Japan was the most successful country among the OECD to reduce the emission of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) over 1990-2014. This seminar will examine the causal effects of the Automobile NOx Control Law (ANCL) on the ambient concentration of NO2 in urban areas in Japan. We analyse monitor-level data covering 2025 monitors for 1981-2014 by differences-in-differences procedure. The results suggest that the designation under the ANCL has a weak effect on the ‘average’ monitor in designated urban areas, after controlling for weather, socioeconomic factors, and spatial spillover. In contrast, if we allow for heterogeneous treatment by type of monitor, we do find that the ANCL produced substantial effects. Our best estimates suggest that monitors which were in violation of the national standard on NO2 at least one day dropped NO2 concentration by 9.6 per cent and experienced 6 fewer days exceeding the national standard.

Shuhei Nishitateno is an Associate Professor at the Department of International Policy, School of Public Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University. Prior to his current position, he was a Deputy Manager at the Industrial Structure Policy Division, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (2013-2014). He received his PhD from the Arndt-Corden Department of Economics, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University in 2011. His research interests focus on international economics, transport economics, and the Japanese economy. His research has been published in various academic journals including Economic Inquiry, Energy Economics, Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Japanese Economic Review, and Journal of Transport Geography. He is a member of the Japanese Economic Association and the Economic Society of Australia.

A light lunch will be provided.

The AJRC Seminar Series is a forum for researchers to engage on issues relevant to Japan. Topics include, but are not limited to, economics, international relations, politics, and national security. Seminars are typically very frank and early stage studies are most welcome.