ECONOMICS

The module aims to introduce the principles of economic analysis, studying the relationships that production and consumption has with the environment, as well as the forms of market regulation to guide development towards sustainability. The course is divided into three parts. In the first, attention is paid to the functioning of the economic system and the various development measures, looking above all at the indicators that take the issue of sustainability as central. The second part analyzes the concepts, tools and techniques of economic and financial analysis of the environment, with applications to the evaluation of investments in mitigation and adaptation to climate change works. The third part focuses on the functioning of public utility industries with specific attention to the integrated water cycle and to the collection and treatment of waste.

- How a complex economic system is structured and works?
- How economic development is measured from a sustainability perspective?
- What are the advantages of the exchange and the reasons for the efficiency of the markets?
- What are the limits of the market and the main regulation tools?
- How to measure the economic impacts of climate change?
- Build economic evaluation models of environmental investments?
- Know the specificity of the production and regulation system of public utility industries?

Basic knowledge in mathematics and statistics

- A model of the functioning of the economic system: the circular flow chart
- Gross domestic product, Human development, Well being: measures of development and sustainability
- Demand, supply, allocative efficiency
- Cost functions and production optimization
- Externalities, public goods, imperfect competition, information asymmetries
- Models of regulation of externalities and imperfect competition
- Production, regulation and innovation in public utility industries
- Tariff systems in the water service and waste management

Notes and slides published on Moodle by the teacher

Written test with 15 multiple choice questions; 30 minutes of time to complete the test. Each correct answer gives 2 points; 0 points per each incorrect answer or not given answer

lectures with active participation fo students

Italian

Homework in group on a case study (valid for obtaining max 2 more points in the final exam). Further details will be given at the beginning of the course

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development