Economics, Environment and Sustainability

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

The lectures are organized to encourage students’ active involvement in learning, fostering student-teacher and student-student interaction.
In some classes the theoretical contents are exposed, stimulating the discussion of their importance and validity. In others, theoretical knowledge is applied to discuss and analyse (real and/or simulated) problems, hence contributing to the course objectives’ achievement.
Tutorial guidance is also available to students, in order to seek clarification,explanations, guidance for the essay or to debate a specific theme.

Learning Outcomes

Objectives
Identify the main approaches in the disciplines that study the relationships between economy, environment and society.
Discuss environmentally sound solutions to global/regional problems with the identification of specific policies to promote sustainable development strategies.
Understand the (dis)advantages of the main approaches to the economics of pollution and the techniques of environmental economic evaluation.
Skills:
Ability to analyze and interpret information, critical reasoning and synthesis, communication and group interaction.
Capacity to carry out multidisciplinary work, with versatility and capacity for dialogue to act in response to the challenges posed by the complexity of environmental problems faced by today's society.
Technical capacity for analysis and resolution of environmental problems, contributing to the technical and/or political decision-making processes being based on scientific criteria.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1 Principles of the Neoclassical Economics approach
Markets, efficiency and choice
Market failures
2. Sustainability: Foundational concepts, theories, and perspectives
The Environment and the Economy
Economic Paradigms and Environmental Management
The Ecological Economics perspective
Sustainable Development Goals
3. Energy, Economy and Environment
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy
Economics of Pollution: taxonomy, efficient allocation and policy approaches
4. Total Economic Value of environmental resources
Components of the Economic value: use and non-use values
Environmental Valuation methods
The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting
5. Contemporary Environmental Issues and Challenges

Head Lecturer(s)

Luís Miguel Guilherme Cruz

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Tests: 30.0%
Research work: 70.0%

Bibliography

HARRIS, Jonathan; ROACH, Brian (2021), Environmental and Natural Resource Economics: A Contemporary Approach. 5th ed.,
Routledge.
HUSSEN, Ahmed (2018) Principles of Environmental Economics and Sustainability: An Integrated Economic and Ecological Approach, 4rd Ed., Routledge