ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the Japanese case, which investigates the co-benefit effect of its environmental policies to enhance the effectiveness of policy design and implementation. This research can also expand and strengthen the co-benefit approach by revealing the linkages between policy and environmental change. The chapter considers Kawasaki City, which is the largest industrial centre in Japan, located between Tokyo and Yokohama, and is undergoing a drastic structural transformation from an industrial to a contemporary mixed-use city. It proves that considerable co-benefits of SO2 reduction and a great reduction in energy intensity had been simultaneously achieved over a long time frame. Moreover, policy designs that nurture technological development require broader recognition to the causes of negative effects as well as a smart mix of policy measures. Japan has succeeded in establishing comprehensive environmental policies, which did not intend to control point source emissions directly but instead introduced a comprehensive framework for pollution prevention, involving public participation and increasing interventions.
