The course “Economics for the Environment’ begins with an explanation of what economics is. In this explanation, a role for economics in the consideration of environmental matters is established. The potential for markets to solve environmental problems is explored and this is accompanied by an analysis of government, or ‘command and control’ mechanisms for dealing with environmental issues. Throughout the course economic principles and techniques are set out. These include opportunity cost, demand, transaction costs, property rights and benefit cost analysis.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. explain how the discipline of economics, and economic tools such as cost-benefit analysis, can be used to analyse environmental and natural resource use issues
2. describe the potential for market and government ('command and control) mechanisms to address environmental issues
3. appreciate the role of economics in the management of natural resources, including water, forests, energy, agriculture and wildlife, at local, regional and global levels

This course also provides the basic skills for further studies in environmental and resource economics.

Research-Led Teaching

A feature of the course will be the use, where possible, of recent research on real world examples.

Field Trips

There are no field trips. Students will be given feedback during tutorial sessions throughout the semester.

Additional Course Costs

None

Examination Material or equipment

Both Mid-term and Final Exams are closed-book; hard-copy dictionaries are permitted.

Required Resources

Harris, Jonathan M. and Brian Roach (2018). Environmental and Natural Resource Economics: A Contemporary Approach, 4th edn. Routledge. ANU Library e-book (shown as published in 2017)

Tietenberg, Thomas H. and Lynne Lewis (2018). Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, 11th edn. Routledge. ANU Library e-book (the first item listed under Tietenberg, Thomas H., author)

Recommended Resources

Acemoglu, Daron, David Laibson and John A. List (2019). Microeconomics, 2nd edn. Pearson. ANU Library e-book

Grubb, Michael (2014). Planetary Economics: Energy, Climate Change and the Three Domains of Sustainable Development. Routledge. ANU Library e-book (last of 8 items).

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Verbal feedback during tutorials
• A mark and written comments on their written paper for their Oral presentation
• A mark and written comments on their Take-home exam, returned by end of Week 6
• A mark and written comments on their Mid-semester exam, returned by end of Week 8

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to global environmental trends, & the role of economics in managing the environment; quantitative concepts in economics Text Reading: Harris & Roach Chapters 1, 2 and Appendix 3.1
2	Environmental externalities; property rights and the role of government Text Reading: Harris & Roach Chapter 3
3	Common property resources and public goods; non-renewable resource allocation, discounting Text Reading: Harris & Roach Chapters 4-5	Oral presentations start in Week 3, end in Week 10 (see Assessment Tasks for more information)
4	Environmental valuation; cost-benefit analysis Text Reading: Harris & Roach Chapters 6-7
5	Energy Text Reading: Harris & Roach Chapter 11	Take-home test, due 5pm Wed 27 March
6	Water Text Reading: Harris & Roach Chapter 20
7	Forests Text Reading: Harris & Roach Chapter 19	Mid-semester examination, in class 11:00am-12:00pm Tue 23 April
8	Fisheries Text Reading: Harris & Roach Chapter 18
9	Economics of pollution control Text Reading: Tietenberg & Lewis Chapter 14
10	Stationary-Source Local and Regional Air Pollution Text Reading: Tietenberg & Lewis Chapter 15 Water Pollution Text Reading: Tietenberg & Lewis Chapter 18
11	Climate change Text Reading: Harris & Roach Chapters 12-13
12	Global sustainability and environmental accounting Text Reading: Tietenberg & Lewis Chapter 20

Tutorial Registration

Please register via course Wattle site

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Oral Presentation based on written paper	10 %	14/03/2019	17/05/2019	1,2,3
Take-home test	15 %	27/03/2019	05/04/2019	1,2,3
Mid-semester examination	25 %	23/04/2019	02/05/2019	1,2,3
Final examination	50 %	06/06/2019	04/07/2019	1,2,3

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Participation in both lectures and tutorials is essential to get the most from the course, but it is not assessed.

Examination(s)

Please refer to the central examinations schedule for details about the scheduling of the final examination. The examination will be closed book. Past examination papers are available on the course Wattle site for review. These were set by a different lecturer, so there will be some changes to the topics covered, but the overall format will be the same.

Assessment Task 1

Oral Presentation based on written paper

An Oral presentation at a tutorial based on a written paper (less than 1 page) submitted via Turnitin before the tutorial, during Weeks 3-10.

Assessment Task 2

Take-home test

A Take-home test; 2 out of 4 short essay questions on content lectured in Weeks 1-3; due 5pm Wed 27 March (Week 5)

Assessment Task 3

Mid-semester examination

A Mid-semester, closed-book examination on content lectured in Weeks 1-5; 5 minutes study period plus 50 minutes writing; 2 questions from a selection of 5; written on paper during 11-12 lecture on Tue 23 April

Assessment Task 4

Final examination

A Final, closed-book examination on content lectured in Weeks 5-12; 15 minutes study plus 120 minutes writing on paper; 4 questions from a selection of 8; during Exam Period (6-22 June)

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) as submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

No hardcopy submission is required for any assessment

Late Submission

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request it in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specied in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Assignments 1 and 2 will be returned online via Turnitin by 9am Thursday. 

The Mid-semester exam will be returned via the Fenner front office.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Resubmission of assignments is not permitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students