Ateneo - UPO

The topic of economic policies for sustainability is central to the contemporary debate on how to reconcile economic development, environmental protection, and social justice.
The course explores how economic policies can guide the behavior of businesses, consumers, and institutions toward more sustainable development models, encouraging changes in current business practices and behavioral patterns.

Lecture notes and materials provided on the DIR platform.

Promote awareness of the interactions between the economy, the environment, and society.
Develop a critical and responsible mindset in relation to sustainability challenges.
Provide conceptual and empirical tools to analyze and evaluate sustainable public policies.

No requirements

To achieve these objectives, the course emphasizes continuous interaction between the teacher and the class and will focus primarily on:
Case discussions aimed at encouraging students to reflect on the examples presented and to develop their ability to analyze and interpret the context in which businesses operate and will operate in the future;
Guest speakers and expert testimonies, allowing students to engage directly with practitioners and specialists on the topics covered in the course, in order to develop the skills needed to analyze and evaluate economic policies for sustainability.

None

Multiple-choice test

Concept of sustainability: origin, evolution, and dimensions (environmental, economic, social)
Policies of international institutions (UN, OECD, EU, World Bank) and the Italian State
Economic policy instruments for sustainability:
Fiscal instruments (Environmental taxes - carbon tax, resource consumption taxes - and green subsidies)
Regulation (Environmental standards, technical standards, quantitative limits)
Market instruments:
Emission trading systems (ETS)
Compensation mechanisms (offsetting)
Sustainable finance: green bonds, ESG investments, EU taxonomy

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:
Describe the main instruments used by economic policy makers for sustainability (environmental taxes, subsidies, regulations, ETS, etc.).
Analyze concrete examples of sustainable policies at national and international levels.
Evaluate the effectiveness and social, environmental, and economic implications of such policies.
Use economic-environmental indicators (e.g., SDGs, ecological footprint, green GDP).
Argue economic policy proposals from a sustainability perspective.