Study paths

• Environmental and Resource Management Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2006 / Modul 41405 Wahlpflicht
• Betriebswirtschaftslehre Master (1. - 4. )
• Environmental and Resource Management Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Modul 41405 Wahlpflicht

Course content

Part I: Normative and Positive Theories Overview: The Functioning of Markets and the Cases for State Intervention - Basic Problems of Environmental Politics; Part II: Cost Benefit Analysis in environmental politics. Methods to value changes in environmental quality. Theoretical background and practical application.

Aufwand:
Students will be able to: - describe the different methods to measure the welfare effects of changes in environmental quality - describe the problems of measuring the benefits of changes in environmental quality - understand the different steps and parts of a CBA - understand the political implications of a CBA

Voraussetzung:
Economics (BA), Environmental and resource economics (BA)

Leistungsnachweis:
Exam and Essay

Lehrmethoden und Lernziele:
The students will be able to apply various methods to examine the economic value of environmental goods and the judge the validity of each method. The additional lecture notes contain supplements. At the end of each lecture, there is a short conclusion of the previous lecture before starting with a new chapter. The questions of each chapter are directed at the students in some exercises which take place instead of some lectures. With a written examination at the end of semester (90 minutes) the students should demonstrate their ability to explain the principles and main relations of economics mentioned in the lecture course. The students should proof that they are able to give an economic interpretation of their answers.The students will be enabled to apllicate their knowledge about economic theory and environmental economics in a practical approach. This lecture focusses on special issues of the valuation of the natural environment applying useable economic instruments. - To enable students to understand and use the CBA for environmental measures. - To enable students to understand the implications of the results of a CBA for the process of political decision. - To sensitize students for some limits of the valuation of environmental goods.

Study paths

• Environmental and Resource Management Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2006 / Modul 41405 Wahlpflicht
• Betriebswirtschaftslehre Master (1. - 4. )
• Environmental and Resource Management Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Modul 41405 Wahlpflicht

Course content

Part I: Normative and Positive Theories Overview: The Functioning of Markets and the Cases for State Intervention - Basic Problems of Environmental Politics; Part II: Cost Benefit Analysis in environmental politics. Methods to value changes in environmental quality. Theoretical background and practical application.

Aufwand:
Students will be able to: - describe the different methods to measure the welfare effects of changes in environmental quality - describe the problems of measuring the benefits of changes in environmental quality - understand the different steps and parts of a CBA - understand the political implications of a CBA

Voraussetzung:
Economics (BA), Environmental and resource economics (BA)

Leistungsnachweis:
Exam and Essay

Lehrmethoden und Lernziele:
The students will be able to apply various methods to examine the economic value of environmental goods and the judge the validity of each method. The additional lecture notes contain supplements. At the end of each lecture, there is a short conclusion of the previous lecture before starting with a new chapter. The questions of each chapter are directed at the students in some exercises which take place instead of some lectures. With a written examination at the end of semester (90 minutes) the students should demonstrate their ability to explain the principles and main relations of economics mentioned in the lecture course. The students should proof that they are able to give an economic interpretation of their answers.The students will be enabled to apllicate their knowledge about economic theory and environmental economics in a practical approach. This lecture focusses on special issues of the valuation of the natural environment applying useable economic instruments. - To enable students to understand and use the CBA for environmental measures. - To enable students to understand the implications of the results of a CBA for the process of political decision. - To sensitize students for some limits of the valuation of environmental goods.

Appointment

Di 13:45 - 15:15, A/B week, 17.10.2023 to 06.02.2024

Study path

Environmental and Resource Management PhD / Examination regulations 2017

Course content

Beschreibung: The Research Colloquium is designed for the presentation and discussion of ongoing research project related to environmental economics, including those of senior researchers, invited speakers as well as Masters and PhD students. The course programme will be published through public notices and on the internet.

Appointments

• Mi 11:30 - 13:00, A/B week, 18.10.2023 to 13.12.2023, Zentrales Hörsaalgebäude / SR 2
• Do 11:30 - 13:00, A/B week, 26.10.2023 to 28.12.2023, Zentrales Hörsaalgebäude / SR 3
• Fr 08:30 - 19:00, Einzel, at 26.01.2024, Laborgebäude 4B / B3.18
• Fr 13:00 - 19:00, Einzel, at 19.01.2024, Laborgebäude 4B / B3.20

Study paths

• Environmental and Resource Management Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Modul 41405 Wahlpflicht
• Environmental and Resource Management Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2006 / Modul 41405 Wahlpflicht
• Betriebswirtschaftslehre Master (1. - 4. )

Course content

Course aim

This course will introduce you to cost-benefit-analysis (CBA). In this course, you will learn some of the microeconomic foundation of CBA, how valuation of environmental goods is done and how CBA is applied in practice. We hope the course will excite you about the world of economics and encourage you to learn more about it.

