YAMADA Kosei

YAMADA Kosei

YAMADA Kosei
[Belonging・Position] Environment and Natural Resource Studies Group, Inter-disciplinary Studies Center
[Research Field] Environmental Law and Policy
[email] Kosei_Yamada E-mail

Previous research

Surprised by Beijing’s status as both a highly digitalized modern city and one of the most heavily polluted in the world, I decided to research environmental law and policy in China. My first research theme was the function of environmental public interest litigation (EPIL). To learn the basics of environmental law and policy in China, I enrolled in a dual master’s degree program in Japan and China. While studying in China, I conducted a comparative study on environmental damage and legal remedies. This comparative work helped me to complete another master’s thesis on EPIL in China. Three years of study in Japan and China has broadened my worldview in addition to obtaining new knowledge. My current research theme is built on the foundation of my previous research.

Current research projects

At present, I am researching the “polluter pays” approach to environmental remediation in China. I aim to understand the extent to which the polluter must shoulder the cost of environmental remediation in China. Environmental public interest litigation (EPIL) was created for several different purposes, which can make it difficult for researchers to understand the aim of policymakers. Through changes to the rules governing EPIL, it became clear that the policymaker acted in accordance with the “polluter pays” principle in order to increase the cost of environmental remediation. From this perspective, the key point is how and to what extent the internalization of costs can be realized in all cases. As the first step of this research, I am now attempting to understand the relationship between the “polluter pays” principle and governmental remedies.