Academic year/semester: 2026/27/1

ECTS Credits: 4

Available for: All OU students

Lecture hours: 1
Seminarium:0
Practice: 2
Laboratory: 0
Consultation: 0

Prerequisites: -

Course Leader: Imre Biczó, Ph.D.

Faculty: Rejtő Sándor Faculty of Light Industry and Environmental Engineering, 1034 Budapest, Doberdó utca 6.

Course Description:
Environmental management and economic analysis focus on such influences of human activities on
natural environment, as the increase in the GHG (greenhouse gas) emission, which led to climate
change and the global warming by increasing the pollutions in the air and water resources and
decreasing the biodiversity. This study focuses on the connections among the global warming, water
management and water resource allocation. Some important problems were raised for both irrigation
dams and energy-producing dams. The dam-users should clean the water against the sediments, which
could disrupt the works of turbines producing the electric energy.The environmental management and
economic analyses became very actual, because of the negative influences of the human activities and
the performances of the economies of the world economy including the EU-28 member states on the
nature. The salinization process can be considered almost on 3,8 million ha areas of Europe. Also, the
soil contaminations included heavy metal and mineral oil widely extended in 3 million sites of Europe.
The EU has a considerable problem concerning the Generation of waste by economic activity from
point of view of the environmental conservation strategy. The EU should considerably decrease either
Generation of waste and Municipal waste accompanying with decreasing GHG emission. The Water
management, renewable freshwater resource issues should be developed in the EU, because this water
management is very costly with very considerable waste and pollution around water resources.
Environmental economics is the subset of economics that is concerned with the efficient allocation of
environmental resources. The environment provides both a direct value as well as raw material intended
for economic activity, thus making the environment and the economy interdependent. The “law of
diminishing returns” is one of the best-known principles outside the field of economics. It was first
developed in 1767 by the French economist Turgot in relation to agricultural production, but it is most
often associated with Thomas Malthus and David Ricardo. Changes in population can have a variety
of economic, ecological, and social implications. One population issue is that of carrying capacity – the
number of individuals an ecosystem can support without having any negative effects. English
economist Thomas Malthus who stated that continued population growth would cause overconsumption of resources. Malthus further argued that population was likely to grow at an exponential
rate while food supplies would increase at an arithmetic rate, not keeping up with the exponential
population growth. United Nation\\\'s World Commission on Environment and Development
commissioned a study on the subject by what is now known as the Brundtland Commission. The
resulting report, Our Common Future (1987), defined sustainable development as \\\"development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs,\\\" which has become the accepted standard definition. Two basic terms that are used most often
by economists are supply and demand.

Competences:
Able to perform basic tests of the quantity and quality characteristics of environmental elements and systems by state-of-the-art measuring instruments; to draw up and implement measurement plans; and to evaluate data. − Able to solve tasks of water, soil, air, radiation, and noise protection, as well as of waste treatment and processing at proposal level; to participate in preparing decisions; to perform authority audits; and to take part in the operation of these technologies. − Performing environmental tasks individually and managing special environment protection work independently even in unexpected decision-making situations. − Cooperation with qualified experts from other special areas (primarily economic and legal) while completing professional tasks.

