“20191019-NRCS-LSC-1258” by USDAgov is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.

Made by Hongde Lei，Tianbo Gong，Tingwei Wu.

The negative impact of Japan’s nuclear contaminated water discharge plan on the world’s sharing economy

“Sea view – Toba, Mie, Japan – DSC07902” by Daderot is marked with CC0 1.0.

At 13:00 local time on August 24, a controversial Japanese government initiative involving plans to release huge amounts of nuclear-contaminated water that has accumulated since the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident into the Pacific Ocean has once again sparked global attention and discussion. The storage of nuclear-contaminated water has been a thorny issue since the Fukushima nuclear accident, forcing the government to find a solution. However, the plan has sparked strong opposition and concern from environmental groups, neighbouring governments and the international community.

The deterioration of the ecological environment has a negative impact on the sharing economy that cannot be ignored, especially in areas involving oceans and coastal areas, and Japan’s nuclear contaminated water discharge plan has further exacerbated these problems. First, shared coastal tourism has been hit hard. This plan may cause tourists to worry about the coastal areas and reduce their desire to visit these destinations. This will have a direct impact on shared accommodation and travel event platforms that rely on visitor traffic, potentially leading to business setbacks. Secondly, Marine recreation and water sports are also negatively impacted. Marine pollution can threaten the safety of waters and may cause tourists to stay away from polluted waters, which poses a serious risk of declining demand for platforms such as shared yachts, surfboards and diving equipment. Finally, fisheries and seafood supply chains have been disrupted. Nuclear contamination can lead to a decline in seafood quality, which is a huge challenge for shared fisheries and seafood supply chain platforms that can impact business sustainability and reputation. Taken together, Japan’s plans to discharge contaminated water to the sea have exacerbated ecological problems, which in turn have seriously damaged the ocean-related sharing economy sector, and there is an urgent need to strengthen sustainability measures and environmental initiatives to mitigate this threat.

The impact of Japan’s discharge of nuclear contaminated water on tourism in sharing economy

“Kiyomizu-dera Temple.Kyoto. Japan” by Bernard Spragg is marked with CC0 1.0.

Japan recently began discharging nuclear-contaminated waste water into the Pacific Ocean, triggering concerns and cancellations among Chinese tourists. The situation has already had a noticeable impact on China’s tourism industry, with some tourists cancelling trips to Japan and travel platforms reducing or even suspending marketing plans. In addition, it has caused Chinese consumers to distrust Japanese products and restaurants, which may lead them to look for alternatives. This uncertainty and market changes may have an indirect impact on sharing economy businesses related to sectors such as travel, food and catering.

Environmental damage creates more demand for the sharing economy

In recent years, the awareness of sustainability has risen as the issue of ecological destruction has been taken more and more seriously. This has led to an increased demand for environmental protection. For the sharing economy, providing environmentally friendly products becomes a good choice.

“Airbnb” by Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine is marked with CC0 1.0.

Airbnb will offer French hosts subsidies of up to €2,200 as part of a multi-million euro programme to help refurbish rental properties to make them more environmentally friendly. Such refurbishments might include, for example, insulating the home or installing a heat pump.
Airbnb has teamed up with eco-friendly renovation specialist Effy to launch the ‘Sustainable Living’ programme. Effy will work with hosts during renovation projects. The initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions and save money on energy bills in the long term.”

Reference

Kiyomizu-dera Temple.Kyoto. Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2023, from https://openverse.org/image/26dd98eb-890c-4e0a-a427-5c5d39a8e012

Travel companies start canceling tours to Japan due to radioactive water dumping—Global Times. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2023, from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202308/1297035.shtml

Oaten, J., & Faa, M. (2023, August 24). Japan releases treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, as activists make last-ditch call for UN intervention. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-24/japan-fukushima-nuclear-waste-water-released-pacific-ocean/102765774

Airbnb launches €1million eco-friendly plan for hosts in France. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2023, from https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/Practical/Property/Airbnb-launches-1million-eco-friendly-plan-for-hosts-in-France

Airbnb | Openverse. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2023, from https://openverse.org/image/606faa21-e275-44be-996b-35617e44d3d8?q=Airbnb

20191019-NRCS-LSC-1258. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2023, from https://openverse.org/image/4c4b3970-3d7d-4a61-b6d5-00224621e2f7