Xin Zhou
Research Leader, Integrated Sustainability Centre, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Phone: +81-46-855-3863
Address: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
2108-11 Kamiyamaguchi, Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0115 Japan
Phone: +81-46-855-3863
Address: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
2108-11 Kamiyamaguchi, Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0115 Japan
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Books by Xin Zhou
This tool and its potential applications were introduced in the Innovative Tools and Approaches Session of the Knowledge Sharing Workshop on Strengthening the Environment Dimensions of the SDGs in Asia and the Pacific, held on 21-22 February 2018, UNCC, Bangkok.
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) initiated a project entitled “Sustainable Development Goals, Targets and Indicators”, supported by IGES Strategic Research Fund. The main purpose of this research report focuses on presenting an integrated analytical approach on the identification, quantification and network analysis of the interlinkages between SDG targets. The proposed approach was then then applied to the analysis and visualisation of SDG interlinkages for nine selected Asian countries, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam.
The interlinkages between SDG targets are identified using a synthesised approach based on extensive review of the existing scientific literature and relevant policy documents provided by major international policy processes working on SDGs and indicators. This enables to construct a network of SDG interlinkages presenting the causal links between the targets. Indicators with trackable data are selected and mapped with SDG targets. Time-series data for the indicators for nine selected Asian countries are collected based on which the interlinkages between SDG targets are quantified.
Using Social Network Analysis (SNA) techniques, the structure of the network of SDG interlinkages are analysed based on which top strategic targets which play various central roles in the network are identified for individual countries. The identification of top strategic targets can help priority-setting during the planning stage. Country-specific dashboards indicating potential synergies and trade-offs between SDG targets are provided as a practical tool supporting integrated SDG planning, institutional arrangement and implementation.
highlights successful practices in Asia that can be emulated by other governments considering reform of their own domestic institutions in response to climate change.
This chapter aims at assessing the economic and environmental effectiveness of selected BAMs, in particular import tariffs. We focus on a carbon tax system in Japan, which will be introduced in 2011, together with simulated import tariffs levied on all imports of Japan from other economies. We apply a recursive dynamic global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. Not just adding one more similar economic analysis to current CGE literature on border adjustment, we take account of carbon emissions embodied in tradable goods and the nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs). The implementation of NAMAs in selected developing countries, in particular China and India, could shorten the gap in the production costs of carbon-intensive industries between countries which implement carbon pricing policies and developing countries. The WTO compatibility of different BAMs is also discussed.
Papers by Xin Zhou
core. Many interventions can bring well-being into the center of climate actions. However, this brief highlights three sets of often overlooked entry points that can leverage links between climate and well-being: (i) social protection and health (SDGs 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, and 16); (ii) quality education for all (SDGs 4, 10, and 16); and (iii) gender equality (SDGs 5, 8, and 16). The brief further recommends that the successful and widescale implementation of actions within those entry points needs to be supported by two sets of enabling reforms. The first is shifting to multidimensional well-being measures as policy yardstick indicators (SDG 17); and the second is institutional/fiscal reforms to enable the formulation and implementation of climate strategies featuring societal well-being (SDGs 16 and 17). An inclusive, bottom-up participatory approach that engages marginalized stakeholders in the G7 and other countries can help guide the selection of other similarly intended recommendations beyond those featured in this brief.
The purpose of this paper is to review the results of SDSN’s SDG Index and the ensuing methodologies used, with particular focus on exploring the SDG scoring and indexing system using Japan’s SDG global ranking results as an example. The paper raises and discusses several practical issues that may hinder the effective use of the Index as a practical tool.
The first and most critical issue is the big data gap, particularly the environmental data gap at the global level, which prevents using indicators and associated data to provide a complete picture of the target issues.
The second issue is the robustness of the indexing and global ranking results and the comparability among different indexing and global ranking systems. Rankings in indicator systems are influenced by the selection of indicators, availability of data and the indexing and weighting methods.
