UnitLevel 5Postgraduate

ECX5001 Economics of environment and sustainability

Faculty of Business and Economics

ECX5001 Economics of environment and sustainability is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics, offered in 2025 in Semester 2 at Caulfield. It needs ECC1000, ECX5953, ECF5927, ECB1101, ECC5900, ECW1101, ECF1100 or ECX2953.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2025
Semester 2
Caulfield
Assessment
No exam
3 tasks
Workload
144 hours
per semester

This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Requisites

Overview

The unit will begin with a general approach to environmental economics, with a focus on the importance of externalities, property rights, and public goods. The unit will then be broken into sections focusing on major environmental problems such as climate change, air/water pollution, over-exploitation of open access resources and sustainable development. Within each section, there will be a discussion of optimal environmental policies from a theoretical perspective, actual environmental policies that exist around the world, and the current empirical evidence related to each topic.

Offerings in 2025

Teaching periodCampusMode
Second semesterCaulfieldOn campus, block

Assessment

  • Exercise
    35%
  • Quiz / Test
    40%
  • Presentation
    25%

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    understand the basic economic approach to critically thinking about environmental problems and policy

  2. 2

    understand the major policies that exist to solve specific environmental problems

  3. 3

    identify weaknesses in current environmental policy and offer suggestions for how they can be improved

  4. 4

    demonstrate the ability to consume and synthesize the current empirical evidence on specific environmental problems/policies

  5. 5

    understand the major environmental challenges facing the developing world.

Workload and teaching

  • Workshops24 hours
  • Teaching approachActive learning

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.

 

This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.

Where it fits

ECX5001 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2025 handbook.

Contacts

Chief Examiners
Associate Professor Anke Leroux

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for ECX5001?

You need ECC1000, ECX5953, ECF5927, ECB1101, ECC5900, ECW1101, ECF1100 or ECX2953 before you enrol.

When is ECX5001 offered?

In 2025, ECX5001 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield.

How much work is ECX5001?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does ECX5001 have an exam?

No. ECX5001 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.

Which majors and minors include ECX5001?

ECX5001 is part of Business economics and Leadership for sustainable development.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
5
Study level
Postgraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Business and Economics
Organisational unit
Department of Economics
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 4
Study abroad
Available
Handbook years
2021202220232024202520262027