International Workshop: Towards Low Carbon Cities: Understanding and Analyzing Urban Energy and Carbon

February 17 - 18, 2009, Nagoya, Japan
Venue: Noyori Conference Hall, Nagoya University
Address: Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
Language: English
Organizers:
Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University
Global Carbon Project (GCP)
National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES)
Supporters:
Ministry of Environment, Japan
Aichi Prefecture
Nagoya City
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

Aims

  • To strengthen and develop networks in the areas linking urban energy use, urban development and carbon management in the climate change mitigation context;
  • To share research results and modeling and analyses challenges and approaches, and to discuss ways to overcoming them;
  • To explore ideas for developing joint activities such as syntheses, harmonized cross-comparative studies, and policy analyses;
  • To link scholarly endeavors to policy relevance and bridge research and policies.

Workshop Agenda

The program of both the Symposium and the Workshop are also available here in pdf format, in English or in Japanese.

For a list of the speakers and their affiliation please click here.

For a list of all the participants and their affiliation please click here.

Day 1, February 17, 2009

Moderator: Prof. Hidefumi Imura

9:00 Registration
9:30- 9:40 Welcome Address from Host and Co-organizer Prof. Yoshitsugu Hayashi
Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University
9:40- 9:50 Welcome from Co-organizer
Explanation of Aims and Objectives
Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal
Global Carbon Project
Session I: Urban System Modeling (Chair: Prof. Hidefumi Imura)
09:50 – 10:05 Modeling Urban Energy Systems with SynCity Dr. James Keirstead
Imperial College London
10:05 – 10:20 The Energy Revolution, Cities & Washing Lines: Cities and the International Energy Agency Dr. Nigel Jollands
International Energy Agency
10:20 – 10.35 Energy and Environmental Implications of Carbon Emission Reduction Targets: Case of Kathmandu Valley Prof. Ram M. Shrestha
Asian Institute of Technology.
10:35 – 10:50 Modeling 2050 Energy and CO2 Scenario for Bangkok Mr. Aumnad Phdungsilp/Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal
Durakaji Pandit University/Global Carbon Project
10:50 – 11:00 Discussions
11:00 – 11:15 Coffee Break
11:15 – 11:30 Modeling of Geographically Explicit Land Use Scenarios Dr. Yoshiki Yamagata
National Institute for Environmental Studies
11:30 – 11:45 Urban Agglomeration Economies in Climate Policy: A CGE Modeling Analysis Dr. Fabio Grazi
Centre International de Recherche sur l’Environnment et le Developpment (CIRED)
11:45 – 12:00 Climate Change and Cities: Integrated Assessment of Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation Dr. Richard Dawson
Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at New Castle University
12:00 – 12:15 Decarbonising Cities: From Models to Competing Pathways Prof. Simon Guy
Architecture Research Centre, The University of Manchester
12:15 – 12:25 Discussions
12:25 – 13:30 Lunch
Session II: Urbanization, Urban Form and Land Use in China (Chair: Prof. Toshiaki Ichinose)
13:30 – 13:45 Modeling for Urban Energy and CO2 for Beijing Dr. Jiang Kejun
Energy Research Institute, China
13:45 – 14:00 How Developing Countries Find Their Own Way to Urban Sustainability? - Thinking from the Building Energy Research in China Prof. Yingxin Zhu
Tsinghua University
14:00 – 14:15 Shanghai Urban Transport Policy, The Impact of Metro on Land Use as well and Travel Prof. Haixiao Pan
Tongji University Shanghai
14:15 – 14:30 City Forms, Land Use and Transportation in Chinese Cities Prof. Chen Jin
Beijing Normal University
14:30 – 14:45 Discussions
Coffee Break
Session III: Presentations from Global Environment Research Fund (MOE-J) Project “Study on the Strategic Urban Planning and Assessment of Low-Carbon Cities” (Chair: Prof. Hidefumi Imura)
15:00 – 15:10 Objective and Research Framework Prof. Hidefumi Imura
Nagoya University
15:10 – 16:00 Planning and Assessment of Low-Carbon Cities
Urban Typology and Key Factors of Determining Low-Carbon Cities: Specificities and Universalities Dr. Toshiaki Ichinose
National Institute for Environmental Studies
Urban Growth, Buildings, Infrastructures and Energy: Development of Analysis Tools Dr. Hiroki Tanikawa
Wakayama University
Dr. Akio Ohnishi
Dr. Osamu Higashi
Nagoya University
Assessing the Role of Technologies: Prospects of Development and Diffusion of Low-Carbon Technologies Prof. Tsuneo Takeuchi
Dr. Noriko Sugiyama
Nagoya University
Towards Low Carbon Cities in Rapidly Urbanizing Asia: Climatic Change Mitigation Strategy in Building Sector Ms. Yukiko Yoshida
National Institute for Environmental Studies
16:00 – 16:40 Key Elements for Realizing Low Carbon Cities
Energy Demand Data for Japanese Buildings Dr. Yujiro Hirano
Nagoya University
Challenges and Opportunities for New Building Energy System Prof. Masaya Okumiya
Nagoya University
The Role of Land Use and Transportation System Dr. Hirokazu Kato
Nagoya University
16:40 – 16:55 Discussions
16:55– 17:00 Summary and Closing for the Day Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal
Global Carbon Project
17:00 – 18:00 Side-Event: Poster Session – Presentation of Relevant Research Activities by Participants –
18:00 – 20:00 Reception (Venue: Restaurant Hananoki (in Nagoya University Campus)

