ECON 435 Enviromental Economics and SustainabilityMEF UniversityDegree Programs Electrical and Electronics EngineeringGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy Statement
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Bachelor Length of the Programme: 4 Number of Credits: 240 TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF: Level 6

ECTS Course Information Package

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 Flipped Classroom
Level of Course Advanced
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) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2) An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3) An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4) An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5) An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6) An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7) An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences

N None S Supportive H Highly Related
     
Program Outcomes and Competences Level Assessed by
1) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics N
2) An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors N
3) An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences H Presentation
4) An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts N
5) An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives H Participation
6) An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions N
7) An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies H Exam
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