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 topic of value of abatement in environmental policies

Teaching Module (30-45 min)

Use the teaching module, ‘20.6: The measurement challenges of environmental policy’ by CORE to explain the need to measure the value of abatement in the implementation of environmental policy.

• Describe the different methods to measure the benefits of abatement- contingent valuation and hedonic pricing using the examples given in text. Explain the differences in these approaches and how these are used to measure how people value a change in their environment. Discuss how this is measured by the citizens’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the improved environment following the implementation of abatement policies. Enable student learning and evaluate understanding through the in-built exercises and questions.
• You may choose to navigate to the following sections (20.7-20.10) to explain how future technologies and lifestyles could affect people’s preferences, discuss why addressing climate change is so difficult, and why policy choices matter in implementing environmental policies.

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2. Conduct a classroom/laboratory activity to measure the willingness to pay for climate change mitigation

Classroom/Laboratory activity (60-75 min)

Use the project, ‘Measuring willingness to pay for climate change mitigation’ by CORE to conduct a classroom activity using data from an internet survey by the German government.

• The online survey was conducted to measure the citizens’ willingness to pay to reduce carbon emissions as a method of mitigating climate change. The data is made available in Excel, R, and Google Sheets formats
• Direct your students to follow the instructions given in the text to analyze the data to answer the given set of questions.

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3. Reading assignment to enable discussion on the willingness of individuals to contribute towards the common good in the face of climate change

Reading (20 mins)

Ask your students to read the research article, ‘Cooperation in the climate commons’ by Stefano Carattini et al., published by the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

• Use the paper to initiate discussion on the willingness of individuals to reduce the demands on the environmental commons by adopting ‘green’ consumer behavior or by accepting expensive climate policies
• Finally, use the review of cases and situations given in text to discuss whether individuals are willing to cooperate towards climate change mitigation.

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4.Questions/Assignments

Use the tools and the concepts learned so far to discuss and determine answers to the following questions:

• What is the value of abatement in environmental policies?
• Why is it important to measure the value of abatement?
• How is the value of abatement measured?
• Why is estimating the value of abatement important for climate change mitigation?

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

1. What is the value of abatement in environmental policies?
2. Why is it important to measure the value of abatement?
3. How is the value of abatement measured?
4. Why is estimating the value of abatement important for climate change mitigation?