Interest in the environment is growing around the world, and Japan and other countries have undertaken a wide range of conservation projects. However it does not necessarily follow that environmental conditions have improved overall.
The developed countries continue to engage in mass-consumption, while developing countries are afflicted with poverty and overcrowded cities, all of which combine to exacerbate environmental problems.

Several cities in developing countries have reached air pollution levels that exceed even those of Japan at the height of its pollution. This poses a threat to human health in urban areas, and also affects rural areas as more farmers lose their land to desertification.

Developed countries not only suffer from "traditional" environmental problems, but also face new challenges like endocrine disrupters (environmental hormones) and dioxin, which also pose serious threats to human health. These are problems that stem directly from human activities.

Japan and other developed countries have a responsibility to transmit their experiences and technologies to developing countries so that these countries will be able to form environment-conscious economies and societies in the development process and avoid the mistakes that developed countries have made. Japan provides a wide range of cooperation for the solution of environmental problems in developing countries, and thus helps to achieve sustainable development across the globe.

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