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ECO8012 Methods for Sustainable Development

Semester 2, 2020 Online
Short Description: Methods for Sustainable Dev
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts
School or Department : School of Commerce
Student contribution band : Band 3
ASCED code : 089999 - Mgt & Commerce not class
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Other requisites

Students are required to have access to a personal computer, e-mail capabilities and Internet access to UConnect. Current details of computer requirements can be found at .

Rationale

Since the 1970s, mainstream policies aimed at maximising economic growth have come under increasing scrutiny regarding their disregard of the resulting effects on the environment; particularly the effects of pollution from industrial production, the depletion of natural resources and impacts on biodiversity. Although these limits to growth had been recognised by Classical economists in the late 18th century, it was work such as 鈥淭he economics of the coming spaceship earth鈥 by Kenneth Boulding in 1966 (in Daly 1973) that began a process that has resulted in the current international drive for sustainable development. This recognition has now been institutionalised to the extent that many government policies exist with the explicit aim of promoting sustainable development. The policies are generally aimed at changing the way that individuals and businesses make decision about production and consumption of goods and services. As such, it is important from a business perspective to understand the design of these tools and techniques for sustainable development and how they impact on firms and their customers.

Synopsis

This course is concerned with the policy tools that governments use to try to achieve sustainable development and how businesses and individuals may react to those tools. The course stresses the complementary nature of economic and environmental systems, and examines the growing recognition of the importance of natural resources and the environment in economic policy decision making. Government intervention in markets is an integral element in the drive for sustainable development, and managers as well as individuals should be aware of the importance of these policies. Policy tools can be considered in three groups: decentralized policies such as liability laws, property rights and voluntary action; 'command and control' strategies such as standards and regulations; and market-based programs such as taxes, subsidies and tradable pollution permits. This course examines the nature and impact of each of these policies, discusses criteria for evaluating their effectiveness in achieving their goals, and considers their appropriateness for particular aspects of sustainable development.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

  1. understand the linkages between the natural environment and economic systems;
  2. understand the meaning and implications of the terms materials balance and market failure;
  3. explain the economic rationale for taxes, subsidies and tradable permits as tools for promoting sustainable development;
  4. explain how businesses and consumers are likely to react to these policies;
  5. evaluate the different policy approaches to sustainable development from an economic perspective.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Sustainable development in theory and practice 20.00
2. Responding to pollution problems 25.00
3. Responding to the depletion of natural resources 25.00
4. Managing energy demand and supply 25.00
5. Conclusion: summary and key themes 5.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=02&subject1=ECO8012)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Field, BC & Field, MK 2016, Environmental economics: an introduction, 7th edn, McGraw-Hill Education, Dubuque, Iowa.

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Hanley, N, Shogren, JF & White, B 2007, Environmental economics in theory and practice, 2nd edn, Macmillan, Basingstoke, UK.
Pearce, DW & Turner, RK 1990, Economics of natural resources and the environment, Harvester Wheatsheaf, Hemel Hempstead, UK.
Perman, R, Ma, Y, McGilvray, J & Maddison, D 2011, Natural resource and environmental economics, 4th edn, Pearson Education, New York.
Tietenberg, TH 2013, Environmental economics and policy, 6th edn, Pearson Addison-Wesley, Boston, Massachusetts.
Turner, RK, Pearce, DW & Bateman, I 1994, Environmental economics: an elementary introduction, Harvester Wheatsheaf, Hemel Hempstead, UK.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Assessments 30.00
Directed 精东传媒app 44.00
Private 精东传媒app 91.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
ASSIGNMENT 1 30 30 07 Aug 2020 (see note 1)
ASSIGNMENT 2 30 30 02 Oct 2020 (see note 2)
ASSIGNMENT 3 40 40 30 Oct 2020 (see note 3)

Notes
  1. critical essay
  2. critical essay
  3. Students will be provided further instruction regarding the assignment by their examiner via 精东传媒appDesk.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are: To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item.

    Requirements after S2, 2020:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are: To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

    Requirements after S2, 2020:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must obtain at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course (i.e. the Primary Hurdle), and have satisfied the Secondary Hurdle (Supervised), i.e. the end of semester examination by achieving at least 40% of the weighted marks available for that assessment item.

    Supplementary assessment may be offered where a student has undertaken all of the required summative assessment items and has passed the Primary Hurdle but failed to satisfy the Secondary Hurdle (Supervised), or has satisfied the Secondary Hurdle (Supervised) but failed to achieve a passing Final Grade by 5% or less of the total weighted Marks.

    To be awarded a passing grade for a supplementary assessment item (if applicable), a student must achieve at least 50% of the available marks for the supplementary assessment item as per the Assessment Procedure (point 4.4.2).

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are: There is no examination in this course.

    Requirements after S2, 2020:
    This is a restricted examination. Candidates are allowed access to specific materials during the examination. The only materials that candidates may use in this examination are:
    1. writing materials. These must be non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination.
    2. calculator which cannot hold textual information. The student must indicate on the examination paper the make and model of any calculator(s) used during the examination.


  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are: There is no examination in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations.

    Requirements after S2, 2020:
    Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.

  8. 精东传媒app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene 精东传媒app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Assessment notes

  1. Referencing in assignments:
    Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide at .

Date printed 6 November 2020