OAFP 9140 - Economics of Climate and Biodiversity: History, Methods, and Models

This course is designed for students with a background in economics and sustainability studies who wish to deepen their knowledge of the state of the economy as applied to environmental issues and how the multiple dimensions of sustainability are integrated into its analysis. It aims to go beyond the standard framework of contemporary economic science by exploring how alternative frameworks challenge the notion of systemicity as it applies to contemporary environmental issues.

The first part of the course will focus on presenting the evolution of theoretical concepts and analytical frameworks used to address environmental issues, with a particular emphasis on climate economics. This will include debates on the choice of the discount rate to be used in such analyses.

The second part will examine the concept of modeling applied to the study of climate change, notably in the context of the work of the IPCC. A critical presentation of energy-environment-economy foresight will be provided, followed by an exploration of how it is constructed to become a decision-support tool.

The final part will delve into the methodological approaches used in economics to evaluate ecosystem services and how private and public economic actors integrate these issues into the implementation of specific policies or economic strategies.

Students are expected to have a solid foundation in mathematics and statistics, as well as a basic understanding of econometrics. Familiarity with the history of economic thought and economic policy is required (equivalent to CORE Economics 1.0 and Macro Economics 2.0 levels).

A comprehensive understanding of the key reports and findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is also recommended.

The course is structured around two components. The first is a lecture lasting approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes on the topic of the session, accompanied by a visual course presentation. The second part, lasting around 30 minutes, will be dedicated to a presentation by one of the groups on their individual work related to the course (not necessarily on the topic of the session), which constitutes one of the elements of continuous assessment.

A Q&A session, during which the class is encouraged to participate, will take place within the allotted time.

Course Validation is Based on Three Components: Two as part of continuous assessment and one through a final exam.

Continuous Assessment (50%):

As part of group work (ideally 3 people per group), students will be required to provide an argued discussion on a specific issue or scientific article. In addition to a descriptive dimension, a critical analysis is expected in the presentation of this work.

The submission is divided into two parts:

● A relatively short written essay, between 3,000 and 4,000 words, presenting a structured analysis in sections (25% of the overall grade).

● An oral presentation lasting 15 minutes (20% of the overall grade), followed by a Q&A session (5% of the overall grade).

Final Assessment: (50%):

An individual assignment in the form of a written exam lasting 2 hours, composed of two parts:

● The first part consists of a multiple-choice questionnaire (25% of the final grade)

● The second part involves writing a short essay on a topic to be chosen from several proposed options (25% of the final grade)

Students are expected to read the recommended references for each session in advance. Presentation materials will be provided just before the start of the class.