72492 - Economic and Environmental Policy

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, the student should be aware of the main methodologies for normative and positive analysis of economic and environmental policy, with reference to the Italian and European context. In particular, the student will be able to:

- Reconstruct the recent economic and political evolution of Italy and of the European Union;

- Identify the main economic policy interventions at the national and European level;

- Read critically the guidelines of such policies in the light of the main theoretical interpretations;

- Evaluate the models for the solution of environmental issues;

- Match empirical evidence and theoretical concepts of economic policies for the environment.

Course contents

The course is split into two parts. In the first part, the recent economic evolution of Italy and of the European Union is reviewed, critically analysing law interventions in the light of the main theoretical interpretations. In the second part, we focus on aspects related to climate change and to ecological restoration.

 

Module I - The Italian and European economic policy (Prof. Roberto Patuelli)

Introduction to economic policy: theories, objectives and tools;

The world economy: dynamics and issues;

The economic policy of the neo-liberist globalization (1980-2008);

The governance of the global economy: international organizations and economic powers;

The economic-financial crisis of 2008;

The economic policy answers to the crisis (2008-2015);

The economic policy of the European Union;

The economic policy of populistm and of neo-protectionism;

The economic policy of Italy;

The Italian economy between the pandemic crisis and the recovery programmes (PNRR).

 

Modulo II - Economic and Environmental Policy (Prof.ssa Alice Guerra)

Module II is entirely dedicated to the study of climate change and ecological restoration, explored through a critical reading of scientific research in environmental economics and the analysis of various methodologies (experimental, empirical, and theoretical). Students will be guided in understanding the main tools used in the scientific literature to assess the effectiveness of environmental policies, the economic impact of climate change, and the role of individual and collective incentives in promoting sustainable behaviors.

Module II also aims to develop critical thinking skills, interdisciplinary analytical abilities, and independent judgment in evaluating the effectiveness of public policies in complex and uncertain contexts. By the end of Module II, students will be able to understand the economic mechanisms underlying global environmental challenges, interpret the results of experimental research, and evaluate the impact of different mitigation and adaptation policies.

No prior knowledge of statistics, econometrics, or coding is required to successfully complete Module II. All empirical methods and case studies from the literature will be presented in a way that emphasizes an “intuitive” understanding of their assumptions, implementation, and interpretation.

A good knowledge of English is strongly recommended in order to read and further explore the case studies discussed in class.

Readings/Bibliography

Module I

Lecture notes and further reading material available in Virtuale.

Material for further reading on specific parts of the programme:

B. Bortolotti, Crescere insieme, per un'economia giusta, Laterza, Bari, 2013 (Capp. 1, 2).

P. Montalbano, U. Triulzi, La politica economica internazionale, UTET, Torino (Capp. 1, 2.1, 5, 6.1, 6.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 10.6, 11.5, 11.6, 13.4).

U. Marani, R.R. Canale, O. Napolitano, P. Foresti, Politica Economica: La Teoria e l'Unione Europea, Hoepli, Milano (Capp. 6-16).

P. De Grauwe, Economia dell'Unione Monetaria, Il Mulino, Bologna.

J. Stiglitz, La globalizzazione e i suoi oppositori, Einaudi, Torino, 2002.

 

Module II

Module II does not require any specific textbooks. Below is a list of selected scientific articles that will be discussed during the course. Reading them is highly recommended. Additional readings may be suggested throughout the course via video content or slide materials.

Alcott, H. (2011). Social norms and energy conservation. Journal of Public Economics, 95(9–10), 1082–1095.

Andre, P., Boneva, T., Chopra, F., & Falk, A. (2024). Misperceived social norms and willingness to act against climate change. Review of Economics and Statistics, 1-46.

Bastini, K., Kerschreiter, R., Lachmann, M., Ziegler, M., & Sawert, T. (2024). Encouraging individual contributions to net-zero organizations: Effects of behavioral policy interventions and social norms. Journal of Business Ethics, 192(3), 543-560.

