THE GREEN ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF JAPAN

Abstract

The strategy of development of the green economy of Japan has been analyzed in this article. It has been noted that the main course in the green economy is low-carbon development and financing of «green» sectors of the economy, which leads to green growth, that is expressed through the rational use of resources and reducing the level of environmental burden. It has been argued that Japan is a leader in international climate policy and environmental protection because it plays a key role in investing in green and low-carbon infrastructure and supports the achievement of sustainable development goals. The preconditions for the formation of the «green economy» concept and its implementation in the program documents of Japan have been studied. The main strategic documents of Japan in the field of green economy development have been reviewed and their key mechanisms have been highlighted. The main strategies implemented by Japan have been revealed, as well as the sectors of the economy targeted by actions aimed at «greening» the economic processes. It has been stated that he main elements of green innovation were the energy sector, the transport system, resource management, and eco-housing. The effectiveness of strategic mechanisms has been assessed by analyzing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions associated with production processes; the level of renewable energy use and the share of renewable electricity use; the level of energy intensity of the agricultural, industrial and service sectors; volumes of generated waste and the share of incinerated, disposed to landfill and recycled or composted waste. Japan's goals in achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 have been stated. Conclusions on the effectiveness of the mechanisms of the green economy development strategy in Japan have been made. It has been considered that since 1990, the country has achieved significant results in the course of green growth, which is reflected in reducing the energy intensity of production processes, increasing the share of alternative energy, developing an effective waste management strategy, which almost eliminated waste disposal and significantly increased recycling and composting. At the same time, the main task remains to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, which was approved by the plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.