Economics and Environmental Governance

Most of humankind has for the past two centuries experienced economic growth and improved living conditions. However, this economic growth, powered by the consumption of fossil fuels, has come at the cost of the environment. Industrialization, energy production, deforestation, agriculture, urbanization, international trade, and changing consumption patterns have led to an unprecedented increase in emissions of greenhouse gases and a nature crisis. One of the consequences is rising global temperatures and climate change.

Climate change affects, among other things, biodiversity, food production, human health, and infrastructure. The full consequences of climate change depend both on where and by how much emissions are reduced and how well we adapt. In the Paris agreement (2015), countries agreed to work towards reducing emissions to keep the increase in the global average temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius (and preferably 1.5 ). To reach this target, the world must enact society wide changes within the next decade and reach net zero emissions by 2050. We need to change both how we produce and consume energy, and how we use land and natural resources. Signatories to the agreement have committed to ambitious (but not legally-binding) climate targets to reduce emissions. However, there is gap between how much countries have said they will reduce and how much is needed to reach the 1.5-degree target.

On top of this, we are facing an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. In the Kumming Montreal-agreement (2022) countries agreed to protect 30% of land and ocean areas by 2030, leading some to call it "the Paris agreement for nature". Together, climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss falls under the broader category of environmental change.

The M-EEG programme will provide a solid understanding of the foundations of environmental change and its effects on society, the environment, and the economy. The program is multidisciplinary, drawing on economics, environmental and resource economics, climate economics, ecological economics, political science, environmental sciences, and human geography. This pluralistic approach to learning will give students a wide set of lenses through which to see the world, the problems and, importantly, sustainable solutions for a better future. The program will give students practical tools of analysis and a broad skillset enabling them to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.