COURSE OUTLINE

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT KOZHIKODE

EXECUTIVE POST GRADUATE PROGRAMME IN MANAGEMENT

Course Code EPGP13-404

Course Title Environmental Governance and Sustainability
Instructor Prof. L. Venkatachalam
Contact E-mail id and Phone No. [email protected]
Course credit 1.5
Session duration 15 Hours
Term/Quarter/Year IV
Core/Elective/Workshop
Area* Economics

1. Course Description

Environmental problems and global environmental change are complex, transboundary, multi-level and
multisector issues, that need to be dealt with an integrated approach at all administrative levels. Cases of
environmental governance on various levels will be contrasted and compared, together with overlaps
between environmental issues and other domains like trade and security. The course will give opportunity
to reflect on these cases. Climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation being the two important
challenge of the century, countries around the world have been making significant arrangements to attain
social and economic development through climate resilient and environmentally sustainable manner. The
course will draw upon the combined governance, environmental and extractive sector expertise of the
respective agencies and their partners to support countries to integrate environment and human rights into
the governance of various anthropogenic activities. Using the nexus between the environment and human
rights as a lens, the Environmental Governance takes an integrated approach to sustainable natural resource
management, that focuses on addressing the drivers of conflict, environmental degradation, inequality,
exclusion, and poverty simultaneously.

Given that many environmental resources fall outside the configuration of markets, they remain
unaccounted for in the standard economic analysis. This course introduces the scope of market mechanism
to correct this situation by emphasizing the need for complete property rights which has radical
consequences for environmental management. Simultaneously it also highlights the fact that what market
or incentive mechanisms can perform for internalization of environmental externalities should not be
exaggerated due to complexity of the environmental functions, incomplete information, and risk and
uncertainty associated with the environmental processes. These issues are more pertinent in the Indian
context given the considerable intrageneration inequity in a developing country as opposed to a developed
country. It is in this context that this course emphasizes upon the need for involving civil-society based
actors such as local communities and nongovernmental organizations in environmental conservation and
management at the grassroots. This strategy implies an effective employment of local collective actions as
well as social capital in facilitating environmental governance. The course also highlights how
environmental public interest litigation and the resultant judicial activism in India have emerged as the
most potent instrument to achieve environmental conservation and management. Finally, this course
analyses various environmental issues and opportunities at the local, national and international level and
in the business context by using an interdisciplinary approach.

2. Learning Outcomes (give at least 3expectedoutcomes)

Candidates who successfully complete the course are expected to be able to:
 Describe and understand the complexity of environmental problems, and drivers of and societal
solutions to global environmental change.
  Describe and understand concepts that are central to the study of environmental governance,
including sustainable development, multi-level governance, and the importance of institutions.
 Employ and argue for different ideological perspectives to explain and propose solutions to global
environmental change.
 Discuss design and implementation of environmental governance on different political and
managerial levels.
 Critically discuss issues of power and inequality in relation to environmental governance.

3. Pedagogy

The course consists of lectures, classroom discussions; online assessments; seminars. The seminars include
oral presentations and written assignments. This will offer the opportunity to further discuss issues and
concepts introduced throughout the course. Participation in the seminars is mandatory.

4. Required Text Book

Callan, Scott J and Janet M. Thomas (2012). Environmental Economics and Management: Theory,
Policy, and Applications, South-Western Press, Australia

Rogers, P. K.F. Jalal and J.A. Boyd (2008). An Introduction to Sustainable Development, Earthscan,
2008

Additional Readings:

Glaser, M., Krause, G., Ratter, B.M. and Welp, M. eds., 2012. Human-nature interactions in the
anthropocene: potentials of social-ecological systems analysis. Routledge.

Hamilton, Clive, Christophe Bonneuil, and François Gemenne, eds. The anthropocene and the
global environmental crisis. London: Routledge, 2015.

Russell K. Monson, 2014. Ecology and the Environment. Springer Dordrecht, Heidelberg, New
York

Cutter, S. and William, R., Exploitation, Conservation, Preservation: A geographic perspective

on natural resource use, John Haynes – Bohaham, 2001.

Rogers, P. K.F. Jalal and J.A. Boyd, An Introduction to Sustainable Development, Earthscan, 2008

-Additional reading
Deb, D. Beyond Developmentality: Constructing Inclusive Freedom and Sustainability, Daanish Books,
2009

Sengupta, R. 2012. Ecological Limits and Economic Development, Oxford University Press, Delhi

Murty, M.N. 2009. Environment, Sustainable Development, and Well-being: Valuation, Taxes and
Incentives, Oxford University Press, Delhi

UNU-HIS, UNEP, Inclusive Wealth Report 2014: Measuring Progress Towards Sustainability, Cambridge
University Press, 2014.

