日本財団 図書館


Environmental and Economic Strategies In Japan
Kazuhiro Ueda
Professor, Department of Economic Studies,
Kyoto University
 
The relationship between the environment and the economy is one of a trade-off in that pursuit of revitalization of the economy and industrial activities brings deterioration of the environment, while giving priority to environmental conservation brings stagnation of industrial activity. In other words, the environment and the economy are incompatible.
Measures for conserving the environment do not necessarily entail investment with no profit
Whenever the discussion turned to promotion of environmental policies, industry never failed to raise its voice in opposition. In the background, environmental conservation policies were seen as investment that would not create any profit for companies. In other words, environmental measures had to be taken because there were regulations, but they were to be avoided as far as possible. As a result, not only were environmental measures viewed as bringing expense and no profit, but as reducing productivity. Even today, there remains a strongly rooted concept in Japanese industry that the environment is incompatible with the economy.
 Environmental conservation measures, however, do not necessarily mean investment with no profit. Take for example the internationally well-known case of the regulations on car exhaust fumes that were introduced in the 1970s and the action taken by Japanese car manufacturers. At that time, the Muskie Act had been passed in the USA, imposing strict regulations on car exhaust fumes to improve air pollution, but implementation of the law was delayed by the political clout of the big three car manufacturers. On the other hand, a Japanese version of the Muskie Act was passed in Japan, but Japanese car manufacturers concentrated on developing technologies that would enable them to clear the strict standards, and they achieved resounding success. This led in the end to better quality cars and had a positive effect on international competition. It also led to the conquest of US markets which had delayed implementing the regulations.
Well-designed environmental policies can stimulate technical innovation, leading to enhanced competitiveness of industry
Normally, new needs for products are picked up in the marketing process. But the environment is a public asset and hard to express in terms of a need for an individual product. Environmental controls are therefore a means of incorporating societyís need for the environment in the product, in this case the automobile. Dynamism is the foundation of economic growth. The response of the Japanese automobile industry to environmental regulations to enable it to "meet environmental regulations with technical innovations" is a typical example.
 In referring to this example, Professor M. Porter of Harvard University stresses that "if environmental policy is well designed as a lever for technical innovation, it can boost the competitiveness of industry on international markets." In the US too, the chemical industry, which incurred high environmental costs, is improving its performance in international trade. Germany and Japan constantly achieve higher rates of GDP growth and increased productivity than the US under strict environmental regulations. Consequently, "well-designed environmental policies stimulate technical innovations linked to reduced costs and improved quality, and companies that succeed in this have a relative advantage on international markets and are able to earn profit." If consumers and users give priority to the environmental quality of products and companies, this trend will undoubtedly grow.
Attention should be directed at town planning aimed at restoring the landscape, as is being attempted in regions where decline has accompanied destruction of the environment
Amidst changing social awareness and public policies, companies are gradually coming to regard implementation of environmental policies in a positive rather than a negative way, and this is linked to competitiveness. Paradigm conversion from a highly wasteful society to a recycle-oriented society, the growing number of companies which have acquired ISO14000 certification, and the activities of green consumerism are indications of this.
 Such a turnaround of ideas is also seen in regional development and town planning. Regional development in Japan was strongly based on attracting companies and promoting mass production of engineering products, and resort development tended to concentrate solely on developing standard golf courses. In recent years, however, there has been an increase in development methods, known as internal development, that give priority to the regional character and identity, and conserve and utilize the landscape, old streets, traditional culture and unique resources of the region. By implementing such methods, development does not come into conflict with conservation. Many regions are endeavoring to preserve the local environment and resources, and promote development of local industry and tourism in combination with modern technology and know-how.
 Attention must also be paid to regional planning that restores the natural surroundings, ecology and landscape being undertaken in regions which have declined following environmental destruction. The "Parco Plan?" which originated in Emilio Romana? province in Italy with the aim of promoting the coexistence of production and livelihood with nature while restoring reclaimed land to the sea or to wetlands is well known, as is the "Groundwork Trust" in the UK which promotes projects by systemizing the main bodies, based on the principle of partnership aimed at improving and regenerating the local environment. A similar trend is beginning to be seen in Japan in typical polluted areas. It is a kind of regional redevelopment aimed at revitalizing declining regions that are bearing the debt of post-war industrialization, not just by repaying the debt, but through environmental regeneration.
 In future, environmental policies should not be negative policies that minimize the effects of the burden created by industrial and regional development, but must be implemented strategically as industrial policies and regional development. In other words, what is needed is environmental policy combined with industrial policy, and environmental policy combined with regional development and town planning. This will lead to the accumulation of new technologies and expertise in regional development, and create a source of employment and competitiveness.
 We must reassess our sense of Values with regard to affluence and create innovative industrial activities backed by logic. This will enable us to find future environmental and economic strategies for Japan.








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