opinion regarding the importance of conservation of the marine environment.
(2) Countermeasures
Japan revised its Law Relating to the Prevention of Marine Pollu-tion and Maritime Disaster in 1980, 1983, and again in 1995, strengthen-ing its requisite domestic laws, and also moved to strengthen preven-tive countermeasures for marine pollution by participating in the Con-vention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention), which regulates the dumping of wastes, generated mainly on land, into the ocean by ships; the Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL 73/78 Convention), a comprehen-sive treaty that prevents marine pollution by regulating the emission of oil, noxious liquid substances, and wastes from ships, as well as ship structure and facilities ; and the "1990 International Convention on Preparation for, Responses to and Cooperation in Oil Pollution" (OPRC Convention), which is aimed at strengthening preparedness, responses and international cooperation in the event of oil spill, not only from the standpoint of firefighting but also from that of protection of the marine environment.
The London Convention was passed in November 1972 and went into effect in August 1975. Japan ratified the Convention in October 1980, and it went into effect in Japan in November of that year. Recently, at the 16th Consultative Meeting of Contracting Parties to the of Lon-don Convention, held in November 1993, an annex to the Convention was revised to prohibit the disposal of industrial wastes at sea.
Regarding the MARPOL 73/78 Convention, regulations for the prevention of oil pollution (Appendix I), regulations for the control of pollution by harmful liquid substances in bulk (Appendix II), regulations for the prevention of pollution by harmful substances carried by sea in packaged forms (Appendix III), and regulations for the prevention of pollution by garbage from ships (Appendix V) have gone into effect An-nex IV, which provides regulations for the prevention of pollution by sewage from ships, has not yet gone into effect, but the IMO is working toward early implementation.
The OPRC Convention was drafted in response to the massive oil spill accident caused by the running aground of the Exxon Valdez off the coast of Alaska, United States in March 1989, and went into effect in May 1995. Tn October of the same year, Japan signed the Convention, which went into effect in Japan in January 1996.
For regional efforts to protect the marine environment, the UNEP regional seas program, which calls for adoption by concerned countries of joint action programs for environmental conservation of in-ternationally closed seas, is being promoted in the Northwest Pacific Ocean region, centering on the Sea of Japan. In September 1994, the four countries of Japan, Republic of Korea, China, and Russia agreed on the "Northwest Pacific Regional Seas Action Program."
Accordingly, Japan participated in the Fifth Experts Meeting in Bangkok in November 1995 and the IMO/UNEP Conference of Experts for Preparation for, Responses to and Cooperation in Marine Pollution, and conducted joint surveys with Russia regarding the marine environ-ment of the Sea of Japan based on the Japan-Soviet Environmental Pro-tection Cooperation Agreement. In addition, a "Workshop on the Moni-toring of Marine Environment of the North Pacific" was held in Toyama Prefecture, with the participation of experts and representatives of local public organizations from the countries concerned.
In addition, Treaty for the North Pacific Marine Science Organi-zation for Exploration of the Sea (PICES), adopted in December 1990. to promote marine science research in the North Pacific ocean regions and to encourage the related information infrastructure went into effect in March 1992. Current members of the treaty are Japan, the United States, Canada, China, Russia and Republic of Korea. This organization is divided into four committees, including a Marine Environmental Qual-ity Committee, to promote marine science. The fourth annual meeting of members was held in Tsing Tao, China in October 1995 with the par-ticipation of experts from Japan.
In November 1995, the "Global Action Plan on Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities," which had been ad-vanced mainly by the UNEP, was adopted by over 100 countries, includ-ing Japan, in order to prevent marine pollution which accompanies ac-tivities on land.
5. Countermeasures to Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes
(1) Summary of the Problem
The movement of hazardous wastes across national boundaries originally took place as an ordinary occurrence in places like Europe where many nations border each other and commercial travel is com-mon. Nevertheless, such movement could not be said to have been ap-propriately done in environmental terms. In particular, the 1982 disap-pearance of dioxin-polluted soil that had been left over after an acciden-tal explosion at an agricultural chemicals factory in Seveso, Italy in 1976, and subsequent rediscovery in France the following year, presented the new environmental pollution threat of the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, and caused the EC and OECD to move toward creat-ing control systems.
