Policies, regulatory framework and enforcement for air quality management: The case
of Japan
The pollution intensity of the Japanese economy, measured as emissions per dollar
of GDP, is among the lowest within OECD countries. However, air pollution remains
a significant issue. Almost 80% of the Japanese residents were exposed to an annual
concentration of PM2.5 above the WHO guideline while the attainment rate of the domestic
air quality standard for photochemical oxidants is below 1%. The analysis of the regulatory
and enforcement framework for air quality management in Japan identifies best practises
and key remaining challenges, including a limited understanding of the generation
mechanism of ozone pollution and the need to strengthen cooperation among Prefectures.
This paper complements two case studies on air quality policies in China and Korea,
and a third case study on international regulatory cooperation on air quality in North
America, Europe and North-East Asia.
Published on March 13, 2020
In series:OECD Environment Working Papersview more titles