Japan's changing approach to environmental issues

In December 1997 Japan hosted the Third Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). This meeting comes almost a decade after the formation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. During the decade, Japanese environmental politics have undergone important changes. Japan went from being a policy laggard among the industrialised nations in responding to problems of stratospheric ozone depletion to becoming an active player in international efforts to address global atmospheric pollution issues. This profile will assess changes in the nature of global environmental policy formation in Japan over the course of this decade and consider what they may mean for the role Japan will take in the future in addressing global climate change and other environmental concerns.