In the late 1980s, a number of incidents occurred in which haz-ardous wastes exported from advanced countries caused environmental pollution in less developed countries. These include the Coco Incident (1988), in which a transporter carrying wastes that included PCBs from Italy, Norway and elsewhere were discovered dumping in Nigeria. Such incidents apparently began to occur when it became difficult for owners of hazardous wastes to dispose of them in advanced countries, and they turned to exporting to less developed countries where regulations were more relax.ed and disposal costs lower. It soon became apparent that the problem of transboundary movement of hazardous wastes was no longer limited to the advanced countries but became a problem that in-cluded the less developed countries and that required a response on a global scale.
(2) Countermeasures
In response to these problems, the UNEP worked to pass the "Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal" in March 1989. The Convention went into effect on 5 May 1992, mandating a system of permits and prior notification for the export of hazardous wastes and required re-export when inappropriate exports and disposal of wastes had occurred.
The problem of the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes was also taken up at the Earth Summit held in Brazil in 1992 as an important theme among global environmental problems. Its impor-tance was also highlighted in Agenda 21.
As a result, Japan, being aware of the need for early participation in the Basel Convention from the viewpoint of contributing to the con-servation of the global environment, adopted and promulgated the "Law Concerning Regulation of Exports and Imports, etc. of Specified Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, etc." on 16 December 1992, as Ja-pan's domestic legal response to the Basel Convention.
Later, the enforcement ordinance for the law was promulgated on 3 September 1993, completing the structure of Japan's domestic im-plementation of the Convention. Japan officially became a member of the Basel Convention on 17 September of that year. The Convention went into effect in Japan on 16 December of that same year, and the do-mestic law in response to the Convention was implemented from that same day.
Concerning the regulation of procedures in OECD member coun-tries for the movement of wastes across national borders for the pur-pose of recycling, since Japan entered into passage in March 1992 of the OECD Council Decision Concerning Regulation of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes for Conducting Recycling Operations before the Basel Convention went into effect in Japan, the necessary regulations for transboundary movement of wastes covered by the OECD decision were based on the Law Concerning Regulation of Ex-ports and Imports, etc. of Specified Hazardous Wastes, etc., of 16 De-cember 1992.
Based on one year of this law from January to December 1994, the volume of exports of specified hazardous wastes, etc., permitted was 7,580 tons and the volume of permitted imports was 1,216 tons.
Finally, the Law for the Amendment of the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law, promulgated on 16 December 1992, was imple-mented from 15 December 1993. It imposes necessary regulations for the export or import of wastes, requiring confirmation by the Minister of Health and Welfare for waste export and a permit from the Minister for waste import.
6. Conservation of Forests
(1) Summary of the Problem
Various types of forests are distributed around the world accord-ing to the climate characteristics of each region. Total forest area is about 4.18 billion hectares, covering about 31% of total land area (includ-ing inland waters area) (FAO: "Production Yearbook,1994"). The for-ests are teeming with value as a natural resource. Forests supply habi-tat for much wildlife, possess environmental adjustment functions, in-cluding conservation of the soil, fostering of water sources, and absorp-tion and fixing of carbon dioxide, and of course supply wood - an essen-tial source for lumber, charcoal, and other items for human life - as well as sources for such non-lumber products as raw materials for pharma-ceuticals.
In recent years, however, while forest areas in developed regions have either leveled off or increased, forests in the tropical regions of de-veloping countries have declined drastically. According to the final re-port of the Forest Resources Assessment Project, the latest report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an esti-mated annual average of 15.4 million hectares (about 40% of Japan's land area) of tropical forest was lost in the 10 years from 1981 to 1990. The tropical forests are said to support about half of the world's wildlife spe-cies, making them a storehouse of genetic resources. But the loss of large areas of forest threatens many wildlife species with the danger of extinction. Moreover, it has also been pointed out that the loss of a for-est releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, thus becoming a factor in the acceleration of global warming. Causes of tropical forest loss vary by region, including non-traditional slash-and-burn agriculture, exces-sive collection of wood for charcoal, inappropriate commercial logging, and overgrazing. In the background of these causes lurks various socio-economic factors, including population growth, poverty, and land con-trol system.
(2) Countermeasures
In FY 1995, based on the countermeasures for forest decline agreed upon in the Statement of Forest Principles, the first global agreement on forests, which was reached at the Earth Summit, and in Agenda 21, debates on conservation and sustainable management of the world's forests, including tropical forests, were conducted in a number of international forums.
