Project 3Comprehensive climate policy assessment and development of visions and scenarios towards a low-carbon society
The discussion about global warming countermeasures has been intensified in recent years both in Japan and around the world. Project 3 aims at developing mid- and long-term visions and scenarios for Japan, Asia and the world, as well as proposing policy options that will become necessary in order to implement a low-carbon society. In Project 3 we carry out research divided into 3 sub-themes.
In sub-theme 1 titled “Scenarios and implementation strategies for a low-carbon society in Asia”, we conduct, using different methods, quantitative and qualitative investigations of the socio-economic trends, policies and institutional systems which are necessary for achieving a low-carbon society with drastically reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at national and regional levels in the Asian region.
In the model research with sub-theme 2 “Quantitative assessment of climate change mitigation policies in Japan and around the world”, we specify sectoral and regional details for Japan and worldwide, and improve the estimation accuracy of the energy service demand and the process of technology diffusion. We also estimate the emission reduction potentials and the costs of countermeasures in Japan and in other regions of the world.
Under sub-theme 3 “Study on international institutions and negotiation processes for the development of a low-carbon society”, we investigate and analyze the international negotiation processes under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, identify those factors that hinder the negotiation process and investigate the pathways that lead to international agreements.
With these interwoven sub-themes we conduct comprehensive, integrated research on climate change countermeasures from our immediate future until 2020–2050, as well as long-term ones for over 100 years and onward to achieve a low-carbon society.