Updated on 2024/07/03

写真a

 
OHTA, Hiroshi
 
Affiliation
Faculty of International Research and Education
Job title
Professor Emeritus
Degree
政治学博士号 (Ph.D) ( コロンビア大学大学院政治学研究科 )
Ph. D ( Columbia University, Graduate School of Art and Sciences (Political Science) )

Education Background

  • 1987
    -
    1995

    Columbia University   Graduate School, Division of Politics   International Relations  

Committee Memberships

  • 2015.01
    -
    2024.03

    Earth System Governance  Lead Faculty

  • 2015.01
    -
    2024.03

    地球システムガバナンス  リーフォカルティ（顧問）

  • 2020.05
    -
    2022.05

    Japan Association of International Relations  Councilor

  • 2020.05
    -
    2022.05

    日本国際政治学会  評議員

  • 2018.04
    -
    2021.03

    Voluntary Neighbors  Councilor

  • 2018.04
    -
    2021.03

    ボランタリーネイバーズ  評議員

  • 2016.06
    -
    2018.06

    Japan Association of International Relations  Auditor

  • 2016.06
    -
    2018.06

    日本国際政治学会  監事

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Professional Memberships

  • 　
    　
    　

    Japanese Political Science Association

  • 　
    　
    　

    Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies

  • 　
    　
    　

    Japanese Society of International Law

  • 　
    　
    　

    Earth System Governance

  • 　
    　
    　

    Intertnational Studies Association

  • 　
    　
    　

    Japan Association of Global Governance

  • 　
    　
    　

    Japan Association of International Relations

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Research Areas

  • International relations

Research Interests

  • Intenational Relations, Global Environmental Politics, Japanese Foreign Policy

 

Papers

  • The Analysis of Japan’s Energy and Climate Policy from the Aspect of Anticipatory Governance

    Hiroshi Ohta

    Energies   13 ( 19 ) 1 - 22  2020.10  [Refereed]

  • Climate Change and Trump Regime's "America First"

    HIrosh Ohta

    International Affairs   ( 692 ) 5 - 17  2020.06

  • International Politics and Japan concerning the Environment and Energy

    Hiroshi Ohta

    International Relations   ( 200 ) 151 - 167  2020.03  [Refereed]

  • Politics of Participation and Negotiations: Until Germany Decided the Phase-out of Nuclear Powers (Book review)

    Hiroshi Ohta

    The Study of Global Governance   ( 4 ) 123 - 126  2018.03

  • Climate Change Policy in Japan: From the 1980s to 2015 (Book review)

    Hiroshi Ohta

    International Relations of the Asia-Pacific   18 ( 1 ) 125 - 128  2018.01

  • Insights from Global Environmental Governance (Disaggregating Effectiveness)

    Hiroshi Ohta

    International Studies Review   15 ( 4 ) 562 (581) - 589 (583)  2013  [Refereed]

  • International Cooperation and Institutional Selection in International Environmental Problems: The Politics of International Policy Alliance over the Issues of Climate Change

    OHTA Hiroshi

    tits   16 ( 6 ) 35 - 41  2011

    DOI CiNii

  • International Relations Theory and Environmental Problems: Focusing on the Issue of Climate Change

