Japan’s decision-making about climate change problems: comparative study of decisions in 1990 and in 1997

This paper aims to assess Japan’s decision-making process to finalize its proposal for the Kyoto Protocol by comparing it to a similar decision in 1990–1992. The processes of the two periods are analyzed at both the international and domestic levels of decision making. At the domestic level, the process is divided into three areas—decision-making factors, the decision itself, and the process itself—to clarify the comparison. It is concluded that Japan’s decision in 1997 may have been effective in mediating between the United States and the EU for a short time, but not in the last phase of the negotiation when countries started bargaining toward an agreement. The process may also not be suitable if Japan wants to take the lead in the climate-change debate. To overcome these weaknesses it is necessary to make changes in the decision-making process to involve more domestic stakeholders in the process, and to strengthen the capacity of such stakeholders. Copyright Springer Japan 2000