290013 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

Details
Responsible DepartmentInstitute of Food and Resource Economics

Earliest Possible YearBSc. 2 year to MSc. 2 year
DurationOne block
 
Credits7.5 (ECTS)
 
Level of CourseJoint BSc and MSc
 
ExaminationFinal Examination

written examination


Written Exam in Lecturehall

All aids allowed

Description of Examination: Four hours written exam in curriculum

Weight: 100 %



7-point scale, internal examiner
 
Organisation of TeachingLectures and Practicals
 
Block PlacementBlock 4
Week Structure: C
 
Language of InstructionEnglish
 
Optional Prerequisites290059 
290055 
270050 
 
RestrictionsNone
 
Course Content
This course is an intermediary level course intended to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to environmental and natural resource economics. The presentation assumes that students have a good grounding in basic microeconomics.
Core components of the course are:
(a) Environmental sustainability concepts and ethics.
(b) The welfare economic foundation of environmental economics.
(c) Externalities and the design of policy instruments to address environmental problems.
(d) The economic concept of value and measurement of environmental benefits using non-market valuation methods.
(e) Optimal utilisation of renewable and non-renewable natural resources.

During the course students will develop a systematic understanding of the economic rationale behind the use of environmental policy instruments, economic valuation principles, and criteria for optimal use of natural resources.

 
Teaching and learning Methods
Teaching is in the form of lectures, group work and practicals. Lectures will present the central themes of the curriculum while practicals will focus on exercises partly based on previous written exams in the various subjects addressed in the course.
 
Learning Outcome
The course gives a comprehensive introduction to the principles of environmental and natural resource economics. It will provide the participants with the knowledge needed to understand the economic aspects of environmental policy issues the theoretical basis required to take advanced courses in environmental and natural resource economics at the graduate level.

Having completed the course it is expected that the student is able to:

Knowledge:
- Define externalities.
- Understand the economic principle behind the design of environmental policy instruments.
- Understand the issues associated with regulation of international environmental problems.
- Understand the welfare economic principles behind social discounting.
- Understand the principles underlying non-market economic valuation methods and cost-benefit analysis.
- Understand the principles behind optimal utilization of renewable and non-renewable natural resources.
- Understand the ethical positions underlying environmental sustainability concepts and discounting.

Skills:
- Identify relevant policy instruments to internalize different types of externalities.
- Evaluate the consequences of applying a policy instrument to address an environmental problem.
- Identify relevant project and policy appraisal methods.
- Evaluate alternative approaches to renewable and non-renewable natural resource utilization.

Competences:
- Apply the principles of environmental and natural resource economics to understand policy issues in these fields.


 
Course Literature
Perman, R., Y. Ma, J. McGilvray & M. Common: Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, Longman, 3rd edition, 2003.
 
Course Coordinator
Alex Dubgaard, adu@life.ku.dk, Institute of Food and Resource Economics/Unit of Environmental and Natural Resource Economi, Phone: 353-32280
 
Study Board
Study Committee NSN
 
Work Load
lectures42
theoretical exercises24
preparation136
examination4
Colloquia0
Excursions0
project work0
supervision0

206