CLIMATE CHANGE POLICIES – NEGOTIATIONS, IMPLEMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT I

The course contributes to achieve the main objectives of the PhD Programme in Science and Management of Climate Change and will teach students to 1) understand, synthesize and communicate the problem of climate change as an economic problem, 2) critically evaluate the socio-economic implications of mitigation and adaptation policies, 3) apply economic methods to analyze and design innovative climate policy solutions, 4) understand, synthesize and communicate the process of international negotiations on climate change. The course has two main objectives: 1) introduce students to the use of econometric methods to evaluate historical environmental and climate policies, with an empirical focus on their impacts on innovation and employment 2) introduce students to the use of ex-ante modeling tools and scenario approaches to evaluate and design of future climate policies.

Students are expected to understand, synthesize and communicate the economic nature of the climate change problem, the difficulties related to the process of policy-making. They are expect to have a good understanding of how econometric methods, economic models, and scenario approaches can be used to analyze and design climate change policies. They are expected to understand, synthesize and communicate how climate change impacts and policies relate to sustainable development goals.

Undergraduate-level notions of calculus, statistics, and basic notions of microeconomics, macroeconomics, integrated assessment models, climate science.

Climate change and sustainable development
Introduction to climate change in the context of sustainable development. Green growth, growth implications of climate policies and impacts. An ex ante approach to competitiveness and carbon leakage. The Environmental Kuznet Curve.

Policies for mitigation
Introduction to the use of IAMs to inform policy making with a focus on mitigation policies. Climate policy in a second-best world. Climate policy in the context of the recent SSP-RCP framework. Limitations to the representation of SSP storylines in models: the case of institutions.

Policies for adaptation
Introduction to the use of IAMs to inform policy making with a focus on the interaction between adaptation and mitigation. The missing elements. Adaptation in the SSP storylines. Students’ presentation of implementation of SSPs.

Achieving multiple goals - Energy and Development
Introduction to the use of IAMs to inform policy making with a focus on the interaction between sustainable development, adaptation and mitigation. Students’ presentation on adaptation in the NDCs.

A detailed reading list for each lecture will be circulated at the beginning of the course.

During the course students will be asked to participate to in-class activities (exercises and discussions) and to deliver assignments. In-class activities and assignments will count to 50% for the final grade. A final take-home essay will contribute to the remainder 50% of the final grade. All students are expected to read all the assigned readings, to participate in class discussions and write critiques when required. Participation to in-class activities and discussions will contribute significantly to the final grade. The in-class activities and assignments are meant to evaluate students’ ability to 1) understand the process of international negotiations on climate change, 2) understand the implications of climate policy on competitiveness and economic growth, 3) use socio-economic scenarios. The final essay will evaluate students’ ability to relate climate policies and sustainable development.

Each lecture will combine a frontal lecture with in-class activities (hands-on sessions, students’ presentations). Activities and assignments will allow students to become familiar with the methods and tools introduced in the course and to use the concepts, methods and tools in the analysis of issues related to climate change policies – their implementation and assessment. Activities will include hand-on sessions on the software GAMS, R, relevant databases, as well as group discussions of controversial issues in the climate-economy debate. Presentations will give students the possibility to strengthen their communication skills.

English

Details about the in-class activities, assignments, and the final essay will be communicated at the beginning of the course.

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development