Topics:
1. Basics of environmental economics and environmental management. I. and II.
Sustainable development. The relationship between economic growth and environmental quality.
The relationship between economic growth and environmental quality.
2. Economics of environmental pollution. I. and II.
EU environmental protection policy. I. and II.
The Brundtland Commission\\\'s interpretation of sustainable development (Oslo, future generation,
indebtedness of countries, interdependent nature of development). The opinion of Robert Solow,
Nobel Prize-winning American economist.
Environment, resource management, environmental protection.
Grouping of natural resources.
81
3. Environmental economics, waste, atmosphere. Environmental protection policy of Hungary.
Soil, hydrosphere
Environmental economics soil, hydrosphere.
Sustainable development in an ecological approach: the relationship between the natural
environment and human society.
Concept of natural capital.
4. The characterization of the development of the industrial structure in relation to the change in the
ratios between the extractive industry and the processing industry. Material consumption. Raw
material supply. The four main topics of sustainable economic development, what are their
characteristics.
The role of the most important global environmental risk factors and in which areas the
environmental damage caused by human activities is most felt.
Sustainable yield in the use of renewable resources.
5. The role of international companies in raw material supply. The evolution of the structure of
energy consumption, previously the structure of fossil energy consumption and now the
proportion of renewable energy sources.
Changes in energy consumption needs in each period based on international supply and demand.
Level of demand, energy forecasts, development of stocks.
The 1972 document of the Club of Rome entitled \\\"Limits to Growth\\\" (responsibility between
generations, development of a new legal system, global and local nature in the field of
sustainability and environmental protection). Balance of world production and consumption.
American demographer Joel Cohen raises the question: How many people does our planet have to
prepare to support? (material well-being, distributional conditions). To what extent can the
question be solved?
Economics of non-renewable resources.
Socio-economic material flow.
6. The evolution of the internationalization of the oil industry, its institutional characteristics and
organizations, periods of oil crises. Factors influencing the security of oil supply.
Factors ensuring the efficiency of energy use depending on alternative energy sources. The need
for electricity supply and the contradiction of this industry in energy supply. Development and
future prospects of the nuclear energy sector depending on its costs.
The destruction of free goods, the introduction of the use costs of free goods and its essence.
International debates and measures taken within national frameworks in relation to economic
incentives and penalties applicable in environmental policy.
Environmental crisis.
Model experiments to deal with the environmental crisis.
7. The impact of agro-industrial complexes on agricultural employment and the share of production
from the world\\\'s total production. Development of factors promoting the development of world
agriculture.
Characteristics of agricultural production systems in developed countries and other major country
groups.
The connection of agricultural production to other economic branches. Structural evolution of
agricultural production and food processing (small, medium and large farms).
What international economic factors does global food security depend on? The development of
global food security in the case of some important products (plants, animal products).
Debates about the economic measurability of ecological problems. External costs, environmental
balance sheet.
Responses to an environmental crisis.
EU. Environmental activity.
8. Conditions for sustainable agricultural development. Technical transformation and ecological
damage. More important factors of sustainable agriculture in connection with production and
production technology
Ecological economics, environmental economics.
The relationship between economy and the biosphere.
9. The needs of land use, chemicals, and water use (fresh water, irrigation water supplies).
Economic growth, social development.
Measurability of natural capital and its different interpretations.
10. The biological revolution in agriculture.
The concept of sustainable development and its interpretations.
UN system of sustainable development indicators.
82
Professional competencies:
− Able to perform basic tests of the quantity and quality characteristics of environmental
elements and systems by state-of-the-art measuring instruments; to draw up and implement
measurement plans; and to evaluate data.
− Able to solve tasks of water, soil, air, radiation, and noise protection, as well as of waste
treatment and processing at proposal level; to participate in preparing decisions; to perform
authority audits; and to take part in the operation of these technologies.
− Performing environmental tasks individually and managing special environment protection
work independently even in unexpected decision-making situations.
− Cooperation with qualified experts from other special areas (primarily economic and legal)
while completing professional tasks.
Literature:
1. Alan Gilpin: Environmental Impact Assessment Cutting Edge for the 21st Century Cambridge
University Press, ISBN: 9781139166539, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139166539
2. Edited by Peter Wathern: Environmental Impact Assessment, Theory and Practice, ISBN:
9781138137448, eBook ISBN: 9780203409978, Adobe ISBN: 9781134897728,
10.4324/9780203409978
3. Charles H., Eccleston: Environmental Impact Assessment: A Guide to Best Professional Practices 1st,
Kindle Edition,
4. C.J. Barrow; Environmental Management for Sustainable Development, 2nd edition, Routledge
5. S. Schaltegger, R Burritt, H. Petersen; An Introduction to Corporate Environmental Management,
Greenleaf Publishing
6. Tim Everett, Mallika Ishwaran, Gian Paolo Ansaloni and Alex Rubin March (2010): Economic
Growth and the Environment. Evidence and Analysis Series Paper 2. DEFRA (Development for
Environment Food and Rural Affairs) PB13390, UK, March 2010, p. 52.
7. Economic growth and the environment - GOV.UK, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk › PDF
8. Zsarnóczai, J. Sándor and Editing Board (edited by, 2010): Economics of Sustainable Agriculture
(Fenntartható mezőgazdaság közgazdaságtana) Gödöllő, p. 151, ISBN 978 963 269 145 9
11. Ecological footprint, the index of human development.
The need for monetary environmental assessment and its areas of application.
12. Grouping of environmental assessment methods.
Cost-benefit analysis.
13. Concept and characteristics of external economic effects (externalities).
Environmental pollution at your own risk.
The need for environmental regulation and its appearance in economic theories (Pigou\\\'s tax).
Some thoughts on A.C. About Piguo.
14. The importance of a strategic approach. Can the transition to sustainability be planned?

