Syllabus
Registration via LPIS
Day | Date | Time | Room |
---|---|---|---|
Thursday | 10/15/20 | 01:30 PM - 05:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 10/22/20 | 01:30 PM - 05:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 10/29/20 | 01:30 PM - 05:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 11/05/20 | 01:30 PM - 05:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 11/12/20 | 01:30 PM - 05:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 11/19/20 | 01:30 PM - 05:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
In case a normal teaching mode cannot be employed, this course will be held in distance mode (online units), using the MS Teams or a related software.
This course is the first of two courses in the elective stream ‘Sustainable Resource Management’. The course will be held in English.
Course outline
Unit 1: Introduction
Part I: Administrative aspects of the course
- Course structure / overview of topics
- Expectations from students and course leader
- Assessment criteria
Part II: Theory & concepts
- Unsustainable trends
- Public goods
- Environmental economics vs. Ecological Economics
Unit 2: Natural resource use: concepts and trends
Part I: Approaches to measure resource use
- GDP as a key indicator / GDP critique
- Societal metabolism
- Categories of resources
- Territorial vs. footprint perspectives
Part II: Empirical trends of resource use
- Investigating trends in resource extraction, trade and consumption in selected countries
Unit 3: Earth observation science for sustainable resource use
Part I: Introduction to earth observation
- Resource use assessments at the spatially explicit level
- Remote sensing
- Examples for satellite-based data, indicators and modelling
Part II: Applications for sustainable resource use
- Applications of remote sensing to monitor climate change and resource use impacts
- Synergies between climate and resource use strategies
- Earth observation and supply chains / footprint assessments
Unit 4: Socio-economic aspects of natural resource use
Part I: Global trends of resource use
- World-wide trends
- The rise of emerging economies
Part II: Decoupling and rebound effects
- Decoupling: definition and types
- Empirical trends
- Interlinkages between rebound effects, resource efficiency and resource use
Unit 5: Globalisation and international trade I: concepts and trends
Part I: Theoretical reflections and empirical trends
- Arguments pro and contra free trade
- Empirical trends (structure of global economy, supply chains, footprints, outsourcing, transport emissions, …)
Part II: International trade, development and environment
- Country examples for export patterns and their environment and development impacts
- Options for more sustainable globalisation patterns (trade and development policies, global governance)
Unit 6: Globalisation and international trade II: policy options
Part I: Resource use and development policy in developing countries
- Guest lecture: Karin Küblböck (Austrian Foundation for Development Research)
Part II:
- Wrap-up, feedback and evaluation
After the course the participants will:
- be able to understand different schools of thought to address resource use problems (environmental economics versus ecological economics).
- know about the main methods and indicators to measure (un)sustainable resource use
- be able to reflect on current trends in resource use in the Austrian, European and global context
- be able to critically assess concepts such as “de-coupling” and are aware of the key role of rebound effects
- have learned about the dynamics of globalisation and international trade in shaping global patterns of resource use
- know policy options to achieve a more sustainable international economic system
In the course attendance is obligatory.
One class can be missed without negatively effecting the grade. Absence must be announced by e-mail before the respective class.
- Input by lecturer
- Group work
- Small group presentations
- Discussions
- Videos
- Guest lecture
- Background research and literature
The performance will be evaluated based on four components:
- Take-Home exam after unit 6 (30%)
- Homeworks following units 2, 3 and 5 (30%)
- Group presentation and hand-out (30%)
- Active participation (10%)
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