    Ohta Hiroshi

    International Relations   2011 ( 166 ) 166_12 - 25  2011

    　View Summary

    The objective of this article is to examine how international relations (IR) theory has been understood and used to analyze environmental problems and in turn how environmental studies have contributed to the development of IR theory.In order to trace the interrelationship between the two, this article analyzes international politics about global climate change.The main IR theories, which are introduced in this article, include the dyads realism/neorealism, liberalism/neoliberalism (or institutionalism), and constructivism/cognitivism.Among them the institutionalist perspective is the most useful one for the analysis of international environmental politics.However, the realist perspective, which emphasizes relative gains between states, has certain explanatory power especially to explain why international negotiations on climate change regime often result in gridlock.Furthermore, scientific knowledge plays a significant role in identifying complex problems such as climate change and biological diversity so that ideas and knowledge are crucial factors to explain international environmental politics.Two UN conferences on the environment held in 1972 and 1992 helped promote studies on international environmental politics and the main academic debates in international relations have revolved around international cooperation.Against this backdrop, international regime studies became an academic fad in the 1980s and 90s.Above all, international environmental studies led this field of research by generating numerous studies on regime formation and development, some of which attach great importance to the role of idea and knowledge, or more precisely to the role of an "epistemic community," a transnational community of scientists and experts.In the course of the advance of studies in international environmental politics, along with the development of various international regimes consisting of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), new research foci have emerged such as study of the effectiveness of regimes, regime interplay (or regime complex), and global environmental governance and the role and influence of non-state actors.The debates about climate change address all of the major issues discussed within academic communities, diplomatic communities, business and industry as well as NGO communities.Specifically regarding the international politics of climate change, this article takes a closer look at the issues that constitute the edifice of IR studies: that is, the relationship between science and politics, regime effectiveness and power politics, the role of sub-state and non-state actors, as well as regime interlinkage and multi-stakeholders.

    DOI CiNii

  • International Cooperation and Institutional Selection in International Environmental Problems: The Politics of International Policy Alliance over the Issues of Climate Change

    OHTA Hiroshi

    TRENDS IN THE SCIENCES   16 ( 6 ) 35 - 41  2011

    DOI CiNii

  • トーマス・ワイズ、 ラメシュ・タクール著 『グローバル・ガバナンスと国連—未完成の旅』 (書評)

    太田 宏

       2010

  • 環境政策の舵は切られるのか—グリーン・ニューディールの実現性—

    太田宏

    外交フォーラム   No. 248   52 - 56  2009.03

  • 各国の低炭素社会への中長期目標シナリオと国際政治的考察

    太田宏, 蟹江憲史, 河瀬玲奈

    地球環境   Vol. 12, No.2 ( 2 ) 123 - 134  2007

    CiNii

  • Environmental Policy in Japan(書評)

    Hidefumi Imura, Miranda A. Schreurs eds

    Pacific Affairs   Vol. 80, No.1   102 - 103  2007

  • 持続可能な開発のメルクマール—持続可能性の目標と指標—

    太田宏

    持続可能な開発の新展開 (国連研究)   第7号   11 - 38  2006.06

  • 長期的な国際政治変動シナリオ—2013年以降の気候変動政策のために—

    太田宏

    青山国際政経論集   第68号   55 - 98  2006

    CiNii

  • 地球環境ガバナンスの現況と展望

    太田宏

    国際法外交雑誌   第104巻,第3号   85(319) - 112(346)  2005.11

  • 国際関係における規範の役割に関する一考察

    太田宏

    青山国際政経論集   Vol. 63   157 - 177  2004.05

    CiNii

  • The Japanese Perspective on Equity in the Climate Change Regime

    Hiroshi Ohta

    The Aoyama Journal of International Politics, Economics and Business   No. 61   77 - 102  2003.08

  • The Web of Power: Japanese and German Development Cooperation Policy(書評)

    Kozo Kato

    The Journal of Japanese Studies   Volume 29, Number 2   486 - 491  2003

  • 京都議定書の意義と国際社会

    太田宏

    国際問題   No. 508   48 - 64  2002.07

  • Governance in Globalizing World(書評)

    Joseph S. Nye, John, D. Donahue eds

    グローバル・アクターとしての国連事務局(国連研究)   第3号   280 - 286  2002.05

  • 日本の国際貢献としての「環境外交」の現状と可能性

    太田宏

    青山学院総合研究所、国際政治経済研究センター、研究叢書   第9号  2002

  • Japan’s Domestic Politics of Global Climate Change: A Research Design

    Hiroshi Ohta

    The Aoyama Journal of International Politics, Economics and Business   No. 54 (September) ( 54 ) 223 - 240  2001.09

