In this course we will take a look at the “Green City” Freiburg: Historical roots and citizens’ movements; local environmental policy-making in light of greater (national and supranational) legal frameworks; policy measures in different areas of environmental concern; business ideas and opportunities in Freiburg and the “Regio”, its surrounding region. In four accompanying field trips, we will get to know local enterprises and learn firsthand about the relevance of economic incentives, the “Freiburg factor”, and individual entrepreneurship in doing “green business”.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
· Define the foundations of environmental policy
· Recognize what constitutes Freiburg as a “Green City”
· Explain various policy measures in different areas of environmental concern
· Critically discuss green business in and around Freiburg through first-hand experience
· Assess environmental policy outcomes through critical reflection
· Give examples of possibilities and limits regarding the transfer to other cities
Method of presentation:
Lecture, discussion, student presentations, field trips
Required work and form of assessment:
Classroom Participation: This includes both contributions to discussion as well as a “green press”
presentation (summary of one week’s articles about green Freiburg in the local newspaper).
Freiburg Green Diary: Students will reflect individually about an environmental policy measure, project or green business idea they have come across in Freiburg.
Renewable Energy Project: Students will work in teams on particular questions regarding renewable energy policy: group presentation, peer review and individual write-up.
Term Paper: Based on one of the presented “green press” articles, their diary entry, or their project, students write a 10-13 page long research paper
Final Exam: Comprehensive in nature, consisting of structured short questions and a longer essay question.
Grading:
Assignment % of Grade
Class Participation 15 %
Freiburg Green Diary 10 %
Renewable Energy Project 25 %
Term Paper 25 %
Final Exam 25 %
content:
Introduction
Session 1: Introduction & Organizational issues
Session 2: Freiburg – a primer: History, Politics, Economy, Society and Environment
Reading: Frey, pp. 32 - 67
Short video about Freiburg on Moodle, feat. the “green” mayor:
Session 8: Renewable Energy Project I: Introduction; Work on content
Readings: BMU; US EPA; REN21
Session 9: Renewable Energy Project II: Work on content
Readings: BMU; US EPA; REN21
Session 10: Renewable Energy Project III: FIELD TRIP 2: “Freiburg Renewable Power”
Session 11: Renewable Energy Project IV: Work on Presentations
Readings: BMU; US EPA; REN21
Session 12: Renewable Energy Project V: Presentations
Session 13: Green Production and Consumption I: Agriculture and the Environment; Reading: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, pp. 36-43
Session 14: Green Production and Consumption II: FIELD TRIP 3 “Dachswanger Mühle” (organic farm)
Session 15: Sustainable Transport (Lessons from Transport Economics; Freiburg’s Traffic Concepts: public transport strategies; discouraging use of cars;encouraging use of bikes) Reading: Stadt Freiburg, Ch. I, 2; Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, pp.44-51
Video on moodle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLVDohGS9xM
Green Freiburg: The Triangle of Municipal Government – Businesses and Institutions – The Citizens
Session 16: City Planning and citizens’ participation
Reading: Stadt Freiburg, Ch. I, 1 and Ch. III, 1 and 3
Session 17: Environmental Education and “Green Tourism” in Freiburg: Ökostation, Waldhaus, Mundenhof; Green City Office; Solar tours,
Session 18: Research institutes and international environmental organisations (Fraunhofer ISE, ICLEI, Ökoinstitut,…); Uni Freiburg: a Green University?
Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit (BMU): Erneuerbare Energien – Innovation für eine nachhaltige Energiezukunft, 2011
Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (ed.): Umweltpolitik – Informationen zur politischen Bildung,
2008
Frey, Wolfgang: Freiburg Green City – Wege zu einer nachhaltigen Stadtentwicklung, 2011
Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21): Renewables 2010 Global Status
Report, 2010
Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau: Umweltpolitik in Freiburg, 2010
Stengel, Martin and Kerstin Wüstner (eds.): Umweltökonomie, 1997
US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA): Renewable Portfolio Standard Factsheet, 2009
Recommended readings:
Altmann, Jörn: Umweltpolitik, 1998
Feess, Eberhard: Umweltökonomie und Umweltpolitik, 2007
Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (ed.): Freiburg Green City, 2008
Various newspaper articles
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Annette Kern holds a Master's degree in economics from the University of Freiburg, and a post-graduate qualification in Japanese language and culture from Tübingen University and Doshisha University/Kyoto. She previously worked for Green Cross International, an environmental NGO in Geneva/Switzerland. Currently, she is working as the International Program Coordinator at the Department of Economics at Freiburg University. She has also been lecturing in Competition Policy, and International Economics at IES Abroad as well as at the University.
In this course we will take a look at the “Green City” Freiburg: Historical roots and citizens’ movements; local environmental policy-making in light of greater (national and supranational) legal frameworks; policy measures in different areas of environmental concern; business ideas and opportunities in Freiburg and the “Regio”, its surrounding region. In four accompanying field trips, we will get to know local enterprises and learn firsthand about the relevance of economic incentives, the “Freiburg factor”, and individual entrepreneurship in doing “green business”.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
· Define the foundations of environmental policy
· Recognize what constitutes Freiburg as a “Green City”
· Explain various policy measures in different areas of environmental concern
· Critically discuss green business in and around Freiburg through first-hand experience
· Assess environmental policy outcomes through critical reflection
· Give examples of possibilities and limits regarding the transfer to other cities
Lecture, discussion, student presentations, field trips
Classroom Participation: This includes both contributions to discussion as well as a “green press”
presentation (summary of one week’s articles about green Freiburg in the local newspaper).
