2024 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Undergraduate major in Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
Introduction to Environmental Policy and Social System
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Takehiko Murayama / Shigeo Nishikizawa / Koji Tokimatsu / Fumitake Takahashi / Tatsuya Wakeyama
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 7-8 Mon / 7-8 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- TSE.C312
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Current environmental problems are complex and diversified, covering various topics from daily life to global issues. Environmental policies play important roles in coping with these problems. In the first part of this course, students will learn the basic ideas and importance of environmental policies through historical overview of environmental pollution and waste problems. Then, they will focus on environmental risks through the case study of asbestos risk assessment. The concept of environmental risks is becoming increasingly important with the advancement of science and technology. Since environmental policies need to cope with the changing social and economic conditions and emerging issues, the basic methodology of policy evaluation will be explained in the latter half of the course. Students will also learn the economic assessment of energy related policies and the system of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) including consensus building, which is crucial to prevent environmental problems.
Course description and aims
（1）To be able to explain what is environmental policy
（2）To understand the history of environmental pollution and issues
（3）To understand the concept of environmental risk
（4）To understand the methodology to manage common resources
（5）To understand the energy related evaluation methods
（6）To understand Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system
Keywords
Environmental Policy, Environmental Pollution and Issue, Environmental Risk, Geothermal Energy, Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment, Energy Policy
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Classes will be mainly composed of lectures, with periodical discussions and/or short report writing.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction, Energy Policy | To understand current status and major issues of the energy mix |
| Class 2 | What is environmental policy? Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment | Theory of environmental impact assessment |
| Class 3 | Strategies and policies enabling local symbiotic renewable energies | To understand social acceptance of renewable energies and policies |
| Class 4 | Old environmental problems and policy 1400-150 years ago | Historical review of environmental problems/policy |
| Class 5 | Root of modern environmental policy in Japan - Minamata disease | A Case study of environmental pollution |
| Class 6 | Environmental policy in our daily lives | Case studies of current environmental policies |
| Class 7 | Energy systems analysis for policy making | Systems analysis |
| Class 8 | evaluationsOverview of risk management approaches | Analysis of life cycle assessment |
| Class 9 | Economic valuation in environmental economics to environmental policy | Method of economic evaluation in environmental |
| Class 10 | Energy technology development policy: the example of geothermal power generation | To understand the history of technological development and policies using a geothermal power development case study. |
| Class 11 | Management of common resources: the example of geothermal power generation and hot spring | To understand the management of common resources using the case study of geothermal power development and hot spring. |
| Class 12 | Policy alignment for renewable energy development | To understand the necessity of aligning policies for renewable energy development. |
| Class 13 | Cases on environmental risk | Theory of risk analysis |
| Class 14 | Life cycle assessment | Theory of risk management |
| Class 15 | no class |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Not specified (Some materials will be provided in each class)
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Not specified (Some materials will be provided in each class)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Assignments in each class 75%, report 25 %
Related courses
- GEG.S401 ： Environmental Policy
- GEG.E501 ： Environmental Impact Assessment
- GEG.S501 ： History and Current Issues of Economic Development and Environmental Protection
- GEG.S402 ： The economics and systems analysis of environment, resources and technology
- GEG.S402 ： The economics and systems analysis of environment, resources and technology
- ENR.A408 ： Economy of energy system
- GEG.S502 ： Sustainable Finance
Prerequisites
No prerequisites