    CiNii

  • 世界共通の政策課題としてのグローバルな問題

    太田宏

    外交時報   No.1334(1月号)   4 - 24  1997

  • 安全保障の概念と環境問題

    太田宏

    国際政治   第117号   67 - 84  1997

  • グローバル・ガヴァナンス論の過去と「現在」

    太田宏

    外交時報   No.1334   4 - 24  1997

  • 地球環境レジーム:国際公共財としての地球環境の保護と管理

    太田宏

    国際問題   No.438(Sep) ( 438 ) 26 - 46  1996.09

    CiNii

  • 冷戦後の国際関係とポスト・「戦後」五十年の世界的課題

    太田宏

    外交時報   No. 1324 (1月号)   48 - 65  1996

  • 日本の公益法人制度とボランタリー・セクター─市民社会再考─

    太田宏

    都市情報学研究   第1号   73 - 90  1996

  • 国連気候変動枠組み条約成立過程─国際政策課題の設定と条約交渉の背景─

    太田宏

    外交時報   No. 1317(4月号)   18 - 35  1995

  • Japan's Politics and Diplomacy of Climate Change

    Hiroshi Ohta

    Columbia University, Ph.D. Dissertation    1995

  • 国際関係論と地球環境問題-新しい地平を求めて-

    太田宏

    法学政治学論究   Vol16   23 - 56  1989

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Books and Other Publications

  • Essential Concepts of Global Environmental Governance, Second edition

    Jean-Frédéric Morin, Amandine Orsini, eds( Part： Contributor)

    Routledge  2021 ISBN: 9780367418700

  • "International Politics over the Environment and Development" In Hasegawa, Y. and Y. Kaneko eds., _Contemporary International Politics_

    Hiroshi Ohta( Part： Contributor)

    Minervashobo  2019 ISBN: 9784623085613

  • "EU and Japanese climate change and energy security policy." In Emil Kirchner and Han Dorussen eds. EU-Japan Security Cooperation: Trends and Prospects

    Katja Bienedenkopf, Hiroshi Ohta( Part： Contributor)

    Routledge  2019 ISBN: 9781138315808

  • The Encyclopaedia of Environmental Economics and Policy Studies ("Environmental Security")

    Society for Environmental Economics, Policy Studies, ed( Part： Contributor)

    Maruzen Publishing  2018.05

  • Comparative Politics about the Environmental and Energy Policies of Major States: Make a Choice for A Sustainable Society

    Hiroshi Ohta( Part： Sole author)

    Toshindo  2016.01 ISBN: 9784798913247

  • 「災害と国際社会—国際社会の災害支援と東日本大震災からの教訓」 鎌田薫監修『震災後に考える』

    太田宏

    早稲田大学出版会  2015

  • "Saving the Kyoto Protocol: What Can We Leran from the Experience of Japan-EU Cooperation" in P. Bacon et al. The European Union and Japan: A New Chapter in Civilian Power Cooperation?

    Hiroshi Ohta, Yves Tiberghien( Part： Contributor)

    Routledge  2015 ISBN: 9781472457462

  • “Climate Change and Human Security: the Convergence on Policy Requirements” in S. Takahashi ed., Human Rights, Human Security, and State Security: the Intersection

    Hiroshi Ohta( Part： Joint author)

    Praeger  2014

  • 「日本の環境外交—地球温暖化対策とエネルギー政策をめぐる国際政治経済と国際交渉」 大芝亮編『日本の外交』第5巻

    太田宏

    岩波書店  2013

  • 「どうする、地球環境政治」 押村高・中山 俊宏 編 『世界政治を読み解く』

    太田宏( Part： Contributor)