The third issue involves the indexing method which aggregates the scores of individual indicators by their arithmetic mean value. First, it needs to be underlined that the SDGs and their targets are different things. Second, they are not equivalent to each other by the same proportionate interlinkage. Their interlinkages can be reinforcing, dependent, conflicting and compromising. The current indexing method ignores these two points and therefore brings a challenge to the results.
The fourth practical issue is related to how to properly package the monitoring results and convey accurate messages to the target stakeholders. In particular, the basic assumptions and technical limitations and their associated impacts on the analysis and ranking results should be explicitly mentioned in a transparent and responsible manner to avoid misunderstanding.
The paper concludes that cross-national differences in the selection of indicators, data availability and methodologies make the international comparison across countries difficult. It suggests that at least initially international comparison of the progress in achieving the SDGs will be limited and country-based monitoring with due consideration for national circumstances and available resources will be appropriate. The paper further suggests that investment and capacity building in data collection related to the SDG indicators should be strengthen which requires deepening and broadening collaborations among UN organizations, academia and national governments.
In Japan, green economy was defined by the Japanese Government as “an economic system which promotes sustainable growth while improving human welfare through pursuing economic growth and conserving the environment at the same time, as well as utilising natural resources and ecosystem services properly”. Technological innovation and the role of environmental industry as a new engine for economic growth are the centerpiece for achieving a green economy. The Environmental Goods and Services Sector (GESS) has been considered as a key element for addressing these priorities. Assessing the economic and employment impacts of EGSS is one of the effective ways of measuring the progress in “greening” the economy.
The EGSS framework developed by the Eurostat which was embedded in the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Central Framework provides descriptions and specifications on the activities which are classified as environmental activities. The document can be used as a guidance for estimating the share of green economic activities in national GDP and indicating their contributions to economic and social development in terms of revenue, value-added, employment and exports. The EGSS framework has been used in many EU countries as well as in several developing countries. In Japan, statistics on major indicators of environmental industry, started from 2000, followed the definition and methodology provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 1999 which covers three broad categories of EGSS, i.e. pollution management, cleaner technologies and production and resource management. In 2012, classification of environmental industry was revised in Japan to reflect recent development in climate change mitigation and special characteristics of solid waste management, in particular the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycling).
The purpose of this paper is to conduct quantitative assessment on the development trend of EGSS in Japan and its economic and employment impacts by using detailed environmental industry statistics and national input-output tables.
Results indicated that though originally aiming at reducing GHG emissions, enhancing energy security and attaining stricter environmental standards, EGSS generated an output of JPY 150 trillion and absorbed nearly 4 million workers directly and indirectly in 2012. With better multiplier effects than the national average in terms of both economic outputs and job creation, EGSS contributed substantially to achieving the 2020 goals set in the Japan’s 2010 New Growth Strategy and can be considered as a new engine for Japan’s sustainable economic growth.
Specifically, among all EGSS in 2012, the building sector, in particular reform and repair, generated the largest economy-wide outputs, both directly from the sector itself and indirectly from other sectors through inter-sectoral transactions. The building sector also had the largest employment impacts by absorbing one million workers both directly within the sector itself and indirectly through other sectors. On the other hand, eco-cars manufacturing sector had the largest output multiplier and the largest employment multiplier, indicating its superior payback from investment in terms of the expansion of economic scale and job creation when looking from broader economy-wide perspective.
Against this backdrop, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) jointly developed the Japan 2050 Low Carbon Navigator, an energy system scenario simulation tool which can help facilitate multi-stakeholder discussions from various perspectives to explore low carbon and energy secure pathways available for Japan.
The tool was launched in July 2014. This research report has been prepared to provide an overview of the Low Carbon Navigator, how it works, and what its assumptions are. Readers can use it as a technical guidance for exploring your pathways by using the 2050 Low Carbon Navigator (http://www.en-2050-low-carbon-navi.jp/; http://www.2050-low-carbon-navi.jp/web/en/)