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2023/2024

Economics of Natural Resources and Climate Change

Code: 104653 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2501573 Economics OT 3 2
2501573 Economics OT 4 1

Contact

Name:
Jesus Ramos Martin
Email:
jesus.ramos@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject. Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2023.


Prerequisites

They have not been established. The contents are complementary to the subject Economics of the Environment.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The objective of the subject is twofold, on the one hand, to understand the basic concepts of economics that have to allow us, on the other, to understand human systems as open systems for the entry of energy and materials and the exit of waste. In other words, the biophysical functioning of economies is studied, which is known as “social metabolism” and the role that natural resources have in maintaining the economic system.

The course also studies the application of economic theory to the analysis and management of natural resources. Decisions on renewable and exhaustible natural resources and on pollution can be based on the balance of monetary costs and benefits. But this approach has limitations. For this reason, the alternative of multi-criteria evaluation of resource management decisions is also proposed.


Competences

    Economics
  • Analyse quantitative and qualitative information referring to economic phenomena and variables.
  • Capacity for adapting to changing environments.
  • Identify the environmental and social impacts associated with economic activity.
  • Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implementing new projects and coordinating, negotiating and managing conflicts.
  • Organise the work in terms of good time management, organisation and planning.
  • Select and generate the information necessary for each problem, analyse it and take decisions based on that information.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.

Learning Outcomes

  1. A capacity of oral and written communication in Catalan, Spanish and English, which allows them to summarise and present the work conducted both orally and in writing.
  2. Analyse the different interpretations and solutions considered to deal with the problems associated with the sustainability of economic systems, from different theoretical perspectives.
  3. Apply the main methods to assess projects.
  4. Capacity to adapt to changing environments.
  5. Create transverse and longitudinal tables of demographic behaviour and other social phenomena, and interpret the main synthetic indicators used.
  6. Examine some of the consequences of demographic fluctuations and the changes in the age structure on the labour market and the structure of the demand of goods and services.
  7. Identify the energy and food changes that have taken place during the contemporary economic growth.
  8. Identify the main current environmental problems, and their relationship with population growth and the current models of economic development.
  9. Know how to correctly use the analytical concepts of ecological economy, and the instruments of environmental economic policy.
  10. Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implement new projects, coordinate, negotiate and manage conflicts.
  11. Organise work, in terms of good time management and organisation and planning.
  12. Perform an integrated analysis of the economic, demographic, social and ecological variables, on the basis of different historical experiences.
  13. Recognise the effects of age, generation and momentum on demographic and social behaviour.
  14. Recognised the biophysical aspects related to the economic activity.
  15. Relate the international economic and ecological aspects in the different phases of contemporary economic growth.
  16. Select and generate the information needed for each problem, analyse it and make decisions based on this information.
  17. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  18. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  19. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  20. Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  21. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  22. Understand the economic and political debates about the evolution of demographic growth and migration.
  23. Use standardisation methods to isolate the effects of structure on the added indicators.

Content

1. Introduction. The economy as an open subsystem within the biosphere

    Main economic figures and aggregates
    The income cycle and the generation of added value
    Natural resources in the economic process
    The laws of thermodynamics and their economic interpretation
    The arrow of time and evolution.

Basic reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 14-26, 448-505.

Complementary reading: Ramos-Martin 2004.


2. Monetary evaluation and the environment

    Ecological value and economic value
    Families of economic valuation methods
    Total economic value
    Discount rate

Basic reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 228-319.

Complementary reading: Agüero et al. 2005; Romero 1997: 51-76.


3. Instruments of environmental economic policy

    Externalities
    Optimal level of pollution
    Internalization of externalities
    Pigou and green taxation
    Coase and the emission rights market
    Payment for environmental services

Basic reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 128-227.

Complementary reading: Martínez y Kosoy 2007; Puig y Freire 2007; Romero 1997: 29-50.


4. Cost-benefit analysis

    Economic and political democracy
    Arrow's impossibility theorem
    Kaldor-Hicks compensation criterion
    Relationship between efficiency and equity
    Risk, uncertainty and irreversibility

Basic reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 228-319.

