LFU:online

1) Knowledge:

• understand the relationship between environmental issues and the economy
• comprehend the economic rational underlying the need for environmental policy
• analyze alternative approaches to environmental policy and assess respective advantages and disadvantages of different policy instruments
• evaluate effectiveness of environmental policy using methods and techniques of policy evaluation

2) Skills:

• become familiar with the relevant literature and be able to grasp and critically question the underlying methods, arguments and conclusions
• critically accompany current developments and write clearly and concisely
• present/debate policy evaluations in class/in group

1. Basic concepts of environmental economics
2. Instruments to internalize external effects
3. Applied policy examples
4. Policy evaluation framework

The lecture part will cover the basics for the analysis of environmental problems and introduce a range of instruments of environmental policy which are discussed in view of current developments and challenges. In addition, a policy evaluation framework will be introduced.

Written assignments (50% of the grade) focus on a better understanding of basic economic concepts and on how to best communicate concepts and research findings effectively to other audiences. Assignment will include written homeworks (e.g.  short essays) and one video presentation.

A group project (50% of the grade) with groups of 4 to 6 people will involve applying experimental methods to an environmental policy problem. Groups will develop a policy intervention, an experimental design and write up a pre-analysis plan to testbed their policy proposal.

(1)    Homework (30%)

(2)    Video Assignment (20%)

(3)    Final Group Project (50%)

• Sterner, T., and Coria, J. (2012) Policy instruments for environmental and natural resource management. Second Edition. Resources for the Future. Routledge Taylor&Francis Group.
• Perman, R., Ma, Y., McGilvray, J. and Common, M. (2010) Natural resource and environmental economics. Pearson.
• Rossi, P, M. Lipsey, and H. Freeman (2004) Evaluation: A Systematic Approach, Sage Publications, 7th edition (or previous editions).