Low Carbon Urban Infrastructure Investment in Asian Cities

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016 77
J. Jupesta, T. Wakiyama (eds.), Low Carbon Urban Infrastructure
Investment in Asian Cities, Cities and the Global Politics of the
Environment, DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-59676-5_5

CHAPTER 5

Abstract This chapter examines the economic impact of low-carbon
investment on renewable energy sectors in Yokohama via an input–output
analysis. The renewable energy sector is aggregated into fi ve detailed cat-
egories: solar photovoltaics (PV) residence, solar PV non-residence,
hydropower, wind, and other (biomass and others). Two main fi ndings are
presented. First, the electricity, wind, and solar PV sectors are backward-
oriented sectors that generate indirect effects with other sectors along the
supply chain. Second, the simulation scenarios on low-carbon investment
in renewable energy sectors in Yokohama from 2006 to 2011 revealed
positive economic impacts with regard to increasing economic outputs in
Yokohama.

5.1 INTRODUCTION

In March 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident occurred
after an earthquake and tsunami. The accident highlighted the vulnera-
bility of current energy systems to natural disasters and the economic,
social, and environmental risks associated with centralized energy gen-
eration facilities and with dependency on particular energy sources
(Vivoda 2012 ; Moriarty and Honnery 2012 ). Since that time, public

Economic Impact Assessment on 

Low- Carbon Investment in Renewable

Energy in Yokohama, Japan

Takako Wakiyama , Ambiyah Abdullah , and  Joni Jupesta