Course overview
This course introduces various environmental policy instruments in response to contemporary local and global environmental problems and discusses the economic concepts and principles embedded in the policy instruments. The course examines conventional command-and-control strategies and an array of pollution control alternatives that are based on market incentives or disincentives. The course investigates more decentralised approaches including rights-based approach.
Course learning outcomes
- Generate an understanding of the environmental economics concepts and principles applied in the interplay between economy and the environment.
- Develop an understanding of the role of environmental economics in the design of public policies for environmental quality improvement.
- Identify principal criteria for evaluating environmental policies.
- Develop a sound understanding of various approaches (e.g. command-and-control approach, market-based approach, property rights approach) to mitigating contemporary global and local environmental problems (e.g. air pollution, water pollution, land degradation).
- Develop an understanding of public disputation over the choice of environmental policy instruments.
- Develop an ability to critically analyse environmental policies in terms of efficiency and equity amongst different stakeholders, by way of various case studies.
- Generate a sound understanding of contested views of and pathways to sustainable development.
Degree list
The following degrees include this course