2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Engineering Undergraduate major in Industrial Engineering and Economics
Theory of Sustainable Society and Economy
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Industrial Engineering and Economics
- Instructor(s)
- Toshihiko Masui / Yuko Kanamori / Takehiko Yamato
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Wed (WL1-201(W521))
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- IEE.B331
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1-2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Based on the various discipline such as engineering and economics, generation and solution of environmental problems will be discussed theoretically, and the relationship and gap between theory and practice on the environmental problems will be explained through the actual policy making process.
From the scenario analysis to solve the actual environmental problems, the process of problem establishment, planning of policies, and their implementation will be utilized for the actual problems.
Course description and aims
Based on the economic theory and engineering approach, the students will be able to explain the environmental problems and their solutions. And the students will also be able to explain the gap between theory and practice by taking the actual environmental problems.
The students will propose and assess the environmental policies to an actual environmental problem.
Keywords
sustainable development, environmental problem, climate change, policy, scenario
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Each class will be explained by using the related literature. And through the presentation by students, the students will deepen the debate on the solution by environmental policies.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Population distribution |
Understanding the relationship between population distribution and SDGs |
| Class 2 | Climate change and history of emission reduction target |
Understand the mechanism of climate change problem and the countermeasures to solve it, and discuss the solutions |
| Class 3 | Social issues and consumer behaviour analysis |
Understanding social issues and consumer behaviour analysis |
| Class 4 | Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) |
Understand SDGs concept and discuss the countermeasures to realize it |
| Class 5 | Climate change -Local action plan for GHG reduction - |
Understand how to develop the local action plan for GHG reduction and discuss the countermeasures of local climate change issue. |
| Class 6 | Future scenario and uncertainty (Group work 1) |
Explain the scenario development to treat uncertainties |
| Class 7 | Climate change and consumer |
Explain the relationship between climate change and consumer behaviour |
| Class 8 | Climate change and consumer |
Make a presentation on the result of group discussion on socio-economic activities in 2050 |
| Class 9 | Waste problem and consumer behaviour |
Explain the relationship between waste problem and consumer behaviour |
| Class 10 | Vision and roadmap (Group work 2) |
Understand how to realize future visions from both macro and micro scopes |
| Class 11 | Food loss and consumer behaviour |
Explain the relationship between food loss and consumer behaviour |
| Class 12 | Marginal cost and environmental policies |
Understand the concept of marginal cost to reduce the environmental burdens and related environmental policies |
| Class 13 | Presentation on realization of decarbonized society in 2050 |
Make a presentation on the result of group discussion on the roadmap to achieve decarbonized society in 2050 |
| Class 14 | Summary of the lecture |
Provide a summary of all lectures |
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)
Since the topics cover very broad issues, the related literatures will be provided each time.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
The related literatures will be provided each time.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Periodical small report for each class (50%), presentation (25%) and final report (25%)
Related courses
- IEE.B333 ： Environmental Economics
Prerequisites
no
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
Prof. Toshihiko Masui (masui[at]nies.go.jp)
Prof. Yuko Kanamori (kanamori[at]nies.go.jp)
Office hours
Contact using email, because usually professors work at National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba.