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Alberta School of Business
BUEC 564 Environmental Management: Syllabus Winter 2011
This syllabus will be revised periodically with new information. This version:
January 10 2011
Instructor: Professor Ujjayant Chakravorty (UC)
Class Advisor and Teaching Assistant: Chris Van Tighem Office: 4-30L Business Building
Phone: 780 248 1374 email: [email protected], [email protected]. I prefer the latter and check it more often.
Class: Tue 9.00-11.50 am Bus 4-5
Office Hours: Tuesday 2-4 and by appointment.
Course Overview: This course introduces the basic concepts of
environmental economics and examines their role in environmental policy and decision-making. We will adopt a managerial perspective and discuss how environmental considerations affect resource allocation and decision- making at the firm, government and global levels. The goal of the course is not to teach you environmental economics but to make sure you understand the key economic principles that drive the relationship between business and environment, and help you think analytically through some relevant issues.
Textbooks: There is one required textbook for this course. It is
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Barry Field and Nancy Olewiler, Environmental Economics, McGraw Hill Ryerson, Second Canadian Edition (1995). This book is precise and is especially suited to Canadian environmental issues.
The following book can be used for additional reading. It is more detailed especially in its discussion of the economics of pollution. I will not require its purchase.
Tom Tietenberg, Environment and Natural Resource Economics, Seventh Edition, Pearson: Addison Wesley. This book is good for a general overview of environmental economics and a discussion of specific resource and
pollution problems as well as the concepts of poverty and sustainable development, etc.
Grading: The weights are as follows:
In-class Test: 30%; Case Study: 30% Research Paper: 30%; Class Participation: 10%
The assignment of letter grades is as follows: The top third of the scale gets a plus (+), the bottom third a (-). Example, 97-100 is an A+, 94-96 is an A and 90-93 is an A-.
Letter Grade Grade Range
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F <60
3 Presentations:
There will be two presentations in class: one a case study assigned by me and a research paper for which you will choose the topic and present the basic idea.
Case Study
In groups of 2 or 3, students will be assigned a case related to a particular topic in Environmental Management. Using your knowledge of class material and readings, you will prepare a 10 minute presentation on the subject.
Students are responsible for submitting their PowerPoint slides plus a 2-3 page executive summary to the instructor prior to presentation.
The points breakdown of this evaluation is:
Presentation – 40%
Slides – 30 %
Executive Summary – 20 % Written Material – 10%
Weight 30%
Research Paper
In groups of 2-3, or individually, students will come up with a topic of interest on which they will produce a short 5 minute presentation. This will then be developed into a case that is no longer than 20 pages, which will include no more than 5 pages of analysis. Appendices are above the 20 page limit. The case should highlight a particular environmental management challenge faced by a company. Part One of the project should describe the problem and the strategic options available to the company. Part Two should include your group’s analysis of how the company did and any
recommendations you might have for the company as well for the industry in general.
Points Breakdown:
4 Presentation – 20%
Case Description (Max. 15 pages) – 50 % Analysis and Recommendations – 30 % Weight 30%
Test
In the last class of the term students will complete a 2 hour exam that will assess your knowledge of the principles and concepts discussed in class. It will be an in-class closed book test. Particular emphasis will be placed on the knowledge gained from the text and lecture materials as well as
presentations by outside speakers. The student’s ability to synthesize conceptual information presented in class with operational insights from presentations by speakers will be tested. In order to prepare for the test, I suggest you read the lecture notes and then supplement the reading by going through the requisite chapters form the text. The test will be short multi-part questions that require clear logical answers. There will be no essay-type questions. I will provide statements or present situations which will require your informed and analytical response. The goal is to test your knowledge of the basic economic principles that govern environmental management and ability to apply them. The questions will not be technical or require any computation.
Weight 30%
Classroom Participation
Marks for valuable contributions to classroom discussion and intelligent, well-researched questions for visiting presenters will be awarded to each
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student. Attendance will also be considered as it is expected that all students will attend all classes, unless there is a good reason for their absence.
Weight 10%
I will post some cases that we will study or you will prepare for your
presentations on the course website at Harvard Business Online. I suggest you buy these cases for your preparation and use in the classroom. I will post discussion questions for the cases we study in class. I expect students to be well prepared before they come to class. There will be penalties of up to 50% for any late submissions for the case studies and the term paper.
Academic Misconduct: “The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to
uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behavior (www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and avoid any behavior which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism,
misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.” (GFC 29 Sep 2003)
I will take any and all incidents of plagiarism seriously. It is your
responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with the rules that govern academic misconduct, in particular the following section:
“30.3.2 Inappropriate Academic Behavior, 30.3.2(1) Plagiarism
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No Student shall submit the words, ideas, images or data of another person as the Student’s own in any academic writing, essay, thesis, project,
assignment, presentation or poster in a course or program of study.”
(http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/gfcpolicymanual/policymanualsection30-3- 2.cfm)
More information is available at:
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/gfcpolicymanual/content.cfm?ID_page=376 33
Important Dates
Jan 18 Group Formation and Assignment of Cases Feb 15 Case Study Presentations (10 min)
March 1 Research Paper Idea Presentation (5 min) April 12 In-class Test
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Schedule: Tentative Dates and Topics
Jan 11/18 Introduction to Environmental Economics (UC)
In this class you will be introduced to the fundamental principles of
environmental economics. An overview of what is an externality and how it fits into economic theory. Field and Olewiler Chapters 3,4. Economics of Pollution Control: Standards, Taxes and Pollution Markets, Field and Olewiler Chapter 11,12,13
Jan 25 Regulatory tools used by governments to manage externalities; Alberta’s Environmental Regulatory Regime - Bev Yee, Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Environment
Canada’s Air Quality Standards - Michael Layer, Senior Air Issues Program Manager, Natural Resources Canada
Feb 1 Market-based Externality Tools
Carbon Cap and Trade - Matthew Bramley, Director- Climate Change Pembina Institute
Feb 8 Managing Externalities
Coal Fired Generation - Michael Smith Capital Power
Carbon Capture and Storage - Mike Fernandes - Alberta Energy
Feb 15 Case Study Presentations
8 Feb 22 Reading Week – No Class
March 1 Term Paper Idea Presentations
Mitigating Externalities: Reclamation of mine sites and tailings ponds - Chris Powter
March 8 Benefit-Cost Analysis of Externalities
Federal Environmental Impact Assessments- Michelle Camilieri - Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
March 15 Economic Management of Natural Resources - Water
Water Trading in Alberta – Mike Kelly - Alberta Water Council - Confirmed Full Cost Accounting in Water Treatment – Ralph Schroth - Alberta
Environment
March 22 Economic Rents from Natural Resources
Economic Importance of Oil Sands to Alberta – Matthew Machielse, ADM Oilsands Division, Alberta Energy
March 29 Regulatory Challenges to Development
The Mackenzie Gas Pipeline - Robert J. Reid, Aboriginal Pipeline Group
April 5 Biofuels and Environmental Sustainability (UC) Test Review
April 12 In-Class Test and Closure