At the third session of the CSD, in April 1995, the management, conservation and sustainable development of forests were among the main issues under discussion. It was decided that an open-ended ad hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) be established to consider a wide range of issues concerning forests. The results of the IPF's discus-sion will be reported at he fifth session of the CSD in 1997. The Panel is currently considering a variety of forest related problems.
The new International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) adopted in 1994, which replaced the 1983 International Tropical Timber Agreement, was the first agreement passed following the Earth Sum-mit, with one objective being to provide support for producer countries so as to implement a strategy for achieving exports of tropical timber and timber products from sustainable managed sources by the year 2000, the "2000 Target." The new ITTA strengthened the international framework for tropical forest conservation. Japan ratified the agree-ment in May 1995. The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO ; headquarters in Yokohama) that was set up by the ITTA is ac-tively seeking the cooperation of both producer and consumer countries for conservation, sustainable management and utilization of tropical for-ests. The organization has implemented more than 200 projects in addi-tion to its planning of strategy for the "2000 Target," and adoption of guidelines. In addition, the ITTO is currently conducting a review of the state of efforts by each country toward achieving the "2000 Target." Ja-pan submitted its report on its own efforts in September 1995.
Furthermore, preparations of criteria and indicators to under-stand and study the sustainability of the management of forests other than tropical forests are being discussed among European countries and non-European countries separately.
Studies into criteria and indicators for forests within the Euro-pean region have been proceeding in European countries since June 1993, with provisional agreement reached on criteria and quantitative indicators in June 1994. Since then, studies have continued into the topic of descriptive indicators.
As for non-European countries, Japan, Canada, the United States and others have been carrying on work since June 1994 on the prepara-tion of criteria and indicators that target all forests other than tropical forests. A final agreement was reached at the sixth international work-ing group meeting held in February 1995. Accordingly, at the seventh meeting held in October of that year, reports were given by member countries including Japan and other participating countries on the measures taken and applications made of the above standards. The countries also confirmed that they would continue discussions toward the applications of the standards and indicators in each country.
Japan has participated in these international discussions, and continues to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation as it has in past years.
Japan has cooperated bilaterally in such areas as the develop-ment and proliferation of anti-flood afforestation technologies for devas-tated areas, research into advanced uses of wood, training for and prolif-eration of forestry business with participation of local inhabits, and tech-nical cooperation including the development of tree breeding tech-niques in Southeast Asia, Oceania, Africa and Central and South Amer-ica Among these projects are 22 project-type technology cooperations in 14 countries currently operated by the Japan International Coopera-tion Agency (JICA) as of 31 March1996.
As for multilateral cooperation, Japan has continued to support the activities of the International Tropical Timber Organization, provid-ing the largest amount of funds of any member country.
Japan has participated in FAO projects by training policy-makers and field superintendents from Asian countries moving toward market economies which have weakening forest conservation manage-ment systems. Moreover, Japan is also contributing to the Center for In-ternational Forestry and orchard Research (CIFOR), established in1993 under the umbrella of the Consulting Group on International Agricul-tural Research (OGAIR), thus expanding its support for forest conserva-tion research.
Surveys and research into tropical for include research into tropical forest ecologies at field sites in the Malaysian rain forest using the Global Environmental Res arch Fund conducted by national re-search institutes. The national research institutes re also conducting monitoring and research into changes in the tropical forest and their ef-fects at field sites in the Thai tropical fore st, using the budget of the Ocean Development and Earth Science Research Fund.
In the private sector, NGOs have given assistance toward affor-estation activities in Southeast Asia, Africa, China and other countries, and private corporations have been working to conserve tropical forests by providing support for a sapling experiment by planting Dipterocar-paceae trees to rejuvenate the tropica1 forests in Sarawak State, Malay-sia, and on plans to plant 15,000 hectares of native tree varieties in Papua New Guinea for the purpose of sustainable forest production.
7. Protection of Biological Diversity
Japan his always made efforts toward the conservation and sus-tainable use of biological diversity in accordance with the basic guide-lines adopted based on its domestic legislation. In addition, based on Ar-ticle 6 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Japan adopted its na-tional strategy on biological diversity, which indicates the basic guide-lines and direction of policy development of the Convention, at the Council of Ministers for Global Environmental Conservation, held on 31 October 1995.
The Asian Regional Meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) held in Japan in October 1995, included discussions regarding problems enforc-ing the Convention in Asia, such as trade of rhinoceros and tiger, and ways to cooperate in Asia. In addition, the June 1994 revision of part of the "Law for the Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora" went into effect in June 1995, as part of its efforts to strengthen the domestic system for executing the CITES.
Japan continues to support the membership of Asian countries in the Convention on Wetlands of international Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention) and strive to reinforce the sys-tern of cooperation in the Asian region by cooperating on the training of personnel and surveys and research on the conservation of wetlands.
Japan has concluded bilateral conventions and treaties for the protection of migratory bird species and their habitat with the United States of America, Russia, China and Australia respectively. In a project based on the Japan-Russia Convention for the Protection of Migratory Birds, Russian researchers were invited to Japan from February to March 1995 to conduct joint surveys in Hokkaido on the migratory route of the Steller's Sea-eagle using satellite transmitters.
In the area of coral reef conservation, Japan played an active role in the International Coral Reef Initiative, an international framework, by co-hosting international workshops and conducting other activities. Ja-pan has made especially strong efforts to promote regional measures such as by hosting regional meetings.
Other international efforts conducted by Japan include coopera-tive projects to assist conservation of biological diversity in developing countries, such as cooperation in the creation of red data books of spe-cies of birds in the Asia region and projects such as the Indonesia biodi-versity conservation project by JICA.
8. Prevention of Desertification
(1) Summary of the Problem
Desertification, as defined by Agenda 21, adopted at the June 1992 Earth Summit, is "land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities." In this case, "land" is a concept that includes the soil, water resources, the topsoil layer, and vegetation, while "degrada-tion" is the decline of a land's resource potential due to a single or multi-ple processes, such as the outflow of topsoil or its depositing on river floors due to rain or wind, decline of the natural diversity of vegetation over long periods of time, and salinization of land. According to a survey on the current state of desertification conducted by the UNEP in 1991, areas where desertification is progressing cover about one-quarter of the Earth's total land area, and about 70% of arid land, or about 3.6 bil-lion hectares, affecting about one-sixth of the world's population.
Major causes of desertification can be considered to include over-grazing by livestock to a point beyond a grassland's ability to recover, degrading land productivity due to being left fallow for shorter periods of time, over-collection of wood for charcoal and firewood, and advanc-ing salinization of agricultural land caused by inappropriate irrigation. In the background are socioeconomic factors such as poverty of local residents and rising population in developing countries, which further complicate the desertification problems.
(2) Countermeasures
International efforts for the prevention of desertification were prompted, spurred by the drought that began in 1968 in the Sahel re-gion south of the Sahara in Africa, and were led by the UNEP with the holding of the United Nations Conference on Desertification (UNCOD) in 1977. Furthermore, in response to the Earth Summit's Agenda 21, the 47th meeting of the UN General Assembly in 1992 established the Inter-governmental Negotiating Committee on Desertification for the adop-tion of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (UNCCD). The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Convention to Combat Desertification met five times through Jun 1994, and in the fifth meeting adopted two resolutions con-cerning UNCCD (main document and four regional implementation an-nexes), the Resolution concerning Temporary Measures until the Con-vention Takes Effect and the Resolution concerning Emergency Action for Africa. In October 1994, the signing ceremony for UNCCD was held in Paris, where 86 countries, including the EU and Japan, signed the Convention. As of February 1996, there were 25 countries which had ratified UNCCD and 115 countries which signed it.
With an eye toward stepping up its active contribution to the on-going negotiations for UNCCD and the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, Japan conducted studies into the methods of comprehen-sive countermeasures for the prevention of desertification that took into account the socioeconomic viewpoint. In addition, Japan is conducting government-level desertification-related projects through bilateral and multilateral assistance, research concerning the evaluation of the mu-tual effects of human activities and desertification in India and China, surveys aimed at forming sustainable communities centered around the effective use of undergroundwater in the Sahel region of West Africa, surveys on agricultural development as a response to desertification in the Niger River drainage basin, joint international research to analyze the mechanism behind desertification around China's Taklimakan De-sert, surveys of forest regeneration technology in regions suffering from desertification, and joint Japan-China research on the mutual interaction between the land surface and the atmosphere in Amur River drain-age basin. In Egypt, Japan is also developing a water-retention chemical for improving the soil.
At the private-sector level, Japanese NGOs such as Green Sahel are engaged in dsertification revention activities in Africa and China.
Chapter 10. Effective Implementation of the Basic Environment Plan
The Basic Environment Plan stipulates the following in order for the effective implementation of the plan ; cooperation between the mechanism implementing the Plan and every actor of the society, the setting of goals, financial measures, smooth cooperation with other plans and programs, plan progress assessments, and re-evaluations.
