Climate Change Education Across the Curricula, Across the Globe

Climate Change Education Across the Curricula

Lesson Plan: Economic Policy for ‘Green Recovery’ from the Pandemic

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As an Undergraduate Economics teacher, you can use this lesson plan to teach your students how countries around the world design economic policies for a ‘green recovery’ from the economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, by reducing carbon emissions while boosting their economies.

Through this lesson plan your students will be introduced to one of the most significant issues of our times- Climate Change- and will be able to learn how economic policies can be designed for a ‘green recovery’ from the coronavirus pandemic. In this lesson plan, students will be able to learn through a classroom activity, the role of carbon pricing in the reduction of carbon emissions and its significance for climate mitigation. Further, this activity will enable students to discuss how carbon pricing vis a vis carbon taxes, could help governments’ ‘green recovery’ economic strategies to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic related economic slowdown. Thus, the use of this lesson plan allows you to integrate the teaching of a climate science topic with a core topic in Economics.

Questions

Use this lesson plan to help your students find answers to:

  1. What does ‘green recovery’ mean in economic terms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?
  2. What are some of the economic stimulus packages designed by governments for a ‘green recovery’ from the coronavirus pandemic?
  3. How does carbon pricing help to reduce carbon emissions? What is its significance in the economic recovery plans from the COVID-19 pandemic?
  4. What could be the impact of ‘green recovery’ economic policies for climate mitigation?

About Lesson Plan

Grade Level Undergraduate
Discipline Economics
Topic(s) in Discipline Environmental Economics, Green Recovery

Carbon Emissions, Carbon Pricing, Carbon Taxes
Climate Topic Policies, Politics and Environmental Governance

Energy, Economics and Climate Change

Climate Mitigation and Adaptation
Location Global
Language(s) English
Access Online, Offline
Approximate
Time Required		 120-150 min

Contents

Reading

(10 min)

 A reading to introduce the COVID-19 narrative alongside climate change, in defining future economic policies.

This can be accessed here.
Reading

(25 min)

 An interactive webpage to track the world’s COVID-19 related ‘green recovery’ plans aimed at reducing carbon emissions while boosting economies.

This can be accessed here.
Reading

(10 min)

 A policy brief about the importance of pricing carbon for a ‘green recovery’ from the coronavirus pandemic.

This can be accessed here.
Classroom/ Laboratory Activity

(75-90+ min)

 A classroom activity to enable discussion on economic policy options such as carbon pricing, carbon taxes, and emissions trading for reducing carbon emissions in the context of ‘green recovery’ from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This can be accessed here.

 

Here is a step-by-step guide to using this lesson plan in the classroom/laboratory. We have suggested these steps as a possible plan of action. You may customize the lesson plan according to your preferences and requirements.

1 Introduce the COVID-19 narrative alongside climate change, in defining future economic policies Use the reading, ‘The coming battle for the COVID-19 narrative’ by Samuel Bowles, Research Professor and Director of the Behavioral Sciences Program, Santa Fe Institute and Wendy Carlin, Professor of Economics, UCL for VOX, CEPR Policy Portal, to explain how the COVID-19 pandemic will be an important consideration alongside climate change, in the future narrative of economics and public policy.

This can be accessed here.
2 Introduce the economic strategies planned by governments world-wide to enable a ‘green recovery’ from the coronavirus pandemic

 

 Use the webpage, ‘Coronavirus: Tracking how the world’s ‘green recovery’ plans aim to cut emissions’ by Carbon Brief to explain the different strategies planned by various governments for their nations’ economic recovery. Use the in-built interactive grid to discuss the measures aimed at reducing carbon emissions- referred as ‘green’ measures- for several major economies such as United Kingdom, European Union, China, and India. Highlight the sector-wise application of monetary policy such as stimulus packages, unconditional bailouts, grants, loans, and tax reliefs to enable a post-pandemic green economic recovery.

This can be accessed here.
3 Discuss the importance of pricing carbon for a ‘green recovery’ from the coronavirus pandemic

 

 Use the policy brief, ‘Pricing carbon during the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic’ by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, to discuss their recommendations for governments globally including zero-carbon investments, removal of fossil-fuel subsidies, and using carbon pricing revenues for economic recovery. Emphasize on carbon pricing as an effective strategy to reduce carbon emissions worldwide (refer to the additional resources section).

This can be accessed here.
4 Conduct a classroom activity to enable discussion on economic policy options for reducing carbon emissions Use the classroom activity, ‘Carbon Emissions Game’ by Gautam Sethi, Bard College for SERC, to enable discussion on economic policy options such as carbon pricing, carbon taxes, and emissions trading for reducing carbon emissions. Follow the instructions for the activity and conduct discussions on the effective use of economic tools such as carbon pricing in reducing carbon emissions for the global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This can be accessed here.

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