Complementary reading: Munda 1996, Riera 1992, Riera y Macian 1999.


5. Multi-criteria evaluation

    Methodological foundations (substantive and procedural rationality, complexity and post-normal science).
    Structuring of a multi-criteria problem (alternatives and criteria, weighting of the criteria).
    Main discrete multi-criteria approaches (Utility approach, MAUT; Improvement methods; NAIADE).
    Examples

Basic reading: Munda 2004.

Complementary reading: Falconí y Burbano 2004, Martí et al., 2000.


6. Ownership and access to natural resources

   Typology of property rights and their relationship with the management of natural resources
    Governance of the Commons: Theory and Examples. Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons
    Processes of access and exclusion to natural resources
    Examples: global commons (sea and atmosphere), biopiracy, land-grabbing

Basic reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 419-423.

Complementary reading: Aguilera 1992; GRAIN 2014.


7. Analysis of non-renewable resources

    Resource base and reserves
    The Hubbert curve
    Hotelling's rule: optimal resource extraction path
    Backstop technologies
    The rule of El Serafy
    EROI or energy rate of return on energy investment
    Nuclear energy, waste, time and discount

Basic reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 106-114, 370-405.

Complementary reading: Romero 1997: 77-102; Espinoza et al., 2019.


8. Analysis of renewable resources

    Sustainable performance. Biological vs economic models
    Forest economics: technical forestry shift; Faustmann's rule; forest environmental services
    Fisheries economics: biological model and economic model

Basic reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 406-447.

Complementary reading: Romero 1997: 103-159.


9. Trade and environment

    Determinants of trade: absolute and relative advantages
    Governance of international trade (WTO)
    Environmental implications of international trade
    Unequal exchange, unequal ecological exchange, and unequal caloric exchange

Basic reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 81-85, 506-571; Samaniego et al. 2015; Pérez-Rincón 2007.

Complementary reading: Falconí et al., 2017; Ramos-Martin et al., 2017; UNCTAD 2019; Pérez 2006; Espinoza et al., 2016; Peinado 2018.


10. Economics and governance of biodiversity

    The timeline of biodiversity governance: from the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) to the Nagoya Protocol (2010)
    The generation of value from biodiversity (appropriation mechanisms)
    Nagoya Protocol and the Multilateral System of Access to Genetic Resources
    Fair and equitable distribution derivedfrom access to genetic resources: monetary and non-monetary benefits

Basic reading: Níjar 2011

Complementary reading: Vogel 2004.


11. Economics and governance of climate change

    Greenhouse effect and global warming
    Climate change governance (UNFCCC and IPCC)
    Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement, National Communications and NDC
    Compliance mechanisms: emissions markets, clean development mechanism, joint implementation.

Basic reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 81-85, 506-571; Ramos-Martin 2001.

Complementary reading: Falconí et al., 2019; Fernández-Reyes 2016; CEPAL 2015.


12. Analysis of the metabolism of societies

    Endosomatic and exosomatic energy consumption
    Exosomatic evolution of societies (Peak of oil)
    Material Flow Analysis
    Energy analysis, energy accounting, eMergy, exergy
    Multiscale Analysis of the Metabolism of Societies (MuSIASEM)

Basic reading: Martínez Alier y Roca Págs. 26-63; Eisenmenger et al., 2007; Ramos-Martin 2012.

Complementary reading: Vallejo 2006; Moncada 2006; Pérez 2006; Muñoz y Roca 2006; Madrid y Velázquez 2008; Velasco-Fernández et al. 2015.


Methodology

1. Master class and guided debates

The teacher will perform an analytical conceptualization and an updated synthesis of each of the study topics shown in the teaching units. The aim of this activity is to facilitate the transmission of knowledge and motivation for the analysis of the relationship between human activity and the environment, which are focused in order to promote active and cooperative learning.

2. Practical sessions

The practical sessions will consist of presentations and the semi-structured discussion that defines the group. This activity will also serve to relate the fundamental concepts of the subject and give proposals for resolving conflicts both from the perspective of Environmental Economics and from the perspective of Ecological Economics.

