This topic course aims at presenting an in-depth analysis of the energy and fuel poverty issues with a multidisciplinary perspective (mainly economics and geopolitics). This course analyzes general definitions of energy poverty, energy access and fuel poverty in developed countries. These issues are analyzed through the lens of overlapping EU policies.
Bardazzi R., Pazienza M.G., When I was your age. population dynamics and household energy consumption, mimeo
Berry, A. (2019). The distributional effects of a carbon tax and its impact on fuel poverty: A microsimulation study in the French context. Energy Policy, 124, 81-94.
Bouzarovski S., 2018, Energy Poverty, (Dis)Assembling Europe’s Infrastructural Divide, Palgrave
Coady et al. (2015). How large are global energy subsidies? IMF Working Paper. WP/105/105. Washington DC: International Monetary Fund.
European Energy Poverty Index ( E E P I ),2017, ASSESSING MEMBER STATES’ PROGRESS IN ALLEVIATING THE DOMESTIC AND TRANSPORT ENERGY POVERTY NEXUS
Faiella I. and L. Lavecchia, 2018, Energy poverty. How can you fight it, if you canʼt measure it?, Working paper
Faiella I. and L. Lavecchia, 2019. Energy poverty indicators: a taxonomy,(chapter for "Urban fuel poverty" - Elsevier)
Flues, F. and K. van Dender (2017), “The impact of energy taxes on the affordability of domestic energy”, OECD Taxation Working Papers, No. 30, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/08705547-en
Haughton J., Khandker S. R. (2009), Hand book of poverty and inequality, World Bank (ONLY chapters 1-4)
Miniaci R., Scarpa C. and , P. Valbonesi, Energy affordability and the benefits system in Italy, Energy Policy, Volume 75, 2014,
Perman et al. (2011), Natural resource and environmental economics, Addison Wesley, 4th edition. ONLY Pagg.139-148; 181-210; 233-238
Salehi-Isfahani, D., Stucki, B. W., & Deutschmann, J. (2014). The Reform of Energy Subsidies in Iran: The Role of Cash Transfers. Working paper, Department of Economics, Virginia Tech.
Santos M.E. and S. Alkire (2015), Training material for producing national human development reports (ONLY pp.1-17)
Obiettivi Formativi
To provide students with the knowledge and the tools to discuss the main issues on energy poverty in developed and developing countries. The course aims at giving the ability of applying critical thinking and assess the interactions among different EU climate and policies designed to reduce poverty and inequality. Students will have developed the capacity to find and interpret data and indicators. Students will also improve writing skills with appropriate specific language.
Prerequisiti
Micro and macroeconomics. It is strongly recommended to have passed the exam "Energy, Environment and European security", first year of the Master's programme in International Relations and European Studies, University of Florence.
Metodi Didattici
This is a distance-learning course with open educational resources used to stimulate learning through self-reflection, webinars and forums. The course uses Moodle e-learning platform of the University of Florence as a repository for recorded lectures, handouts, slides and research materials, potentially available to other interested subjects not enrolled in the Master. The platform is also used for tests and assignments. Finally, it also supports webinars and on line discussion sessions.
This course uses a blended learning methodology, combining in-person and on-line learning. For this type of e-learning course, it is essential to keep up with weekly on-line activities.
ATTENDING STUDENTS
The on-line lectures will be available only for enrolled students qualified as attending students. To qualify as attending students weekly on-line activities should be completed before due time. Teachers will monitor that attending students keep up with deadlines, otherwise they will be moved in the group of non-attending students. For attending students, the final exam will include an oral (in-person) discussion of a written essay and all on-line weekly activities.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students will be directed to a dedicated section of the course where a specific reference list, materials and program will be uploaded. On the other hand, on-line lectures will NOT be available. For these students the final exam will include a written essay, an oral discussion and a written test.
Modalità di verifica apprendimento
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Grading Plan
1. Quizzes (max 3%) - There will be a quiz at the end of each section to test the abilities after lectures. The quiz will assign a 0.5 point if the score is in the range 18 - 24 (out of 30) and 1 point if the score is between 25 – 30. This score will be added to the final exam grade.
2. Data analysis: an assessment of energy poverty situation and related policy in a given country (30%)
3. Final exam (min 67%) - The final exam is an oral discussion on a written essay (up to 15 pages). The essay should focus on a specific topic (country report, selected issues of the related literature) as listed during the course.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students are required to pass a written exam with open questions (on the examination programme) (70%) and to write an essay (30%) . This essay (10-15 pages, line spacing 1.5, excluding tables, figures and references that should be placed at the end of the paper) should focus on a country report. The selection of the country should be agreed with the course teachers. The oral exam consists in a discussion of the essay. The deadline of the essay is 5 days before the date of the written exam.
The country-report (either European or not) consists in a critical investigation and data analysis on the following dimensions:
1. Geopolitical aspects and energy dependence;
2. The role of renewable sources;
3. Prices of electricity and natural gas;
4. Indicators of poverty and energy poverty;
5. Adopted policies and selected issues concerning the household energy uses.
Useful data and report sources are: Eurostat, World Bank, IMF, International Energy Agency, OECD
Programma del corso
The course is organized in weekly units on the following topics:
- Climate change and climate policy; Inequality and poverty
- Poverty and energy use
- Energy poverty and international relations
- Energy poverty and policies
- Case studies