Political and Policy Implications on the History of the Kyoto Protocol

This paper focuses on the policymaking of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and economic organizations against global warming in the 1990s. The structural feature in this field is "multi-level governance," whereby the United Nations (UN), the Japanese government, Keidanren, industry organizations, and private companies were entangled in policymaking decisions and enforced the management of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction. This resulted in post-Cold War globalization combining both trade policy and industrial policy especially in this area. Our interview method clarifies some strategic factors, which proceed this policy combination: operation of mass media, nodality among the adversarial institutions, and reorganization of the central government ministries and agencies in 2001. In conclusion, this project stresses the effects of these strategies in the policymaking of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in the 21st century.