Nagasaki University, Faculty of Environmental Science
Lectures and practical sessions in environmental economics (co‑taught with faculty members of the Faculty of Environmental Science).
Undergraduate
Resource Management (1st quarter) An introductory lecture on resource economics using examples such as energy and mineral resources, waste and recycling policies, and ecological footprints.
Environmental Economics II (first semester) Lecture explains the causes of environmental problems from an economic perspective and considers the economic implications of policy solutions. Topics include why environmental problems occur, policy responses, and methods for monetarily valuing the environment.
Introduction to Environment Science (first semester) Jointly taught with faculty members. Lecture introduces how to write essays in English.
First-Year Seminar (first semester) Lecture discusses motivation for intellectual activities, logical thinking, and methods of expression.
Sustainable Society I (second semester) Jointly taught with faculty members. Lecture explains the connections between environment and economy through case studies of pollution, waste, renewable energy, and other regional environmental issues.
Introduction to Atmospheric Environment (second semester) Jointly taught with faculty members. Lecture explains the concept of emissions trading and introduces emissions trading markets around the world.
Basic Environmental Policy Exercise B (second semester) Teaches data analysis for policy papers and the importance of empirical evidence for policy recommendations.
Environmental Policy Exercise A・B (full year) Provides research guidance for conducting empirical studies on environmental issues.
Special Research in Environmental Science (full year) Supervises graduation theses.
Graduate
Special Lecture on Environmental Economics and Policy (1st quarter) Jointly taught with faculty members. Explains the framework of environmental policy and policy integration, and the economic foundations of policy instruments.
Advanced Environmental Economics II (3rd quarter) Covers the structure of power systems, economics used in electricity markets, and the basic mechanisms of electricity markets.
Advanced Environmental Economics (4th quarter) Reading of foreign literature on environmental economics.
Special Research I (full year) Supervises master's theses.
Integrated Production Science Special Seminar (full year) Supervises master's theses.
Research focuses on the promotion of renewable energy and the revitalization of electricity markets. Recent work has evaluated the merit‑order effect of renewable energy sources in Japan and investigated the factors that enable new electricity retailers to participate in regional economic circulation.
Renewable Energy Penetration in Electricity Markets
The performance of Japan’s electricity market is analysed, its challenges are identified, and desirable institutional designs are proposed. Particular attention is paid to Japan’s electricity spot market, which has not been sufficiently discussed, and the price‑reducing effect of renewables on market prices is quantified.
Ma,T., Du, Y., 2026. Effects of Released Solar Curtailment in Intraday Electricity Market: An Empirical Study in Japan. Applied Economics, forthcoming.
Ma, T., Du, Y., Xu, T., Chen, W., 2022. Cross-regional effects of renewable power generation on the electricity market: an empirical study on Japan's electricity spot market, Applied Economics, Volume 55, 18.
Du, Y., Ma, T., 2022. From FIT to FIP: assessing the impact of feed-in policies on renewable development in Germany, Applied Economics Letters, 30, 18.
Du, Y., Ma, T., 2021. Impact of electricity pricing strategy on residential energy consumption decisions in China: empirical evidence from a household survey, Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, 1-18.
Air Pollution Policy in China
Economic analyses of China’s air pollution policies are conducted from perspectives such as market mechanisms, policy evaluation, technology choice, and energy efficiency.
Yang, J., Du, Y., MA, T., 2025. Assessing the carbon mitigation impact of energy choices in China: a focus on renewable energy and thermal efficiency improvement, Applied Economics, Volume 57, 17.
Ma, T., Du, Y., Xu, T., Pang, J., 2023. How the Thermal Power Sector Affects Carbon Trading: An Empirical Study on China’s Carbon Markets, Applied Economics, 55, 57.
Ma, T., and Takeuchi, K., 2020. Cleaning up the Air for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: Empirical Study on China ’s Thermal Power Sector, Resource and Energy Economics, 60, 101151.
Ma, T., and Takeuchi, K., 2017. Technology Choice for Reducing NOx Emissions: An Empirical Study of Chinese Power Plants, Energy Policy, 102, 362-376.
New Electricity Retailers and Renewables
Using a double‑machine learning approach, the study focused on two key performance indicators: annual revenue and after‑tax net profit. The impact of renewable power generation on the corporate performance of new electricity retailers (PPS) in Japan was then examined. The results show that: (1) renewable generation significantly improves after‑tax profits and promotes more active participation in the electricity market; (2) the gradual reduction of the feed‑in tariff (FIT) purchase price undermines the financial stability of small solar operators, while the feed‑in premium (FIP) system enhances the profitability of large wind operators by offering more favourable opportunities in the energy market; and (3) solar curtailment in Kyushu, due to grid and demand constraints, depresses PPS profits.
PJM Capacity Market
Japan’s capacity market is designed to ensure future supply reliability through market mechanisms and is explicitly modelled on the U.S. PJM market. It aims to complement investment shortfalls. For improving Japan’s capacity market design, it is essential to clarify in detail the mechanisms of PJM as a precedent. However, in Japan, there has been no sufficient systematic introduction or review of PJM’s VRR (Variable Resource Requirement) pricing model. This study aims to organise and review the VRR model in PJM’s capacity market, and by summarising the advantages and potential issues of PJM’s design, it hopes to provide a starting point for theoretical and empirical discussions for future institutional improvements and design revisions in Japan’s capacity market.
Environmental economics is a field that uses economic methods to analyse a wide range of environmental problems. In this laboratory, the focus is on evaluating the impacts of environmental degradation and assessing policy instruments for environmental measures, with the aim of producing papers using econometric analysis.
Academic Year 2026
Study on beverage container preferences in hot spring facilities: a case study of Nagasaki Prefecture (in Japanese)
Effect of away‑supporter repeat visits on regional economy in sports spectating: a case study of football matches in Nagasaki (in Japanese)
Impact of night‑view added value on rental prices: focusing on sloped areas in Nagasaki City (in Japanese)
Reducing food loss in izakaya pubs: an approach using nudging
Analysis of resource‑recovery and collection policies by municipalities for textile product circularity (in Japanese)
Private companies: Ibisoku Co., Ltd., Sekisui Heim Kyushu, Espool Blue Dot Green Co., Ltd., Chugoku Electric Power, Matsuya Foods Co., Ltd.
Public sector: Nagasaki Prefectural Government, Isahaya City Office, Nagasaki Labour Bureau
Graduate school: Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Nagasaki University; Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University
2 June 2026 – Welcome party for new seminar members
23 December 2025 – Graduation thesis reading session
29 November 2025 – Seminar trip
17 June 2025 – Welcome party
13 March 2025 – Farewell party for graduates
20 February 2025 – Joint research presentation meeting (Ritsumeikan, Nagasaki, Kyushu Universities)
7 January 2025 – Graduation thesis reading session