Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development

Code:

2EGA02

Acronym:

EADS

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Economics

Instance: 2016/2017 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Agrupamento Científico de Economia
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Environmental Economics and Management

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
EGA	29	Bologna Syllabus since 2012	1	-	7,5	56	202,5

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

 

Students will be introduced to the concepts and methodologies of work considered more relevant in Environmental Economics and in the specific domain of Sustainable Development and its indicators.

The themes constituting the program are mainly two key areas in a course of the first semester of a Master whose scope is Economics and Environmental Management. On the one hand, a first block syllabus introducing to the themes of Environmental Economics, ensures the student fundamental preparation in this area. Secondly, the issue of sustainable development is presented with the essential methodological foundations for an understanding of the student in relation to its central importance in the international, national, regional and enterprise level. Thus it seeks to prepare students for any work context and in a more immediate level for the possible further development of materials and demand for case studies,particularly in the context of a potential master's thesis

 

Learning outcomes and competences

Given that the environment and sustainability have become unavoidable realities in various fields, including the level of organizations, after the approval of the course the students should be prepared to understand the new challenges and develop skills in several areas of linkages between economy and environment.

 

Working method

Presencial

Program

 

 

 

. 1 Introduction: Environment and Economy -A general overview; Basic Concept of Environmental Economics and enlargement of the "maistream view; Entropy and irreversibility - the laws of thermodynamics applied to economics: Kenneth Boulding;Georgescu-Roegen- basic concepts and holistic view of the system.

 2 Main concepts of environmental economics: public goods and externalities; Introduction to the approach the social dilemmas - Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin G.), Common pool resources (E. Ostrom);external costs.

3- Valuation of costs / external benefits: Paradigms in the study of the relationship of humans with nature - anthropocentrism and biocentrism; The total value of environmental resources; Measure of the benefits / damages; Main valuation methods -applications.

4. Environmental Policy in its economic aspect: Introductory aspects (internalization of externalities and costs of pollution abatement; socially efficient level of pollution, measures of internalisation of external costs - Instruments of environmental policy - "carrot and stick approaches": Policy Command and Control (Eco) / taxes; Internalization through the purchase of allowances; Subsidies; Systems of "Deposit-refund"; voluntary behaviors.

5 Sustainability and sustainable development: origins, the Brundtland report; Environmental Kuznets curve; Strict and broad sustainable development definitions; Sustainability indicators - Living Planet Index, Environmental Sustainability Index; Ecological Footprint; City Development Index; Alternative Indicators / complementary to GDP as Adjusted Net Savings and Genuine Progress Indicator). Other indicators - the DJSI

 

Mandatory literature

Pearce, David W.; Turner, R. Kerry; Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment, Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1990
Field, Barry C.; Field, Martha K.; Environmental Economics – An Introduction, Field, Barry C.; Field, Martha K, 2002
Böhringer, Christoph; Jochem, Patrick E.P.: ; Measuring the immeasurable — A survey of sustainability indices, Ecological Economics, Volume 63, Issue 1, 15 June 2007, Pages 1-8, 2007
Neumayer, Eric; Weak versus strong Sustainability – Exploring the Limits of Two Opposing Paradigms, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, 2003 (2nd Edition)

Complementary Bibliography

Faucheux, Sylvie; Noël, Jean-François; Economia dos Recursos Naturais e do Meio Ambiente, Instituto Piaget, 1995
Lawn, Philip; Sustainable Development Indicators in Ecological Economics, Edward Elgar, 2006
Määttä, Kalle; Environmental taxes : an introductory analysis, Edward Elgar, 2006
Ostrom, Elinor; The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action: Governing the Commons, Cambridge University Press, 1990
Wackernagel,M and W. Rees; Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the earth, New Society Publishers, Gabriela Island, 1996

Comments from the literature

Other references, more specific and adjusted to each case, will be given, accompanying the subjects taught.

Teaching methods and learning activities

 

The learning is based on theoretical and practical approaches, giving particular importance to the participation of students and their interventions on the topics taught.
The methodology adopted combines the presentation of economic theories in connection with the environmental field with practical examples that demonstrate the actual relevance of the issues under discussion. This is intended to encourage the discussion and the preparation of topics for presentation and further discussion in the classes.
One of the focuses of this participation relates to a model in which a priori are given specific tasks to students, divided into research groups, each representing a theory or a line of concrete thinking which will then be extensively discussed among the participants. In this model the teacher has essentially the role of moderator of the debate, extracting the final results, considered as most relevant to proceed with teaching matters. In this way students feel more encouraged to be given more prominence in the class, will feel more familiar with the work group and with a wide preparation of critical analysis. This will be reinforced by a bonus attribution.
 Another possibility to consider, given the resources available, will be to invite experts in the field and students in the implementation phase of their master’s thesis, making visible the practical applications of the materials taught.

 

keywords

Social sciences > Economics > Environmental economics

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	50,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	100,00

Eligibility for exams

Condition: Attendance to more than 75% of the classes

Calculation formula of final grade

In the case of the distributed evaluation consisting of a final test (weighting 50%) and a set of individual or group works performed throughout the semester (also with a weight of 50%) is awarded a bonus for attending classes , scaled till 1,0 in addition to that obtained previously before rounding (provided it does not reach the 20 values).

Students can also use the assessment by exam. One component of this exam may include a practical exercise and / or individual work to do at home, with a delivery date previously set.

 

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Epecial assessment may consist of an oral examination.

Classification improvement

In the case of classification improvement, the works done throughout the semester will not be taken into account.