Resource Intensity in the Japanese Transportation System: Integration of Vehicle and Infrastructure

Naotaka Haraguchi, Shoki Kosai (), Shunsuke Kashiwakura, Eiji Yamasue and Hiroki Tanikawa
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Naotaka Haraguchi: Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Noji-Higashi 1-1-1, Kusatsu-shi 525-8577, Shiga, Japan
Shoki Kosai: Global Innovation Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University, Noji-Higashi 1-1-1, Kusatsu-shi 525-8577, Shiga, Japan
Shunsuke Kashiwakura: Global Innovation Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University, Noji-Higashi 1-1-1, Kusatsu-shi 525-8577, Shiga, Japan
Eiji Yamasue: Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Noji-Higashi 1-1-1, Kusatsu-shi 525-8577, Shiga, Japan
Hiroki Tanikawa: Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Aichi, Japan

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: An evaluation of resource efficiency by the transportation system is essential. Resource efficiency was examined from the perspective of mining activity in the form of resource intensity of transportation systems by combining transportation means and infrastructure. The framework of transport infrastructure was developed under a standardized classification to compare the entire transportation sector for various modes of transportation. This framework consists of links, support for links, nodes, fuel supply, and tanks for roadways, railways, aviation, and waterways. The developed framework was then applied to the Japanese transportation system, and resource efficiency in terms of passengers per vehicle was estimated by integrating means of transportation with associated infrastructure using the total material requirement as an indicator of mining intensity. It was identified that the transport infrastructure accounts for a high share of the resource intensity of passenger cars (15–30%) and railways (50–80%). Notably, even considering the massive mining demand for the development of transport infrastructure, the resource efficiency of railways is the highest among various transportation modes.

Keywords: natural resource use; total material requirement; material footprint; transport infrastructure; mining footprint (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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