Assessment: -

Exam Types:

Mid Term Exam

Compulsory bibliography: Alan Gilpin: Environmental Impact Assessment Cutting Edge for the 21st Century Cambridge University Press, ISBN: 9781139166539, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139166539 2. Edited by Peter Wathern: Environmental Impact Assessment, Theory and Practice, ISBN: 9781138137448, eBook ISBN: 9780203409978, Adobe ISBN: 9781134897728, 10.4324/9780203409978 3. Charles H., Eccleston: Environmental Impact Assessment: A Guide to Best Professional Practices 1st, Kindle Edition, 4. C.J. Barrow; Environmental Management for Sustainable Development, 2nd edition, Routledge 5. S. Schaltegger, R Burritt, H. Petersen; An Introduction to Corporate Environmental Management, Greenleaf Publishing 6. Tim Everett, Mallika Ishwaran, Gian Paolo Ansaloni and Alex Rubin March (2010): Economic Growth and the Environment. Evidence and Analysis Series Paper 2. DEFRA (Development for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) PB13390, UK, March 2010, p. 52. 7. Economic growth and the environment - GOV.UK, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk › PDF 8. Zsarnóczai, J. Sándor and Editing Board (edited by, 2010): Economics of Sustainable Agriculture (Fenntartható mezőgazdaság közgazdaságtana) Gödöllő, p. 151, ISBN 978 963 269 145 9 11. Ecological footprint, the index of human development. The need for monetary environmental assessment and its areas of application. 12. Grouping of environmental assessment methods. Cost-benefit analysis. 13. Concept and characteristics of external economic effects (externalities). Environmental pollution at your own risk. The need for environmental regulation and its appearance in economic theories (Pigou\\\'s tax). Some thoughts on A.C. About Piguo. 14. The importance of a strategic approach. Can the transition to sustainability be planned? Mid-semester requirements: Attendance: Participation in the sessions is a condition for obtaining the exam ticket (the student will be banned due to exceeding the permitted absences according to the TVSZ). Theses, minutes, reports, etc.: Short lectures are held continuously during the exercises. The method of obtaining a signature/creating a mid-semester ticket: The thesis and literature processing separately min. It should be 40%. The grade is issued based on these two tasks. If the grade is insufficient (1), it is possible to replace it according to the provisions of Article 24 (5) of the TVSZ. 83 9. Zsarnóczai, Sándor (edited by, 2021): ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESMENT. Notebook. ÓBUDA University, Rejtő Sándor Faculty of Light Industrial and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Engineering Institute. 10. Federica Cimato and Michael Mullan (2010): Adapting to Climate Change: Analysing the Role of Government, Paper 1, UK, January 2010, DEFRA (Development for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) 11. Environmental Literacy Council (2007): Environmental Economics.Volume 1 Essential. Washington DC, US. P. 43. 12. Zsarnóczai, J. Sándor and Editing Board (edited by, 2010): Economics of Sustainable Agriculture (Fenntartható mezőgazdaság közgazdaságtana) Gödöllő, p. 151, ISBN 978 963 269 145 9 13. Zsarnóczai, J. Sándor (edited by, 2021): ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. Notebook. ÓBUDA University, Rejtő Sándor Faculty of Light Industrial and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Engineering Institute

Recommended bibliography: -

Additional bibliography: -

Additional Information: -