Development of the Model to Identify the Hotspots for Reducing the Geo-Political Risk of Critical Metals

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H07072
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Design and evaluation of sustainable and environmental conscious system
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: SHIGETOMI Yosuke 長崎大学, 水産・環境科学総合研究科(環境), 助教 (30780358)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: レアメタル / 国際貿易 / トレードオフ / 国内経済政策 / 低炭素社会

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research has obtained essential results associated with policy implications for both national greenhouse gas mitigation target committed to the Paris Agreement and the geopolitical risk of critical metals necessary for the new energy technologies in Japan.
First, the global flows of neodymium, cobalt, and platinum in 2005 were estimated using the international trade and country specific data, and I found that those of neodymium and platinum were consistent with the traditional gravity model of trade. Second, an EEIOA was carried out to estimations of life cycle greenhouse gases emissions derived from Japanese household consumption in 2030 under future scenarios with a focus on recent Japanese socio-economic policies. This implies that, compared with a business-as-usual scenario, the household emissions would need to be reduced by more 7.8-29% in order to meet the emission target that can be set using the emissions for 2009 and the reduction target proposed in the Paris Agreement.

Free Research Field

環境システム学、産業エコロジー学