This paper analyses the experience of actual policy process in detail and the peculiarities of a draft of the Sabah Environmental Education Policy, which was submitted to the Sabah State Government in January 2007. During the formulation of the policy draft, case studies and participant observations were conducted with the Science and Technology Unit, Chief Minister's Department, and the Government of Sabah from September 2005 to January 2007. The hypothesis of the research is that “there must be several conditions when environmental education policy is formulated”. Analysis of the data collected from participant observations revealed the following three findings. First, two different motivation factors were observed in the policy formulation process on environmental education in Sabah. One was the factor which launched the policy formulation process, and the other was the factor which desired future advantages to accrue through the policy. Those two different motivation factors facilitated a will to provide and institutionalise an environmental education policy in Sabah. Second, it was essential that one governmental department had a central role throughout the policy process to provide clear aims for the action plans. Simultaneously, keen participation from various other governmental departments and organisations had to be secured in the policy process. Finally, it was observed that the entire governmental organisation and other related agencies accepted the concepts of the drafted policy. It was important for all the related organisations and agencies to follow the concepts of the policy and launch their own environmental education activities based on suggested action plans. Overall, there were three conditions which promoted the development of environmental education policy critically in Sabah.

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  This report outlines the background, basic ways of thinking, and the influence on educational circles of the “Teacher's Reference Materials for Environmental Education”, which was published by the Education Ministry in 1991 and 1992.
  Japanese anti-pollution awareness, which started around the middle of the 1960s, shifted to environmental education in the middle of the 1970s. Thereafter, advanced practical studies for environmental education led to the publication of the “Teacher's Reference Materials for Environmental Education” in the early 90s.
  On the other hand, the “United Nations Conference on the Human Environment” held in Stockholm in 1972, the report “Limits of Growth” by the Club of Rome in 1972, and the subsequent international conferences and reports on the global environmental crisis, also supported and pushed the publication of the Instruction Material.
  The concrete aim of environmental education as shown in the Belgrade Charter in 1975 became a basic index of the Teacher's Reference Materials. The middle and high school components of the Instruction Material introduced the matrix system, and the elementary school component emphasized practice through an “integrated approach”.
  The publication of the Teacher's Reference Materials induced many local autonomous bodies to make their own instruction material for environmental education, and promoted local curriculum development.

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  The philosophy of “Teacher's Reference Materials for Environmental Education (Elementary School Version)” published in 1991 and the junior and senior high school version in 1992 was based on the “Belgrade Charter” in 1975 and the “Tbilisi Declaration” in 1977. The concept of cross-curricular environmental education shown there was influenced by the British curriculum guidelines which raises children awareness of environmental education issues through each subject of the National Curriculum.
  On the other hand the “Period for Integrated Study” carried out from 2002, emphasizes environmental education under the learning view reform which makes much of the learning process instead of knowledge-inducting education.
  Furthermore the report “Environmental Education/Environment awareness in the Future-in the Cause of Sustainable Society” by the Central Council for the Environment in 1999 intends to foster problem solving ability through experience-type learning, and to achieve a sustainable society, and the enactment of the “Increase of Environmental Conservation Awareness and the Promotion of Environmental Education” law opened up a new vista of Japanese environmental education.
  Today's environmental education in Japan has been thus molded as a multilayered inheritance reflecting international movements.

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  In this paper, I discuss the significances of Period of Integrated Study for the practice of Environmental Education in Japanese schools. Lately the importance of ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) concluding the contexts of environmental education has been emphasized. But it is not so easy for Japanese school teachers to practice these subjects on school curriculum. From 2002, the Period of Integrated Study has started for the purpose of “zest for living” in the national Curriculum. Actually, the hours of lessons such as science or mathematics have been decreased, so it has occurred the possibility of inadequate learning. But it is clear that only acquirement of knowledge or skills are not enough for students for their futures.
  For the active development of Period of Integrated Study, the construction of partnerships between schools and regions will be more necessary. In Japan, we can see the typical practices in rural area. There are many kinds of problems in school or rural area. But we can look forward to the possibility of solutions for problems by the effective practice of Period of Integrated Study.
  For the new development of school education, the roles of teacher will be more important. For that, training or In-service training of teachers will be more necessary.

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