Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Economics School
Covers selected issues such as market failures, externalities, pollution control, species preservation, natural areas, sustainable development, common property resources, global environmental and natural resources, conservation of renewable and non-renewable resources, and evaluation techniques.
This course covers advanced topics in ecological and environmental economics with an emphasis on independent research and reading.ﾠThe main objective of this course is to apply ﾠeconomic principles to environmental and ecological issues at a local and global scale and to consider management of these issues within the context of economics.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Basic knowledge about applied microeconomics.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
ECON7720
Restrictions
BEcon(Hons); BA(Hons)(Economics)
Course contact
School enquiries
Student Enquiries, School of Economics
All enquiries regarding student and academic administration (i.e. non-course content information, e.g., class allocation, timetables, extension to assessment due date, etc.) should be directed to enquiries@economics.uq.edu.au.
Enquiries relating specifically to course content should be directed to the Course Coordinator/Lecturer.
Course staff
Lecturer
Associate Professor Lana Friesen
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Shared Teaching Activities: This course will share teaching activities with ECON7720.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to enhance students' ability to apply microeconomic principles to environmental issues. The course will provide students with economic concepts that can be used to critically evaluate causes of environmental issues and to analyse management mechanisms which could be used to deal with such issues. The course also aims to encourage students’ critical thinking about topics related to environmental issues, such as, sustainable development, population growth and the complexities of environmental decision-making.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Conceptualise environmental issues using microeconomic theory.
LO2.
Critically apply microeconomic concepts and evaluation techniques across a range of environmental issues.
LO3.
Critically assess environmental policy and management mechanisms conceptually.
LO4.
Have an in-depth knowledge of exiting policy and mechanisms, both locally and globally, and critically assess their strengths and weaknesses in addressing environmental issues.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial/ Problem Set | Problem Set 1 | 20% |
29/08/2024 1:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Policy Briefing - Research Proposal | 15% |
16/09/2024 1:00 pm |
| Tutorial/ Problem Set | Problem Set 2 | 20% |
8/10/2024 1:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Policy Briefing - Final Report | 45% |
7/11/2024 1:00 pm |
Assessment details
Problem Set 1
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
29/08/2024 1:00 pm
Task description
Problem set involving calculation and short answer questions covering material from the first four lectures. Please see Blackboard for specific questions, details, and critieria.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit via Blackboard using the provided link by the due date/time specified.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Policy Briefing - Research Proposal
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
16/09/2024 1:00 pm
Task description
The purpose of the Research Proposal is to identify an appropriate environmental problem and relevant academic resources to analyse in your Policy Briefing. Students will get feedback from the marker on their proposed environmental problem and resources, which they can incorporate when developing their final Policy Briefing. Detailed instructions and the marking criteria will be provided on the course Blackboard site.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct
Submission guidelines
Submit proposal electronically via Turnitin on Blackboard by the deadline date and time.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Problem Set 2
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
8/10/2024 1:00 pm
Task description
Problem set involving calculation and short answer questions covering material from lectures 6-9. Please see Blackboard for specific questions, details, and critieria.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct
Submission guidelines
Submit via Blackboard using the provided link by the due date/time specified.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Policy Briefing - Final Report
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 45%
- Due date
7/11/2024 1:00 pm
Task description
You are working as an environmental economist for the Minister for the Environment. Your task is to write a policy briefing for the Minister on an environmental problem of your choice with a recommendation on how to best address the problem using environmental economics tools. The briefing should demonstrate your understanding about causes of environmental issues from an economic perspective and identify and critically analyse possible environmental economic tools which could be used to deal with the problem. Detailed instructions and the marking criteria will be provided on the course Blackboard site.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct
Submission guidelines
Submit proposal electronically via Turnitin on Blackboard by the deadline date and time.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0% - 29% |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30% - 46% |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47% - 49% |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50% - 64% |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65% - 74% |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75% - 84% |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85% - 100% |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
A student’s final overall end of semester percentage mark will be rounded to determine their final grade. For example, 64.5% rounds to 65%, while 64.4% rounds to 64%.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Plagiarism
The School of Economics is committed to reducing the incidence of plagiarism. Further information on plagiarism and how to avoid an allegation of plagiarism is available in this course profile under Related Policies & Guidelines. Please refer to the Academic Integrity Module (AIM). It is strongly recommended that you complete the AIMﾠif you have not already done so.ﾠﾠ
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 |
Lecture |
Lecture 1: Introduction and The Economics Approach |
Week 2 |
Lecture |
Lecture 2: The Economics Approach |
Week 3 |
Lecture |
Lecture 3: Evaluating Tradeoffs |
Week 4 |
Lecture |
Lecture 4: Valuing the Environment |
Week 5 |
Lecture |
Lecture 5: Guest Lecture - Practical Applications of Valuation and CBA |
Week 6 |
Lecture |
Lecture 6: The Economics of Pollution Control I |
Week 7 |
Lecture |
Lecture 7: The Economics of Pollution Control II |
Week 8 |
Lecture |
Lecture 8: Air & Water Pollution |
Week 9 |
Lecture |
Lecture 9: Climate Change I |
Mid Sem break |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester Break No lecture this week. |
Week 10 |
Lecture |
Lecture 10: Climate Change II |
Week 11 |
Lecture |
Lecture 11: Ecosystem Services |
Week 12 |
Lecture |
Lecture 12: Sustainable Development |
Week 13 |
Lecture |
Lecture 13: Spillovers (if required) |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.