    ミネルヴァ書房  2011.12

  • 「国際関係論と環境問題—気候変動問題に焦点を当てて—」 日本国際政治学会編 国際政治 第166号 『環境とグローバル・ポリティクス』

    太田宏

    有斐閣  2011.08

  • 「生物多様性レジームと気候変動レジームの連結—持続可能で有機的なネクサスの模索—」 毛利勝彦編『生物多様性をめぐる国際関係』

    太田宏( Part： Contributor)

    大学教育出版  2011.05

  • “Japanese Foreign Policy on Climate Change: Diplomacy and Domestic Politics”, in: Harris, Paul G. (Ed.): _Climate Change and Foreign Policy: Case Studies form East to West_

    Hiroshi Ohta

    Routledge  2009.04

  • 「地球公共財とNGO—地球気候の安定化と生物多様性の保全を求めて—」 日本国際政治学会編(大芝亮、古城佳子、石田敦責任編集)『日本の国際政治学—2 国境なき国際政治』

    太田宏

    有斐閣  2009

  • “A Small Leap forward: Regional Cooperation for Tackling the Problems of the Environment and Natural Resources in Northeast Asia,” in Timmermann, Martina and Tsuchiyama Jituo (eds.), _Institutionalizing Northeast Asia: Regional Steps toward Global Governance_

    Hiroshi Ohta

    United Nations University Press  2008

  • 「多国間環境協定の現状と課題」 毛利勝彦編『環境と開発のためのグローバル秩序』

    太田宏

    東信堂  2008

  • “A Small Leap forward: Regional Cooperation for Tackling the Problems of the Environment and Natural Resources in Northeast Asia,” in Timmermann, Martina and Tsuchiyama Jituo (eds.), _Institutionalizing Northeast Asia: Regional Steps toward Global Governa

    Hiroshi Ohta

    United Nations University Press  2008

  • 「アメリカの環境政策をめぐる政治」山本吉宣・武田興欣編『アメリカ政治外交のアナトミー』国際書院

    太田宏

    国際書院  2007

  • “Japanese Environmental Foreign Policy and the Prospects for Japan-EU Cooperation: The Case of Global Climate Change,” in Takako Ueta and Eric 遵ラemacle eds., _Japan and Enlarged Europe: Partners in Global Governance_

    Hiroshi Ohta

    Peter Lang  2005

  • "Japan and Global Climate Change: The Intersection of Domestic Politics and Diplomacy,” in Paul G. Harris ed., _Confronting Environmental Change in East and Southeast Asia: Eco-politics, Foreign Policy, and Sustainable Development_

    Hiroshi Ohta

    London/ Tokyo: Earthscan/UNU  2005

  • 「持続不可能な「アメリカ文明」—地球気候変動問題とアメリカ社会のライフスタイル」 押村高編『帝国アメリカのイメージ』

    太田宏

    早稲田大学出版会  2004

  • 「持続可能な地球環境を未来へ—リオからヨハネスブルグまで」

    太田宏, 毛利勝彦編著

    大学教育出版  2003

  • 「環境問題をめぐる危機管理と予防」 木村凡編『国際危機学』

    太田宏

    世界思想社  2002

  • 「地球環境問題—グローバル・ガヴァナンスの概念化—」 渡辺昭夫・土山實男編『グローバル・ガヴァナンス—政府なき秩序の模索』

    東京大学出版会  2001

  • 「グローバルな問題への多元的アプローチ」 天児慧等編『アクセス国際関係論』

    太田宏

    日本評論社  2000

  • "Japanese Environmental Foreign Policy," in Inoguchi Takashi and Purnendra Jain eds,_Japanese Foreign Policy Today_

    Hiroshi Ohta

    Palgrave  2000

  • 「地球温暖化をめぐる国際政治」 信夫隆司編『環境と開発の国際政治』

    太田宏

    南窓社  1999

  • "Japan’s Environmental Foreign Policy and the Concept of Comprehensive National Security," in _Miranda A. Schreurs and Dennis Pirages eds., Ecological Security in Northeast Asia_

