Yusuke Kishita

A number of thematic scenarios have been developed for envisioning sustainable futures in order to support strategic decision-making for government and industry. However, methodologies for designing scenarios have generally been under-theorized. For a better understanding and communication among stakeholders involved, this paper aims to propose the concept of computer-aided scenario design whose key characteristic is to provide a graphical representation of scenarios. That is, the paper proposes

The manufacturing industry is faced with a challenge to create products with less environmental impact targeting a sustainable society. To cope with this challenge, sustainable design or ecodesign plays one of the most important roles. Manufacturers often use ecodesign checklists that are intended for obtaining eco-labels, such as Eco Mark in Japan, in order to support design improvements of products in terms of environmental consciousness. Eco-label checklists are, however, insufficient to supp

As electric vehicles (EVs) have been widely adopted globally, the volume of used lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) is expected to increase in the future. It is thus essential to design a sustainable circulation system of LiBs to reduce the environmental impact caused by their production while utilizing residual values of second-life LiBs. However, one challenge is the lack of support for EV OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) in selecting appropriate life cycle options (e.g., refurbishment, repur

This guest editorial article introduces contextual and theoretical frameworks of foresight and futures studies’ methodology. Outstanding questions relating to methodological development are then addressed. This is followed by an introduction to five papers that make important methodological contributions. The article ends by a call for further research on the questions that have been identified, but remain unanswered.

Backcasting has become a widely applied approach to address sustainability challenges when transformative changes are required. However, dispersed and contextualized knowledge of backcasting methodologies and practices needs to be systematized, codified, and synthesized to support researchers, commissioners, practitioners, and stakeholders in backcasting projects. In this paper, we address these issues by (i) concisely reviewing the evolution and current body of literature on backcasting and how

Due to the rapid expansion of information and communication technology (ICT) usage, the telecommunications industry is faced with a challenge to promote green ICT toward achieving a low-carbon society. One critical obstacle in planning long-term strategies for green ICT is the uncertainty of various external factors, such as consumers’ lifestyle and technological advancement. To tackle this issue, this paper employs a scenario planning method to analyze electricity consumption in the telecommuni

Abstract Designing backcasting scenarios is a powerful approach to the development of sustainable visions and pathways for governments or enterprises in the early stage of their policy‐making or strategic decision‐making process. To date, a number of scholars have proposed various backcasting methods, in which workshops are often used to reflect the voices of stakeholders. However, it is still a challenge to test the validity of scenarios because the process of designing backcasting scenarios is

Global, or transboundary, resource circulation involves the movement of recyclable resources from developed to developing countries. Despite concomitant problems such as the dumping of hazardous materials, global resource circulation helps to conserve resources. The risk-based traceability this paper proposes for evaluating global circulation scenarios based on economic and environmental aspects clarifies conditions for sustainable global circulation. The key to its success is traceability, and