Research on Eco-Towns in Japan - UNEP

2. Overview of Eco-Towns in Japan
2. Overview: Eco-Towns in Japan
2-1 Background and Framework
Eco-Towns in Japan originated through a subsidy system established by METI (Ministry
of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan) and MoE (Ministry of Environment in Japan) in
1997. Around that time, Japan was confronted by a serious shortage of dump yards and
the necessity to revive local economy. On the other hand, positive momentum was rising
for implementation of the Zero-Emission concept in Japan. The national government
established Eco-Towns to solve garbage problems and assist companies in declining
industries such as steel, cement by the Zero-Emission concept.
The Zero-Emission concept call for industries and companies keep the amount of wastes
generated by their activities to a minimum, and should properly recycle such wastes, in
collaboration with other industries, thereby establishing an appropriate recycling system.
The concept of Zero-Emission was formulated by United Nations University in 1994, and
has evolved around the world and become the goal of the enterprises and municipalities
conscious of environmental issues in Japan. Zero Emission aims at:
1) Gross input equals gross output (getting the waste close to zero);
2) Reduction in green-house gases and environmental burden, and promotion of
energy-saving measures;
3) Collaboration among the collective industries in various fields, and among administrative
districts beyond their borders.
The “Zero-Emission” implemented in Eco-Towns are urban planning and environmental
management efforts where industries located in the designated Eco-Towns area practice
resource recycling within their manufacturing process, and in between the industries. They
are developed in pursuit of synergies derived from combined efforts in waste treatment,
environmental preservation, and promotion of industrial development.
Several stakeholders commit to developing their Eco-Towns (see. fig2-1). The national
government supports Eco-Tows by not only establishing the legislative system, but also
by designing the subsidy system. A local government first creates an “Eco-Towns Plan”
that takes advantage of the region’s local characteristics. Then, if the basic concept
and concrete projects incorporated into the plan are judged by METI and MoE as
meeting a certain standard of originality and innovativeness, and judged to have the
potential to serve as a model for other local governments, the two ministries jointly
approve the plan. They then provide financial support for projects to be implemented
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