    Hiroshi Ohta

    Yonsei University Press  1998

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Presentations

  • Japan's Response to Climate Crisis in the Asia-Pacific Region

    Hiroshi Ohta  [Invited]

    Asia Transnational Threats Forum: Climate Security in Asia  (Washington, D.C.)  Brookings

    Presentation date： 2019.12

  • Marine plastic litter and microplastics and the synergistic effects of energy transition and smart city

    Hiroshi Ohta  [Invited]

    (Tokyo)  Global Forum of Japan

    Presentation date： 2019.08

  • The politics of energy transition in Japan

    Hiroshi Ohta

    International Studies Association annual conference  (Tronto) 

    Presentation date： 2019.03

  • “In Search of Theory to Explain International Fisheries Negotiations,” presented with I. Sakaguchi, A. Iahii, A. Okubo & Y. Sanada

    Global International Studies Conference (WISC) 

    Presentation date： 2014.08

  • “Theorizing Outcomes of the Multilateral Negotiations on Globalized Tuna Fisheries,” presented with I. Sakaguchi, A. Okubo, and A. Ishii

    International Studies Association (ISA) annual conference 

    Presentation date： 2013.04

  • Japanese Climate Change Policy: Edging away from the Post-Kyoto Process

    Hiroshi Ohta

    Twenty Years after the Maastricht Treaty: A Common Agenda for the EU and Japan  (Tokyo)  EUIJ Waseda

    Presentation date： 2012.05

  • The Arctic and Japan: Energy Security and Climate Security

    Hiroshi Ohta  [Invited]

    Energy Security and Geopolitics in the Arctic: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century  Energy Studies Institute (ESI) of the National University of Singapore

    Presentation date： 2012.01

  • International cooperation and institutional selection in international environmental problems

    Hiroshi Ohta

    Annual Conference of Japanese Society of International Relations  Japanese Society of International Relations

    Presentation date： 2010.10

  • Climate Change Policy Beyond 2012: Scenarios of Long-term International Political Change

    Hiroshi Ohta

    International Studies Association Annual Conference  (San Diego)  International Studies Association

    Presentation date： 2006.03

  • 国際環境レジームの有効性に関する研究—地球環境問題の事例を中心に—

    日本国際政治学会 

    Presentation date： 2004.10

  • 国際政治における規範・制度の再検討

    日本国際政治学会 

    Presentation date： 2003.10

  • 地球温暖化問題をめぐるグローバル・インタレストとナショナル・インタレスト

    日本公共政策学会 

    Presentation date： 2001.06

  • Global Environmental Governance and Japanese Domestic Politics

    Hiroshi Ohta

    International Studies Association Annual Conference  (Chicago)  International Studies Association

    Presentation date： 2001.02

  • 環境問題と国際政治

    日本国際政治学会 

    Presentation date： 1999.05

  • Ecological Security in East Asia: A Critique

    Hiroshi Ohta

    1997 World Congress  (Seoul)  International Political Science Association (IPSA)

    Presentation date： 1997.08

  • Japan’s Greenish Politics

    Hiroshi Ohta

    JAIR/International Studies Association Conference  (Makuhari)  JAIR/ISA

    Presentation date： 1996.09

  • The State and Civil Society

    Hiroshi Ohta  [Invited]

    A symposium on Japanese Public Policy  (Washington, D.C.)  US Library of Congress

    Presentation date： 1995.04

  • 気候変動に関する国連枠組み条約をめぐる日本の外交と国際政治—政策課題の設定と政策決定課程—

    日本国際政治学会 

    Presentation date： 1993.05

  • Japan's Nascent Environmental Foreign Policy

    Hiroshi Ohta

    Conference on Asia-Pacific  (New York City)  Columbia University

    Presentation date： 1991.04

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Research Projects

  • In Search of the Solutions of Global Issues through the Ideal and Normative Evaluation of Globalization

