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 FolIow-up
to the Earth Summit
 At
the United Nations Conferencc on Environment and Development (Earth Summit)
held in 1992, Agenda 21 was adopted as an action plan to achieve global
sustainable development. Then, at the nineteenth special session of the
United Nations General Assembly to Review and Appraise the Implementation
of Agenda 21, held in June 1997, it was agreed to carry out further implementation
of the Agenda 21.
In
Japan, National Action Plan for Agenda 21 was put together in December 1993,
and has since been steadily implemented.
Taking
its priority to be the implemen-tation of measures for the Asia-Pacific
region, the Environment Agency is promoting cooperation with neighboring
countries, for example by organizing the Environment Congress for Asia and
the Pacifirc (ECO ASIA).
Major
Global Environmental Pro-blems and Response Measures
Global warming
l) Global warming and its impact
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Global
warming is identifred with various climate changes occuring due to
increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide emitted from man's economic activities, for instance the extensive
burning of petroleum, coal and other fossil fuels.
There
is increasing fear that global warming will lead to a rise of the
sea level to threaten water resources, natural ecosystems, agricultural
production, and human health. |
2) Progress in international initiatives
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In
May 1992, the United Nations Frame-work Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) was signed to prevent global warming, In December 1997, the
third session of the Conference of the Parties to this convention
(hereinafter referred to as Kyoto Conference) was held to decide on
specific rcduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions produced by
industrialized countries beyond the year 2000. The Kyoto Protocol
formulated at the confcrence expressed a commitment to reducing the
total greenhouse gas emissions of all industrialized countries by
5% by the year 2010. In 1998, at the fourth session of the Conference
of the Parties to UNFCCC held in Argentina, a schedule was set for
revicwing the details of the systems introduced in the Kyoto Protocol
(the so-called "Kyoto Mechanism"), such as emissions trading.
The results of these reviews are due to be released at the sixth session
of the Conference of the Parties to UNFCCC. |
3) Global warming counter measures in Japan
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After
the Kyoto Conference, Japan formed a new body, the Council of Ministers
on Measures to Arrest Global Warming, to be headed by the prime minister.
In June 1998, the council put together a range of measures to be implemented
as governmental projects, under the name Outline for Promotion of
Efforts to Prevent Global Warming. In October of the same year, Japan
introduced the world's first law designed to prevent global warming,
the "Law Concerning the Promotion of Measures to Cope with Global
Warming." The new law went into effect in April 1999. Through
these efforts, Japan has shown it is serious about meeting the goals
of the Kyoto Protocol |
Ozone depletion
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The
ozone layer, which shields us from the harmful ultraviolet radiation,
continues to be depleted due to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other
ozone-depleting sub-stances. In tackling this problem, international
framework (according to the Montreal Protocol) and domestic legis-lation
(Law Concerning the Protection of the Ozone Layer through the Control
of Specifiled Substances and Other Measures), Japan has been making
efforts to reduce the ozone-depleting substances (ODSs). It had successfully
phazed out the production of CFCs and other ODSs by the end of 1995.
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Acid deposition
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IAcid
deposition is a phenomenon whereby rain or dry particles become acidic
due to sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides mainly generated by combustion
of fossil fuels. In Europe and North America, acid deposition has
caused serious environmental damage such as decline of forests and
the acidification of lakes and reservoirs. In Japan, fear of the effects
of acid deposition on forests has prompted careful monitoring and
research into mechanism of acid deposition and its potential impacts. |
Deterforation of marine environment
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Marine
pollution has become another serious environmental concern. Marine
environment are polluted by waste dumped from ships, the inflow of
pollutants from rivers, and oil spills due to tanker accidents, among
other causes. Protection of the marine environment can only be achieved
through cooperation among countries, and several conventions have
already been adopted to deal with the issue. Existing conventions
are being re-viewed with a view to toughening mca-sures and new conventions
are expected to be adopted. |
Transboundary movements of hazardous wastes
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A
number of incidents occurred in the late 1980s in which hazardous
wastes were exported from developed countries to developing countries,
which as a result, suffered environmental pollution. Behind such incidents
apparently were the growing difficulty businesses in the industrialized
countries were facing to dispose of hazardous wastes within the borders
of their own countries.
In response, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal was adopted in 1989.
