37899 - Environmental Economics

Learning outcomes

The course will offer students a multidimensional perspective on the existing connection between human societies and the environment, drawing insights from environmental, resource, and ecological economics. The purpose of the course is to present the main economic challenges posed by climate change and the green transition in a way that integrates climate, economy, and policy issues. The objective is to enable students to gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainability issues and the drivers of climate change, but also the methods to analyze them and the approaches used to design policies addressing these problems.

Course contents

1. Cost–Benefit Analysis: The Basic Concepts
2. The Welfare Foundations of Cost–Benefit Analysis
3. Distribution Issues and Benefits Transfer
4. Risk Assessment in CBA
5. Ecosystem Services: Total Economic Value and the Environment.
6. Preservation vs Conversion. Methods of Valuation
7. Environmental Factors and Human Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and the Economy
8. The Coevolution of Ecological and Economic Systems
9. Measurement, Valuation, and Economic Policy
10. Sustainability: Defining and Measuring Sustainability. The UN’s Agenda 2030 and the SDGs

Readings/Bibliography

Main reference book:

Xepapadeas, Lectures in Applied Environmental Economics and Policy, World Scientific, 2024

Teaching methods

Lectures and flipped classes

Assessment methods

The assessment method is based on the evaluation of a written test for the individual preparation. Students are expected to answer ten questions, including multiple-choice, true-false, or short answers. A mock exam as a sample will be provided at least one month before end of lectures. Students are expected to know the basic quantitative methods discussed during lectures and to critically discern the limitations of the methods employed in the analysis. Assessment during onsite lectures (consisting of mid-Term mock tests, or short case studies reports and flipped classrooms) are also considered.

The maximum possible score is 30 cum laude, in case all anwers are correct, complete and formally rigorous and the other assessment activities above were positive.

The grade is graduated as follows:

<18 failed
18-23 sufficient
24-27 good
28-30 very good
30 e lode excellent

Additional information on the assessment method will be discussed during the first lecture.

Teaching tools

lectres and flipped classes

Office hours

See the website of Elettra Agliardi

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