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This chapter provides the most recent policy frameworks for sound material-cycle society (SMCS) and promoting the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle) as well as circular economy transition in Japan, with some illustrations of the best practices carried out by the private sector and Japanese local governments as outcomes.

The sound management of healthcare waste (HCW) has been receiving increasing global attention, now even more so given the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncontrolled fluctuations in generation quantities, the composition of HCW as well as the significant impacts it poses on public health and the environment require a more dynamic and cohesive...

During the twentieth century, the growth of global water consumption was twice the population growth and at this juncture, many comprehensive policy agendas focused on increasing the limited availability of freshwater to meet ever-growing and competing demands. Hence sustainable water consumption has become a primary concern of the building...

This chapter reviews recent developments in microplastic-related research; identifies major sources of microplastics to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs); investigates the detection methods, concentration levels, and removal efficiency of microplastics at selected WWTPs; and presents a discussion on microplastics removal from wastewater and...

The IPCC Working Group II contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report addresses the challenges of climate action in the context of sustainable development with a particular focus on climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Since IPCC AR5, human influence on the Earth’s climate has become unequivocal, increasingly apparent, and...

As in many developing countries, waste management is one of the greatest challenges faced by the Maldives. The limited or unavailbility of waste collection services, proper treatment, and disposal systems on the islands often results in dumping household waste on the beach, ocean, and forests and also open burning of waste. These activities are...

Our longing for incessant and rapid economic growth came at a cost of inefficient and wasteful use of resources and environmental pollution. The consequences are immense and far exceeding the planetary capacities to regenerate itself at such a fast pace. It became clear that a transition to sustainable societies cannot occur with our current linear...

The widespread adoption of low emissions technologies in rapidly developing countries is critical to resolving the climate emergency.1 However, many fast growing economies lack the energy efficient, renewable, and other advanced technologies needed to mitigate climate change. Technology transfer could help address these countries need. Yet the...

A growing body of evidence suggests that the climate crisis has widened social inequalities. The heightened emphasis on social inequality in international climate negotiations is therefore a welcomed step forward. Another step in this direction involves more explicitly considering the social dimension of co-benefits or “social co-benefits.” This...

Compressed air systems account for 5–35% of electricity use among the Indian manufacturing sector. It shares a significant portion of the production cost, but its energy-efficiency measures are not widely applied in India yet. From 2011 to 2018, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)...