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S1405 Globalization, Environment and Sustainable Development

Musu Ignazio

Globalization has important impacts on the environment, that have to be considered in order to achieve sustainable development.
The course aims at introducing the students to the environmental implications of globalization. Environmental issues have gained center-stage in economic analysis and policy-making, and their urgency has opened new opportunities in terms of technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
Through an interdisciplinary perspective, the course will provide students with key competences and instruments for the analysis of natural and environmental resources in a sustainable perspective and for the development of policies oriented towards the promotion of sustainable development processes both at a national and international level.

Introduction and objectives
The course focuses on environmental issues in a globalized contest within the framework of sustainable development. For this purpose the course will cover different themes, starting from the introduction of the sustainable development concept. The case study of China will be considered as representative of the relationship between economic development and environmental issues. The course will also explore the role of firms for the sustainable development, considering Corporate Social Responsibility and Industrial Ecology. Moreover international environmental agreements will be considered as tool for promoting sustainable development at global level. Finally the course will study, from different perspectives, climate change as one of the main global environmental issue, considering scientific evidences, energy implications and policies in climate change.
This pattern will enable the students to understand the complexity of sustainable development and environmental issues and to deal with them.

Course organisation and supervision
The overall structure of the course and its thematic organisation have been developed and coordinated by prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca' Foscari University, TEN Center - Venice International University) and dr Ilda Mannino (TEN Center - Venice International University).
The course is organised around different thematic areas, each developed through classes, and lectures by experts and researchers with a different background.

Course Requirements
Students will be expected to do the required readings and to attend class regularly. Attendance is compulsory for all students. Required readings will be designated on a weekly basis according to the themes listed in the course outline. Students will be also encouraged to find additional material for their papers by searching the Internet and accessing suggested websites.

Field trips and seminars related to the course will be arranged.

In addition to the 40 hours of in-class tuition, Globalization Program students must accumulate a minimum of 40 hours in seminars, guest lectures and field trips and VIULECTURES.

Syllabus

THEME I – SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT and GREEN ECONOMIC GROWTH IN a GLOBAL SCENARIO

Week 1

Lecture 1
Economic Globalization: an historical introduction.
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and Venice International University)

Required Readings: D. Rodrik, The Globalization Paradox,, Norton& Co. 2011, Introduction and Chapters from 1 to 6.

Lecture 2
Challenges for Economic Globalization.
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and Venice International University)

Required Readings: D. Rodrik, The Globalization Paradox,, Norton& Co. 2011, Chapters from 9 to 12.

Week 2

Lecture 1
The drivers of economic growth in a globalized economy
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: E. Helpman, The mystery of Economic Growth, Harvard University Press, 2004, chapters 1-6.M. Common and S. Stagl Ecological Economics, Cambridge University Press, 2005, chapter 6;

Lecture 2
Sustainable Development: an introduction.
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and Venice International University)

Required Readings: N.Asfhord, R.Hall, Technology, Globalization and Sustainable Development, Yale University Press, 2011, chapters 1 and 2; M. Common and S. Stagl Ecological Economics, Cambridge University Press, 2005, chapter 10.

Week 3

Lecture 1
The economy and the Environment
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: M. Common and S. Stagl Ecological Economics, Cambridge University Press, 2005, chapters 2, 3 and 4.

Lecture 2
Growth and the Environment
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: M. Common and S. Stagl Ecological Economics, Cambridge University Press, 2005, chapter 7

Week 4
Lecture 1
Sustainable Development and limits of the market.
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: M. Common and S. Stagl Ecological Economics, Cambridge University Press, 2005, chapters 8 and 9.

Lecture 2
Green Growth: The role of environmental regulation.
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: M. Common and S. Stagl Ecological Economics, Cambridge University Press, 2005, chapter 11.

Week 5
Lecture 1
Green Growth: The role of innovation and industrial policies.
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: World Bank, Inclusive Green Growth, 2011; OECD, Towards Green Growth, 2011, pp.17-84.

Lecture 2
Globalization and the energy challenge: the Climate Change issue.
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: D.Helm, The Carbon Crunch, Yale University Press, 2012, chapters from 4 to 11.

Week 6
Lecture 1
Global Scenarios for dealing with Climate Change
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: International Energy Agency, Redrawing the Energy-Climate Map, OECD/IEA, Paris, 2013.

Lecture 2
Sustainable Development and China: greening the model of development.
Prof. Ignazio Musu (Ca’ Foscari University and TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: The World Bank, China 2030, 2012

THEME II – THE ROLE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Week 7

Lecture 1
Business Ethics and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility): Why Companies Ask for Ethic.
Prof. Chiara Mio (Ca’ Foscari University)
Required Readings: Ioannis Ioannou and George Serafeim (2010). "Drivers of Corporate Sustainability and Implications for Capital Markets: An International Perspective".

