Economics and sustainability

The term sustainability deals with how we can accommodate human needs today, without deteriorating future generations ability to satisfy their needs. The course discusses what is required of economic organization to achieve sustainability, with a particular emphasis on the natural environment. Today we face considerable challenges when it comes to climate change, loss of biodiversity and various pollution problems, which all are relevant for the living conditions of future generations. To develop an understanding of these challenges, through reflections on values, ethical principles and institutional conditions is a main concern for the course. To discuss the criteria for a sustainable economy attached to nature’s carrying capacity, technological development, economic growth and the problem of distribution are central topics in the course.

Knowledge

After accomplishing the course, the student has:

• Familiarity with various aspects and operationalizations of the term sustainability.
• Familiarity with how sustainability is perceived within various academic disciplines.
• Insight in various values and ethical principles and how these are related to different academic disciplines
• Insight in the economic mechanisms underlying the environmental challenges faced by the world.
• Insight in economic theory which integrate the natural basis and instititutional conditions in the analysis of a sustainable economy.

Skills

After accomplishing the course, the student is able to:

• Give an account of what is meant by a sustainable economy and various operalizations of the term.
• Give an account of the role played by the natural environment and institutions in regard to achieving a sustainable economy.
• Reflect on the role played by existing economic institutions when it comes to environmental problems.
• Apply theory to discuss economic instruments in environmental policy.

General competence

After accomplishing the course, the student has:

• Insight in how a more multidisciplinary approach can help us understand what is required of economic organization in order to face the sustainability challenges of today's world.

Emnet undervises ved forelesninger og øvinger.