    Project Year :

    2016.07
    -
    2019.03
     

  • The Comprehensive Study of Japan's Environmental Diplomacy: Analyses of Driving Forces and the Effects

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Project Year :

    2015.04
    -
    2019.03
     

    Sakaguchi Isao

    　View Summary

    At the end of the Cold War, Japan started to actively engage in environmental diplomacy. However, Japan showed a passive stance in the 21st century.Japan's past initiatives also tended to end with symbolic behaviors such as hosting conferences of parties and international environmental organizations. In majority of cases, Japan failed to engage in environmental cooperation in a consistent and progressive manner. This study tried to clarify the factors and structures that restrained and impeded Japan's environmental initiatives, through multiple case analyses including atmospheric issues (climate change, ozone, acid rain), hazardous materials (Basel Convention, Rotterdam Convention, Stockholm Convention), and biodiversity-related issues (ITTO, CITES, Ramsar Convention, and CBD). Through the analyses, we found that Japan's closed bureaucratic system is a crucial factor behind the lack of progressive and persistent engagement.

  • International Fisheries Governance as Regime Complex: Explaining Its Decision-making Factors and Effectiveness

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Project Year :

    2011
    -
    2015
     

  • A multidisciplinary study on the institutional interplay between climate change and ozone protection regimes

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Project Year :

    2008
    -
    2010
     

    MATSUMOTO Yasuko, ISHII Atsushi, OHTA Hiroshi, OKUBO Ayako

    　View Summary

    The institutional interaction between ozone and climate regimes has created disruptive effects to both regimes. Such interaction is analyzed in terms of interplay management. Concretely, the past interplay management was described and the future management options were evaluated in terms of their probable effectiveness. Furthermore, scientific assessments that are needed to address such institutional interaction is difficult to implement without any organizational learning. Therefore, a conceptual framework of such organizational learning by scientific assessments was constructed.

  • S 3-2 Study on Multifunctional Criteria on the Policies to Arrest Global Warming

    National Institute of Environmental Studies (NIES)  Global Environmental Research Fund

    Project Year :

    2004.05
    -
    2007.02
     

  • The Comprehensive Security in Globalizing East Asia

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Project Year :

    2004
    -
    2006
     

    IGARASHI Akio, OOTA Hiroshi, GABE Masaaki, KOSEKI Syoichi, SASAKI Hiroshi, TWU Jawyann

    　View Summary

    The Peace and Community Research Institute at Rikkyo University is producing three volumes, Peace and Community, Asian Migration, and Peace Strategies in Local Communities. Each volume includes chapters that examine various issues under the umbrella theme of comprehensive security. These volumes are to be published by early 2007. Also, Igarashi Akio teamed with Miranda Scheurs to interview Japanese female political figures on the topic of women political participation and environmental issues. They plan to publish their research results in both English and Japanese. Projects conducted under this research grant also examined the influence of globalization on comprehensive security. Members considered this issue at both the theoretical and the practical level. A practical application focused on the "citizen." Namely, from local, to regional, to global, a shared set of cosmopolitan values exists at every level regarding comprehensive security. Examining the role of concerned individuals, NGOs, and other local o rganizations is thus critical to our gaining an understanding of the dynamics of comprehensive security. In this regard, the citizen's perspective occupied an important focal point of this research

  • Global Governance : Its Processes, Institutions and Institutional Effectiveness

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Project Year :

    2003
    -
    2004
     

    IIDA Keisuke, OHTA Hiroshi, TSUCHIYAMA Zitsuo, YAMAMOTO Yoshinobu, YAMADA Takahiro

