The course develops and applies the principles of economics to environmental issues, and explores economic policies related to the preservation and sustainable management of natural resources, including the tradeoff of these policies. Finally, the course introduces students to the principles of the bioeconomy i.e. the opportunities offered by an economy based on the sustainable exploitation of biological resources.
Attending course’s lessons is not mandatory however it is strongly suggested.
All teaching materials will be distributed on Moodle.
Anyone with any kind of disability that can make it difficult to access the classrooms, teacher’s office, listen to lectures, see the blackboard or the slides projected on the screen is kindly requested to contact Prof. F. Boncinelli to arrange a solution together.
Type of Assessment
The oral exam includes the verification of students' ability to:
1) Describe verbally the main models of environmental economics and the bioeconomy.
2) Identify the most appropriate estimation methods to assess the economic value of environmental services
3) Critically state the advantages and disadvantages of a given environmental policy.
4) Define and describe the Italian and European bioeconomic sector
Active participation during the lectures; Punctuality and correctness of homework will be evaluated.
Course program
FIRST MODULE: Environmental economics and policy
-Principles of economics
-Population, poverty, environment and growth
-Sustainable development
-Efficiency and choice
-Market failures
-Environmental assessment methods
-Economic control of the environment: regulations
-Economic control of the environment: market approaches
-The renewable resources management
SECOND MODULE: Bioeconomy
-Introduction to the bioeconomy
-Technologies and innovation in the bioeconomy
-The bieoconomic market
-Risks and opportunities of bioeconomy
-Bioeconomy and sustainable development