School/Faculty/Institute Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences
Course Code ECON 435
Course Title in English Enviromental Economics and Sustainability
Course Title in Turkish Çevre Ekonomisi ve Sürdürülebilirlik
Language of Instruction EN
Type of Course Ters-yüz öğrenme
Level of Course İleri
Semester Spring
Contact Hours per Week
Lecture: 3 Recitation: 0 Lab: 0 Other: 0
Estimated Student Workload 134 hours per semester
Number of Credits 5 ECTS
Grading Mode Standard Letter Grade
Pre-requisites ECON 101 - Microeconomics | ECON 112 - Economics for Engineering
Co-requisites None
Expected Prior Knowledge None
Registration Restrictions Only Undergraduate Students
Overall Educational Objective To learn the basic principles of environmental economics and the relationship between economics and sustainability.
Course Description This course introduces the relationship between environment and economy, cost-benefit analysis, valuation of environmental problems, sustainable development and resource allocation, international trade and agreements, energy, land allocation and agriculture, pollution control and policies.

Course Learning Outcomes and Competences

Upon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:
1) Define environmental problems, understand the relationship between environment and economics and the role of government in environmental policies
2) Define, calculate, and explain benefit and cost analysis and valuation concepts and methods for the environmental problems
3) Understand the concepts of sustainable development and resource allocation, describe and discuss international trade and agreements on environment, the factors that influence sustainable energy, land allocation and agriculture
4) Understand and discuss the debates on climate change and population.
Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes 1 2 3 4
1) Students relate economic knowledge to other social sciences and mathematics and use it in interdisciplinary analyses.
2) Students distinguish interactions between economic fields and synthesize these distinctions.
3) Students analyze economic events by modeling microeconomic and macroeconomic theories using mathematical and statistical tools
4) Evaluate alternative theoretical approaches to solving complex economic problems and rationally apply their findings in decision-making processes
5) Analyze and compare different economic systems using quantitative techniques
6) Apply economic theoretical knowledge and models to issues related to the Turkish and global economies and design evidence-based policy recommendations
7) Analyzes economic data using econometric and statistical methods and presents the results using appropriate software programs
8) Conducts and reports on all stages of economic analysis in accordance with scientific and ethical principles
9) Effectively uses written and spoken English (at least CEFR B2 level) in scientific knowledge sharing
10) Integrates social responsibility into economic decision-making processes
11) Develops the learning competencies necessary for further studies with a high degree of autonomy

Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences

N None S Supportive H Highly Related
     
Program Outcomes and Competences Level Assessed by
1) Students relate economic knowledge to other social sciences and mathematics and use it in interdisciplinary analyses. S Derse Katılım
2) Students distinguish interactions between economic fields and synthesize these distinctions. H Exam
3) Students analyze economic events by modeling microeconomic and macroeconomic theories using mathematical and statistical tools S Derse Katılım
4) Evaluate alternative theoretical approaches to solving complex economic problems and rationally apply their findings in decision-making processes H Exam
5) Analyze and compare different economic systems using quantitative techniques N
6) Apply economic theoretical knowledge and models to issues related to the Turkish and global economies and design evidence-based policy recommendations S Exam
7) Analyzes economic data using econometric and statistical methods and presents the results using appropriate software programs N
8) Conducts and reports on all stages of economic analysis in accordance with scientific and ethical principles N
9) Effectively uses written and spoken English (at least CEFR B2 level) in scientific knowledge sharing S Sunum
10) Integrates social responsibility into economic decision-making processes S Derse Katılım
11) Develops the learning competencies necessary for further studies with a high degree of autonomy N
Prepared by and Date MERVE HAMZAOGLU , December 2023
Course Coordinator MUHAMMED ABDULLAH ALTUNDAL
Semester Spring
Name of Instructor

Course Contents

Week Subject
1) Course Introduction, Basic Principles of Environmental Economics Introduction to Economic Approach in Environmental Problems
2) The Economic Approach to the Environment Problems i. Property Rights ii. Externalities iii. Public Good
3) Benefit Cost Analysis i. Normative criteria for decision making ii. Divergence of social and private discount rates iii. Cost effectiveness
4) Valuation of the Environment i. Valuation (i.e. types of values) ii. Examples
5) Dynamic Efficiency Solutions for Environmental Problems i. Two-period model ii. Intertemporal fairness iii. Environmental policy
6) Sustainable Development and Resource Allocation i. Sustainability of development ii. Transition to a renewable substitute iii. Market allocations of depletable resources iv. Examples
7) International Trade and Agreements i. Emission Trade and Kyoto Protocol ii. Efficiency and sustainability
8) Review
9) Energy and Sustainability i. Natural gas: price control ii. Oil: cartel problem iii. Energy efficiency
10) Land Allocation i. Economics of land allocation ii. Sources of inefficiency iii. Policy
11) Agriculture and Food Security i. Global scarcity ii. Agricultural policies iii. Distribution of food resources
12) Pollution Control and Policy Applications i. Efficient allocation of pollution ii. Market allocation of pollution iii. Policy dimensions iv. Future of the Environment
13) Future of the Environment And Presentations on Population and Climate Change)
14) Review
15) Final Examination Period
16) Final Examination Period
Required/Recommended ReadingsRequired Reading: Principles of Environmental & Natural Resource Economics, T. Tietenberg and L. Lewis, 9th Edition ISBN-10:0131392573 ISBN-13: 978013139257
Teaching MethodsFlipped classroom
Homework and ProjectsOne project
Laboratory WorkNone
Computer UseNone
Other ActivitiesNone
Assessment Methods
Assessment Tools Count Weight
Attendance 1 % 5
Homework Assignments 14 % 10
Presentation 1 % 20
Midterm(s) 1 % 30
Final Examination 1 % 35
TOTAL % 100
Course Administration hamzaoglum@mef.edu.tr

N. Merve Hamzaoğlu –hamzaoglum@mef.edu.tr More detailed information about the course, like office hours, can be found in the blackboard. Attendance is required. Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism: YOK Regulation

ECTS Student Workload Estimation

Activity No/Weeks Hours Calculation
No/Weeks per Semester Preparing for the Activity Spent in the Activity Itself Completing the Activity Requirements
Course Hours 14 2 3 1 84
Presentations / Seminar 1 10 10
Homework Assignments 14 1 14
Midterm(s) 1 8 2 10
Final Examination 1 14 2 16
Total Workload 134
Total Workload/25 5.4
ECTS 5