Course Syllabus
Environmental Economics: Challenges of Becoming Green |
| Semester & Location: |
Summer Session 2 / 2026 - DIS Stockholm |
| Type & Credits: |
Core Course - 3 credits |
| Study Tours: |
Dublin, Ireland |
| Major Disciplines: |
Economics, Environmental Studies, Public Policy |
| Faculty Member: |
Fairouz Hussien (current students please use the Canvas Inbox) |
| Time & Place: |
TBA |
Course Description
In this course we will explore the economic dimensions of the global transition to sustainability, with a focus on the challenges, trade-offs, and political tensions that shape pathways toward a greener economy. We will take a critical look into how economic systems, policy tools, and social behaviors interact in attempts to reconcile growth with ecological limits, while actively engaging with questions such as: Can capitalism ever be truly sustainable? What are the limitations of market mechanisms like carbon taxes and tradable permits? How do issues of equity, power, and culture influence environmental policy outcomes?
Our study tour to Dublin will equip us with additional perspectives on how environmental economics takes shape in a national context marked by both opportunity and constraint. Ireland faces sharp tensions between its reliance on agriculture, which sustains rural economies but drives high emissions, and its ambitions for renewable energy and climate leadership. Through visits to farms, wind and solar projects, policy institutions, and urban fieldwork in Dublin, we will examine how food systems, energy transitions, and everyday behavior interact in shaping environmental outcomes.
Drawing on Sweden and Ireland as case studies, together we will investigate core topics in environmental economics, including environmental valuation, cost-benefit analysis, renewable energy transitions, agricultural dilemmas, and green finance.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Critically evaluate sustainability concepts by distinguishing between environmental economics, ecological economics, and broader notions of environmentalism and welfare.
- Apply economic valuation methods (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, contingent valuation, ecosystem services valuation) to real-world environmental goods and services.
- Analyze policy mechanisms such as carbon taxes, emissions trading, Pigouvian taxes, subsidies, and regulatory frameworks, including their strengths, weaknesses, and political economy dimensions.
- Understand behavioral dimensions of sustainability, drawing on behavioral economics, cultural practices, and social norms to explain why individuals and societies struggle to “walk the talk.”
- Synthesize theoretical and practical insights through group projects, fieldwork, and final presentations, demonstrating the ability to connect economic reasoning with real-world environmental dilemmas.
Faculty
Fairouz Hussien
PhD @ Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden), M.Sc. @ Hanken School of Economics (Finland).
Readings
Readings for this course will be drawn from a mix of academic literature, policy reports, and contemporary commentary, providing multiple perspectives on the economic, political, and cultural dimensions of sustainability. Some examples (more will be added) are to be found below:
Main Literature
Aldy, Joseph E., and Zachery Halem. “The Evolving Role of Greenhouse Gas Emission Offsets in Combating Climate Change.”
Aldy, Joseph E. “Learning How to Build Back Better through Clean Energy Policy Evaluation.”
Ramelli, Stefano, Alexander Wagner, Alexandre Ziegler, and Richard Zeckhauser. “Investor Rewards to Climate Responsibility: Stock-Price Responses to the Opposite Shocks of the 2016 and 2020 U.S. Elections”. Harvard Environmental Economics Program, 2021.
Schmalensee, Richard, and Robert N. Stavins. “The Design of Environmental Markets: What Have We Learned From Experience With Cap and Trade?”. Oxford Review of Economic Policy 33, no. 4 (2017): 572–588.
Tosun, J., & Peters, B. G. (2020). The politics of climate change: Domestic and international responses to a global challenge. International Political Science Review, 42(1), 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512120975659
Policies
Chateau, J., Jaumotte, F. and Scherhoww, G. (2022) Climate Policy Options: A Comparison of Economic Performance. IMF Working Paper
Commentary/ non-academic articles
Edward Wong, “As Pollution Worsens in China, Solutions Succumb to Infighting,” New York Times March 21, 2013
Field Studies
During the course our activities will not be always within the walls of the classroom. Instead, to truly come face to face with what is at risk here, we will be venturing outside on a few occasions.
DIS Accommodations Statement
Your learning experience in this class is important to me. If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter on the first days of class. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support academicsupport@dis.dk
Expectations of the Students
I expect all of you to show up to class with a good attitude, and the understanding that your laptop will remain closed unless I state otherwise.
I also expect all of you to have done your readings, homework, and assignments in a timely manner. If you encounter a situation that could cause a delay, please communicate that asap.
Evaluation
Aside from the submitted materials, you will also be evaluated based on in-class work. Some of it will be individual, most of it will be in groups. I do not expect perfection, but I do need to see genuine effort being put into the work you do in class.
Assignments in this course are designed to help you critically engage with the economic, political, and social dimensions of the global transition to sustainability. You will be asked to apply various theoretical tools to examine the challenges and paradoxes that emerge in the green transition discourse. We will also grapple with broader debates around growth, equity, and ecological limits; where do we draw the lines, and what do we do when those lines keep shifting?
Written reflections, problem sets, and case study analyses will connect classroom learning to contemporary challenges, from carbon pricing to renewable energy alternatives. The study tour in Dublin will provide the basis for applied assignments that integrate field observations with course concepts, allowing us to examine the lived reality of maintaining sustainable systems.
By the end of the course, assignments will help you not only master core analytical methods, but also critically assess their effectiveness and limitations in shaping sustainable pathways. You will be expected to engage and participate in presentations and in-class work assignments, as well as tasks assigned during the study tour, and a larger scale project that not only allows you to provide a well-rounded show of what you have learned, but also can serve as a testament to the competencies you take forward with you.
Grading
| Assignment |
Percent |
| In-Class Submissions |
50% |
|
Study Tour Assignments |
30% |
|
Course Project |
20% |
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|