Economics for Sustainability (GRAE034)

This course will offer an introduction to the field of sustainable development. The course will analyse the key topics of the sustainable development process across countries and cover the major theories and policy debates on the causes of (under) development. This will include discussion on important concepts in sustainable development such as the environment and climate change, human capital (education and healthcare), social capital as well as the role of finance in the development process. We will study the analytical frameworks behind the theories of development and review the empirical evidence that supports or rejects such theories. The course will also cover areas such as health and education, focusing on their relations with development and examining some of the policies attempted in these areas and the reasons for their success/failure.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Acquire a solid knowledge of the core tools to understand contemporary issues in sustainable development.
• Understand the current debates on sustainable development policies/programs.
• Familiar with different empirical methods that can be used to test a theory and to provide compelling evidence on what works, what doesn’t and why.