Course Outline

Environmental Studies- Intersecting Policy and Economics

Jindal School of Government and Public Policy
O. P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana

Course Title: Environmental Studies- Intersecting Policy and Economics

Course Code: EVST-2005
Course Duration: One Semester (14 Weeks)
No. of Credit Units: 4.5 credits
Medium of Instruction: English
Instructor: Pratik Phadkule
Email: pphadkule@jgu.edu.in

Course Rationale and Description

The field of environmental studies has never been more critical and relevant than it is today. It is
especially significant in the discipline of public policy and economics. We should study the
environment, nature, and ecology for many reasons today. Pollution, global warming, depletion of
the ozone layer, and loss of biodiversity are some of the most significant causes for us to be worried
about. Degradation of the environment is directly linked with the growth-oriented development
process followed by the state and the private sector. We must become aware of environmental
degradation issues and take steps to prevent further environmental damage.

As the name suggests, this course focuses on environmental and ecological issues in the context of
public policy and economics. Economist Kate Raworth comments on the policy-economics
intersection that “Economics is the mother tongue of public policy. It dominates our decision-
making for the future, guides multi-billion-dollar investments, and shapes our responses to climate
change, inequality, and other environmental and social challenges that define our times.” No one
can deny that economics and public policy is intricately interlinked. Both these disciplines are, in
turn, interlinked with environment and ecology.

We aim to discuss the economic principles and policy frameworks related to environmental issues.
The course will emphasise the interplay between economics and public policy, highlighting the role
of incentives, market mechanisms, laws, principles, policies, and environmental and environmental
regulations. Public policy comprises laws, principles, policies, and regulations intended to govern
human intervention and its interaction with the environment and ecosystems.

This course will examine the economic dimensions of environmental issues and their policy
implications. Students will explore the theories and concepts underlying environmental and

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ecological economics. The course will discuss international and Indian environmental law and
policies, principles and how all these aspects are interrelated regarding environmental protection.

The course examines the significance of environmental governance, the linkages of the environment
and human rights, and Indian policies and legislations related to the environment. The course aims
to highlight the interface of economics, law and policy at the international and national levels. It is
essential to recognise the environmental damage problem and act to prevent further environmental
damage. Economics and public policy are critical tools to stop environmental degradation.

Learning Outcomes

o Understanding the principles of environmental and ecological economics and their

application.
o Appreciating the relationship between economic growth, development, and environmental
sustainability.
o Developing an understanding of environmental law and policies.
o Exploring the interconnection between environmental principles, laws, policies and
regulations.
o Describing the governance and policy issues in the context of environment and ecology.

Scheme of Evaluation

o Classroom Participation and attendance 85% - 5 Marks

o Blog Post – On your topic of interest related to the course – 1000 words – 15 marks.
The blog post will be posted on the student blog we will create. Students are also encouraged
to send these entries to external media outlets.
o Quiz – 30 Marks – Three Quizzes of 10 Marks each – after every four weeks.
o End-Semester Exam: 50 Marks – Exam to test the conceptual understanding of the topics
discussed in the class.

Classroom Policies

o We will follow the university guidelines and policies regarding attendance. I will take
attendance in each class.
o Laptops and cell phones are not encouraged except when required, such as online quizzes or
any other classroom activity. You may be asked to close the laptop and switch off the cell
phone.
o Students are encouraged to participate in the classroom discussion for not just for
participation marks but also to help in the teaching-learning process.

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Disability Support

JGU endeavours to make all its courses accessible to

students. The Disability Support Committee (DSC) has identified conditions that could hinder a
student’s well-being. These include physical and mobility-related difficulties, visual impairment,
hearing impairment, mental health conditions and intellectual/learning difficulties e.g., dyslexia and
dyscalculia. Students with any known disability needing academic and other support are required to
register with the Disability Support Committee (DSC) by following the procedure specified
at https://jgu.edu.in/disability-support-committee/

Students who need support may register any time during the semester until a month before the end-
semester exam begins. Those students who wish to continue receiving support from the previous
semester must re-register within the first month. Last-minute registrations and support might not be
possible, as sufficient time is required to arrange support.

