2026 (Current Year) 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)
- Shigeo Nishikizawa / Koji Tokimatsu / Fumitake Takahashi / Tatsuya Wakeyama / Mayuko Nakamaru
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 7-8 Mon (W5-105) / 7-8 Thu (W5-105)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- TSE.C312
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2026
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Sep 30, 2026
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Contemporary environmental issues have become increasingly complex and diverse, ranging from local concerns to global challenges, and environmental policy plays a crucial role in addressing them. This course begins by examining the definition and necessity of environmental policy, drawing lessons from the history of pollution and environmental issues in Japan as well as from familiar, everyday environmental problems. Addressing these issues requires a flexible approach and a broad perspective that accounts for changing social and economic conditions and the evolving nature of the problems themselves; the course introduces Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a specific methodology for this purpose. It also covers evaluation and analysis techniques that incorporate economic considerations, using energy issues as a case study. The course also focuses on renewable energy—an area seeing rapid expansion in recent years—by examining wind, solar, and geothermal power. Students will learn about policies for technological development and environmental consideration, the consensus building with local communities, and the proper management of common resources.
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 methodology to manage common resources
（4）To understand the energy related evaluation methods
（5）To understand Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system
Keywords
Environmental Policy, Environmental Pollution and Issue, Geothermal Energy, Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment, Energy Policy, Common Resource Theory
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 | sustainable use of biological resources I |
understand sustainable use of biological resources |
| Class 11 | sustainable use of biological resources II |
understand sustainable use of biological resources, through concrete examples |
| Class 12 | 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 13 | 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 14 | Policy alignment for renewable energy development |
To understand the necessity of aligning policies for renewable energy development. |
| Class 15 | no class |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance learning outcomes, review the class topic independently, referring to the distributed materials and other resources.
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.S402 ： The economics and systems analysis of environment, resources and technology
- ENR.A408 ： Economy of energy system
Prerequisites
No prerequisites