Section 1. Cooperation between the Implementing Mechanism and Actors of the Society
It is crucial that we Japanese cooperate to actually take part in activities aimed at environmental conservation with the common awareness of all members of our society.
For this purpose, the Government has strived to forge close alli-ances through fora such as Cabinet Meetings and liaison meetings be-tween concerned ministries and agencies, including ministerial meet-ings and meetings of government ministries and agencies concerned with the promotion of the Basic Environment Plan. For example, at meetings of government ministries and agencies concerned with the promotion of the Basic Environment Plan, discussions were held on the promotion of the Action Plan for Greening Government Operations, the development of comprehensive environmental indicators, and other top-ics.
The Government understands and has evaluated the situation of the implementation of policies and measures based on the Basic Envi-ronment Plan. In addition to making use of these policies, the Govern-ment has promoted the systematic gathering, accumulation and utiliza-tion of information about the environment in order to provide informa-tion, such as those contained in the "Quality of the Environment in Ja-pan," using a variety of methods, including the development of a system providing information through PC networks.
Section 2. Setting of Goals
The Basic Environment Plan mandates the Government to quickly advance the development of a comprehensive indicator/indica-tors which show progress toward attainment of the four long-term ob-jectives of Sound Material Cycle, Harmonious Coexistence, Participation and International Activities, and the relation between objectives and measures of the plan. These indicators are also expected to be utilized for following up to and revising the Basic Environment Plan.
In response, the Government came together with the cooperation of relevant ministries and agencies to consider the matter, and in No-vember 1995, a deliberation council comprised of individuals of learning and experience was installed for the purpose of clarifying the concept of the comprehensive indicator. In addition, the relevant ministries and agencies are working together to use the budget for surveys advancing the Basic Environment Plan to conduct discussions and studies regard-ing guidelines for individual policy areas in the fields of construction and soil and ground environment.
Section 3. Financial Measures
The necessary financial measures were also considered for the purpose of implementing the policies set forth in the Basic Environment Plan.
The budget for environmental conservation of ministry and agency is calculated from estimates by the Environment Agency which are then adjusted.
The budget for environmental conservation for FY 1994 totals 2.5987 trillion yen, an increase of 693.3 billion yen, or 36.4%, over FY 1993. (Note that the scope of the FY 1995 budget for environmental conserva-tion has been adjusted to match the Basic Environment Plan. When the budget for FY 1994 is adjusted to the scope of the FY 1995 budget for environmental conservation, the increase is only 86.3 billion yen.)
In the budget plan for environmental conservation loans and works for organizations subject to the Fiscal Investment and Loan Pro-gram, 2.9253 trillion yen has been allotted. (These figures do not include the amounts for projects that are not specified as environmental conser-vation works by those organizations to which the Fiscal Investment and Loan Program will be applied).
Table 10-3-1 lists the budgets for environmental conservation by ministry and agency, while Table 10-3-2 shows budgets for environ-mental conservation by item. In addition, the amount of these budgets put toward subsidies for local public organizations is approximately 1932.8 billion yen. (For individual subsidies, refer to the relevant section in each document.)
Table 10-3-1 Environment Conservation Budget by Ministries and Agencies (Initial)
Notes: 1. Figures include budget of special accounts.
2. Expenses allocated by implementation plans and the subsidy given at the time of redemption of the NTT project are excluded.
3. Since figures are rounded off, totals may not necessarily match up in the final figures.
4. Joint management for FY 1994 consists of 117,164 million yen for the Science and Technology Agency and 171,644 million yen for the Ministry of Interna-tional Trade and Industry, and for FY 1995 consists of 124,076 million yen for the Science and Technology Agency and 181,895 million yen for the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
Source Environment Agency
Table 10-3-2 Environmental Conservation Budget by Item (Initial)
Two types of assistance directly concerning the Basic Environ-ment Plan are pioneering environmental conservation projects con-ducted independently and actively by local public organizations in line with the four long-term objectives of the Plan (Sound Material Cycle, Harmonious Coexistence, Participation, and International Activities) and the establishment in FY 1995 of a subsidy system for the budget for promotion of the basic environmental plan aimed at supporting on a wide level for the adoption of regional environment plans, from planning to concrete implementation.
In FY 1995, a total of 925 million yen was allocated to 23 pioneer-ing projects by 19 local public organizations and 33 plans by 34 local public organizations.
