In the national quest to go carbon neutral by the year 2050, reducing the 17.4% of Japan¡¯s carbon dioxide emissions that come from the transportation sector will be a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Already, there¡¯s been some positive steps in that direction.

According to data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the sector¡¯s carbon dioxide emissions have declined annually since 2001, and are now 70% of what they were at their peak. Meanwhile, government policies and industry initiatives have made substantial progress solving environmental problems in areas ranging from harmful particulate matter and vehicle recycling.