Toshi Arimura

Toshi Arimura is a professor of Economics at Waseda University. His research focuses on carbon pricing, green procurement, energy policy, and environmental regulation. He has held visiting appointments at George Mason University, Resources for the Future, Paris School of Economics, and Sciences Po. He has published extensively in leading journals in environmental and resource economics and has served on numerous Japanese government committees on climate policy and carbon pricing. He is a former President of the Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies and currently serves as Vice President of the Asian Association of Environmental and Resource Economics. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from University of Minnesota.

The project

Title: A Comparison of Climate Policies in France and Japan

"Cities and local governments play a crucial role in achieving carbon neutrality, as they are responsible for urban planning, public transportation, and public procurement. This project examines how local governments contribute to low-carbon transitions by comparing environmental policies in Japanese and French cities, with a particular focus on decarbonization measures and green public procurement.
In Japan, leading municipalities such as Tokyo have implemented pioneering policies, including diesel vehicle regulations and a local emissions trading scheme, resulting in measurable reductions in air pollutants and carbon emissions. However, the implementation of environmental policies—especially green public procurement—varies significantly across municipalities. Since local governments are major consumers of goods and services, their purchasing decisions have substantial environmental impacts. Previous research by the applicant, based on interviews with municipal officials and panel data analysis, shows that political leadership and administrative capacity strongly influence the adoption of sustainable procurement practices. France provides an important comparative case due to its advanced urban climate policies and the active role of municipalities in low-carbon mobility and public services. During the research stay at Sciences Po, the applicant will collaborate with Professor Charlotte Halpern at LIEPP, whose project JETCities: Boosting Green Workforce in Cities closely aligns with this research. The study will combine semi-structured interviews with local officials and quantitative analysis of green public procurement data, where available, to compare policy design and implementation in both countries.
The project will contribute to academic debates on local environmental governance by clarifying how institutional contexts and political leadership shape urban climate policy outcomes. The findings may also offer insights for cities in emerging economies, where local governments are increasingly central to climate action."

Hosting institution : Sciences Po

Selective bibliography

Journal Publication

• “Industrial relocation or shorter shipping routes? Examining the impact of the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism on global emissions using structural gravity” Economic Analysis and Policy, Vol. 87, pp. 1708-1741 : 2025 (A.Mortha, S. Takeda, B. R.P. Steubing, T. Chesnokova, co-authors)
• “Purchase or generate? An analysis of inter-fuel substitution and electricity generation in Japanese manufacturing plants” Energy Economics, Vol. 139, 107929 : 2024 (A.Mortha, co-author)
• “A computable general equilibrium analysis of the EU CBAM for the Japanese economy” Japan and the World Economy, Vol. 70, 101242, pp. 1-10 : 2024 (S. Takeda, co-authors)

Books

• “Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy in Japan” 2024, Germany, Springer (A. Hibiki, co-author)
• “Carbon Pricing in Japan” 2021, Springer (S.Matsumoto, co-editor)