Presentations

The main purpose of this research is to calculate CO2 emission (life cycle) reduction through the ITS construction. The first step is to define the boundary of CO2 emission reduction, life cycle and comprehensive, including all the economic activities over time. Next, we employ the top down method (using an environmentally extended Japanese input-output table developed by the author and his colleagues). Although the figures by the top-down input-output analysis are on average made in Japan, not for a company specific commodity, they are suitable and sufficient for evaluation of a national ITS project. A few additional examples are provided for better understandings of the methodology. Thirdly, we present a reference case that will show CO2 emissions from construction of ITS, and expected CO2 reductions simulated by our collaborator the Pacific Research Consultant. Five improvements are examined, and compared with the reference. ITS can reduce CO2 emission even in earlier phases. After final Phase 3, we expect annually 16 million ton of CO2 less than those without Intelligent Transportation System. Finally, three remarks are noted: necessity of further reduction of CO2 from ITS, which will be attainable through less CO2 dependent power generations; sustainable ITS should also improve social welfare such as employments of various jobs in many regions; and ITS is to protect the local environment as well. The remarks should be for future research.

二つ以上の異なる調査で得られたマイクロデータをリンクすることによって情報量を増やし分析する研究は，計算機の能力の向上によって非常に容易になっている．特に労働需要の分析は企業や事業所の特性によって必要とされる雇用のタイプが大きく異なる．そのために雇主と雇用者の双方について詳細な情報が必要になる．雇用者については「賃金構造基本調査」がかなり詳細な情報を調査しているが，雇主については常用労働者数と産業分類程度の情報しか得られない．労働需要の分析には不可欠な生産活動の情報が欠落したままである．この研究ではそれを克服するために，「賃金構造基本調査」と「事業所・企業統計調査」，「商業統計調査」「サービス業基本調査」を時系列(パネル)および雇用者-雇主をリンクしたデータセットを作成している．ここではその中間報告結果と過去の分析例について報告することにする．

Japanese employment has been changing from the traditional patterns, `life-time commitment' to large scale firms, to more flexible but unstable working condition .Part-time workers increased 4.7% pa for this decade. They are mainly female workers with high education. Recently young part-time workers less educated have also increased quite rapidly about 2 times in proportion during 1990 and 2000. Behind these trends, Japan experienced new institutional arrangements, new types of entry, increasing differences of costs among employment status. Estimates of the elasticity of substitution between full and part-time workers suggest that this trend will continue, unless the large wage difference should vanish. We compiled the new data series for the estimation, and include a brief survey on the relevant researches of Japanese sources.

Solar power generation, especially space solar power, is one of the most promising alternative technologies for reducing CO2 emissions. However its potential is not obvious, because the launching of satellites consumes rocket fuel, and because solar panel production also involves energy consumption. For this paper we calculated CO2 emissions through the life cycle of a Solar Power Satellite (SPS), which comprises production of rocket fuel, solar panels, construction of Rectenna (power receiving antenna), satellite and all equipment listed in the NASA/DOE Reference System. The calculation also includes indirect CO2 emissions estimated from 1990 Japanese Input-Output Tables broken down into 405 sectors. The baseline scenario shows that CO2 emissions from SPS per unit of energy generated, at 20g CO2 per kWh, is almost the same as from nuclear power systems at 22g CO2 per kWh, and much less than LNG-fired power generation at 631g CO2 per kWh, and coal-fired energy at 1,225g CO2 per kWh. Furthermore, the SPS-Breeder scenario (in which installed Solar Power Satellites supply electricity for producing further SPS units) shows significant improvement in CO2 emissions at only 11g per kWh. In spite of Japan's high dependence on nuclear power (which currently provides 32% of the total electricity supplied), electricity causes one fourth of Japan's total CO2 emissions. This paper suggests that the SPS is the most effective alternative technology for further CO2 reduction in electric power generation.

The Kyoto Protocol agreed on in 1997 allows some flexibility for developed countries in their implementations of their commitments to reduce emissions of CO2 and other global warming gases. In particular developed countries may receive emission credits for facilitating international cooperation for developing Clean Development Mechanisms (CDMs) between themselves and developing countries. CDMs must reduce emissions of global warming gases on a sustainable basis in the developing countries involved. Such CDMs are expected to be an important tool for Japan and other developed countries for achieving their Kyoto Protocol commitments to reduce their CO2 emissions but assessments and implementations of alternative CDMs require careful international joint research efforts. In this paper we discuss our on-going Japan-China joint research to develop and evaluate bio-coal briquette, a new product to replace coal in some regions of China. Coal is a significant source of air pollution. Using implementation of biobriquette in China as a possible CDM for Japan is also discussed.

This paper estimates labour demands by age and gender using linked data from three Japanese instruments: the Census of Commerce, the Census of Manufactures and the Basic Survey on Wage Structure. The demographic composition of labour demnads in the retail establishemnt significantly changes at a certain size of sales area: female workers under the age of 40 prevail in large establishments. Estimations in the manufacturing industry show that the percentage of young male workers increases in output and area of the establishment. The effect of these non-linearities has been to influence retail policy effectiveness on protecting small size establishments.