Naohito Asano

Professor of Law, Law School, Fukuoka University
(8-19-1, Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-80 Japan)

Abstract

The "reduction of environmental load" which is provided in the Basic Environment Law (1993) as one of the key concepts in the new agenda of environmental policy, requires voluntary cooperation among concerned parties as well as conventional regulatory measures for its attainment. Among those, corporations have been assisted through the pollution control manager system and environmental impact assessment of projects. Now that they are required not only to control emission/effluent of pollutants from their business activities, but to reduce environmental loads generated in each phase from the extraction/use of materials, transport of materials and products, use of products, to the discharge of wastes. The "environmental auditing" scheme is being discussed so as to ensure corprdtions voluntarily conduct the forecast of environmental load in each phase and their comprehensive management. However, in order to promote introduction of this system in Japan, it is necessary to encourage research and discussion regarding conditions for its introduction and appropriate implementation such as deliberation of criterla for evaluation in auditing, before talking about immediate legislation.

Key words: environmental auditing, environmental management, basic environment law, responsibility of corporations, life cycle assessment