Regional Workshop to Review GEO/IEA Training Manual 8-11 September 2008 Chiang Mai, Thailand

1. Regional Workshop to Review GEO/IEA Training Manual8-11 September 2008Chiang Mai, Thailand Programme Management Office Coordinator, Akira OGIHARA

2. Contents • Environmental Assessment Report at national level • Policy evaluation • Challenges

3. Overview of Environmental Assessment Report at national level “Quality of the Environment” (1989-2003) “Annual report on the Environment” (2004-2007) “Annual Report on the Environment and the Sound Material-Cycle Society in Japan” (2008-) http://www.env.go.jp/en/wpaper/

4. Overview of Environmental Assessment Report at national level • Purpose: • Provide appropriate information for decision-making and policy development at all levels: national, prefecture and city. • Raise awareness • Target Audience: • decision makers • experts • public in general • Annual Report on the Environment for Children and back issues of Quality of the Environment in Japan • Abridged and Illustrated for Easy Understanding-Annual Report on the Environment in Japan

5. Overview of Environmental Assessment Report at national level • Analytical Framework: • Identify key factors which influence the environment in Japan => population • Identify how demographical changes impact on the environment • Identify appropriate policy measures and evaluate the policy impacts • Does not emphasis outlook • Process: • Evaluation of current status with related institutes/organizations and local governments • Policy evaluation by MOEJ and related institutes • Advisory body • Public participant => public comments

6. Content of the Annual Report • Part one: Overview • Part two: Current Environmental Issues and Government Environmental Conservation Measures

7. Part One: Overview Overview 1. Population Decline and the Environment Introduction Chapter 1. Environment in the Declining Population Era Section 1. Demographic Trends and the Environment Section 2. Uneven Regional Population Distribution and the Environment Chapter 2. Creating a Sustainable Society Compatible with a Dwindling Population Section 1. Opportunities for Creating a Sustainable Society Section 2. Initiatives Started for Creating a Sustainable Society Conclusion Overview 2. Fifty Years of Minamata Disease, Origin of Japan's Environmental Problems Section 1. What is Minamata Disease?Section 2. Emergence and Expansion of Minamata DiseaseSection 3. Remedies for the Harm Caused by Minamata DiseaseSection 4. Projects for Addressing Environmental PollutionSection 5. Toward Revitalizing Local Communities and Transferring Valuable Lessons

8. Chapter 1: Environment in the Declining Population Era • A new declining population era has begun in Japan. This decline will speed up societal changes. • These societal changes include changes in demographic structure such as decreasing birthrates and an aging population, as well as uneven regional population distribution resulting from rapid depopulation in rural areas and diffusion of urban areas. • Chapter 1 examines what kind of impacts these factors will have on the environment.

9. Chapter 2: Creating a Sustainable Society Compatible with a Declining Population • Due to population decline, we need to intensify our innovative environmental conservation efforts, while retaining the flexibility to address social changes. • The era of declining populations will lead to different values and a richer living environment, providing a strong impetus for the creation of a sustainable society. • Chapter 2 covers opportunities to create a more sustainable society in the era of declining populations and the actions of various actors, so that suggests outlining a sustainable society compatible with a dwindling population.

10. Part Two: Current Environmental Issues and Government Environmental Conservation Measures • Part Two of the Quality of the Environment in Japan (White Paper) includes the following chapters to introduce in current environmental issues and environmental conservation measures implemented by the government in previous year. • Part Two of this booklet reports on the issues and current state of environmental problems in the following major fields;

11. Part Two: Current Environmental Issues and Government Environmental Conservation Measures Chapter 1. Prevention of Global Warming and Preservation of the Ozone Layer Chapter 2. Conservation of the Atmospheric Environment Chapter 3. Conservation of the Water, Soil, and Ground Environments Chapter 4. Measures and Policies related to the Material Cycle, including Waste and Recycling Measures Chapter 5. Measures for Chemical Substances Chapter 6. Conservation of the Natural Environment and Promoting Contact with Nature Chapter 7. Basis of Various Measures, and Measures Facilitating the Participation of Various Actors and International Cooperation

12. Policy evaluation • Implementation • set up a office and an advisory committee in 2001 • Plan for policy evaluation • Target policy framework (policy and target) • Project management cycle (Plan–Do-Check-Action) • Every year • Evaluation criteria • Necessity • Effectiveness • Efficiency • RIA (Regulatory Impact Assessment) • from 2003

14. Evaluation result • Policy concept • Policy measures implemented • Evaluation of policy measures based upon indicators • Major challenges • Further efforts

15. Challenges Stakeholder involvement • improve public access to environmental information held by the environmental administration, sectoral ministries and the private sector. • strengthen participatory approach to governance has been rooted in public administration and society • invite more comments and suggestions from representatives on advisory council and committees at both national and prefecture levels.

16. Challenges Policy Evaluation • integrate environment concerns in physical planning, transport, agriculture, energy and urban policies. • ensure coordinated and integrated sectoral plans, associated with the Second Environmental Plan are developed through close cooperation among the ministries concerns and ensure accountability for implementation of the plan. • take the necessary steps to systematically carry out strategic environmental assessment during the development of environmentally relevant policies, plan and programmes.

17. Challenges • Review distributional implications of proposed market-based instrument for environmental management and sustainable development. • Assess the impact of changes in technology and lifestyle (e.g. the impact of the information/communication technology, increased recreation time, retirement) on environment and nature, taking into account related changes in pattern of settlement, transport, production and consumption.

18. Thank you for your attention

19. Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA)

20. Environmental Assessments • EIA play a major role in promoting environment-conscious urban development. • An EIA is a scheme applied to large-scale development projects to survey, estimate, and evaluate the environmental impact of a project in advance. It aims to minimize environmental impacts through hearing opinions from residents and local governments about the results of surveys, estimations, and evaluations. • Since 1981, TMG has carried out EIA at the project implementation stage based on the Tokyo Metropolitan EIA Ordinance. The Ordinance was revised in July 2002 to introduce EIA at the project planning stage for plans drawn up by TMG.

21. What is an Environmental Assessment? • Businesses and organizations that are to conduct large-scale development projects are required to survey, estimate, and assess the environmental impact of implementing their project in advance, and to report the results and environmental preservation measures adopted. • They should follow a procedure to hear the opinions of residents, local governments, and the council. • Businesses and organizations are also required to undertake research during and after the constructions to monitor whether environmental preservation measures have been appropriately adopted.

22. Towards More Environment- Conscious Project Planning • Regarding Environmental Assessments, the following problems have been pointed out: 1) it is difficult to revise the plan flexibly as the Environmental Assessment is carried out at the project implementation stage; and 2) complex and cumulative environmental impacts cannot be properly addressed for large-scale development plans involving multiple small projects. • After repetitive reviews, the Ordinance was revised on July 3, 2002, to incorporate Environmental Assessment procedures at project planning (Plan Assessment), Integrating them with exiting Environmental Assessment procedures (Project Assessment), thereby fully revising the Environmental Assessment system. • As of the end of January 2006, these Environmental Assessment procedures had been applied to 249 projects (including two Plan Assessments) in Tokyo since the launch of this procedure in 1981.

23. Characteristics of Tokyo’s Environmental Assessment System • Introduction of Plan Assessment • Clarifying the responsibilities of businesses and organizations and assessment standards; establishment of Advisory Council • Offering Tokyo residents the opportunities to participate • Procedure for follow-up survey • Assurance of effectiveness

25. Future Challenges • The Plan Assessments of TMG represents Japan’s first such procedure officially included in an Ordinance. • TMG will develop scientific knowledge, revise the technical guides, and propose methods to create a variety of plans that are comprehensible to residents in promoting procedures based on the Ordinance. • For Project Assessment, TMG will offer more environmental information, while asking businesses and organizations to take actions geared towards environmental conservation at an early stage of planning from the broad perspective of building a sustainable city and preventing global warming.

26. Provision of Assessment Information • The Environmental Assessment Web site of Bureau of Environment provides a variety of information, including the progress of assessment procedures of each project. • Please visit our Web site at: http://www2.kankyo.metro.tokyo.jp/assess

27. Providing Environmental Information and Responding to the Opinions of the Residents of Tokyo • Offering a Wide Range of Environmental Information • To help the residents of Tokyo and businesses to better understand the environmental status of Tokyo and the efforts being taken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG), TMG offers information through pamphlets, brochures, Web sites, and e-mail newsletters. These are accessible at TMG offices and on the Internet. • Listening to Opinions and Requests from a Variety of Standpoints • Everyday, TMG receives a wide range of requests and proposals from the residents of Tokyo, from pollution issues, such as neighborhood noise, to global environmental measures. • TMG and local municipalities have set up consultation desks to receive complaints about pollution in order to take the necessary measures to prevent their recurrence.

28. The Challenge Taken on by Tokyo • Three Challenges Taken on by Tokyo to Overcome the Urban Environmental Crisis • Tokyo Aiming to be a City where People can Lead a Sustainable Human Life

29. Three Challenges Taken on by Tokyo to Overcome the Urban Environmental Crisis • The Tokyo Metropolitan Pollution Prevention Ordinance and the “Program to Protect Residents of Tokyo from Environmental Pollution”　ーEnvironmental Quality Standards for Sulfur Dioxide Achieved by Tokyo’s Original Restrictions on Fuelsー • “TOKYO SLIM” Campaign and Realization of Tokyo Rules for Waste Reduction　ーTransformation to Reduction and Recycling Measures that Reduce Waste Generationー • “No Diesel Strategy” and “Illegal Diesel Vehicle Elimination Strategy”　ーRegulations on Diesel Vehicle Operations Dramatically Improved SPM Air Pollutionー

30. Tokyo Aiming to be a City where People can Lead a Sustainable Human Life • Tokyo to Challenge the Sustainability Crisis • Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations