Guías Académicas

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

GRADO EN ESTUDIOS GLOBALES/GLOBAL STUDIES

Curso 2023/2024

1. Subject Information

(Date last modified: 02-06-23 14:23)
Code
109039
Plan
290
ECTS
4.00
Type
Opcional
Year
3
Duration
First semester
Area
ECONOMÍA APLICADA
Departament
Economía Aplicada
Virtual platform

Campus Virtual de la Universidad de Salamanca

Professor Information

Profesor/Profesora
Luis Garrido Mateos
Group/s
Único
Centre
Fac. Economía y Empresa
Office
113 de la Facultad de Derecho,
Office hours
By appointment.
Web address
https://derecho.usal.es/staff/garrido-mateos-luis/
E-mail
luisgarrimateos@usal.es
Telephone
Ext. 1689
Profesor/Profesora
Fernando Carmelo Rodríguez López
Group/s
Único
Centre
Fac. Ciencias Agrarias y Ambientales
Office
4.1
Office hours
By appointment
Web address
http://diarium.usal.es/frodriguez
E-mail
frodriguez@usal.es
Telephone
923294500 ext 1625

2. Association of the subject matter within the study plan

3. Prerequisites

-

4. Learning objectives

The students will enhance their knowledge, analysis capacity and critical view about the following:

1. Environmental degradation as an instance of market failure and impact on equity.

2. Main local, regional, and global environmental challenges, as well as their geopolitical and socioeconomic impacts.

3. Case studies on the use of efficient, scale, cost-effective and natural-capital-based instruments.

4. International treaties and agreements to deal with common environmental challenges.

5. Contents

Theory.

1. Social welfare, efficiency, and equity.

2. Environmental externalities.

3. Main global environmental challenges: the planetary boundaries.

4. Main regional environmental challenges: water, land, air pollution, acidification.

5. Valuation of natural capital.

6. Efficient, scale and cost-effective instruments. Green fiscal reforms and double dividend. Polluter-pays principle.

Practice.

1. Decarbonization in China.

2. Overpopulation, food production, and food security in developing countries.

3. Lithium mining in Latin America.

4. Human impact on biodiversity.

5. Environmental issues in today’s big cities.

6. Competences acquired

Basic / General.

As stated in the official supporting documents for the degree in Global Studies

Specific.

As stated in the official supporting documents for the degree in Global Studies

7. Teaching methods

The teaching methodology will be based on lectures, guided readings, and debates on students’ presentations

8. Anticipated distribution of the use of the different teaching methods

9. Resources

Reference books.

Buchholz, W. (2019): Foundations of Environmental Economics, Springer.

Hanley, N (2007): Environmental economics in theory and practice, Palgrave

Tietenberg, T. (2009): Environmental economics and policy, Pearson.

Web sites:

CORE-ECON project (https://www.core-econ.org/)

European Commission – Environment (https://ec.europa.eu/environment/index_en.htm)

IPBES (https://ipbes.net/)

IPCC (https://www.ipcc.ch/)

Stockholm Resilience Center (https://www.stockholmresilience.org/)

Sustainable Development Goals (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/)

TEEB (http://www.teebweb.org/)

UN Environment Programme (https://www.unenvironment.org/)

10. Assessment

General considerations.

The aim is not to make the student memorize the materials, but to let them understand the rationale behind them and apply the acquired skills and knowledge to the analysis of different environmental issues.

Assessment criteria.

Acquisition and internalization of the general and specific skills of the course, applied to the set of contents of the course. The evaluation will focus on the understanding of the rationale behind environmental problems and their solution proposals, the deepness in the search and analysis of data and argumentations in related documents and web pages, and the ability to apply this all to different contexts and situations.

Assessment tools.

The grade will be based on a final exam complemented with, if the circumstances permit, information on the student’s ongoing evaluation (assignments and presentations).

Assessment recommendations.

Given the comprehensive approach of the course, a strictly continuous work by the student is highly recommended.

 

11. Weekly teaching organization