Should economic growth be abandoned to reach net zero by 2050? Would this lead to a better society, especially in already rich nations, freeing them from a seemingly pointless and expensive obsession, benefiting few and harming the planet? This course takes these legitimate concerns as a starting point to explore the socioeconomic, historical, (geo-)political, and cultural origins of the growth imperative. Moreover, it will discuss: (i) the broad economic strategy underlying decarbonization plans based on green growth, such as the European Green Deal or the US Inflation Reduction Act; and (ii) how these strategies aim to foster sustainable growth while staving off a climate catastrophe and retaining political support.

Reading list

Historically, industrialization, capitalism, and affluence have contributed to the emissions that are warming the planet’s atmosphere. As humanity starts to grapple with the Herculean challenge of avoiding a climate catastrophe, the question sparks evident: should economic growth be abandoned to stand a chance of success? Would this lead to a better society, especially in already rich nations, freeing them from what has seemingly become nothing more than a pointless and expensive obsession, benefiting few, exploiting most, and harming the planet? This course takes these legitimate concerns as a starting point to explore the socioeconomic, historical, (geo-)political, and cultural origins of the growth imperative. Moreover, it will discuss: (i) the broad economic strategy underlying decarbonization plans based on green growth, such as President von der Leyen’s European Green Deal or President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act; and (ii) how these strategies aim to foster green sustainable growth while also staving off a climate catastrophe.

The aim of this course is to analyse the process of European monetary integration and the institutions of economic governance in the EU. The course will provide students with a theoretical framework of analysis and introduce the policy debate underlying economic and monetary integration in the EU. We will analyse these questions from both an economic and political perspective, and will use macroeconomic concepts to examine issues such as the financial and economic crisis of 2008, the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis and, more recently, the economic crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. By the end of the course, students will be able to understand and critically assess the interactions between the theories and motivations behind the process of European Monetary Union.