Course Topics
Environmental Economics Micro- and game-theoretical foundations, economics and the environment, the theory of externalities and public goods, Coase's theorem and negotiated solutions, overview of environmental policy instruments and criteria for their evaluation, regulatory policy, taxes and tradable certificates, international aspects of environmental economics, behavioral aspects of environmental economics Resource Economics Dynamic efficiency; non-renewable resources; transition to renewable resources; recyclable resources; water, land, and forest resources; collectively usable resources; sustainable economic development.

Propaedeutic courses
Previous attendance of an introductory course in microeconomics is strongly suggested, in order to properly follow the lectures.

Teaching format
Lectures, exercises, student presentations

Educational objectives
Knowledge and understanding "At the end of the programme, students will have acquired the following knowledge and skills: 1. diachronic textual knowledge and hermeneutic tools for understanding the phenomenon of human existence in the context of the institution of the polis; 2. diachronic textual knowledge and tools of epistemological analysis to understand the relationship between philosophical and scientific knowledge, with particular attention to the ethical foundations of economics and the presuppositions and implications of economic modelling; 3. knowledge of selected basic philosophical positions and theoretical tools of analysis to develop the autonomous ability to conceptualise and ethically and philosophically diagnose phenomena; 4. knowledge of selected basic philosophical positions and theoretical tools of analysis for understanding the fundamental institutions of the Western world; 5. knowledge of the relationship between nature and society based on fundamental concepts of the philosophical tradition that enable an analysis of the human habitat and an understanding of the crises associated with the mechanisation of nature in an economic context; 6. knowledge of the philosophical rationales for decision-making criteria in the economic sphere and their ethical implications, with the aim of understanding the element of responsibility that these rationales entail at both theoretical and practical levels, focussing on transformative experiences". Applying knowledge and understanding 1. the ability to detach oneself from the operational, contingent level and the corresponding forms of knowledge in order to engage with the realm in which meaning and the grounded knowledge related to it are constituted; 2. the ability to distinguish between the factual cause of a fact and the origin or principle of a phenomenon; 3. the ability to understand the linguistic dimension and the differences between languages as an area of elaboration of philosophical thought; 4. the ability to adopt an autonomous cognitive and critical stance, supported by an adequate capacity for conceptualisation on a methodological, theoretical and ethical level; Making judgements Acquire the necessary judgement and methodological tools to critically analyse data, sources, assumptions and implications of scientific practice as well as the political, ethical and legal contexts in which economic phenomena are situated and with which they interact. Communication skills Proficiency in written and spoken Italian, German and English, including the translation of these languages. Intercultural competence. Conceptual conciseness, ability to capture facts in writing, especially for scientific and science-based texts Learning skills Promotion of critical thinking and the analytical ability to recognise complex problems in their long-term dynamics and in the diversity of their - also ethical - implications

Assessment
Both the written exam and the course project are mandatory. The exam addresses topics covered in the lecture. For attending students, the project may be done in groups of two and consists of two parts: a seminar paper (about 10-15 pages) to be submitted 7 days before the exam and a presentation of the main ideas (approx. 10-15 minutes) during the semester. Attending students must define their paper topic by November 30th. Non-attending students write their seminar paper independently and submit it 7 days prior to the exam date. Instructors must approve the paper topic at least 30 days before the exam date, otherwise any paper submitted is not valid. In addition, non-attending students may have to answer additional exam questions for not having to present their paper. The written exam counts for 60% and the course project for 40% towards the final grade.

Evaluation criteria
The written exam assesses the quality and clarity of answers, language skills, and ability to accurately relate to the topics covered. The course project assesses creativity, critical thinking, synthesis skills, judgment.

Required readings

Phaneuf, D. & T. Requate. "A course in environmental economics". Cambridge University Press, 2017. 

Tietenberg, T. und Lewis, L. 2015. "Environmental and Natural Resource Economics". 10th Edition.

Further information
For the written exam, textbooks or other teaching materials or electronic devices are not allowed. Dictionaries without notes and simple calculators are permitted.