3. Tutorials

The learning process and acquisition of skills will be supervised by the teacher through individual and / or group tutorials. The teacher will be available to students to resolve doubts and follow the evolution of the aforementioned process of learning and acquisition of skills of students.

4. Virtual Campus of the subject

Inface-to-face teaching, the Virtual Campus is a useful tool, so that students have a complementary space where they can access different types of materials that the teacher considers basic to advance in the learning process of the subject. To access it, all you have to do is go to the UAB website and there you will find the link, or directly to the website of the virtual campus (https://cv.uab.cat/portada/ca/).

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Master classes and class debates 32.5 1.3 12, 4, 13, 7, 10, 11, 15
Practical sessions: Development of group work, presentation and discussion in class 17 0.68 8, 11, 15, 16
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 15 0.6 3, 4, 1, 5, 6, 14, 16, 9, 23
Type: Autonomous      
Reading and theory study 68 2.72 2, 5, 13, 22, 6, 14, 16, 9, 23
Search for information 12.5 0.5 4, 5, 11, 16, 23

Assessment

CONTINUOUS EVALUATION

The evaluation of the subject will be based on a continuous evaluation of the process of acquisition of knowledge and skills by the student and will consist of:

- 2 partial knowledge exams that may combine multiple choice and thematic questions and that will count for 35% of the final grade each.

- A final essay, which will count for 30% of the final grade.

 

COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION

By requesting the comprehensive evaluation the student waives the option of continuous evaluation.

The comprehensive  evaluation must be requested at the Academic Management (Gestió acadèmica) of the Campus where the degree/master's degree is taught. The request must be filed according to the procedure and the deadline  established by the administrative calendar of the Faculty of Economics and Business.

  • Student  attendance  is mandatory on the day of the comprehensive assessment. The date will be the same as that of the final exam of the semester as per the evaluation calendar published by the Faculty of Economics and Business and approved by the Faculty's Teaching and Academic Affairs Committee. The duration of the comprehensive assessment must be specified in the characteristics of such activity.
  • 100% of the evaluation evidences must be handed in by the student  on the day of the comprhensive assessment.
  • The evaluation evidences carried out in person by the student on the same day of the comprehensive assessment must have a minimum weight of 70%.

Evidence Type

Weight in the final assessment (%)

Duration of the activity

Is the activity that corresponds to this evaluation evidence to be carried out in person on the  date scheduled for the comprehensive evaluation? (YES/NO) 

Exam

70%

3h

Yes

Essay

30%

 

No

TOTAL

100%

 

 

For the retake procedure, no distinction is made between students who have followed the continuous evaluation and those who have opted for the comprehensive evaluation. All will be re-assessed using the same test or evaluation evidence.

The review of the final qualification will follow the same procedure as for the continuous evaluation.


Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final essay 30 1 0.04 12, 2, 3, 4, 1, 5, 13, 22, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 20, 19, 18, 14, 15, 16, 9, 23
First partial exam 35 2 0.08 12, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 21, 17, 15
Second partial exam 35 2 0.08 3, 4, 1, 5, 13, 22, 6, 11, 21, 17, 14, 16, 9, 23

Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY (basic one in bold characters)

Martínez Alier, J., Roca, J. (2013). Economía ecológica y política ambiental, Fondo de Cultura Económica, México, 639 p., 3ª Edición. https://csuc-uab.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/1c3utr0/cdi_elibro_books_ELB110397 

Eisenmenger, N., Ramos-Martin,J., Schandl, H. (2007): “Análisis del metabolism energético y de materiales de Brasil,Chile y Venezuela”, Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 6: 17-39. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev6_02.pdf

Munda, G. (2004). Métodos y procesos multicriterio para la evaluación social de las políticas públicas. Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 1: 31-45. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev1_articulo1.pdf 

Nijar, G. S. (2011): The Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit sharing of genetic resources: analysis and implementation options for developing countries. South Centre research paper 36. Disponible on line https://www.southcentre.int/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Ev_130201_GNjar1.pdf

Padilla Rosa, E. and Ramos-Martin, J. (Eds.) (2023): Elgar Encyclopedia of Ecological Economics. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. ISBN: 978-1-80220-040-9.