Japan officially became a party to the Basel Convention on September
17, 1993. |
Loss of biological diversity
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The
number and variety of wildlife species are decreasing rapidly owing
to destruction of habitats, excessive hunting and poaching. This trend
is of serious concern because of the loss of valuable genetic resources
and harmful ecological impacts. As a signatory to agreements including
the CITES, Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity,
Japan has been working to preserve the earth's wildlife throughout
the world. |
Desertification
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Throughout
the world deserts are spreading due to excessive grazing, farming,
and unsustainable harvesting of firewood. To cope with this disturbing
trend, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertifrcation in
Those Countries Expcriencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification,
Particularly in Africa was concluded and came into effect in December
1996. Japan acceded to this convention in September 1998. The Environment
Agency is implementing a model project involving an underground dam
in Burkina Faso. |
Loss and deterioration
of forests (esp. tropical rain forests)
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The
world's tropical forests continue to shrink due to excessive slash-and-burn
farming, development of large-scale farmland, unsustainable harvesting
of firewood, and inappropriate commercial logging. As a result, there
is deep concern that these precious ecosystems and bases of livelihood
for many developing countries are being lost. To deal with this problem,
Japan has signed the International Tropical Timber Agreement, which
was concluded in 1994 to promote sustainable management of tropical
forests. Japan is also tackling research on conservation and rehabilitation
of tropical forests, and on effective management systems for conservation
areas. |
Environmental problems in developing countries
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With
the progress of industrialization, rapid population growth, and urbanization,
many developing countries are facing severe pollution problems similar
to those experienced in the past by developed countries. Utilizing
its experience in overcoming problems of heavy pollution and degradation
of natural environment in past decades, Japan is well placed to offer
assistance to developing countries in this area.
Japan's
total official development assistance (ODA) for environmental projects
for the five years from 1992 to 1996 amounted to a total of 1.4 trillion
yen, greatly exceeding the amount Japan pledged to give at the Earth
Summit (0.9 to 1.0 trillion yen for the five years from 1992) .
Furthermore, in June 1997, Japan announced the Initiatives for Sustainable
Dcvelopment (ISD) toward the 2lst Century, which sets down basic principles
of Japan's cooperation in environmental conservation efforts overseas
and an action plan forming the core of such cooperation projects.
Under
the terms of this plan, Japan organizes technical cooperation projects
involving dispatch of experts to overseas and accepting overseas trainees
in Japan. In addition, Japan supports the establishment of environment
centers for research, training, and monitoring, in China, Egypt, Indonesia
and other developing countries. |
Conservation of globally significant environments
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Urgent
international efforts based on agreements are needed to protect those
parts of the global natural environment registered as world heritage
and areas of special importance such as Antarctica, which are pricelcss
common assets for all human beings. |
Research
and Monitoring of the Global Envitonment
Since
there are many scientific questions relating to global environmental problems,
there is a need for wide-ranging research, observation and monitoring, Each
year the Environment Agency allocates the Global Environment Research Fund
(2.65 billion yen in fiscal 1999) to national research organizations of
other ministries and agencies, for interdiscip-linary and international
research projects. The Environment Agency promotes the development of a
special sensor for an observation satellite to be launched in 2000 to monitor
the state of the ozone layer and othcr atmospheric phenomena. Also, the
Center for Global Environmental Research of the National Institute for Environmental
Studies monitors global environment extensively and is improving databases.
Global
Environmental Conservation
Measures for ozone layer protection
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On
the basis of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone
Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer, the Environment Agency is taking measures to protect the ozone
layer with international collaboration.
After
the adoption of the Montreal Protocol, Japan became the first country
to enact the relevant domestic law, and has been actively phasing
out the production of ozone depleting substances and undertaking observation,
monitoring and research on the ozone depletion issue.
Moreover,
the Environment Agency has created an intra-governmental council representing
18 government ministries and agencies concerned, to promote the recovery,
recycling and destruction of CFCs from waste refrigerators and air
conditioners, in cooperation with other ministries and agencies concerned. |
Measures against acid deposition
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The
adverse effects of acid deposition on the environment may become a
serious problem in East Asia in the coming years due to worsening
of air pollution resulting from rapid economic growth.
With
this as a background, the Environment Agency has been making efforts
to establish the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia,
as a first step to begin cooperation among East Asian countries in
dealing with the problem. Since April 1998 East Asian countries have
been carrying out test programs and cooperative exercises as the preparatory-phase
activities to prepare for the official establishment of the network
in 2000. |
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