UNIT APPROVAL FORM

NOTE: Please consider all possible types of students (e.g. those with disabilities, from minority ethnic groups etc) when developing this unit, further guidance is available on the TSU website at www.bris.ac.uk/tsu SECTION A General A1. A2. A3. A4. A5. A6. Unit Code1 Unit Title Level 2 Credit Points 3 Department Offering Unit Faculty responsible EFIM30004 Environmental Economics 3 20 Economics Social Sciences and Law

SECTION B Rationale B1. Is this a (please circle): New unit Change to an existing unit Rationale for new unit or changes to existing unit Environmental concern has over the past few years become increasingly prominent as a matter for public debate and policy. Sustainable development, pollution, global warming and exploitation of renewable and non-renewable resources are at a fundamental level resource allocation problems on which economics has much to say. The new course will address these real world environmental problems, with an analytically rigorous approach building on core microeconomics material from the second year. At the University level there has been an expansion in teaching on matters related to the environment, for example the interdisciplinary Sustainable Development open unit, and the new Earth Sciences MSc programme in Earth Systems Science. Across the University there is also anticipated growth in related research activity. The proposed unit coheres with these developments. Finally and perhaps most importantly it is anticipated that there will be considerable demand for this subject. For example the current first year economics U/G representative and others have lobbied directly for such a unit to become established. From what date will this unit become available/change? 4 October 2009 Withdrawals (new units only) If this unit replaces an existing unit which needs to be withdrawn (i.e. will not be offered again) please identify the existing unit here. Department Committee5: Date4: Faculty Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee6: Date5: Undergraduate Studies 10 September 2008

B2.

B3. B4.

B5.

By which Department and Faculty Committee(s) has this Unit been approved?

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For new units a provisional unit code can be obtained from Vicky Butler, Student Systems and Information, ext. 17734 see information on TSU website at: http://www.bris.ac.uk/tsu/units/levels.html 3 10 credit points normally equals 100 hours total student input (including study, revision and exams) 4 please state if this unit is already running 5 To be completed by the Department/School
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To be completed by the Faculty Head of Academic Administration 1

SECTION C Unit details C1. Unit Director

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Alvin Birdi NO YES

(please state all programmes for which this unit is mandatory) (please state all known programmes for which this unit is optional)

Is this unit: Mandatory for any programme? Optional for any programme?

C2.

L100 Economics L101 Economics with Study in Continental Europe LN14 Economics and Accounting L140 Economics and Econometrics LN13 Economics and Finance LN12 Economics and Management LG11 Economics and Mathematics LL12 Economics and Politics VL51 Philosophy and Economics NN43 Accounting and Finance NN34 Accounting and Finance with Study in Continental Europe NN42 Accounting and Management

C3. C4.

Open 8 NO Pre-requisite Unit Intermediate Microeconomics: Econ 21133 Code(s)/information Co-requisite Unit Code(s)/informati on Description of this Unit (not more than 150 words) which will appear in the Unit Catalogue: The focus of this Unit is on the application of modern economic theory to environmental issues such as acid rain, biodiversity loss, forest destruction, oil depletion and global warming. There are six topics covered in the course: The economics of Sustainable Development Market Failure and Pollution Policy Transboundary Pollution, Trade and the Environment The economics of non-renewable resources The economics of renewable resources Theory and Methods of Environmental Valuation A particular feature of the course is that it is analytically rigorous, making extensive use of mathematical models and applying this analysis to real-world environmental problem-solving. Key Reading and References (maximum of six titles): Hanley, Nick, Jason F. Shogren and Ben White (2007). Environmental Economics in Theory and Practice 2nd ed. Palgrave Macmillan: UK. (course text) Teitenberg, Tom (2007). Environmental Economics and Policy 5th ed. Pearson: MA. Bowers, John (1997). Sustainability and Environmental Economics: An Alternative Text. Longman. Stern, Sir Nicholas (2006) The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, HM Treasury, UK. Available at http://www.hmtreasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_ind ex.cfm Statement of Unit Aims:

C5.

C6.

C7.

there should be only one Unit Director and they must be a University member of staff Open Units are not necessarily mandatory units, they can also be available as optional units for other programmes. If this is the case please state in section B8 in which programmes or option lists the unit should be added.
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To discuss problems such as pollution, sustainable growth and development, destruction of biodiversity, and global warming; To apply and develop tools and economic concepts introduced in the core economics modules to appreciate and analyse issues related to the environment, in both national and international contexts; To introduce dynamic optimisation methods to analyse the economics of renewable and non-renewable resources. To introduce valuation methods for environmental goods for which no market exists.

Statement of Learning Outcomes: At the end of the course students should have a good understanding of modern environmental economics. Students will develop an understanding of several basic economic models and concepts: The definition and measurement of Sustainable Development; Appropriate environmental policy design in the face of alternative market failures; The economics of global warming; The relationship between trade and the environment; The Hotelling model of exhaustible resource depletion; Dynamic models of renewable resources; Alternative methods for the valuation of environmental goods Methods of teaching (eg Lectures, seminars, fieldwork): 18 one hour lectures and 9 one hour tutorials Number of contact hours per week 9: 1.35 if taught over both teaching blocks.

C8.

C9. C10. C11.

Methods of assessment: Unseen 3 hour exam in June Formative Assessment (2 essays or equivalent) Resource Implications (Staff, Library, Computing Etc.):
If there is a standard fee for this unit (e.g. it is a continuing education unit) please state it here. Please consult with Lucy Hicks in the Student Systems and Information Office before stating a unit fee.

C12.

Need to obtain sufficient copies of books listed above in course reading for the library. Timetable information (tick appropriate box and, if applicable, indicate those weeks of the Teaching
Block in which the Unit will be taught)

Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1-12) Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13-24) C13. Offered separately in both teaching blocks Taught across both Teaching Blocks, i.e. up to 24 weeks (will normally only apply to Level H or Level M Units) Other (Postgraduate only) Section D Signatures Signed: Unit Director

Weeks (if different) Weeks (if different). Weeks (if different).

Weeks

Date:

Head of initiating Department/School

this is contact hours with members of staff. If more applicable state total contact hours for unit.