Course Syllabus for students Autumn 2019

On completion of the course, the students will be able to:

1. Describe how different economic perspectives relate and contribute to a sustainable society
2. Explain how economic conditions and restrictions interact with sustainable development

3. Analyse the tradeoffs and ethical implications linked to a broad range of contemporary social and environmental issues
4. Analyse alternative welfare measurement tools beyond GDP and their potential to contribute to a sustainable society
5. Analyse how economic incentives influence individual and groups behaviors, and how incentives can be used to explain and address social and environmental challenges in society

6. Perform theoretical and methodological analysis of policy instruments (especially regulation) with respect to economic efficiency and sustainable development
7. Analyse contemporary debates surrounding issues of sustainability and economic development in society

The course Economics for a Sustainable Society explores the interplay between economics and sustainability. Students will examine economics approaches in order to understand its benefits and limitations in relation to sustainable development of society. This course provides the economic foundations for decision-making regarding wellbeing, environmental quality and natural resources. It provides an overview of economic tools and techniques for evaluating and working with sustainable development problems and introduces alternative economic perspectives, which challenge economic orthodoxy. The course places emphasis on how tools of economic analysis can be used to identify sources of social and environmental challenges and solutions to them, considering including:

• Economics and sustainable development, including sustainable development goals and targets; regulations, market success and failure with focus on public goods and externalities, cost-benefit analysis and non-market valuation
• Economics and climate change, including incentive-based policies for controlling pollution, and economic evaluation methods
• Economic evaluation and environmental policy instruments with an application on green public procurement
• Economic growth for a sustainable society and alternative measurements of GDP
• Circular economy, including social and green entrepreneurship

The course is based on a series of lectures, seminars individual and project group.

The teaching is conducted in English.

60 credits in Business Administration and/or Economics, with at least 30 credits in Business Administration with at least 15 credits in economics. Proof of English proficiency is required.

The course is graded A, B, C, D, E, FX or F.

Individual grades are provided based on: written exam, individual assignment, and group assignment
The ILOs listed above are assessed through the following types of examination:
Individual written exam. ILO´s 1 - 6.
Individual assignment. ILO´s 3,4, 5 & 7.
Group project. ILO´s 5-7.
To pass the course, students must pass each element of examination.

Name of the Test	Value	Grading
Individual written exam	4.5 credits	A/B/C/D/E/FX/F
Individual assignment	1.5 credits	A/B/C/D/E/FX/F
Group project	1.5 credits	A/B/C/D/E/FX/F

It is the responsibility of the examiner to ensure that each course is evaluated. At the outset of the course, evaluators must be identified (elected) among the students. The course evaluation is carried out continuously as well as at the end of the course. On the completion of the course the course evaluators and course examiner discuss the course evaluation and possible improvements. A summary report is created and archived. The reports are followed up by program directors and discussed in program groups and with relevant others (depending on issue e.g. Associate Dean of Education, Associate Dean of faculty, Director of PhD Candidates, Dean and Director of Studies). The next time the course runs, students should be informed of any measures taken to improve the course based on the previous course evaluation.

Academic integrity
JIBS students are expected to maintain a strong academic integrity. This implies to behave within the boundaries of academic rules and expectations relating to all types of teaching and examination. Copying someone else’s work is a particularly serious offence and can lead to disciplinary action. When you copy someone else’s work, you are plagiarizing. You must not copy sections of work (such as paragraphs, diagrams, tables and words) from any other person, including another student or any other author. Cutting and pasting is a clear example of plagiarism. There is a workshop and online resources to assist you in not plagiarizing called the Interactive Anti-Plagiarism Guide. Other forms of breaking academic integrity include (but are not limited to) adding your name to a project you did not work on (or allowing someone to add their name), cheating on an examination, helping other students to cheat and submitting other students work as your own, and using non-allowed electronic equipment during an examination. All of these make you liable to disciplinary action.

Book:
Hussen, A. (2018) “Principles of Environmental Economics and Sustainability: An Integrated Economic and Ecological Approach”. 4th ed, Routledge.

Articles:
Atkinson, G, and Mourato, S. (2008) “Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis”, Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 33: 317-344.

Carlsson, F. and Johansson-Stenman, O. (2012) “Behavioral economics and environmental policy” Annual Review of Resource Economics, vol 4: 75-99.

Hansen, F. (2011) "The Stern Review and its Critics: Economics at Work in an Interdisciplinary Setting", Journal of Economic Methodology, 18(3): 255-270.

Heshmati, A. (2015) “A Review of the Circular Economy and its Implementation”, Näringspolitiskt Forums Rapport nr. 13.

Korhonen, J., Honkasalo, A. and J.Seppälä (2018) ”Circular Economy: The Concept and its Limitations”, Ecological Economics, 143: 37-46.

Marron, D. (2003) “Greener Public Purchasing as an Environmental Policy Instrument”, OECD Journal on Budgeting, 3(4): 71-105.

Nordic Council of Ministers (2016) “Nudging and environmental behavior”, TemaNord 2016: 553.

Stern, N. (2014a) “Ethics, equity and the economics of climate change. Paper 1: Science and Philosophy” Economics and Philosophy, 30(3): 397-444.

Stern, N. (2014b) “Ethics, equity and the economics of climate change. Paper 2: Economics and politics” Economics and Philosophy, 30(3): 445-501.

Stiglitz, J., Fitoussi, J-P and M.Durand (2018) “Beyond GDP: Measuring What Counts for Economic and Social Performance”, OECD Publishing.

A list articles will be supplied at the course introduction.