NATSUDA Kaoru
   Department   Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University  College of Asia Pacific Studies
   Position   Professor
Language English
Publication Date 2026/05
Type Research paper
Peer Review Peer reviewed
Title Japanese Automotive Industry Under Carbon Neutrality: Multi-Pathway Strategy and Green Supply Chain Networks
Contribution Type First author
Journal Journal of Contemporary Asia (Routledge)
Journal TypeAnother Country
Publisher Routledge
Authorship Lead author
Author and coauthor Natsuda, Kaoru and Schröder, Martin
Details This study examines Japan’s carbon-neutral policy in the automotive sector. To tackle carbon neutrality, the Japanese government and industry have introduced two manufacturing-related strategies. The first is Multi-Pathway Strategy, which promotes not only battery electric vehicles but also a variety of powertrain vehicles by using a technology-neutral approach (namely, innovation policy). The second is the establishment of green supply chain networks. These strategies align with the life-cycle assessment (LCA) concept that calculates the total CO2 emissions of the whole automotive supply chain network but are based on the not commonly used Tank-to-Wheel method that calculates CO2 emissions during the driving process only. This study asserts that a technology-neutral approach based on LCA can be a more practical policy for greenhouse gas reduction under the uncertainty of the automotive technology and energy policy.