Pérez-Rincón, M.A. (2007): “El intercambio ecológicamente desigual del comercio internacional colombiano”, Ecología Política, No. 33: 121-123. Versión electrónica disponible en https://www.ecologiapolitica.info/novaweb2/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/033_Perez-Rincon_2007.pdf 

Ramos-Martin, J. (2001): “De Kyoto a Marrakech: historia de una flexibilizaciónanunciada”, Ecología Política 22: 45-56. Versión electrónica disponible en https://ddd.uab.cat/record/267009?ln=ca

 

Ramos-Martin, J. (2012): “Economía biofísica”, Investigación y Ciencia, Junio, pp.: 68-75. Disponible online en https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ISYNIsg4H7xSKYDNbkHyi2G_EaKd5BaK/view?usp=sharing 

 

Samaniego, P., Vallejo, M.C., Martínez-Alier, J. (2015): “Desequilibrios en la balanza comercial andina: ¿se ajustan biofísicamente?”, Revista Iberoamericana de Economia Ecologica, Vol. 24: 163-185. Disponible online en https://redibec.org/ojs/index.php/revibec/article/view/154/56 

 

 

Agüero, A.A., Carral, M., Sauad, J.J., Yazlle, L.L. (2005): “Aplicación del método de valoración contingente en la evaluación del sistema de gestión de residuos sólidos domiciliarios en la ciudad de Salta, Argentina”, Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 2: 37-44. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev2_04_2005.pdf

Aguilera, F. (1992): “El fin de la tragedia de los comunes”, Ecología Política, Nro. 3: 137-145. Disponible online en http://www.ecologiapolitica.info/novaweb2/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/3.pdf

CEPAL (2015): La economía del cambio climático en América Latina y el Caribe: paradojas y desafíos del desarrollo sostenible. Comisión Económica de Naciones Unidas para América Latina y el Caribe, 98 p. Disponible en https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/37310/S1420656_es.pdf 

Espinoza, V.S., Fontalvo, J., Martí-Herrero, J., Ramírez, P., Capellán-Pérez, I. (2019): “Future oil extraction in Ecuador using a Hubbert approach”, Energy, Vol. 182: 520-534. Disponible en http://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/j.energy.2019.06.061 

Espinoza Piguave, E. U., Cabrera Montecé, D. S., Casanova Montero, A. R. (2016): “El intercambio ecológicamente desigual del Ecuador durante el boom de precios del período 2002-2013”, Revista Científica ECOCIENCIA, Vol. 3 (6): 1-18. Versión electrónica disponible en http://revistas.ecotec.edu.ec/index.php/ecociencia/article/view/12/7

Falconí, F., Burbano, R. (2004). Instrumentos económicos para la gestión ambiental: decisiones monocriteriales versus decisiones multicriteriales. Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 1: 11-20. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev1_articulo2.pdf  

Falconí, F., Ramos-Martin, J., Cango, P. (2017): "Caloric unequal exchange in Latin America and the Caribbean", Ecological Economics., Vol. 134: 140-149. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.01.009.

Falconi, F., Burbano, R., Ramos-Martin, J., Cango, P. (2019): “Toxicincome as a trigger of climate change“, Sustainability, Vol. 11 (8): 2448. Versión electrónica disponible en https://doi.org/10.3390/su11082448

Fernández-Reyes, R. (2016): “El Acuerdo de París y el cambio transformacional”, Papeles de relaciones ecosociales y cambio global, No. 132: 101-114. Versión electrónica disponible en https://www.fuhem.es/papeles_articulo/el-acuerdo-de-paris-y-el-cambio-transformacional/

GRAIN (2014): Hambrientos de tierra: los pueblos indígenas y campesinos alimentan al mundo con menos de un cuarto de la tierra agrícola mundial. Disponible online en https://www.grain.org/es/article/entries/4956-hambrientos-de-tierra-los-pueblos-indigenas-y-campesinos-alimentan-al-mundo-con-menos-de-un-cuarto-de-la-tierra-agricola-mundial

Madrid, C., Velázquez, E. (2008). El metabolismo hídrico y los flujos de agua virtual. Una aplicación al sector hortofrutícola de Andalucía (España).Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 8: 29-47. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev8_03.pdf  

