ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

Within the wider context of a taught course on environmental policy aiming to offer the basis for the critical interpretation of political and law processes in the environmental domain, this policy module would like to
- provide students with the basic knowledge to understand, assess fitness for purpose and limits of main tools available to the environmental policy action at the EU and global lelvel
- present the theoretical underpinnings of environmental poliy
- examine in detail a set of practical policy examples to undertstand why environmental policy works or does not work.
Students will be also enabled to view and set the environmental policy in the ampler context of public-sector interventions, economic growth and development.

1. Knowledge and understanding
Knowledge and understanding of environmental poilcy tool functionning in the national and international context.
Knowledge of the historical evolution of major environmental policy initiatives in the EU and global context.
Understanding the connections across environmental policies, economic growth and sustainability.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
The student will be able to authonomously assess pros and cons of different environmental policy initiatives, retrieve related data and information sources for their description and assessment.
3. Critical capacity
Understanding the role of and justification for environmental policies and of the soundness of different implementation instruments.
Ability to relate environmental policy initiatives and instruments to economic growth and sustainability.
4. Communication Skills
Students will be able to effectively communicate the main findings of environmental policy analysis, including in collaborative settings, using technical and informed language.
5. Learning Skills
Students will be able to independently use official sources, databases, and policy documents to continuously update and expand their knowledge over time.

Basic knowledge of economics and economics of the environment enable an easier understanding of some of the topics presented during classes

- Deepening the knowledge on environmental policy instruments: equivalences and role of uncertainty
- The theory of international environmental agreements. Externalities, public goods and free riding: prescriptions from the game and coalition theories.
- International environmental agreements: acid rains and ozone depleting substances, the Montreal Protocol
- International environmental agreements: climate change, from Kyoto to Paris. Update on last developments. How negotiations occur.
- The EU environmental policy
- The EU and Italian action against climate change. The long-term strategy, adaptation policies and plans.
- Inspecting and using databases on environmental policy

The course is largely based upon policy documents available on line. Sources will be made available and clearly indicated in the class material and lecture ppts uploaded on the moodle course site. Further support to themore theoretical part of the course can be found in (specific chapters will be indicated during the lectures):
- Lieberman, Hall, Principi di Economia (qualsiasi edizione), Apogeo
- Turner, Pearce, Bateman, (2003) Economia Ambientale, Il Mulino
- Tol, R.S.J., (2014), Climate Economics, Edward Elgar
- Perman et al. Natural Resource and Environmental Economics.
- Politica ambientale europea: principi generali e quadro di riferimento. Disponibile a: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/it/sheet/71/politica-ambientale-principi-generali-e-quadro-di-riferimento

Written and oral exam. The oral, not compulsory, consists in a class presentation of a group work on a topic chosen by the professor. The written exam consists in answering two open questions on the topics developed during classes. The oral contributes with a max of 3 additional points to the performance of the written part. The points from the group work will determined by the professor evaluation and that of the "peers" (students collaborating to the group work).
Given that the course is split into two modules i.e. environmental policy and environmental law, to get the final evaluation students need to successfully pass both modules. Their final mark will be the average of the evaluations obtained in the two exams.

written and oral

The two open questions at the written exam will build each 15 points of the final total mark from the "politica dell'ambiente" course.
This evaluation can be increased by the possible 3 points deriving from the group presentations.
Note: the final total evaluation attributed will be anyway the average between the marks obtained at the "politica dell'ambiente" and "ditritto dell'ambiente" exams.
The graduation marking is as follow:
18 - 20 show, in relation with the exam questions, mastering and knowledge of theorethical or empyrical principles underpinning the functionning and effectiveness of encironmental policy action
21 - 25 in addition to the previous point, show the capacity of critically assess those principles highlighting strengths and weaknesses
26 - 30 in addition to the previous point, show the capacity to extend the reasoning identifying connections with further topics and/or concepts explained during the course
Distinction in addition to the previous point clarity, originality and brilliance in the oral or written presentations

Front lectures by the teacher, hands-on introduction on environmental policy databases and seminar on guidelines on how to present in public.

Accommodations and Support Services for Students with Disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders:
Ca’ Foscari complies with Italian law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodations available to students with disabilities or specific learning disorders. If you have a motor, visual, hearing, or other disability (Law 17/1999), or a specific learning disorder (Law 170/2010), and require support (such as in-class assistance, technological aids for exams or personalized exams, accessible format materials, note-taking services, specialized tutoring, interpreters, or other services), please contact the Disability and SLD Office at: disabilita@unive.it.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development