Economy and the Environment I - Climate change and the financial system

This course introduces students to current topics at the interface of the environment, the macroeconomy, and the financial system. Students will learn to think critically about the impacts of financial investments on environmental domains and the financial risks that emerge from climate change and nature degradation. Key issues include climate financial risks, sustainable investment, international climate finance, macrofinancial challenges in relation to climate and nature change, and monetary and financial policy options to deal with these challenges.

After completion of this course, students will be able to navigate the international debate on finance and climate change and think critically about the motives, strategies, and policies that govern sustainable finance. Students will gain an overview of the most important actors at the environment-finance interface and learn to articulate the role of finance in achieving sustainability. Students will learn about different economic theories and lenses which are used to analyze topics in sustainable finance and critically assess the strengths and limitations of these approaches.

Students will learn to set their own research and learning objectives and work constructively in small groups towards these objectives. They will learn to navigate scientific articles and to distil information from them to form a reasoned opinion and present it logically and convincingly.

This course will be taught in person. Please note that at least 80% attendance is mandatory in courses of the type “PI” at WU.

The course follows a blended learning format, combining in-class teaching with (online) learning outside of the class room. During the in-class sessions, students will engage in discussions and group activities. The online, asynchronous component allows students to explore additional materials at their own pace. This includes research tasks, readings, and assignments.

Participation in class (and online) 25% 

Quiz(zes) 25%

In-class presentation 25%

Written summary of class discussion 25%

During the registration period, free places are filled according to the “first-come, first-served” principle. After the end of the registration period, the number of places is increased and students on the waiting list will be registered for the lecture based on their progress in their studies.

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Basic knowledge of financial markets, instruments, and actors is an advantage to follow the contents of this course. If you are interested but unsure whether the course is right for you, register for the course and send me an email with your questions!

Please contact adrian.jagow@wu.ac.at for any questions. Appointments for individual and group consultations will take place online and will be scheduled during class. There are no fixed office hours.