Environmental Policy Movements in the Tohoku Region - Background around 2000

Environmental Policy Movements in the Tohoku Region - Background around 2000

Around 2000, in addition to the economic stagnation following the collapse of the bubble economy, Japan was in the midst of a period of rapid strengthening of environmental policies, including the enactment of the Basic Law for Establishing a Recycling-based Society, dioxin regulations, and recycling-related laws. Local governments began not only to wait for national policies, but also to seek their own initiatives, especially in the area of industrial waste treatment, which has a large environmental impact.

The three prefectures of Iwate, Aomori, and Akita considered introducing a "broad-based environmental tax" to tax industrial waste disposal companies. The aim was to curb environmental degradation caused by improper waste disposal and cross-border delivery, and to use the tax revenue for environmental preservation and the introduction of local environmental technology. At the time, local governments were not only dependent on government financial support, but also urgently needed to secure their own financial resources, and the introduction of the environmental tax was a symbolic attempt to do so. The three prefectures held the "North Tohoku Environmental Forum" and held numerous discussions with vendors to explore the possibility of introducing an ordinance. This was noted as an "environmental federal" approach through cooperation among local governments.

Meanwhile, Fukushima Prefecture established the "Environmental Business Forum" led by universities and small and medium-sized business organizations in the prefecture. In order to overcome the weaknesses of local industries, such as high costs and lack of technology and information, the forum promoted information exchange and business matching, and supported the development of new technologies and products. This move was in line with the "environmental industry fostering" trend that was gaining momentum nationwide in the late 1990s, and was an attempt to position environmental business as a local industry.

These efforts in the Tohoku region were important as a "locally initiated environmental policy" to counter the top-down policies of the national government. For Tohoku municipalities facing financial difficulties and a declining population, environmental taxes and environmental businesses were expected to be new trump cards for regional development. Given the historical background of the time, it can be said that these attempts were not mere environmental measures, but rather a challenge to seek "regional independence and sustainability.