The principle of sustainable development requires a policy-making process integrating environmental, economic and social aspects. In Japan, more and more basic laws as well as other specific legislation adopt the conception of “sustainable development” or “sustainability.” However, some misconceptions and inconsistencies threaten the effective implementation of such principles. The terminologies “sustainable development” and “sustainability” differ from each other. Additionally, the integrative approach seems especially weak in the field of economic and social security law. Therefore, it is important to introduce an integrated conception of sustainable development in such fields and the strategic environmental impact assessment (SEA) in order to reflect the environmental aspects appropriately. At the same time, the concrete and essential elements of sustainability should be legally and consistently materialized in each field. Finally, it is emphasized that this principles include also the guarantee of the right to participate in the decision making process as well as the local-based policy approach.
