Environmental challenges, and climate change in particular, are at the center of debates about key policy choices that will set the course for a viable future. These debates are crucially shaped by scientific discoveries and controversies. In this course we will examine important literatures on burning issues in climate and environmental economics. We will take a meta-scientific perspective, that is, we will discuss individual policy evaluations, but also systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We will examine how pieces of evidence are generated, how evidence is synthetized and whether a scientific consensus is reached or not. In doing so, we consider the role of biases in the publication process and the role of normative perspectives. The course will be interactive and discussion oriented. The aim of the course is to use economic concepts to structure parts of the climate and environmental policy debate, and to critically reflect on scientific findings using scientific methods. 

The seminar will take place as a block seminar around July 10/11 2025 at the University of Passau.

The syllabus will be published by March 2025, topics will be assigned at the beginning of April 2025.

Please register in StudIP 32500 and send a CV and a current transcript  to DevEcon@uni-passau.de. We will let you know as soon as possible if we can offer you a place in the seminar.

Enrolment period: 13.-20.01.2025