Topics

1. Introduction

Introduction to the course – allocation of presentations

2. Economic principles for non-economists

Scarcity – Modeling – positive and normative statements – allocation of goods – markets – rational economic behaviour – marginal analysis – demand and supply – market equilibrium

3. Introduction: The basic steps of a CBA

Project specifications – definition of standing – impacts and measurement – impact prediction – monetization and discounting – net present value – sensitivity analysis

4. Conceptual foundation of CBA

Pareto efficiency – Kaldor-Hicks-criterion – limitations to CBA

5. Microeconomic foundations of CBA

Consumer and producer surplus – welfare effects of taxes – some theoretical caveats

6. Valuing costs and benefits in primary markets

Practical versus conceptually correct measures of cost and benefits – opportunity costs – willingness-to-pay

7. Valuing costs and benefits in secondary markets

Efficient secondary markets – distorted secondary markets – the perspective of local communities

8. Temporal dimension of CBA

Discounting – inflation – relative price changes

9. Social discount rate

What is the appropriate discount rate? – Intergenerational discounting

10. Risk and uncertainty in CBA

Typology of risk and uncertainty – economic approach of dealing with risk – value of information – option value – irreversibility.

11. Valuing impacts from observed behaviour

Demonstrations – direct estimation of demand curves

12. Theory and methods of benefit valuation I

Measures of economic value – travel cost method – hedonic pricing – production cost approach

13. Theory and methods of benefit valuation II

Contingent valuation – market stall approach – choice experiments – benefit transfers

14. Multi-criteria analysis as an alternative to cost-benefit analysis

Philosophy of multi-criteria analysis – methods of multi-criteria analysis – applying multi-criteria analysis in practise

Leistungsnachweis

Written exam: 90 minutes
successful participation in seminar (presentation and handout)

Lehrmethoden und Lernziele

To be able to apply economic thinking to solve environmental and resource management problems with a focus on cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and on cost-effective management and policy solutions.

Appointments

• Di 15:30 - 17:00, A/B week, 17.10.2023 to 26.12.2023, Laborgebäude 4B / B3.17
• Mi 13:45 - 15:15, A/B week, 18.10.2023 to 27.12.2023, Laborgebäude 4B / B3.18
• Fr 08:30 - 19:00, Einzel, at 12.01.2024, Laborgebäude 4B / B3.18

Study paths

• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Master (1. ) / Examination regulations 2018 / Wahlpflicht
• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2008 / Modul 41427 Wahlpflicht
• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Modul 41427 Wahlpflicht
• Environmental and Resource Management Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Modul 41427 Wahlpflicht
• Environmental and Resource Management Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2006 / Ergänzungsmodul

Course content

Course aim

This course will introduce you to how economists analyse land use decisions and biodiversity conservation. It has a focus on policy instruments to conserve biodiversity and optimize land use in developed and developing countries. Note that this course does not deal with the monetary valuation of projects to conserve (or not to conserve) biodiversity, this is done in the course Cost-benefit-analysis.

Course concept

The course is divided into 15 main parts or topics (including one part for revision). Usually, one topic will cover 2 hours a week, but the topics differ somewhat in length; hence some topics may be a bit longer than 2h and others shorter. In addition to the lessons there will be a one or two day seminar at the end of the course with a presentation from you side (see below).

Topics

1. Introduction to the course – allocation of presentations

2. Costs and the cost-effective allocation of reserves

3. Tradable permits for biodiversity conservation I:

From offsetting to conservation banking (Basic idea – conceptual issues)

4. Tradable permits for biodiversity conservation II:

Case studies (US Species Conservation Banking and the German Impact Mitigation Principle - Eingriffsregel)

5. Payments for Ecosystem Services I

(Basic principles, evaluation criteria)

6. Payments for Ecosystem Services II

(reducing the producer surplus from land owners: agglomeration payments and auctions)

7. Payments for Ecosystem Services III

(payments for environmental goods, other aspects)

8. The concept of ecosystem goods and services

9. Common pool resources and institutions

10. REDD – reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation

11. The optimal temporal allocation of land use measures

12. Economics of proactive biodiversity conservation

13. Open topic

14. TEEB – The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity

15. Revision and preparation for exam

Voraussetzung

Basic economic knowledge recommended!

Leistungsnachweis

Written exam at the end of the term

successful participation in seminar (presentation and handout)

Lehrmethoden und Lernziele

Student shall

• acquire knowledge about the economic analysis of sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation
• get acquainted with an economic analysis of related policy instruments
• be able to discuss related issues on a scientific level
• be able to read scientific papers and discuss them critically

Literature

To be announced in class

Appointments

• Mo 13:45 - 15:15, A/B week, 16.10.2023 to 05.02.2024, Laborgebäude 4B / B3.20
• Do 13:45 - 15:15, A/B week, 19.10.2023 to 07.02.2024, Laborgebäude 4B / B3.20

Study paths

• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Bachelor (3. ) / Examination regulations 2017 / Pflicht
• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Bachelor (3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Pflicht

Course content

• Einführung in die Ökonomik
• Märkte und Effizienz
• Gründe für Marktversagen
• Wohlstandmessung und Umweltqualität
• Coase-Theorem und Verfügungsrechte im Gewässerschutz
• Umweltpolitische Instrumente einer nachhaltigen Landnutzung
• Ökonomische Aspekte des Gewässermanagements
• Einführung in die monetäre Bewertung von Umweltschäden und die Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse

Aufwand:

• Vorlesung / 4 SWS
• Selbststudium / 120 Stunden

Leistungsnachweis:
Schriftliche Prüfung (90 min.)

