ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS (EC3031)

What are the environmental and ecological challenges economies face today? How can economic policy contribute to tackle those challenges? In this class we will answer those questions adopting the economists’ perspective. Economists have different ways of thinking about the environment and its relation to the economy. To better understand those different approaches, we will adopt a comparative perspective of environmental and ecological economics. The course will focus on the role of economic resources, biodiversity, and climate change in economic growth and equality. After introducing the sources of the discussion of environmental and ecological economics in the 19th century, we will discuss the 20th century debates between environmental and ecological economists on the issues of the limits of growth, natural capital, sustainable development. We will then cover the real-world application of those abstract economic theories by focusing on the different means to measure economic progress, the way the world economy deals with climate change, and on real-world examples of ecological economics. Throughout the course, students will be able to develop a comparative understanding of economic theories and see their importance and application in the real world.