Social and Environmental Systems Division
Outline of Research ( pamphlet )
At the Social and Environmental Systems Division, we conduct policy responsive research on the point of contact between human activities and the natural environment and the relationships between socio-economic systems and environmental issues. We cover a wide range of issues from global environmental problems such as climate change to local concerns such as urban and transportation issues and the concept of environmentally friendly lifestyles.
Designing Medium- and Long-term Sustainable Society Scenarios
To create a sustainable society, it is important to create medium- to long-term visions incorporating not only environmental issues such as climate change, waste, water, the atmosphere, and ecosystems, but also socio-economic activities, food and energy security, and international relations. Our research focuses on Japan and attempts to portray a vision of a sustainable society in 2050 that includes qualitative and quantitative insights into how to bring about such a society between now and then.
http://www.nies.go.jp/social/seminar/H18/pdf/masui2006.pdf
Awareness of Environmental Issues
We surveyed 2000 Japanese men and women in order to find out how environmental awareness is changing in the Japanese public. The chart on the right shows subjects’ answers to the open-response question “What is the most important environmental issue that Japan is facing?” In 2006, climate change surpassed garbage, recycling, and waste, appearing in twice as many responses as it had in previous years.
http://www.nies.go.jp/social/seminar/H18/pdf/aoyagi2006.pdf
Sustainable Transportation
Our vehicle-based society not only causes atmospheric and noise pollution, but it is also a major cause of climate change and the mass consumption of fossil fuels. This research project develops methods to evaluate low emission/high mileage vehicles and proposes actions such as ecologically-sound driving techniques (ecodriving) that can be adopted by regular people. We are also interested in exploring transportation solutions that involve introducing technologies, such as public transportation systems or low fuel consumption vehicles, into certain regions according to the characteristics of the region and creating long-term mitigation scenarios.
http://www.nies.go.jp/social/seminar/H18/pdf/matsuhashi2006.pdf