Under the FY 1995 Regional Financial Plan, 233 billion yen was allocated as a budget for environmental conservation measures, includ-ing the adoption of regional environment plans, reduction of waste, measures for reusing resources, promoting the introduction of technolo-gies that exert less burden on the environment, ensuring contact be-tween people and nature, and for local public organizations to advance independent voluntary environmental conservation projects, such as environmental studies, which correspond to regional situations (an in-crease of 14 billion yen over the previous fiscal year).
Section 4. Linkage with Other Plans and Programs
The Basic Environment Plan cites the importance of maintaining a balance among the Plan, which is Japan's fundamental plan for achiev-ing environmental conservation, and other government plans and pro-grams in the area of environmental conservation.
In addition, other national plans which are concerned solely with environmental conservation are being adopted and furthered in line with the intentions of the Basic Environment Plan.
Furthermore, items concerning the environment put forth in other programs carried out by the Government shall also be tailored to be in line with the Basic Environment Plan so as to promote cooperation between these programs and the Basic Environmental Plan.
Two examples of attempts to integrate the Basic Environment Plan with other programs are described below.
(1) "The Socioeconomic Plan for Structural Reform" (Cabinet Decision of 1 December 1995)
This is a long-term economic plan which was adopted based on the established laws of the Economic Planning Agency. In response to the various structural problems confronting the Japanese economy and society, the Plan advocates the creation of an uninhibited and dynamic economy and society ; the creation of a prosperous and comfortable economy and society; and participation in the world community. It also calls for the Government to support such an economy and society by es-tablishing a foundation for growth and furthering administrative and fi-nancial reforms, Policies and operations in line with these goals are now being advanced.
Regarding environmental conservation, the Plan re-addresses questions concerning economic and social activities and lifestyles which involve mass production, mass consumption, and mass waste produc-tion, and recognizes the necessity to re-mold production and consump-tion patterns into sustainable ones. For example, policies toward a pros-perous and comfortable society include (i) promoting a "zero-emission" society, energy and resource conservation and measures against global warming; and (ii) utilizing market forces to promote environmental conservation. Policies aimed at participation in the world community in-clude contributing to the creation of international framework and participation in and assistance to international organizations involved in combating global environmental problems. Finally,under "the creation of an uninhibited and dynamic economy and society,"environment-related areas are expected to grow considerably in the future.
(2) The Third Plan for Utilization of National Land (National Program) (Cabinet Dedision of 23 February 1996)
This Program is based on Article 5 of the Act for Planning the Utili-zation of the National Land. It is the most basic program concerning land development in Japan, and indicates the administrative guidelines concerning multipurpose and long-term land development.The Pro-gram considers the shift toward values which emphasize responses to global environmental problems and consideration of interaction with na-ture as causing a causing in the basic conditions for land development. The Program sets up a new category of region types called "Nature Preservation Areas," in addition to "Cities"and "Agricultural and Fish-ing Villages," and cites one of the aspects of improving the quality of land development "sustainable laud development supporting coexis-tence with nature."One important measure cited is "environmental conservation and the formation of beautiful national terrain" In addition measures aimed at a Sound Material cycle and Harmonious Coexis-tence are also stipulated so as to align the Program with the Basic Envi-ronment Plan.
In these ways, the Third Land Development Program (National Program) has been formulated so as to complement the Basic Environ-ment Plan.
Section 5. Assessments and Re-evaluations of Implementation of Basic Environment Plan
A section in the Basic Environment Plan stipulates that the Cen-tral Environment Council will investigate the state of progress of the measures based on the Basic Environment Plan while considering the opinion of citizens from all walks of life. and will subsequently report to the Government regarding the direction of future environmental policy. Based on this stipulation, the Planning and Polity Committee of the Cen-tral Environment Council executed all studies needed to understand the current state of "national measures" and "efforts by local public organi-zations, enterprises, citizens, and private sector groups," in addition to holding Opinion exchange meetings in each of four blocks nationwide in larch 1996, in order to hear the opinions of citizens from all walks of life, and soliciting opinions via mail and fax. The Committee was to re-port the results of its investigations, based on the studies, opinion ex-change meetings and opinion solicitations, in June 1996.
The Basic Environment Plan calls for flexible and suitable re-sponses to economic and social changes occurring both in Japan and abroad, as well as for a reevaluation of the Plan approximately five years after its adoption.