UCL-Energy seminar: CAN JAPAN FIND A BALANCED SOLUTION BETWEEN NUKES AND GHG POLICY? - Yoshihiro Fujii, Professor of Global Environmental Economics, Sophia University, Tokyo

Can Japan find a balanced solution between nukes and GHG policy - A prospect of ENEKAN strategy in Japan

Post-Fukushima, Yoshihiro sits on a new advisory board set up by Japan’s Environment Ministry, advising on the nation’s energy policy. Yoshihiro will explain and analyse present discussions on new energy and climate change policies under the Japanese cabinet office which will be concluded by summer 2012.

Yoshihiro's research

The major theme of Yoshihiro's research is environmental finance, which aims at solving environmental problems through financial functions. He says:

'I view the environment as not something that is in conflict with the economy, but rather as being inextricably linked with it, and it is my aim to optimise environmental efficiencies using various financial functions and methods.

For example, how do we disclose environmental liabilities as financial indicators of an industry? What is the SRI fund that targets the environmental and social activities of companies? We see that a range of financial functions are already being employed with the environment, such as the status of environmental rating loans, the future expansion for the carbon emission trading , and the environmental insurance for soil contamination and asbestos.

Furthermore, I also discuss the roles of concepts such as CSR that focus on  the industrial management matters as well as environmental and CSR journalism. Industry, finance, and journalistic approach, although this might sound like it is a bit too much, I cover all of these fields in my research.'

About the speaker

Yoshihiro Fujii graduated from Osaka City University, Faculty of Economics in 1972 and began work at Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc, in the same year. During this time he was assigned to areas such as the ex-Environmental Agency, Ministry of Finance, and Bank of Japan. Yoshihiro resided in London from 1988 to 1991 as chief-correspondent for a newspaper company. He was a visiting research fellow in 1993 at Oxford University, then worked as a senior staff writer for financial area.

Since April 2006, Yoshihiro has been a professor at the Sophia University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies. Main publications include Knowledge of the EU (15th Edition; 2010, Nihon Keizai Shimbun Publication Inc.), Progressive Environmental Risk management for financial institutions(2010, Kinzai), Theory and Practice for Carbonn Liabilities (2009,Chuo-Keizai Publication), The Practice for Environmental Liabilities (2008, Chuo-Keizai), Financial NPO (2007, Iwanami Shotenn), The Global Environment Understood through Finance (2005, ibid).

View the slides from this presentation (PDF)