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2020/2021  BA-BHAAV6041U  Sustainability and Policy Analysis: Environmental and Resource Economics

English Title
Sustainability and Policy Analysis: Environmental and Resource Economics

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Max. participants 60
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Manuel Llorca - Department of Economics (ECON)
  • Tooraj Jamasb - Department of Economics (ECON)
Main academic disciplines
  • Economics
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 26-10-2020

Relevant links
Learning objectives
Economics is increasingly the currency of public policy making. There are two essential learning objectives in this module. First, to understand the economic theories and concepts with relevance to environmental and resources issues. Second, to apply the economic principles and concepts to environmental and resource economics and policy analysis in the context of a transition to a sustainable economy. The specific objectives are:
  • Comprehend how economic theory, concepts, and methods can be used to evaluate resource and environmental use and impact
  • Apply economic tools and analysis to find possible solutions for the resource and environmental problems studied
  • Introduce student to specific topics in sustainable resource and environmental policy issues
Course prerequisites
Mandatory prerequisites: Some knowledge of Microeconomics.
Interest in the application of Microeconomics to natural resources and environmental issues.
Examination
Sustainability and Policy Analysis: Environmental and Resource Economics:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Written sit-in exam on CBS' computers
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration 3 hours
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Winter
Aids Limited aids, see the list below:
The student is allowed to bring
  • USB key for uploading of notes, books and compendiums in a non-executable format (no applications, application fragments, IT tools etc.)
  • Any calculator
  • In Paper format: Books (including translation dictionaries), compendiums and notes
The student will have access to
  • Access to Canvas
  • Access to the personal drive (S-drive) on CBS´ network
  • Advanced IT application package
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
If the number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination warrants that it may most appropriately be held as an oral examination, the programme office will inform the students that the make-up examination/re-take examination will be held as an oral examination instead.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

This module focuses on the economic principals, tools and policies used to address environmental and natural resource management problems. After summarising microeconomic and welfare economic foundations, specific issues in environmental and resource economics will be explored. The general topics that will be covered during the lectures and seminars encompass energy, global warming, land, air, water, transport, and international negotiations and trade. Specific issues in these areas will serve to illustrate the use of economic theory and concepts, and policy instruments in their solution, or the problems of applying economics to their solution. The list below describes some of the particular subjects that will be studied along the course:

·         Environmental valuation

·         Analytical tools, e.g., cost-benefit analysis, cost effectiveness

·         Economic efficiency and markets, market failures, externalities

·         Instruments of pollution control policy: bargaining, environmental standards, taxes and tradable permits

·         Criteria for evaluating environmental policies

·         Resource economics: renewable and non-renewable

·         Global environmental problems

  • Topics in environmental economics and policy

This module is endorsed by the Copenhagen School of Energy Infrastructure (CSEI) at CBS and it is embedded in its overall strategy of research and education.
Description of the teaching methods
Lectures where students and practical seminars were students are expected to participate actively.
Feedback during the teaching period
Through oral discussions in class, cases and quizzes
Student workload
Lectures 36 hours
Preparation for lectures 142 hours
Preparations for the exam 25 hours
Exam 3 hours
Expected literature

 

 

The following textbooks cover most of the module material and students are advised to buy at least one of them. Previous editions of these should help to grasp fundamental concepts.

 

Some of these books are more at introductory level while others are meant to be intermediate sources. Most lectures, though not all will be largely based on [1] and [2] as the main readings and sources.

 

[1] Tietenberg, T. and Lewis, L. (2018), Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, 11th edition (International Student Edition), Routledge.

 

[2] Perman, R., Ma, Y., Common, M., Maddison, D., McGilvary, J. (2011), Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, 4th edition, Pearson, Harlow.

 

Collection of articles and policy reports 
Last updated on 26-10-2020