The DSC maintains strict confidentiality about the identity of the student and the nature of
their disability; the same is requested from faculty members and staff as well. The DSC takes a strong
stance against in-class and out-of-class references made about a student’s disability without their
consent and disrespectful comments referring to a student’s disability. All general queries are to be
addressed to disabilitysupportcommittee@jgu.edu.in

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Session Plan
Week Topic
Week Introduction to the Course
1 Need for Environmental
Studies – Present Context
Readings Date
• Introduction to the course, the syllabus, the assessment, and an 1 and 4
introduction to students August
• Orr, D. W. (2004). Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the
Human Prospect. Island Press. (Introduction)
• Orr, D. W. (2004). Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and
the Human Prospect. Island Press. (Chapter 1)
• Robbins, J. (2020, January 9). Ecopsychology: How Immersion in
Nature Benefits Your Health. Yale E360.
• Nisbet, M. C. (2015, May 4). A call for greater diversity of thought in
environmental studies courses. The Conversation.
• Appolloni, S. (2022, April 19). 6 ways to build resilience and hope into
young people’s learning about climate change. The Conversation.

Week Review of Main • Readings will be updated. The presentations will be used. The main 7, 8 and
2 Environmental Issues topics will be as follows: Ecology and Ecosystems; Four Laws of Ecology, 11
Environment, Population and Health August
Week Introduction to • Polasky, S., et. al (2019). Role of economics in analysing the environment 14, 18
3 Environmental Studies, and sustainable development. Proceedings of the National Academy of August
Policy, and Economics Sciences, 116(12), 5233–5238.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1901616116
• Caldwell, L. K. (1963). Environment: A New Focus for Public Policy?
Public Administration Review, 23(3), 132–139.
https://doi.org/10.2307/973837
• Nanda, V., Pring, G. (Rock). (2012). International Environmental Law
and Policy for the 21st Century. Brill. (Chapter 10);

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Week Environmental Economics-
4 An Introduction
Week Ecological Economics - An
5 Introduction
Week Understanding Institutions
6 and Governance; Law and
Policy
• Ludwig, D., Mangel, M., & Haddad, B. (2001). Ecology, Conservation,
and Public Policy. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 32, 481–
517. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2678649
Environment and Economics
• Harris, J. M., & Roach, B. (2022). Environmental and Natural Resource 21,22, 25
Economics: A Contemporary Approach. Routledge. (Chapters 1, 3, 4, 6 August
and 7)
• Kolstad, C. D. (2010). Environmental Economics (2nd edition). OUP
USA. (Chapters 1, 5)
• Harris, J. M., & Roach, B. (2022). Environmental and Natural Resource 28, 29
Economics: A Contemporary Approach. Routledge. (Chapter 9) August,
• Common, M., & Stagl, S. (2005). Ecological Economics: An and 1
Introduction (Illustrated edition). Cambridge University Press. (Chapter Sept.
1)
• Lowi, Theodore J. “Law vs. Public Policy: A Critical Exploration.” 4, 5 and
Scholarship@Cornell Law: A Digital Repository, 2015. 8 Sept.
• Friel, D. (2017). Understanding institutions: Different paradigms,
different conclusions. Revista de Administração, 52(2), 212–214.
• North, D. C., Wallis, J. J., & Weingast, B. R. (2009, February). Violence
and Social Orders: A Conceptual Framework for Interpreting Recorded
Human History. Cambridge Core; Cambridge University Press (Chapter
1 -1.1;1.2)
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Week Environmental Law and • Benson, D., & Jordan, A. (2015). Environmental Policy: Protection and 11,12, and
7 Policy – Introduction and Regulation. In J. D. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the 15 Sept.
Evolution Social & Behavioral Sciences (pp. 778–783). Elsevier.
• Cocklin, C. (2009). Environmental Policy. In R. Kitchin & N. Thrift
(Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Human Geography (pp. 540–545).
Elsevier.
• Kiss, A., & Shelton, D. (2007). Guide to International Environmental
Law. Brill. (Chapters 2, 1);
• Nanda, V., Pring, G. (Rock). (2012). International Environmental Law
and Policy for the 21st Century. Brill. (Chapters 1, 4)
Week Global Environmental • Lemos, M. C., & Agrawal, A. (2006). Environmental Governance. 18,19 and 22
8 Governance. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 31 Sept.
• Nanda, V., Pring, G. (Rock). (2012). International Environmental Law
and Policy for the 21st Century. Brill. (Chapter 5)
Week Principles of Environmental • Nanda, V., Pring, G. (Rock). (2012). International Environmental Law 25,26, and
8 Law and Policy for the 21st Century. Brill. (Chapter 2); 29 Sept.
• Kiss, A., & Shelton, D. (2007). Guide to International Environmental
Law. Brill. (Chapters 5);
Environmental Law and Policy – Indian Perspective
Week Environmental Law and • Divan, S., & Rosencranz, A. (2001). Environmental law and policy in 3 and 6
9 Policy in India- Context, India. OUP (Chapter 1, 2,3) Oct.
Policies and Legislations • Chopra, K. (2017). Development and Environmental Policy in India:
The Last Few Decades. Springer. (Chapter 1)
Week Discussion on Prominent Indicative List 9, 10 and 13
9 Environmental Judgements M.C. Mehta v. Union of India and Others- Writ Petition (Civil) No. 3727 of Oct.
1985
M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath and Others- Writ Petition (Civil) No. 182 of 1996
Week Discussion on Case Studies • Discussion on Case Studies – Bhopal Gas Tragedy 16, 17 and
10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsuUQzhP2Ds 20 Oct.