Day 2, February 18, 2009

10.40 – 11.00
09:30 – 09:40 Opening Prof. Hidefumi Imura
Nagoya University
Session IV: Energy and Emissions: Accountings and Policy Implications (Chair: Dr. Hiroki Tanikawa)
09:40 – 09:55 Forming an Emissions Inventory, Energy Scenarios and Plans with Stakeholders: The Greenhouse Gas Regional Inventory Project - GRIP Dr. Sebastian Carney
Research Fellow
School of Environment and Development (SED)
University of Manchester
09:55 – 10:10 Measuring Low Carbon Cities Dr. Julia Steinberger
Institute for Social Ecology Vienna
10:10 – 10:25 Urban Energy Use and CO2 Emission from Cities of China Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal
Global Carbon Project
10:25 – 10:40 Discussions
Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:15 Energy Use and Carbon Emissions from Global Cities Prof. Christopher Kennedy
University of Toronto
11:15 – 11:30 Urban Scale Energy Consumption Estimate for the European Union (EU27) Dr. Niels Schulz
Imperial College London
11:30 - 11:45 Extended Life Cycle Assessment of Transportation System and Energy Dr. Naoki Shibahara
Nagoya University
11:45 – 12:00 Discussions
12:00 – 13:30 Lunch
Session V: Cities and Climate Change Initiatives (Chair: Mr. Hideyuki Mori)
13:30 – 13:40 International Co-operation of Cities in Climate Change Policy Mr. Hidenori Nakamura
Policy Researcher, Policy & Governance Team, Programme Management Office, IGES
13:40 – 13:50 Cities and Climate Change Initiatives at OECD Ms. Jan Corfee-Morlot
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
13:50 – 14:00 Cities and Climate Change Initiatives at ADB Mr. Sharad Saxena
Asian Development Bank
14:00 – 14:10 Urban Climate Change Research Network and International Panel for Cities and Climate Change Assessment Dr. Stephen A. Hammer
Columbia University
14:10 – 14:20 Clean Air Initiative and Initiatives towards Climate Co-benefits Dr. Alvin Mejia
Clean Air Initiative-Asia Center
14:20 – 14:50 Discussions
Coffee Break
15:10 – 17:00 Overall Discussions Moderated by Prof. Hidefumi Imura and Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal Discussion items:
  • Key observations from this event on modeling challenges and carbon emissions from cities
  • Potentials for joint activities, possibilities for syntheses documents and publications
  • Feedback on URCM book project
  • Harmonizing various initiatives
  • Next step for this Forum
17:00 – 17:10 Summary and Closing Prof. Hidefumi Imura
Nagoya University
Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal
Global Carbon Project

Organizers

Global Carbon Project Initiative on Urban and Regional Carbon Management, URCM

The Global Carbon Project (GCP) was established in 2001 in recognition of the enormous scientific challenge and fundamentally critical nature of the carbon cycle for Earth sustainability under the auspice of Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP) of four major international scientific programs on global environmental change research. The scientific goal of the project is to develop a complete picture of the global carbon cycle, including both its biophysical and human dimensions together with the interactions and feedbacks between them. The Global Carbon Project launched the Urban and Regional Carbon Management (URCM) Initiative in 2005 recognizing the importance of the area. URCM is a policy-relevant scientific initiative aimed at supporting urban carbon management and sustainable urban development.

URCM addresses some of the most fundamental scientific issues related to carbon management:

  • How do urbanization and the global carbon cycle interact globally through population, affluence, energy and other biophysical and socioeconomic mechanisms?
  • How can we quantify current and past carbon emissions/sinks in cities and regions? What are the future scenarios of de-carbonized urban and regional development?
  • What configurations of underlying and proximate drivers (geography, socioeconomic factors, historical legacies/trajectories etc.) explain the differences in carbon trajectories of cities?
  • What management strategies can influence carbon mitigation in cities?
    • What are the trade-offs and synergies of streamlining carbon management in local areas?
    • What are the roles of the institutions and carbon governance structures in sound urban and regional carbon management?
  • What we do
    • Scientific networking, development of forums
    • Research agenda setting
    • Coordination of national, regional and international research programs
    • Research syntheses
    • Science-policy interfacing

Contact

For more details on the URCM initiative see the Home page.
For further details on this URCM activity please contact Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal.

Nagoya University Initiative for Integrating Climate Change Mitigation in Urban Development

How we recognize the issues?

  • Cities in both industrialized and developing countries are more and more responsible for promoting sustainable buildings, environmentally sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, etc.
  • Integrating climate change mitigation measures in urban development is needed, especially in rapidly growing cities in China, India, and Southeast Asian countries.
  • Universities and research institutions in Asia must cooperate more closely to provide opportunities for education and research activities, especially for students and young researchers.

We have launched an initiative:

  • Nagoya University has launched an initiative to promote research and education programs related to climate change mitigation in cities, especially in rapidly developing Asian cities, in cooperation with universities, research institutions, industries, governments, NGOs, and citizens.

What we do:

  • Build an international network (Consortium, or Platform of the Joint Research Initiatives) of universities, research institutions, international organizations, NGOs and others
  • Explore a research and education program related to climate change mitigation and adaptation policies/measures in cities
  • Exchange information
  • Form an international research team
  • Organize international meetings to share research and education processes and outcomes

How we contribute to cities? (our goals)

  • Design and build “low-carbon” cities, halving GHG emissions by 2050
  • Achieve drastic improvement in the energy efficiency of cities
  • Seek for “macro-efficiency” (or “social system efficiency”) rather than “micro-efficiency”
  • Propose a transition path to a “low-carbon” society, or “low-carbon city” through integrating environmental measures in urban development
  • Incorporate technological and socio-economic options
  • Establish a platform of research and education for young researchers, especially those who will lead initiatives in developing countries
  • Conduct field studies on developing Asian cities
  • Propose feasible measures enforceable in developing Asian cities

Contact

For more information on the Initiative for Integrating Climate Change Mitigation in Urban Development please contact Prof. Hidefumi Imura.

Center for Global Environmental Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Japan

National Institute for Environment Studies Japan (NIES) has chosen four priority programs on which to focus its resources over the term of its second Five-Year Research Plan: climate change, sustainable material cycles, environmental risk, and the Asian environment. Centre for Global Environmental Researcher (CGER) has been tasked with heading the priority program on climate change. CGER have added four new research sections to the Center in order to respond to this challenge. In addition, CGER’s previous activities in climate change research, such as monitoring and database creation, have now been made an integral unit of the priority program on climate change to allow a more strategic approach to their implementation.

Since its inauguration, GCER has been engaged in supporting and integrating global environmental research and monitoring the global environment. It has been keeping an eye on developments in domestic and international research on the global environment and contemplating the necessary framework to support such research. In addition to getting involved in relevant projects and responding to newly identified needs, we are also keeping our eyes set on the future in order to further expand our activities. In recent years, we have been strengthening our role as a headquarters for offices such as the Global Carbon Project International Office, the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Office, and the AsiaFlux Office. Furthermore, from this year, CGER is going to be acting as a hub of collaboration on earth observation in the field of climate change.

Contact

For more details on this organizer visit the Center for Global Environmental Research web-site or contact Dr. Yasuhiro Sasano.

Proceedings

S1, S2, S3, S4, S5

Back-to-back Symposium

February 16, 2009, Nagoya

Contact

For substantive information, please contact Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal, Global Carbon Project.