Toyama City - Pioneer of the Japan Sea Rim Exchange and Environmental Hub - Perspectives from 2002

Toyama City - Pioneer of the Japan Sea Rim Exchange and Environmental Hub - Perspectives from 2002

In 2002, Toyama City had the nation's top share of the aluminum industry as its industrial base, and was deepening exchanges with Russia, South Korea, and China through Toyama Port, an important port on the Sea of Japan coast. With this industrial strength and geographical advantage, the city's potential as a stage for international environmental cooperation attracted attention, and it was decided to establish the headquarters office of the Northwest Pacific Regional Action Plan (NOWPAP) promoted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Toyama City. This led to high expectations for the city as a hub for international environmental policy. In 2001, Toyama City obtained ISO 14001 certification, a pioneering attempt to introduce environmental management at the municipal level. In 2001, the city obtained ISO 14001 certification, a progressive attempt to introduce environmental management at the municipal level. In the background, there was a nationwide trend to emph
asize environmental policies, including the Basic Law for Establishing a Recycling-based Society (enacted in 2000) and the revision of the Basic Environmental Plan. Even in the stagnant period following the bursting of the bubble economy, Toyama City placed the environment at the core of its regional development and established a strong presence both domestically and internationally.