Today's Robots, Japan

In the period of rapid economic growth after World War II, environmental policies were downplayed by the government and industrial corporations. As an inevitable consequence, environmental pollution occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. Responding to rising concern over the problem, the government introduced several environmental protection laws in 1970. The oil crisis in 1973 also encouraged the efficient use of energy due to Japan's lack of natural resources. Current priority environmental issues include urban air pollution (NOx, suspended particulate matter, toxics), waste management, water eutrophication, nature conservation, climate change, chemical management and international co-operation for environmental conservation.
Japan is one of the world's leaders in the development of new environment-friendly technologies. Honda and Toyota hybrid electric vehicles were named to have the highest fuel economy and lowest emissions. This is due to the use of advanced hybrid systems, biofuels, lighter-weight material, and specialized engineering techniques. Japan is ranked 20th best in the world in the 2010 Environmental Performance Index.
As a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, and host of the 1997 conference which created it, Japan is under treaty obligations to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and to take other steps related to curbing climate change. The Cool Biz campaign introduced under former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was targeted at reducing energy use through the reduction of air conditioning in government offices. Japan is preparing to force industry to make cuts in greenhouse gases, taking the lead in a country struggling to meet its Kyoto Protocol obligations.