教學大綱 Syllabus

課程簡介Course Description

This course is designed to introduce to undergraduate and postgraduate students the pertinent economic theories and their applications to contemporary environmental problems. We will firstly introduce the Economics-based analytical approaches for environmental studies. We particularly focus on contemporary environmental issues such as pollution, greenhouse gases emissions and virtual trade of natural resources. Secondly we will discuss the literature on the nexus between trade, national economy and sustainability. Countries derive additional economic benefits from trade than otherwise, for example, with augmented domestic production. Natural environment and resources are used as input for producing exported goods (or to accommodate pollutants discharged from the production process). However, environmental stress concomitant with the economic boom was not properly attended nor charged. Typical of such case, Asian-Pacific economies are attracting the world’s attention in their rapid economic growth, sizable markets and increasingly significant role in the global economy. Domestic and global factors have together shaped the diverse economies in this region, particularly in their economic structure and development pathways and strategies. Inextricably linked with economic activities, environmental quality and natural resource endowment in this region are facing tremendous stress from far and near. Developed and developing countries of this region share a common development experience by thriving their economies on trade, though now even more intensive globalization. Sustainable development in both the economy and environment is thus concerned. A good grasp of the economy-environment nexus from both economy-wide and world-wide perspectives is imperative and helpful in guiding pertinent policies to effectively tackle the dual challenge of sustainability transition.

The course participants are encouraged to get involved in the discussion on issues and analyses particularly from the perspectives of economics, and to summarize in the form of academic writing the insights and policy implications derived from the literature review. Students will form small groups to present and discuss on selected papers. Presentations of the group projects by the students on their literature review of pertinent theories, applications and policy assessment will culminate with the course.

The topics we will review of literature centering the nexus of trade, economy and the environment, mainly from economic perspectives, are:

1. The nexus between trade, economy and the environment,
2. Environment impact of economic activities,
3. Natural resource leakage from developing countries,
4. Economic development pathways and strategies of the developed countries, and their experiences in managing the concomitant environmental stress,
5. Economic analysis on policies for correcting negative externality of economic activities, and
6. Measures proposed for green growth.

The participants will get experience in doing academic literature review and writing-up, in addition to the knowledge of trade and environmental economic theories.