ADMECD: Energy, Climate Change and Development

Module code: ADMECD

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Dr Nick Bardsley, email: n.o.bardsley@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module examines the core social and economic processes contributing to climate change and critically assess proposed solutions, drawing on ecological economics and energy economics. It provides a grounding in ecological and energy economics, and show how these can be applied to analyse the causes of climate change. It aims to enable students to critically consider policies for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to foster an appreciation of the complex and holistic nature of the issues involved. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. analyse the workings of the economy as a physical system 
2. analyse the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and the economy, including energy and monetary aspects 
3. describe the likely economic, ecological and social costs of climate change across a range of countries and emissions scenarios 
4. critically evaluate alternative policy proposals for mitigation and adaptation to climate change 

Module content

Topics covered include conventional and resource-based theories of economic growth, the laws of thermodynamics and their consequences for economics, the monetary system as a driver of growth, resource depletion, the application of cost-benefit analysis to climate change, targets for emissions reduction, climate change ethics, cap and trade schemes versus carbon taxes, renewable energy, plus techniques and policies to reduce land-based emissions. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Sessions will consist of two elements, lectures and seminar activities. Exposition of the course material is through the lectures. Student-centred learning is developed through seminar activities distributed during the lectures.  

Study hours

At least 40 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs