The Mitsui & Co. Environment Fund
Introduction to Grant Projects
National Institute for Environmental Studies Senior Researcher Keisuke Nansai
Theory and practice for analyzing environmental global supply chains
Research grant
- Project Description
For Japan to do its part as a member of the international community in the construction of a socioeconomic system that promotes dematerialization and addresses global warming, we must work to lighten not only the environmental burden we impose domestically, but also, through trade, that we impose internationally as well. This said, it is not easy to quantitatively determine/assess the overseas component of our environmental burden. Important here are an establishment of a scientific methodology and an elucidation of the true situation at hand. In our research, we conduct the following so to better determine the comprehensive environmental burden imposed by our global trade activities.
(1) Establish a method for analyzing the comprehensive environmental impact of trade-related activities
(2) Develop an analytical assessment model that makes use of statistical data from countries around the world. Also, with regards to Japan, quantify CO2 emissions associated with our import/export activities and of the major raw materials consumed within same
(3) With regards to major technologies pertaining to biomass and metal resources, we establish multiple scenarios and identify optimal import/export structures for each. In addition to our affiliated researchers, we welcome the participation of colleagues from Waseda University and Kyushu University. We also invite knowledgeable specialists in such areas as international trade and international economy to our research coordination meetings, and, as appropriate, seek reviews and comments on specific issues for inclusion into our research program.
- Fields
- Climate changeEnergy problem
- Grant year
- FY2007 Research Grants
- Grant term
- 3 years
April 2008 - March 2011
- Grant amount
- 34,762,000 yen
- Activity region
- Japan

Overview of the Organization

- Representative
- Senior Researcher Keisuke Nansai
- Profile
- Specialist field
Environmental engineering
Affiliated academic societies
The Institute of Life Cycle Assessment, Japan; International Input-Output Association; International Society for Industrial Ecology
Background
In March 2001 completed a doctorate program (Ph.D., energy science) from the Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University. In April 2001 to September 2003 was part of an Endocrine Disruptors & Dioxin Research Project Group at the National Institute for Environmental Studies. From October 2003 to present worked at the Center for Materials Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies. - WEB site
- http://www.nies.go.jp/
- Collaborating researchers
- Yasushi KONDO, Professor, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University; Shigemi KAGAWA, Professor, Faculty of Economics, Kyushu University; Rokuta INABA, Senior Researcher, Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research(Sustainable Material Cycle Systems Section), National Institute for Environmental Studies; Kenichi NAKAJIMA, Senior Researcher, same
- Research record
-
- (1) Nansai, K. et al., (2007), Simple Indicator to Identify the Environmental Soundness of Growth of Consumption and Technology: "Eco-velocity of Consumption", Environ. Sci. Technol., 41(4), 1465-1472.
- (2) Nansai, K. et al., (2005), Site-Dependent Life-Cycle Analysis by the SAME approach: Its Concept, Usefulness, and Application to the Calculation of Embodied Impact Intensity by Means of an Input-Output Analysis, Environ. Sci. Technol., 39(18), 7318-7328.