September 30, 2022
The Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan, held the 9th Tripartite Policy Dialogue on Air Pollution (TPDAP) online between Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the People’s Republic of China on September 27, 2022.
The three countries shared their recent policies and their effects on air pollution and discussed plans for the next year.
In addition, an experts’ meeting of the working group established under the Policy Dialogue was also held in the morning of the same day to exchange technical views. A representative of the experts reported a summary of the meeting at the Policy Dialogue.
– Backgrounds
MOE Japan has annually held the Tripartite Policy Dialogue on Air Pollution with Korea and China, based on the agreement of the 15th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting (TEMM15) in 2013, and it held the 9th Tripartite policy Dialogue online on September 27.
– Outline of the meeting
Schedule: September 27, 2022, 10:00 – 18:00 (JST)
Venue: Tokyo, Japan (online)
Participants: Officials, experts, etc. of the government and research institutions from the three countries.
Japan: OTA, Director, Air Environment Division, Environmental Management Bureau, MOE Japan, and seven other members
Korea: Mr. Park, Director, Air Quality Policy Division, Air Quality Policy Bureau, Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea, and five other members
China: Mr. Zhou, Director, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, People’s Republic of China, and six other members
– Outline of results
- Information sharing and exchange of opinions on policies:
The three countries shared information on their recent policies and their effects on air pollution, confirmed their respective progress, and reached an agreement to continue their initiatives together.
Japan presented air environment policies, such as the achievement rate of environmental quality standards for PM2.5 and photochemical oxidants (Ox), etc., measures for Ox and their precursors, NOx and VOC, PM, etc., and the “Working Plan for Photochemical Oxidants Policy Measures,” which was developed in January 2022.
Korea presented the total emission-cap management of NOx, SOx, and Total Suspended Particulate matter (TSP), emission reduction effects of NOx, SOx, and TSP, and future initiatives (dialogue with industry, support for small and medium-sized business, improvement of the system for total emission-cap management, etc.).
China presented the results of initiatives for the 13th Five-Year Plan (increases in the number of areas that achieved the air quality standards in 2021, industrial pollution control, non-point source pollution control, etc.), and future initiatives based on the 14th Five-Year Plan (efforts to reduce days of heavy pollution, control of ozone pollution, diesel truck pollution control, etc.).
- Future Policy Dialogue:
Japan proposed, as a concrete action for 3+X, sharing the TPDAP achievements such as a summary of policy dialogue and a summary of the working group (experts) at the meetings and/or workshops of the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET), based on the “Tripartite Joint Action Plan on Environmental Cooperation 2021-2025” among Japan, Korea, and China. The three countries agreed to continue to discuss further details on how to realize 3+X based on the Japanese proposal.
It was confirmed that the next Policy Dialogue would be held and hosted by China on Hainan Island in February 2023 in the case of a face-to-face meeting or in September 2023 in the case of an online meeting.
- Opinion exchanges in the experts’ working group
During the meetings of the experts’ working group held in the morning on the same day, scientific and technical information and views were exchanged between experts from Japan, Korea, and China concerning ozone formation mechanisms, emission inventory, and ground ozone management for high concentration episodes, etc.
In addition, possible collaboration for ozone among the three countries was reported at the Policy Dialogue held in the afternoon as follows: 1) sharing information on research results such as ozone regimes, etc., 2) participation in international research projects working on ozone, and 3) linking research projects with policy frameworks.
– Future actions
The results of this Policy Dialogue will be reported at TEMM23. MOE, Japan, will continue discussions on the concrete future activities among the three countries at the Policy Dialogue and efforts towards a better air environment including regional activities.
Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan