3E Nexus
LearningJapan’sLessonson
EnvironmentalPollu5onandEconomic
Development
December16,2016
SoichiroSeki
SeniorAdvisor
MinistryoftheEnvironment,Japan
Soichiro Seki
Educa5on
n  GraduatedfromTokyoUniversity,FacultyofEngineering
ProfessionalCareer
n  2016ProjectResearcher,IR3S,TokyoUniversity
SeniorAdvisor,MinistryoftheEnvironment(MOE)
n  2014ViceMinister,MOE
n  2012DirectorGeneral,GlobalEnvironmentBureau,MOE
n  2011DirectorGeneralforWaterEnvironmentand DecontaminaRon,MOE
n  2006Director,MunicipalWasteManagementDivision,MOE
n  2005Director,IndustrialWasteManagementDivision,MOE
n  2003Director,AirQualityManagementDivision,MOE
n  1998SeniorEnvironmentalEngineer,TheWorldBank
n  1985JICAEnvironmentExperttoThaiGovernment
Ministry of the Environment
2
Environmental Problems under High Economic Growth
•  Japanachievedhigheconomic
growthin1950s,60sandearly70s
withli\leconsideraRonofthe
environment,whichcaused;
n SeriousenvironmentalpolluRon,
n Massdisposalofwaste,and
n DestrucRonofnature.
•  FourmajorpolluRoncases
occurredinthisperiod.
Huge prices Japan must pay later
Ministry of the Environment
3
Environmental Pollution-Induced Health Damage
Minamata Disease
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)
Ministry of the Environment
4
Environmental Pollution-Induced Health Damage
Yokkaichi Asthma
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.
Itai-itai Disease
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.
Ministry of the Environment
5
High Economic Growth (1955-1972)
Theaveragerealeconomicgrowthrate(%)
•  Theaveragerealeconomicgrowthratemarked9.1%
throughthe1950s,60sandearly70sinJapan
Income-doubling plan started
Ministry of the Environment
9.1%between1956-1973
4.2%between1974-1990
0.9%between1991-2009
EconomicgrowthrateinJapan
Year
6
What happened during 1955-1972
（23 times）
Oil consumption
NOx emission
（10.1 times）
SOx emission
（5.5 times）
Energy supply （6.3
GDP （5.1
1955
1960
1965
times）
times）
1970 1972(fiscal year)
Source：Statistics from Economic Planning Agency and Ministry of International
Trade and Industry
Ministry of the Environment
7
Causes of Environmental Degradation in Japan
Inthe1950sandtheearly1960s,
n EconomicgrowthrateshadbeenexcepRonally
high.ThiswasparRcularlytrueforindustry,and
especiallyforpolluRngindustries.
n ProducRonandconsumpRonacRviResarespaRally
veryconcentratedinindustrialzonesandurban
areas.
n Thestrongcommitmenttoindustrialgrowth,anda
relaRveneglectofenvironmentalquality,were
sharedbymostsegmentsoftheJapanesesociety.
(OECDReview1977:EnvironmentalPolicesinJapan)
Ministry of the Environment
8
Public Responses to Environmental Pollution
（unit：%）
1966
Unacceptable
27
Acceptable
29
Up to cases
38
1971
49
28
1975
51
26
13
16
６
Don’t
know
10
7
Source: Prime Minister’s Office “Opinion poll on environmental
pollution” (1966, 1971 and 1975)
Ministry of the Environment
9
Public Response to Economic Growth
Demerit
surpasses merit
Merit surpasses Both merit and
demerit
demerit
1971
27%
29%
Can not
say
18%
14%
Don’t
know
12%
1974
Source: Prime Minister’s Office “Opinion poll on
social issues” (1971, 1974)
Ministry of the Environment
10
Policy Change
n Bythelate1960s,Japanhadbecomeoneofthe
mostpollutedcountriesintheworld.
n Aratherabruptchangeinsocietaladtudesthen
tookplace.
n EnvironmentaldisrupRon,whichhadbeen,atleast
apparently,relaRvelywell-toleratedbecame
unacceptableleadingtothequickdevelopment
andimplementaRonofstrongandmulRfaceted
policies.
(OECDReview1977:EnvironmentalPolicesinJapan)
Ministry of the Environment
11
Air and Water Pollution in Industrial Areas
1960s
Ministry of the Environment
Now
12
Economic Loss due to Environmental Pollution
100 yen = 1 USD
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
21 billion (without any countermeasures taken.(total))
*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.
Ministry of the Environment
13
Towards Sustainable Society
Basic
Environment
Law
Lawsuits
against
polluRon
Sustainable
Development
3RsLaws
PolluRon
control
legislaRons
Grassroots
anR-polluRon
movements
Nationwide serious
environmental pollution
Ministry of the Environment
14
Sustainable Society
Ministry of the Environment
IntegrationofThreeSocieties
15
What is sustainable society in Japan?
The4thBasicEnvironmentPlansays;
Sustainablesocietywepursueis;
asocietywhichachieves(1)low-carbonsociety,
(2)soundmaterial-cyclesociety,and(3)society
inharmonywithnature,whileensuringsecurity
andsafetyasabasis,withciRzens’parRcipaRon,
andwhichpreservesasoundandrich
environmentbothgloballyandlocally.
(CabinetDecisiononApril27,2012)
Ministry of the Environment
16
Japan’s Lessons
p  Underhigheconomicgrowth,Japanhadbecome
oneofthemostpollutedcountriesintheworldby
thelate1960s.
p  Duetoawide-spreadanR-polluRonsenRment
amongJapanesepopulaRon,drasRcpolicychange
tookplacearound1970.
p  By1980s,Japanbecameoneofthecleanest
countriesintheworld.
Lessonslearned:
PrevenRonisfarbe\erthancurenotonlyfor
polluRoncontrolbutalsoforclimatechange
miRgaRon.
Ministry of the Environment
17
Leap Frog Developments
EnvironmentalLoads
（リープ・フロッグ）
Previous
development path
for industrialized
countries Previous
development path
for developing
countries
Development path of
industrialized countries
Development path toward a lowenvironment-load society EconomicGrowth
Ministry of the Environment
18