Course Programs

2024

Sustainable Energy Policies

Code:G2B60101 / Instructor:CHINO Tsunehide

Course Description

In order to make the global society sustainable, environmental problems must be tackled head-on at the level of both people and social systems. In particular, the choice of energy and the demand for a shift in energy choices are key issues in realizing a ""decarbonized society.
In the first half of the course, the social history of environmental and energy issues will be reviewed, and the basic questions of environmental and energy policies will be grasped. Next, the various aspects of the energy transition, policy formation, and policy implementation process will be practically grasped, with an emphasis on the local community. The latter half of the lecture will focus on social innovations for realizing community-based environmental energy policies.
Throughout each session, audiovisual materials such as videos will be used as appropriate to promote concrete understanding, and opportunities for group discussion, group learning, and presentations will be provided multiple times during the course, incorporating active learning elements appropriate to the ongoing social issues being addressed.
Through an understanding of environmental and energy policies at the international, national, and local levels, students will gain a perspective that will enable them to become future leaders in the process of solving environmental problems in their respective positions as consumers, citizens, businesspeople, administrators, and experts.

Keywords

environmental issue, decarbonized society, energy policy, renewable energy, social innovation

Course Plan

Session 1: Introduction: Course aims; problem-setting; introductory discussion points
Session 2: The environmental crisis and the demand for energy transition (Short report)
Session 3: Video presentation: “Energy-consuming Society” (Short report)
Session 4: History of energy policy in Japan (Quiz)
Session 5: Energy policy and local communities: Video presentation and group discussion
Session 6: Group study and report: Advantages and disadvantages of each energy source
Session 7: Energy transition policies in Japan and around the world (Short report)
Session 8: Group discussion: Energy policy decisions
Session 9: Deliberative democracy / Feed-in Tariff scheme (Quiz)
Session 10: Social acceptance of renewable energy (Quiz)
Session 11: 100% renewable energy regions : The case of Lolland, Denmark
Session 12: Global economic trends and energy transition (Short report)
Session 13: Group discussion: Community-based environmental energy policy
Session 14: Group study and report: Community-based environmental energy projects
Session 15: Challenges of community-based renewable energy project development; presentation of final report; class questionnaire