Freiburg Green Diary: Students will reflect individually about an environmental policy measure, project or green business idea they have come across in Freiburg.
Renewable Energy Project: Students will work in teams on particular questions regarding renewable energy policy: group presentation, peer review and individual write-up.
Term Paper: Based on one of the presented “green press” articles, their diary entry, or their project, students write a 10-13 page long research paper
Final Exam: Comprehensive in nature, consisting of structured short questions and a longer essay question.
Grading:
Assignment % of Grade
Class Participation 15 %
Freiburg Green Diary 10 %
Renewable Energy Project 25 %
Term Paper 25 %
Final Exam 25 %
Introduction
Session 1: Introduction & Organizational issues
Session 2: Freiburg – a primer: History, Politics, Economy, Society and Environment
Reading: Frey, pp. 32 - 67
Short video about Freiburg on Moodle, feat. the “green” mayor:
http://vimeo.com/4629291
Session 3: Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy: Environmental Externalities; Pollution Control Targets and Instruments
Reading: Stengel/Wüstner, pp. 35-66
Session 4: Environmental Policy: A multi-level field of policy: Supranational – National – Local
Reading: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, pp. 52-74
Environmental Policy Areas
Session 5: Waste Management I – global trends and German policies (green dot/yellow bag; the can deposit); Freiburg’s waste management in practise
Reading: Stadt Freiburg, Ch. I, 5
Session 6: Waste Management II: FIELD TRIP 1: “Recyclinghof Freiburg”
Session 7: Energy Management – trends and policies; Freiburg’s targets and projects; electricity from Renewable Sources
Reading: Stadt Freiburg, Ch. I, 4
Freiburg’s CO2 Diet: http://www.freiburg.de/servlet/PB/menu/1171114_l1/index.html
Session 8: Renewable Energy Project I: Introduction; Work on content
Readings: BMU; US EPA; REN21
Session 9: Renewable Energy Project II: Work on content
Readings: BMU; US EPA; REN21
Session 10: Renewable Energy Project III: FIELD TRIP 2: “Freiburg Renewable Power”
Session 11: Renewable Energy Project IV: Work on Presentations
Readings: BMU; US EPA; REN21
Session 12: Renewable Energy Project V: Presentations
Session 13: Green Production and Consumption I: Agriculture and the Environment; Reading: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, pp. 36-43
Session 14: Green Production and Consumption II: FIELD TRIP 3 “Dachswanger Mühle” (organic farm)
Session 15: Sustainable Transport (Lessons from Transport Economics; Freiburg’s Traffic Concepts: public transport strategies; discouraging use of cars;encouraging use of bikes) Reading: Stadt Freiburg, Ch. I, 2; Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, pp.44-51
Video on moodle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLVDohGS9xM
Green Freiburg: The Triangle of Municipal Government – Businesses and Institutions – The Citizens
Session 16: City Planning and citizens’ participation
Reading: Stadt Freiburg, Ch. I, 1 and Ch. III, 1 and 3
Session 17: Environmental Education and “Green Tourism” in Freiburg: Ökostation, Waldhaus, Mundenhof; Green City Office; Solar tours,
Reading: Stadt Freiburg, Ch. III, 2
Info on project „200 Familien fürs Klima“:
http://www.freiburg.de/servlet/PB/menu/1238743_l1/index.html
Session 18: Research institutes and international environmental organisations (Fraunhofer ISE, ICLEI, Ökoinstitut,…); Uni Freiburg: a Green University?
Reading: website www.nachhaltige.uni-freiburg.de
Session 19: The Green City and its image: praise by international media; critique by environmental organisations
Readings: Stadt Freiburg, Ch. I, 7; various articles and online sources on moodle, e.g.
http://www.badische-zeitung.de/freiburg/green-city-das-ausland-entdeckt-die-oeko- vorzeigestadt--15002673.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/23/freiburg.germany.greenest.city
http://vorort.bund.net/suedlicher-oberrhein/freiburg-oekohauptstadt- umwelthauptstadt.html
Session 20: Vauban has it all?
Reading: Frey, pp. 100-141
Session 21: FIELD TRIP 4: Quartier Vauban
Session 22: Final discussion
Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit (BMU): Erneuerbare Energien – Innovation für eine nachhaltige Energiezukunft, 2011
Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (ed.): Umweltpolitik – Informationen zur politischen Bildung,
2008
Frey, Wolfgang: Freiburg Green City – Wege zu einer nachhaltigen Stadtentwicklung, 2011
Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21): Renewables 2010 Global Status
Report, 2010
Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau: Umweltpolitik in Freiburg, 2010
Stengel, Martin and Kerstin Wüstner (eds.): Umweltökonomie, 1997
US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA): Renewable Portfolio Standard Factsheet, 2009
Altmann, Jörn: Umweltpolitik, 1998
Feess, Eberhard: Umweltökonomie und Umweltpolitik, 2007
Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (ed.): Freiburg Green City, 2008
Various newspaper articles
Annette Kern holds a Master's degree in economics from the University of Freiburg, and a post-graduate qualification in Japanese language and culture from Tübingen University and Doshisha University/Kyoto. She previously worked for Green Cross International, an environmental NGO in Geneva/Switzerland. Currently, she is working as the International Program Coordinator at the Department of Economics at Freiburg University. She has also been lecturing in Competition Policy, and International Economics at IES Abroad as well as at the University.