Ballabh, V. (Ed.) (2008). Governance of Water: Institutional Alternatives and Political Economy.
Sage Publications, New Delhi.

Burrow, C. J. (2005). Environmental Management and Development. Routledge, New York.

Danino, M. (2010). The Lost River: On the train of the Saraswati. Penguin Books, New Delhi.

Kerr, J. M., Marothia, D. K., Singh, K., Ramasamy, C., Bentley, W. R. (Eds.) (1997). Natural
Resource Economics – Theory and Application in India. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH.

Ostrom, E. (1990) Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Sainath, P. (1996). Everyone Loves a Good Drought: Stories from India’s Poorest Districts.
Penguin Books, New Delhi.

Sterner T. & Coria, J. (2012). Policy Instruments for Environmental and Natural Resource
Management. New York: RFF Press, Routledge.

5. Evaluation Components

Component Weightage
Online Assessment (Quiz) 20%
Term paper (Manuscript +Presentation) 30%
End term exam (50% or more) 50%
TOTAL 100%
6. Session Details (please add rows as required)

Session Topics Readings Cases Remarks

No.
1 Introduction to Irfan, Z.B. and Nehra, A., 2016. Analysing the aid Clark, P. (2014). A world without This module introduces to the subject of
environmental effectiveness on the living standard: A check-up on water. 14 July 2014, Financial Times. environmental governance.
governance & Southeast Asian countries. Journal of Urban Available at: http://iglegacy.
sustainable development Management, 5(1), pp.23-31. ft.com/content/8e42bdc8- It is achieved by analyzing local, regional
- Local, regional and Pelenc, J, Ballet, J. & Dedeurwaerdere, T. (2015) 0838-11e4-9afc-00144feab7de#slide0 and transboundary issues, and presenting a
transboundary issues Weak sustainability versus strong sustainability. critical review of sustainable development
- Sustainable development Brief for GSDR 2015.Available at: Water as a scare resource: An interview and emphasizing that equity is an essential
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/docu with Nestle’s chairman. McKinsey attribute of sustainable development.
ments/6569122-Pelenc- Quarterly, 2010 1, 75–78.
Weak%20Sustainability%20versus%20Strong%20S This module also provides an overview of
ustainability.pdf From Rags to Riches – Hiware Bazaar the ongoing international negotiations to
Village. See http://hiwarebazar. limit greenhouse gas emissions from the
epanchayat.in/ equity perspective.

Manku (2016) Water guzzling beverage firms are

trying to give it back.
2 Scope of market Bagla, P. (2009). Climate change: No sign yet of The Economist (2014) Unilever: In search of the In this module, the scope of market
mechanism in Himalayan meltdown, Indian report finds. Science good business (For the second time in its 120 year mechanism in the context of environmental
environmental 326, 924–925. history, Unilever is trying to redefine what it governance would be discussed. This session
governance; Collective means to be a virtuous company). August 9, will also highlight the fact that what market
action & property rights Kerr, J. M. (1997). Market failures in natural 2014. See http://www.economist.com/news/busi mechanism should not be exaggerated due to
for sustainable resource management. In: J.M. Kerr, D.K. Marothia, ness/21611103-second-time-its-120- complexity of environmental functions.
development K. Singh, C.Ramasamy & W.R. Bentley (Eds.), year-history-unilever-trying-redefinewhat-
Natural resource economics – Theory and it-means-be The basic concepts of property rights and
application in India, Chapter 8. New Delhi: Oxford various types of property regimes and their
& IBH. ITC Sustainability Reports. Available at: role in environmental and natural resources
https://www.itcportal.com/sustainabili conservation and management will also
Nadkarni, M. V., Kerr, J. M., & Ravichandran, M. ty/sustainability-report.aspx be covered. These sessions would highlight
(1997).Economics of externalities and pollution the work of Elinor Ostrom (2009 Nobel
abatement in India. In: J. M. Kerr, D. K. Marothia, Government of India (2012) National Water Laureate in Economic Sciences) by
K. Singh, C.Ramasamy & W. R. Bentley (Eds.), Policy. Ministry of Water Resources, analyzing long-enduring, self-organized, and
Natural resourceeconomics – Theory and application New Delhi. self-governed common property resources.
in India, Chapter 7.New Delhi: Oxford & IBH. These sessions would also enable the
Loh, Lawrence, Thomas Thomas, and Yu students to have an appreciation of local
Adhikari, B. (2009). Market-based approaches to Wang. "Sustainability reporting and ecological wisdom, cultural norms and social
environmental management: AQ review of lessons firm value: Evidence from Singapore- capital in management and conservation of
Listed companies." Sustainability 9.11 natural resources, and the role and process of
 from payment for environmental services in Asia. (2017): 2112. rehabilitation & resettlement in view of land
ADBI Working Paper Series No. 134. Available at acquisition for business houses.
http://www.adbi.org/files/2009.03.26.wp134.market.
based.approaches.environmental.mngt.pdf