Lehrmethoden und Lernziele
Die Studierenden sollen
• die Grundlagen des (mikro)ökonomischen Denkens erlernen,
• umweltpolitische Instrumente aus ökonomischer Perspektive analysieren können und
• ausgewählte Landnutzungskonflikte aus ökonomischer Sicht bewerten können.

Literature

Wird am Anfang des Kurses bekannt gegeben.

Study paths

• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Master (1. ) / Examination regulations 2018 / Wahlpflicht
• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Modul 41427 Wahlpflicht
• Environmental and Resource Management Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Modul 41427 Wahlpflicht

Course content

• optimal spatial allocation of land use
• policy instruments for sustainable land use (PES, conservation banking)
• institutions and governance structures, common pool resources
• REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation)

Voraussetzung:
Basic economic knowledge recommended!

Leistungsnachweis:
A written exam in the middle of the term and a short written summary and an oral presentation of a scientific paper in class.

Lehrmethoden und Lernziele:
Student shall

• acquire knowledge about the economic analysis of sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation
• get acquainted with an economic analysis of related policy instruments
• be able to discuss related issues on a scientific level
• be able to read scientific papers and discuss them critically

Literature

To be announced in class

Study paths

• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Modul 41427 Wahlpflicht
• Environmental and Resource Management Master (1. - 3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Modul 41427 Wahlpflicht
• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Master (1. ) / Examination regulations 2018 / Wahlpflicht

Course content

• optimal spatial allocation of land use
• policy instruments for sustainable land use (PES, conservation banking)
• institutions and governance structures, common pool resources
• REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation)

Voraussetzung:
Basic economic knowledge recommended!

Leistungsnachweis:
A written exam in the middle of the term and a short written summary and an oral presentation of a scientific paper in class.

Lehrmethoden und Lernziele:
Student shall

• acquire knowledge about the economic analysis of sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation
• get acquainted with an economic analysis of related policy instruments
• be able to discuss related issues on a scientific level
• be able to read scientific papers and discuss them critically

Literature

To be announced in class

Study paths

• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Bachelor (3. ) / Examination regulations 2017 / Pflicht
• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Bachelor (3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Pflicht

Course content

• Einführung in die Ökonomik
• Märkte und Effizienz
• Gründe für Marktversagen
• Wohlstandmessung und Umweltqualität
• Coase-Theorem und Verfügungsrechte im Gewässerschutz
• Umweltpolitische Instrumente einer nachhaltigen Landnutzung
• Ökonomische Aspekte des Gewässermanagements
• Einführung in die monetäre Bewertung von Umweltschäden und die Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse

Aufwand

• Vorlesung / 4 SWS
• Selbststudium / 120 Stunden

Leistungsnachweis:
Schriftliche Prüfung (90 min.)

Lehrmethoden und Lernziele:
Die Studierenden sollen
• die Grundlagen des (mikro)ökonomischen Denkens erlernen,
• umweltpolitische Instrumente aus ökonomischer Perspektive analysieren können und
• ausgewählte Landnutzungskonflikte aus ökonomischer Sicht bewerten können. 

Study paths

• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Bachelor (3. ) / Examination regulations 2011 / Pflicht
• Landnutzung und Wasserbewirtschaftung Bachelor (3. ) / Examination regulations 2017 / Pflicht

Course content

• Einführung in die Ökonomik
• Märkte und Effizienz
• Gründe für Marktversagen
• Wohlstandmessung und Umweltqualität
• Coase-Theorem und Verfügungsrechte im Gewässerschutz
• Umweltpolitische Instrumente einer nachhaltigen Landnutzung
• Ökonomische Aspekte des Gewässermanagements
• Einführung in die monetäre Bewertung von Umweltschäden und die Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse

Aufwand:

• Vorlesung / 4 SWS
• Selbststudium / 120 Stunden

Leistungsnachweis:
Schriftliche Prüfung (90 min.)

Lehrmethoden und Lernziele:
Die Studierenden sollen
• die Grundlagen des (mikro)ökonomischen Denkens erlernen,
• umweltpolitische Instrumente aus ökonomischer Perspektive analysieren können und
• ausgewählte Landnutzungskonflikte aus ökonomischer Sicht bewerten können.