    　View Summary

    In this project, we assigned the following roles to the participants and let them do research in their respective fields, focusing on the processes, institutions and institutional effectiveness in global governance : Yamamoto focused on theory, Tsuchiyama on security, Ohta on environment, lida on the world economy, and Yamada on the intersection of environment and economics. Regarding processes, we have collectively discovered that the diversity of actors and transnationalization have increased more than we had initially expected. They are evidenced by the increasing role of non-governmental actors in environmental and economic issues and by new political practices such as so-called "multi-stakeholder processes." As for institutions, we have found that new institutions such as the Kyoto Protocol ad the Cartegena Protocol have entered into force. In economic areas, the establishment of the WTO and its subsequent developments are of primary importance, but even in old institutions, such as the ILO and the BIS, new institutionalization is taking place. Also new is a turn away from growth-only development style, as seen in the reform of dam construction projects at the World Bank. Finally, on institutional effectiveness, the effectiveness of the ozone layer regime is well known, and for the success of this regime, the emergence of scientific consensus was key. The effectiveness of the climate change regime is slightly different and can be found in the effects of inducing new social practices such as emission trading. Even in the same regime, liberalization negotiations are progressing by fits and starts at the WTO, whereas its dispute settlement is relatively effective. This indicates that institutional design is very important. The effectiveness of persuasion is hard to measure, as seen in the World Dam Commission. Thus, our findings can be summarized as an increasing diversity of processes, further institutionalization, and the co-existence of diversity in institutional effectiveness

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Overseas Activities

  • 気候変動問題と日本とドイツのエネルギー政策の研究および漁業資源管理レジームの研究

    2013.09
    -
    2014.02

    ドイツ   ベルリン自由大学

    ノルウェー   ナンセン研究所

Internal Special Research Projects

  • 日米の気候変動問題をめぐる政治における規範の役割―「地球益」と国益との相克―

    2007  

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    今年度の研究では、主に米国議会の動向を追った。米国国内では現在の連邦政府の気候変動政策に反対する動きも顕著になってきており、国際的孤立そして技術革新の遅れに対する懸念が高まっている。例えば、民主党のジョセフ・リーバーマンと共和党のジョン・マケイン(次期共和党大統領候補)は2003年1月に上院で、温室効果ガス排出規制と企業のための排出量の売買（cap-and-trade）を認めることなどを要求した法案を共同提出した。この法案は43対53で否決されたものの、1997年9月に95対0の全会一致で、上院が京都議定書への調印拒否を決議した時に比べれば、上院議員の気候変動問題に対する認識と態度の変化は著しい。さらに、2006年の中間選挙で民主党が勝利して以来、上院での気候変動問題法案の提出ならびに法案審議にも拍車が掛かった。 こうした状況下、2007年にマケイン・リーバーマン法案の修正案が再び提出された。年間１万トン以上の温室効果ガスを排出する上流（輸送燃料）と下流（発電および産業）に排出規制を敷くというもので、2020年までに1990年レベルへの温室効果ガスの排出削減を目指す。この法案には、政府が排出枠を配分するが、削減義務を負ったものはオークション形式で排出枠を売買できる、といった特徴がある。ビンガマン・スペクター法案も2007年7月に上院に提出されている。その特徴は、セクター（産業、運輸、民生）別排出枠配分を提示し、排出取引の価格高騰を回避するための価格上限設定（price cap）の導入を掲げている。さらに、このビンガマン・スペクター法案が産業界よりだとして、2007年8月にリーバーマン・ウォーナー法案が提出された。上限価格の設定は、総排出量設定下での排出量取引（cap & trade）制度を否定するものだ、という環境派の反発を受けてprice capを設定しない等、より規制内容を強化したものになっている。民主党の次期大統領候補も、気候変動政策には積極的な取り組み姿勢を示している。一言で言えば、ヒラリー・クリントンの政策 (“Powering America's Future” 2007年11月)は、バラク・オバマの政策よりはるかに詳細である。さらに、州レベルや産業界さらには環境NGOの活動も含め、米国の気候変動政策の動向を注視する必要がある。今後さらに研究を深めて、可能なら次年度に論文として研究成果をまとめたい。