Ostrom, E. (2004). Collective action and property

rights for sustainable development: Understanding
collective action.In: Ruth S. Meinzen-Dick & M. Di
Gregorio (Eds.), Collective action and property
rights for sustainable development, pp. 5–6. IFPRI:
Washington, DC.
3 Market failures & Bose, D.K. (1999). International trade in emission of Starbucks Global Responsibility Report The problem of market failure—the failure
internalization of greenhouse gases: Costly bargain for developing (2015) What is the role and responsibility of a for- of the society to generate solutions to some
environmental countries. Economic& Political Weekly 34(1), 17– profit public company? See: problems resulting in environmental
externalities 18. https://www.starbucks.com/responsibi degradation, and provide a comparative
lity/global-report analysis of administrative mechanisms and
UNEP (2008). Payments for Ecosystem Services, incentive mechanisms for internalization of
Getting Started: A Primer. See: environmental externalities, and also show
http://www.unep.org/pdf/PaymentsForEcosystemSer how environmental public interest litigation
vices_en.pdf (PIL) and the resultant judicial activism
in India have emerged as the most potent
Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade. Note. Available at instrument for overcoming environmental
http://www.env- problems. Further would provide an
econ.net/carbon_tax_vs_capandtrade.html overview of the mechanisms under Kyoto
Protocol to mitigate global warming.
For details about Climate Change agreements
(Kyoto Protocol & Paris Agreements ), please see
http://unfccc.int/2860.php
4 Environmental issues & Kumar, A. and Irfan, Z.B., 2018. Assessment of the Balooni, K., Lund, J. F., Kumar, C., & The analysis of environmental issues at
policy measures Sustainable Livelihood Security of the Ecologically Inoue, M. (2010). Curse or blessing? Local elites various levels using an interdisciplinary
Case study: Local Vulnerable Indian State– in decentralized forest governance in India’s approach in order to find out appropriate
environmental Uttarakhand. Asian Journal of Geological Research, Shiwaliks. International Journal of the Commons policy measures. It includes analysis of
governance 1(3), pp.1-8. 4(2), 707–728. ongoing government funded development
projects enhancing the livelihood security of
Kumar, A., & Irfan, Z. (2019). Are the New Indian Irfan, Zareena Begum, and Bina Gupta. To people in rural areas and natural resource
States Consume or to Conserve: Examining Water conservation. Further would the background
Ecologically Secured, Economically Efficient and Conservation Model for Wheat Cultivation in for the analysis of a case study on local
Socially Equitable? (Assessment Using the India. No. 2015-101. environmental governance to show that
Sustainable Livelihood despite the changes in policy and augmented
Security Index Framework). Asian Journal of rhetoric, only scattered and modest success
Language, of grassroots’ interventions has appeared on
Literature and Culture Studies, 2(3), 1-9. the ground, and that the whole notion of
selfgoverned common property resources
 and internalization of externalities is fraught
with problems.
5 &6 Presentation and Each member of the group will participate in the presentation as well as discussion. At the end of each presentation, a fellow student will present a
Discussion on Term critique followed by remarks by the instructor. Thereafter the discussion on term paper will be led by the instructor. The students’ groups will submit
Papers the report* at the end of all the presentations – it would give an opportunity to the students to learn from the colleagues’/peers’ presentations. The
details about the evaluation of different components of the term paper will be announced by the instructor in the 1st session.
*The word limit for the report is 3,000 words excluding references. All the reports will be verified for plagiarism using the anti-plagiarism tools
available.
*Marketing, Strategy, Finance, OM, OB&HR, ITM, HLAM, Economics
**Texts, articles, journals etc.

Signature of the Faculty

Note: All course outline need to be signed and submitted in hard copy to EPGP Office within 7 days of submitting soft copy.