AF7020 - Economics for Sustainability

You will explore the relationship between sustainability and economic growth and development through a mix of lectures (12 hours), interactive seminars (24 hours), independent learning, structured engagement, and tutor support. Additional subject-area guest speakers may also come to present.



You will be provided with a teaching and learning plan (TLP) which will detail the weekly structure and content of the module, providing you with a guide for pre-seminar reading, research and preparatory activities. The TLP will also provide suggested learning activities to guide your independently directed (82 hours) and self-directed (82 hours) learning. You will be expected to undertake independent learning by engaging with activities such as reading newspapers, business journals and watching relevant international documentaries to broaden your knowledge of the issues and challenges surrounding sustainability, environmental protection and economic growth and development. These activities will allow you to reflect and evaluate your knowledge and skills and prepare you for contributing to interactive and student-led discussions and activities during seminars.



Lectures will provide an in-depth introduction to foundational economic concepts to analyse, appraise and evaluate a wide range of sustainability problems and policies. You will undertake a range of formative assessments, which are unassessed, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes and many others to help prepare you for the summative assessment. Interactive seminars will provide an opportunity to enhance and explore your own understanding through discussion of case-studies, tutor guided and student-led discussion and practical group activities. Throughout the module, there will be an emphasis on high levels of student participation, both individual and within small groups or teams.

Throughout this module your learning will be supported by the module teaching team and your personal tutor, who will be available to provide feedback and answer your questions either in person or by email. During seminars your tutor will provide regular formative feedback to support your learning. You will be expected to engage with web-based discussion boards as an opportunity to collaborate and explore topics with peers and get informal peer review and feedback.



You will also be provided with access to a range of reading and visual materials, including journal articles, reports, international documentaries, newspaper and magazine articles, videos, blogs, and company reports through the e-Learning platform (eLP). The teaching and learning plan (TLP) will provide a wide-ranging reading list (with links) of both core and supplementary materials to guide and support your independent learning and preparation for lectures and seminars.



To assist your learning and research, you will also have access to the University’s library facilities, including extensive electronic resources, eBooks and electronic academic journal articles.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

Understand the nature, determinants and trajectories of economic growth and development and sustainability (MLO1).



Interpret the role of the firm, government, and individuals to the challenges of sustainable economic development across a range of countries (MLO2).





Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

Integrate and apply your knowledge, and skills to foster innovative economic strategies towards sustainable development (MLO3).



Develop your research skills by investigating issues and challenges around the interdependence of the environment, society and economic systems and their impact on sustainability (MLO4).





Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

Develop your interpersonal and communication skills (MLO5).

Formative Assessment

Throughout, unassessed formative assessment will take place through applied individual and group activities. You will be encouraged to engage in research, writing and discussion through problem sets, case studies, reports, web-based quizzes, presentations, peer review activities and web-based discussion boards.



Summative Assessment

This module will be assessed through a combination of:

An infographic on a topic which links a concept presented in the lectures or seminars to innovative economic strategies for sustainability (40% weight).



A 2000-word individual research essay (60% weight) that will give you an opportunity to develop a research-based essay to capture the concepts surrounding the topic covered in your infographic. The research essay should complement the infographic and provide a research-based insight into the topic expanding on issues addressed in the infographic and demonstrate how your skills have developed over the course of the module.



Both assessment components will address (MLO1, MLO2, MLO3, MLO4 and MLO5).

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One of the central threats of the 21st century to sustainable development has been the striking increase of use of non-renewable resources, contributing to the growing global issues of resource scarcities, political instability, and market failures. The Economics for Sustainability module will provide you with the tools and skills to contribute to the work of developing economic strategies for efficient, and circular resource use towards a sustainable future.



This module will equip you with the knowledge and understanding to critically analyse and evaluate the wide range of economic issues and challenges associated with sustainable development. This module will integrate concepts and theories from economic geography, political science, and business management to help you analyse the mutual interdependence of the environment, society, and economic systems.



You will explore key topics on the effect of institutions (e.g. property rights), externalities, and imperfect markets on the allocation of resources across a range of both developed and developing nations. This will provide you with an opportunity to examine the real-world challenges faced by countries at different levels of economic development, in balancing economic growth and sustainability and what that means for globalisation and environmental protection.



At the end of this module you will be able to apply theory and economic and sustainability frameworks to analyse micro- and macro-economic landscapes and policy options available to a range of countries towards sustainable futures.