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 • C. M. Abraham and Sushila Abraham, The Bhopal Case and the
Development of Environmental Law in India, International and
Comparative Law Quarterly, 1991 – CUP
Environmentalism and Environmental Policy
Week Environmental Movements • Chopra K. Development and Environmental Policy in India. (2017) 3, 6 and 7
12 and Environmental Policy. SpringerLink (Chapter 4) Nov.
• Guha, R. (2013). The past & present of Indian environmentalism. The
Hindu.
• Narain, S. (n.d.). Changing environmentalism. India-Seminar. Retrieved
December 11, 2021, from https://www.india-
seminar.com/2002/516/516%20sunita%20narain.htm
• Guha, R. (1988). Ideological Trends in Indian Environmentalism.
Economic and Political Weekly, 23(49), 2578–2581.
Week Upcoming Issues in Documentary Film and Discussion 10 Nov.
13 Environmental Law and https://www.environmentandsociety.org/mml/rights-nature-global-movement
Policy
Week Revision/Presentations
14

Reading List

o Appolloni, S. (2022, April 19). 6 ways to build resilience and hope into young people’s learning about climate change. The
Conversation. http://theconversation.com/6-ways-to-build-resilience-and-hope-into-young-peoples-learning-about-climate-change-
177718
o Benson, D., & Jordan, A. (2015). Environmental Policy: Protection and Regulation. In J. D. Wright (Ed.), International
Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (pp. 778–783). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.91014-6

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o Caldwell, L. K. (1963). Environment: A New Focus for Public Policy? Public Administration Review, 23(3), 132–139.
https://doi.org/10.2307/973837
o Chopra, K. (2017). Development and Environmental Policy in India: The Last Few Decades (1st ed. 2017 edition). Springer.
o Cocklin, C. (2009). Environmental Policy. In R. Kitchin & N. Thrift (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Human Geography (pp.
540–545). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-008044910-4.00569-1
o Common, M., & Stagl, S. (2005). Ecological Economics: An Introduction (Illustrated edition). Cambridge University Press.
o Friel, D. (2017). Understanding institutions: Different paradigms, different conclusions. Revista de Administração, 52(2), 212–
214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rausp.2016.12.001
o Harris, J. M., & Roach, B. (2022). Environmental and Natural Resource Economics: A Contemporary Approach. Routledge.
https://www.routledge.com/Environmental-and-Natural-Resource-Economics-A-Contemporary-Approach/Harris-
Roach/p/book/9780367531386
o Kolstad, C. D. (2010). Environmental Economics (2nd edition). OUP USA.
o Nisbet, M. C. (2015, May 4). A call for greater diversity of thought in environmental studies courses. The Conversation.
http://theconversation.com/a-call-for-greater-diversity-of-thought-in-environmental-studies-courses-39983
o Orr, D. W. (2004). Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect. Island Press.
o Polasky, S., Kling, C. L., Levin, S. A., Carpenter, S. R., Daily, G. C., Ehrlich, P. R., Heal, G. M., & Lubchenco, J. (2019). Role of
economics in analyzing the environment and sustainable development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(12),
5233–5238. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1901616116
o Robbins, J. (2020, January 9). Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health. Yale E360.
https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health

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