Course 2011-2012 a.y.

Go to class group/s: 31

CLMG (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06) - M (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06) - IM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06) - MM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06) - AFC (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06) - CLAPI (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06) - CLEFIN-FINANCE (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06) - CLELI (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06) - ACME (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06) - DES-ESS (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06) - EMIT (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/06)

Course Director:
FRANCO MALERBA

Course Objectives

This course aims to provide students with the basic knowledge and essential tools to deal with environmental problems considered in a broad perspective, integrating globalization, innovation, technological change, consumer preferences and environmental regulation. The course starts by examining the role of innovation, technology and globalization in sustainable development in several advanced and emerging countries. Then the course examines the main issues related to environment and sustainable development, the relationship between environment and economic systems and the main policy instruments for environmental policy. At the end of the course students should be able to conceive environmental issues not only as a constraint but also an opportunity of growth for firms and markets. In order to reach this objective the traditional analysis of economic instruments like environmental taxes and subsidies is coupled with the study of voluntary approaches and the phenomena of overcompliance, characterizing firms involved in environmental certification, green labelling and other strategies aimed to build an environmental reputation.

Course Content Summary

• The role of globalization, innovation and technological change in sustainable development
• Globalization and technology in China and India
• Technology and sustainable development: the case of empirical relationships between energy and climate change according to the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol
• Interdependency between the environment and the economic system: environmental externalities and the Coase Theorem.
• Economic instruments: environmental taxation and the Carbon tax examples
• Economic instruments: environmental subsidies and the example of renewables
• Decentralized systems for pollution control: Cap and Trade and the ETS (Emission Trading Scheme) case in Europe
• Voluntary approaches: diffusion and classification
• Overcompliance and Environmental Strategies:
• Environmental Reputation
• Signalling technical progress
• The Environmental Effectiveness of Voluntary Approaches: case studies.

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

Attending students
Papers and class presentations to be prepared by students plus a short written examination.

Non attending students
Written exam 

Textbooks

Readings are assigned at the beginning of the course.

A few chapters are taken from the following textbooks:

• R. Perman, Y. Ma, J. McGilvray et al., Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, Pearson, 2003
• A. Baranzini, P. Thalmann, Voluntary Approaches in Climate Policy, Edward Elgar, 2004

Exam textbooks & Online Articles (check availability at the Library)

Last change 13/05/2011 16:06