85779 - Economic Geography and Economics of Environmental Resources

Course contents

- 1st Part-Geography of Sustainable Development (20 h.):

1. Environment, population and resources (Geo-ecosystem and its feedbacks with human activities; bio-resources, agriculture and agri-business; mine resources and energy);
2. World-system and globalisation (The World-system concept and the globalisation of the world economy; changes in the international division of labour ; innovation, industrial decentralisation, and global commodity chains' networks; the evolution of transnational corporations; geography of trade; the organisation of trade and information flows);
3. The economic development: ideologies and policies (from the ideology of growth to the ideology of sustainability; policies for economic integration and development: from the international organisations to the local actions).

- 2nd Part-Economics of Environment and Natural Resources (20 h.):

1. Economics and environmental issues (economists copying with the environmmental issue; environmental ethics; market failures and conservation; the limits to growth; interpreting sustainable development - strong and weak approaches);
2. The assessment of environmental goods (monetary methods; non-monetary methods; environmental risk assessment);
3. Environmental policy measures (the socially optimal level of pollution; the polluter-pays principle; environmental policy tools: incentives, green taxes, permissions and environmental standards; the management of renewable and non renewable natural resources).

Readings/Bibliography

Teacher's notes and didactic materials distributed through the Unibo's on-line platform "Virtuale".

Teaching methods

- Lectures, team works, case studies;

- Experts' seminars

Assessment methods

- students are evaluated through a written test;

- students may also choose to be evaluated through two distinct written tests: the first, regarding the contents of the 1st Part of the teaching, will take place at the end of the 1st Part's lectures; the second test, regarding the contents of the 2nd Part of the teaching, will take place at the end of the 2nd Part's lectures;

Student evaluation will be based on the following: knowledge of the course's topics; correct use of the discipline’s terminology; constant and active attendance of the course’s lectures and development of didactic activities agreed with the teacher.

Informations on assessment metrics (Resolution of the Council of the School of Economics and Management of the University of Bologna of 19/05/2021):

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

IMPORTANT: for further details see the learning materials in the Unibo's on-line platform "Virtuale".

Teaching tools

- Slides

- Distribution of didactic materials through the Unibo's on-line platform "Virtuale"

Office hours

See the website of Massimo Canali