Lecture 2
TBL (Triple Bottom Line): Environment, Ethic and Economic. Towards Integrated Reporting.
Prof. Chiara Mio (Ca’ Foscari University)
Required Readings: Allen L. White (2010). "The Five Capitals of Integrated Reporting: Toward a Holistic Architecture for Corporate Disclosure" in The Landscape of Integrated Reporting Reflections and Next Steps, Robert G. Eccles, Beiting Cheng, Daniela Saltzman (eds.).

Week 8

Lecture 1
Measuring Environmental Costs.
Prof. Chiara Mio (Ca’ Foscari University)

Required Readings: Peter Kenning (2008). "The Influence of General Trust and Specific Trust on Buying Behavior" , in International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 36 No. 6, 2008, pp. 461-476.

Lecture 2
Measuring Environmental Performances.
Prof. Chiara Mio (Ca’ Foscari University)

Required Readings: Gray R. (2010). “Is accounting for sustainability actually accounting for sustainability and how would we know? An exploration of narratives of organisations and the planet”, in Accounting, Organizations and Society 35 (2010) 47–62.

MID-TERM EXAM – title and short outline of the essay and group paper is due by Friday 18

Midterm break

THEME III – GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

Week 9

Lecture 1
Introduction to International Law and the Environment (part I).
Dr. L. Massai (Ca’ Foscari University)

Required Readings: IEL after Rio, Peter Sands; The future we want, RIO+20 UNCSD,
https://rio20.un.org/sites/rio20.un.org/files/a-conf.216l-1_english.pdf.pdf
I

Lecture 2
Introduction to International Law and the Environment (part II).
Dr. L. Massai (Ca’ Foscari University)
Required Readings: IEL after Rio, Peter Sands; The future we want, RIO+20 UNCSD,
https://rio20.un.org/sites/rio20.un.org/files/a-conf.216l-1_english.pdf.pdf

Week 10

Lecture 1
UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.
Dr. L. Massai (Ca’ Foscari University)
Required Readings: United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change; Kyoto Protocol, unfccc.int
‘A Guide to the Climate Change Convention Process’, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/guideprocess-p.pdf

Lecture 2
Negotiating a Multilateral Environmental Agreement: the Post-2012 Climate Change Regime.
Dr. L. Massai (Ca’ Foscari University)

Required Readings: ‘Negotiators Handbook’ UNEP, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/negotiators_handbook.pdf;
The Long Way to the Copenhagen Accord, L. Massai, RECIEL 2010; Copenhagen Accord, http://unfccc.int/meetings/copenhagen_dec_2009/items/5262.php;
Cancun Agreements, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/cancun_agreements/items/6132.php;
Durban outcomes, http://unfccc.int/essential_background/items/6825.php;
Doha Climate Gateway, http://unfccc.int/meetings/doha_nov_2012/meeting/6815.php#decisions

THEME IV – INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Week 11

Lecture 1
Introduction to Industrial Ecology and its Main Concepts.
Dr Ilda Mannino (TEN Center, Venice International University)
Required Readings: Frosch R.A., Gallopoulos N. (1989). "Strategies for Manufacturing", Scientific American 9/89; pp 144-152; Lifset R. & Graedel T.E. (2002). Industrial ecology: goals and definitions in A handbook of industrial ecology, Robert U. Ayres, Leslie Ayres.

Lecture 2
Globalized Patterns of Industrial Production and Life Cycle Assessment.
Dr Ilda Mannino (TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: Arena A. P. (2001). “Spreading Life-Cycle Assessment to Developing Countries Lessons from Argentina”, Journal of Industrial Ecology, Vol. 4, n. 3; Lifset R. (1993). “Take it back: Extended Producer Responsibility as a Form of Incentive-Based Environmental Policy”, Journal of Resource Management and Technology, Vol. 21, n. 4. Jackson T. (2005).

Week 12

Lecture 1
Sustainable Consumption.
Dr Ilda Mannino (TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: “Live Better by Consuming Less? Is There a “Double Dividend” in Sustainable Consumption?”, Journal of Industrial Ecology, Vol. 9, n. 1–2; Hertwich E. G. (2005). “Consumption and the Rebound Effect An Industrial Ecology Perspective”, Journal of Industrial Ecology, Volume 9, Number 1–2; Lifset R. (2000). “Moving from Products to Services”, Journal of Industrial Ecology, Vol. 4, n. 1.

Lecture 2
Material Flow Analysis and Industrial Symbiosis.
Dr Ilda Mannino (TEN Center, Venice International University)

Required Readings: Chertow M.R. (2000). "Industrial Symbiosis: Literature and Taxonomy", Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, 25, pp. 313-337; Ehrenfield J.R., Chertow M.R. (2002). "Industrial Symbiosis: The Legacy of Kalundborg", in A Handbook of Industrial Ecology, R.U. and Ayres L.W., Eds. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK; Tong X., Lifset R., Lindhqvist T. (2005). “Extended Producer Responsibility in China Where Is “Best Practice”?”, Journal of Industrial Ecology, Vol. 8, n. 4.

Due a group Research paper

Exam Week

- Presentation of the research papers

Due an Individual essay

Evaluation

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S1405 Globalization, Environment and Sustainable Development

Musu Ignazio

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