Teaching
Teaching
I offer the following courses at the Hertie School in Berlin:
Empirical Environmental Economics (Fall)
This course has two broad objectives of equal ranking: The first is to familiarize students with important empirical findings and lines of inquiry at the frontier of energy and environmental economics. The second is to develop an understanding of empirical methods and research designs commonly used in the field of energy and environmental economics. To reach the first goal, there will be an in-depth treatment of some core concepts in environmental economics, such as externalities, valuation of the environment and the challenge of designing good policy instruments. We will learn about the economic rationale for a broad range of possible policies, e.g. environmental taxes, emissions trading systems, tax breaks, subsidies and performance standards. To reach the second goal, will discuss and synthesize the conclusions of a number of seminal empirical papers on the effects of various energy, environmental and climate policies on environmental, economic and social outcomes (“paper surgery” sessions). A key element of these discussions will be the in-depth analysis of the empirical strategies (e.g. difference-in-differences, synthetic control, regression discontinuity) in the papers discussed.
Introduction to Economics and the Environment (Econonomics II, Spring)
This course explores the main principles underlying the interactions between economics and the environment. We will first formalise the management of commonly owned and public goods (e.g. climate change, biodiversity) using simple microeconomic tools. We will then discuss the design and effects of some main policy instruments (e.g. taxes, cap-and-trade, standards, bans) used to address these challenges in the real world. The main learning goal of this course is to have developed an understanding of markets and market-based environmental policies – when and why they work and when they fail. You will also have developed an understanding of some key methods and approaches used in empirical research in economics.
Economics and Environmental Justice (Spring)
This course explores the emerging empirical literature on the relationship between economics and environmental, energy and climate justice. After a conceptual introduction, this course is divided in 3 main parts. First, we will diagnose the problem, discussing selected dimensions (air and noise pollution, water, toxic waste, green space) of disproportionate exposure to pollution and environmental hazards across different population groups. Second, we will analyse the mechanisms through which disproportionate exposure arises, with a particular emphasis on residential sorting, property rights and the political process. Third, we will discuss empirical literature examining the potential unequal consequences of environmental policy instruments, such as taxes and cap-and-trade. Lastly, we study potential solutions to address these inequalities in policy practice.