94480 - POLITICA ECONOMICA AMBIENTALE

Learning outcomes

The aim is to provide students with the tools for understanding the main topics of environmental economic policy such as the sustainable management of natural resources. Particular attention is given to climate change, cost benefit analysis and the value of natural resources. Therefore students will be able to critically value environmental public policy.

Course contents

Module I

Sustainability and sustainable development. Circular economy. Climate change.

The economic value of a natural resource: methods of evaluation.

Methods for estimating non-marketable values: the contingent valuation methods; the hedonic price; the travel cost method.

The cost-benefit analysis (CBA).

The main tools to reduce pollution.

The integrated management of natural resources.

Carrying capacity; social carrying capacity. A model of social carrying capacity applied to tourism.

Some case-studies will be presented about the different topics.

Module II

Sustainability of economic development. The capital approach.

Weak and strong sustainability. Environmental and ecological economics.

The scarcity debate: peak oil and the Limits to growth

Sustainability measures: genuine savings; planetary boundaries; ecological footrint

Growth and environment. The Environmental Kuznets Curve. Absolute and relative

decoupling.

Green growth. Degrowth. Agrowth.

Carbon pricing and other green growth policies.

Economics of climate change.

Economics of the low-carbon transition

Sustainable finance

International trade and environment

Readings/Bibliography

Module I

Turner R.R., D.W. Pearce and I. Bateman, Economia ambientale, il Mulino, Bologna, 2003.

Marzetti S. (2007), ‘Happiness and Sustainability: a Modern Paradox’, in Bruni L. and Porta P. L.(eds), Handbooks of the Economics of Happiness, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, Chapter 23, pp. 512-531.

Polomè P., Marzetti S. and van der Veen A. (2005), ‘Social Effects of Coastal Defence: Economics and Societal Demands’, Coastal Engineering, 52 (10-11), pp. 819-40.

Marzetti S. (2006), ‘Investing in biodiversity for recreational activities: the natural coastal area of Lido di Dante (Italy)’, Chemistry and Ecology, 22 (Supplement 1), pp. 443-462.

Marzetti S. and Mosetti R. (2008), ‘Social Carrying Capacity of Mass Tourist Sites: Theoretical and Practical Issues about its Measurement’, in Brau R., Lanza A. and Usai S. (eds), Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development, Macroeconomic Models and Empirical Methods, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, Chapter 11, pp. 217-237.

Marzetti S. (2009), ‘Recreational Demand Functions for Different Categories of Beach Visitors’, Tourism Economics, 15(2), pp. 339-365.

Marzetti S. and Disegna M. (2012), Demand for Quality Conservation of Venice (Italy) according to Different Nationalities, Tourism Economics.

Marzetti S., Disegna M., Koutrakis, E. T., Sapounidis A., Marin V., Martino S., Roussel S., Rey-Valette H. and Paoli C. (2016). ‘Visitors’ Awareness of ICZM and WTP for Beach Preservation in Four Mediterranean Regions’, Marine Policy, vol. 63, pp. 100-108

Module II

Atkinson et al. (2014) Handbook of Sustainable Development (Second Edition), Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.

Sachs, J.D. (2015) The Age of Sustainable Development, Columbia University Press, New York.

Ducret, P., and Scolan, M. (2017) Climate. The financial challenge. AFD, available at: https://www.afd.fr/en/climate-financial-challenge .

Teaching methods

Partecipation in class; short essay.

Assessment methods

Written text.

Teaching tools

Lectures course slides will be provided.

Office hours

See the website of Silva Marzetti

See the website of Emanuele Campiglio