Martí, N., Vidal, V., Mànuel, D. (2000): “¿Baqueira no? El proyecto DIAFANIS de evaluación ambiental”, Ecología Política, núm. 20: 103-130. https://www.ecologiapolitica.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/020_Martietal_2001.pdf

Martínez, M., Kosoy, N. (2007). Compensaciones monetarias y conservación de bosques. Pagos por servicios ambientales y pobreza en una comunidad rural en Honduras. Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 6: 40-51. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev6_03.pdf   

Moncada, M. (2006): “Flores y flujos de materiales”, Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 4: 17-28. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev4_02.pdf

Munda, G. (1996): “Cost-benefit analysis in integrated environmental assessment: some methodological issues”, Ecological Economics, Vol. 19: 157-168. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0921-8009(96)00048-1

Muñoz, P., Roca, J. (2006): “Las bases materiales del sector exportador chileno: un análisis input-output”, Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 4: 27-40. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev4_03.pdf

Peinado, G. (2018): “Economía ecológica y comercio internacional: el intercambio ecológicamente desigual como visibilizador de los flujos ocultos del comercio internacional”, Revista Economía, Vol. 70 (112): 53-69. Versión electrónica disponible en http://revistadigital.uce.edu.ec/index.php/ECONOMIA/article/view/2046/1910

Pérez, M.A. (2006): “Comercio exterior y flujos hídricos en la agricultura colombiana: análisis para el período 1961-2004”, Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 4: 3-16. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev4_01.pdf

Puig, I., Freire, J. (2007): “Efectos de las políticas ambientales sobre la competitividad”, Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 6: 52-61. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev6_04.pdf

Ramos-Martin, J. (2004). La perspectiva biofísica del proceso económico: Economía Ecológica, en F. Falconi, M. Hercowitz, R. Muradian (Eds.) (2004): Globalización y Desarrollo en América Latina. FLACSO, Quito, Ecuador, pp. 19-47. Versión electrónica disponible en https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I51aHG1S7hjCduv3iaspx4P1Gyb_r-y9/view?usp=sharing

Ramos-Martin, J., Falconi, F., Cango, P. (2017): “The concept of caloric unequal exchange and its relevance for food system analysis: The Ecuador case study”, Sustainability, Vol 9(11), 2068. Versión electronica disponible en http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su9112068 

Riera, P. (1992): “La evaluación de grandes infraestructures viarias en la Región Metropolitana de Barcelona”, Papers: Regió Metropolitanade Barcelona: Territori, estratègies, planejament, Núm. 10: 45-51. https://ddd.uab.cat/record/46172?ln=es

Riera, P., Macian, M. (1999): “Análisis coste-beneficio de la ampliación del aeropuerto de Barcelona con externalidades ambientales. Ruido, polución atmosférica y ocupación de humedales”, Documentos de Trabajo FEDEA, Serie Estudios sobre la Economía Española, num. 47. https://documentos.fedea.net/pubs/eee/eee47.pdf

Romero, C. (1997). Economía de los recursos ambientales y naturales, Alianza , Madrid, 214 p. https://csuc-uab.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/avjcib/alma991008441689706709

UNCTAD (2019): “Informe sobre el comercio y el desarrollo 2019. Financiar un New Deal verde global. NacionesUnidas, Ginebra, 39 p. Versión electrónica disponible en https://unctad.org/es/PublicationsLibrary/tdr2019overview_es.pdf

Vallejo, M.C. (2006): “Estructura biofísica de la economía ecuatoriana: un estudio de los flujos directos de materiales”, Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 4: 55-72. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev4_05.pdf

Velasco, R., Ramos-Martin, J., Giampietro, M. (2015): "The energy metabolism of China and India between 1971 and 2010: Studying the bifurcation", Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol. 41: 1052-1066. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.08.065. Disponible online en https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.rser.2014.08.065

Vogel, J.H. (2004): “Nada en bioprospección tiene sentido excepto a la luz de la economía”, Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Vol. 1: 66-72. Versión electrónica disponible en http://redibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rev1_articulo4.pdf

 


Software

There is no need for specific software.