Currículo

Ecological Economics ECE-LECO

Contextos

ECTS

6.0 (para cálculo da média)

Objectivos

This curricular unit is designed to provide students with conceptual tools, critical perspectives, and analytical skills necessary to engage with ecological economics and the degrowth debate. By the end of this curricular unit, students will be able to: 1. Understand the foundations of ecological economics ▫ Explain the emergence of ecological economics as a response to ecological limits, social inequality, and the shortcomings of mainstream economics. ▫ Compare and contrast the ontological and epistemological assumptions of ecological economics with those of neoclassical economics. 2. Critically assess economic growth and its limits ▫ Evaluate the social, environmental, and economic implications of growth-oriented policies. ▫ Explore concepts such as planetary boundaries, carrying capacity, and thermodynamic limits, and their relevance to economic thought. 3. Examine alternative conceptions of wellbeing and value ▫ Investigate non-market and non-monetary dimensions of wellbeing, including community, care, sufficiency, and autonomy. ▫ Assess how different conceptions of value challenge mainstream cost-benefit approaches and expand the scope of economic analysis. ▫ Analyze degrowth as both a critique of growth dependency and a constructive vision for reorganizing economies and societies. 4. Critically reflect on policy and practice ▫ Analyze how ecological economics and degrowth perspectives can inform public policy in areas such as climate mitigation, social equity, work-time reduction, and redistribution. ▫ Engage with contemporary debates in ecological economics and degrowth through academic literature, public policy discussions, and activist perspectives. This curricular unit contributes directly or indirectly to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): ▫ SDG 1 – No Poverty ▫ SDG 2 – Zero Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture ▫ SDG 3 – Good Health and Well‑being ▫ SDG 4 – Quality Education ▫ SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities ▫ SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities ▫ SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production ▫ SDG 13 – Climate Action ▫ SDG 14 – Life Below Water ▫ SDG 15 – Life on Land ▫ SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth is addressed critically.

Programa

Chapter 1: What is Ecological Economics 1.1. Humanity's Current Dilemma ▫ The Global Ecosystem and the Economic Subsystem ▫ From Localized Limits to Global Limits: Planetary Boundaries ▫ The Fragmentation of Economics and the Natural Sciences 1.2. What is Ecological Economics? ▫ Historical origins and intellectual foundations of ecological economics ▫ Comparison between ecological economics and mainstream economics ▫ Reintegration of Ecology and Economics Chapter 2: Biophysical Foundations 2.1 Sustainable Scale, Fair Distribution, and Efficient Allocation ▫ From Empty-World Economics to Full-World Economics ▫ Reasons the Turning Point Has Not Been Noticed ▫ Complementarity vs. Substitutability ▫ Policy Implications of and responses to the Historical Turning Point 2.2 Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Ecological Services ▫ Biodiversity and Ecosystems ▫ Ecosystems and Ecological Services ▫ Defining and Predicting Sustainability in Ecological Terms ▫ Ecosystems as Sustainable Systems 2.3 Substitutability vs. Complementarity of Natural, Human, and Manufactured Capital ▫ Growth vs. Development ▫ More on Complementarity vs. Substitutability ▫ More on Natural Capital ▫ Sustainability and Maintaining Natural Capital Chapter 3: Human Needs and Wellbeing 3.1 Measuring Quality of Life, Well-being, and Welfare ▫ Quality of Life, Well-being, and Welfare ▫ Gross Domestic Product and Its Political Importance ▫ GDP: Concepts and Measurement ▫ From GDP to Hicksian Income and Sustainable Development ▫ From GDP to a Measure of Economic Welfare ▫ The Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare and the Genuine Progress Indicator ▫ Toward a Measure of Total Human Welfare ▫ Alternative Models of Wealth and Utility ▫ Sustainable and Desirable “Doughnut” 3.2 Valuation, Choice, and Uncertainty ▫ Fixed Tastes and Preferences and Consumer Sovereignty ▫ Valuation of Ecosystems and Preferences ▫ Uncertainty, Science, and Environmental Policy ▫ Technological Optimism vs. Prudent Skepticism ▫ Social Traps, Escaping Social Traps Chapter 4: Institutions, Instruments, and Policies 4.1. Brief History of Environmental Institutions and Instruments 4.2. The Need to Develop a Shared Vision of a Sustainable Society ▫ Envisioning ▫ Scenario planning ▫ Overcoming roadblock 4.3. Policy Instruments ▫ Regulatory Systems ▫ Incentive-Based Systems ▫ Policies to Achieve Sustainability ▫ Examples of Policies, Instruments, and Institutions Chapter 5: Introduction to Degrowth 5.1. Revisiting the framework of limits to growth and ecological tipping points 5.2. Defining Degrowth, historical roots and evolution of the Degrowth movement 5.3. Degrowth as part of post-growth movements (in opposition to green growth)

Método de Avaliação

The teaching methodology is designed to ensure coherence between the learning objectives and the syllabus defined for the curricular unit, combining structured exposition, active learning, and engagement with practical contexts. Lectures introduce and organize the key concepts, models, and debates — from the historical and biophysical foundations of ecological economics to well‑being metrics, policy instruments, and the framing of degrowth — providing the theoretical and analytical basis needed to understand and compare paradigms. The viewing of documentaries, followed by guided in‑class discussion, brings theory into contact with real‑world cases and contemporary empirical evidence, fostering critical reflection and the ability to apply concepts to complex problems. Seminars with invited speakers — researchers, scientists, and representatives of NGOs, CSOs, collectives, and social movements — offer direct exposure to current debates and public policy implications, broadening the diversity of perspectives and strengthening the articulation between theory and practice. In addition, active‑learning games and workshops, such as the “GDP Mural”, will be used to operationalize core concepts (for example, GDP versus well‑being, biophysical limits, and policy trade‑offs) through collaborative activities that promote participation, synthesis, and knowledge transfer. Readings are essential for active participation: each chapter includes specific recommended readings that frame and deepen the content and support classroom discussion. Assessment in the Regular Period with continuous assessment during the semester consists of two components: ▫ Group project with an in‑class oral presentation, worth 60% of the final grade (40% written report + 20% oral presentation); ▫ Individual essay, written in class, worth 40% of the final grade. Assessment in the Resit Period consists of an individual written examination, worth 100% of the final grade.

Carga Horária

Bibliografia

Não foi definida bibliografia principal

Disciplinas de Execução

2026/2027 - 1 Semestre