Comparative analysis of recent changes in Japan's global environmental policy

Global environmental issues are one of the most important challenges facing the international community today. In order to solve them, efforts by various actors are required. Japan is expected to play a leadership role in the field of global environmental issues in the international community. This paper examines the recent changes in Japan's global environmental policy from the perspective of discourse and actors. 　As specific examples, this paper will focus on the plastic problem and biodiversity. Although cases of Japanese global environmental policy tend to focus on climate change policy and energy policy, by focusing on these cases, this study will reveal various aspects of the dynamics of the global environmental policy process in Japan. As a method of case study analysis, this paper adopts a process-tracing method based on materials from government agencies. In addition, this paper will also take into account the findings of participant observation at the council meetings of government agencies. 　In the case analysis section, this paper will track the process of two cases. With regard to the case of biodiversity, this study will focus on the developments surrounding the Post-Attainment Targets. In the case of the plastics issue, this paper will focus on the trends surrounding the resource recycling strategy. 　As a result of the analysis in this paper, the following points are clarified. 　The first is the conflict between the actors. In this regard, the paper highlights the conflict between pro-economic and pro-environmental forces, and the weakness of civil society actors. In particular, this study shows that the conflict between economic and environmental forces became more apparent in the case of the resource recycling strategy. 　The second is the discourse in the policy process. In this regard, this paper clarified that the government is aware of the integration of the environment with the economy and society. In the case of plastics, although the linkage with the climate change issue was pointed out, it was not enough in terms of concrete policy measures, and in the case of the post-Aichi targets, the relationship with the SDGs was considered.