Technology, sustainability and public policy
Summary
Technology is a driver of long-term welfare. Yet it also sometimes threatens sustainable development. This course investigates the links between technology and sustainable development, models causes of failures of sustainable technology, and evaluates public policies that could address them.
Content
Technology is a critical driver of long-term welfare. Yet new technologies have both been the source of unprecedented wealth and the cause of much hardship. Fossil fuel-based energy technologies, for instance, enabled the Industrial Revolution but contribute to severe environmental problems such as air pollution and climate change. Technological solutions to such problems often exist in theory but are frequently deployed too slowly to avoid harm. This course will investigate (1) the connections between technology, welfare, and sustainability, (2) the supply of sustainable technologies and why innovation sometimes fails in this area, (3) the demand for sustainable technologies and why firms, households, and societies sometimes reject them, and (4) policies to address these failures.
Keywords
sustainability, sustainable development, technology adoption, economic development, public policy, economics, society, politics
Learning Prerequisites
Required courses
No prerequisite. Students will be expected to be willing to familiarize themselves with work from a wide range of disciplines.
Recommended courses
Passing familiarity with economic and/political modeling (eg game theory) is useful but not essential.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Synthesize knowledge on sustainability, technology, and public policy
- Model social processes
- Design solutions to complex problems
- Assess / Evaluate solutions to complex problems
Transversal skills
- Demonstrate a capacity for creativity.
- Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
- Communicate effectively with professionals from other disciplines.
Teaching methods
The course will include lectures, in-class exercises, and discussions.
Expected student activities
Students are expected to attend the class and participate in discussions and exercises.
Assessment methods
Modeling assignment (30%)
Policy brief (30%)
Final exam (40%)
Supervision
| Office hours | Yes |
| Assistants | Yes |
| Forum | No |
In the programs
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: Written (summer session)
- Subject examined: Technology, sustainability and public policy
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: Written (summer session)
- Subject examined: Technology, sustainability and public policy
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: Written (summer session)
- Subject examined: Technology, sustainability and public policy
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: Written (summer session)
- Subject examined: Technology, sustainability and public policy
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks