Environmental Economics

General

• Code: 804
• Semester: 8th
• Study Level: Undergraduate
• Course type: Specialization
• Teaching and exams language: Greek
• Teaching Methods (Hours/Week): Lectures and Practice work (3)
• ECTS Units: 6
• Instructors: Stamatiou Pavlos
• Exams Schedule:
  • 17/09/2024, 18:00 - 20:00: Σταματίου

Course Contents

1. Environmental Economics: General overview.
2. Economy, environment and sustainable development. Dynamic efficiency and sustainable growth.
3. Environmental assessment methods (method of hypothetical assessment, market analysis of beneficial characteristics, travel cost analysis).
4. Financial incentives to achieve environmental goals. Environmental taxes, pollution rights (permits), fault rules and the polluter pays principle.
5. Alternative criteria for evaluating possible policy measures. Social welfare maximization. Control cost minimization. Allocation of economic impacts. Symbolic footprint of policy measures.
6. Environmental policy measures. Effective and ineffective policy instruments.
7. The liberalization of the energy market in Greece.
8. Renewable and alternative forms of energy.
9. The economics of climate change in Greece.
10. From the Kyoto treaty to the Paris treaty. Roadmap for the transition to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050.
11. Environmental management systems. Excellent management of natural resources.
12. Other environmental matters.
13. Summary, Recap.

Educational Goals

The purpose of the course is the presentation and knowledge of the issues related to the economics of natural resources and the environment, the economic theory for the management and protection of the environment, as well as the concept of sustainable development. After successful completion of the course, students will acquire knowledge and skills in the management, from an economic point of view, of the policies for the use of natural resources and the protection of the environment. More specifically, initially, the principles of environmental economics are presented (including cost-benefit analysis) and then a brief reference is made to the principles of using renewable-exhaustible resources, but also to the planning of environmental policy in matters of air pollution and water pollution. Finally, a brief reference to the broader issue of the relationship between environmental development and equality is attempted.

Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to:

• Know the content of environmental science and the wider knowledge field of economy, environment and sustainable development.
• know the environmental assessment methods.
• Understand the financial incentives in order to achieve environmental goals.
• Analyze and interpret the alternative evaluation criteria for possible environmental policy measures, as well as renewable and alternative forms of energy.
• Evaluate and compose reports and analyzes related to the economics of the environment.
• Acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for the economics of climate change in Greece.
• Develop the necessary skills in matters of the environmental management and the international context, for further studies at postgraduate level.

General Skills

• Independent work.
• Team work.
• Decision making.
• Search for, analysis and synthesis of data and information, with the use of the necessary technology.

Teaching Methods

• In the classroom, face to face.

Use of ICT means

• Basic software (windows, word, power point, the web, etc.).
• Support of learning process through the electronic platform / e-class.

Teaching Organization

Students Evaluation

Written final exams (60%) that may include:

• Judgemental questions.
• Short answer questions.
• Application exercises.
• True/false and multiple choice questions.
• Composite theoratical questions.

In each question, corresponding evaluation points are specified.
Optional assignment (Essay writing and presentation) corresponds to 40% of the final grade.

Recommended Bibliography

1. Βλάχου, Α. (2001). Περιβάλλον και Φυσικοί Πόροι – Οικονομική Θεωρία και Πολιτική, Εκδόσεις Κριτική, Αθήνα.
2. Tietenberg, T., Lewis, L. (2010). Οικονομική Περιβάλλοντος και Φυσικών Πόρων, Εκδόσεις Gutenberg. Αθήνα.
3. Field, B., Field, M. (2020), Οικονομικά του Περιβάλλοντος, Εκδόσεις Broken Hill, Λευκωσία.
4. Χάλκος, Γ. (2016), Οικονομική Φυσικών Πόρων και Περιβάλλοντος, Εκδόσεις Δίσιγμα, Θεσσαλονίκη.

Related Research Journals

1. Renewable Energy.
2. International Journal of Green Energy.
3. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.