91568 - Mineral Resource Economics and Management

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Moduli: Alessandro Pastore (Modulo 1) Meng Wang (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Geology and Territory (cod. 9073)

Learning outcomes

The course aims at providing students with the tools to understand issues related to the economics and management of raw materials and its relationship with economic and environmental sustainability. To achieve this goal the course is organized into two distinct yet interrelated modules. In the first module the students will learn how to use and interpret models of resource extraction and harvesting and their implications in terms of pricing of raw materials, environmental pollution and sustainability of economic systems. In the second module, students will acquire a methodological toolkit to autonomously design, understand, and evaluate the economic costs of any venture or governmental initiative related to sustainable materials and their use. The course argues that sustainable business related to materials at its very heart is a matter of innovation because if businesses want to develop sustainable products, service, strategies and solutions they need to be good at innovating their products, services, business models, etc.

Readings/Bibliography

David Humphreys, The Remaking of the Mining Industry. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015, 250 pages.

Allwood, JM, and Cullen, J, Sustainable Materials - with both Eyes Open, Cambridge, 2012, Cambridge. Part I, II and III. Available also at http://www.withbotheyesopen.com/

McKay, D J., Sustainable Energy - without the Hot Air, UIT, Cambridge, 2008. Available also at http://www.withouthotair.com/. Part I, III and IV.

Tirole, J., Economics for the Common Good, translated by Steven Rendall, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2018. Chapters 2, 4 and 8.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Pastore

See the website of Meng Wang

SDGs

Affordable and clean energy Industry, innovation and infrastructure Responsible consumption and production Climate Action

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.