Boldrini, M., Bosetti, V., & Nunnari, S. (2024). Negative emission technologies and climate cooperation. CESifo Working Paper No. 10905.

Cialdini, Robert B., Linda J. Demaine, Brad J. Sagarin, Daniel W. Barrett, Kelton Rhoads & Patricia L. Winter (2006) Managing social norms for persuasive impact , Social Influence, 1:1, 3-15, DOI: 10.1080/15534510500181459.

Dixon, G. N., Lerner, B., & Bashian, S. (2024). Challenges to correcting pluralistic ignorance: false consensus effects, competing information environments, and anticipated social conflict. Human Communication Research, 50(3), 419-429.

Drews, S., & Van den Bergh, J. C. (2016). What explains public support for climate policies? A review of empirical and experimental studies. Climate policy, 16(7), 855-876.

Fanghella, V., & Schleich, J. (2025). Effect of the interplay between comparative feedback and beliefs on climate change mitigation efforts. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 103213.

Lee, A. S., Kirkland, K., Stanley, S. K., Robinson, A., Leviston, Z., & Walker, I. (2025). A thematic analysis of what Australians state would change their minds on climate change. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 12989.

Manara, V. C., Ciscato, E., Guarnieri, P., & Spadoni, L. (2025). Back to the future: An experiment on ecological restoration. Ecological Economics, 227, 108386.

Milinski M., D. Semmann, H. Krambeck, & J. Marotzke, Stabilizing the Earth’s climate is not a losing game: Supporting evidence from public goods experiments, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103 (11) 3994-3998, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0504902103 (2006).

Nisa, C. F., Bélanger, J. J., Schumpe, B. M., & Faller, D. G. (2019). Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials testing behavioural interventions to promote household action on climate change. Nature communications, 10(1), 4545.

Suri, D., Bongers, N., & Kube, S. (2025). Is pro-environmental effort affected by information about others’ behavior?. Ecological Economics, 228, 108437.

Wolsko, C., Ariceaga, H., & Seiden, J. (2016). Red, white, and blue enough to be green: Effects of moral framing on climate change attitudes and conservation behaviors. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 65, 7-19.

Teaching methods

Module I

Frontal lectures, with potential discussion and in-depth analysis groupworks.

 

Module II

Teaching in Module II includes a mix of video content, textual materials, and online activities, designed to promote active and flexible learning.

No prior knowledge of statistics, econometrics, or programming is required. All methods presented in class will be introduced in an accessible way, focusing on the logic of the assumptions, the goals of the analysis, and the implications for policy design.

A good knowledge of English is strongly recommended for reading and discussing the assigned scientific articles.

Assessment methods

Exams for the two modules can be taken in different dates. The two parts are evaluated independently and the final mark is given by the average of the two marks.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

A positive final mark can only be refused once. After publication of the results, refusal of the grade has to be communicated via email within the day of the subsequent office hours of the instructor.

Exam grades generically follow this distribution (in relation to ECTS grades):

<18 insufficient (F)

18 sufficient (E)

19-22 average (D)

23-26 good (C)

27-29 very good (B)

30 and 30L excellent (A)

 

Module I

The exam of Module I is carried out in the form of a test with both open-answer and multiple-choice questions, and lasts 30 minutes.

The exam is carried out on EOL, in the computer lab.

During the exam, it is not necessary nor allowed using any additional material (notes, calculator, paper sheets...).

 

Module II

For Module II, the final assessment will consist of a take-home exam, to be completed independently within a given timeframe. It will consist of one open-ended question related to the topics discussed in class.

Throughout the module, self-evaluation quizzes will also be offered to help students monitor their level of understanding and preparation.

Full details on the exam format will be made available on the instructor’s website and/or the Virtuale platform.

Teaching tools

All course materials will be available on the Virtuale platform.

Office hours

See the website of Roberto Patuelli

See the website of Alice Guerra