Active learning ideas
Sustainable development is the defining challenge of the 21st-century economy. This topic investigates how we can meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Students explore climate economics, focusing on the use of carbon taxes, subsidies for renewables, and the transition from a linear to a circular economy.
Activity 01
Students are given a common product (e.g., a smartphone or a pair of jeans). They must redesign the 'life cycle' of the product to move from a 'take-make-waste' model to one based on repair, reuse, and recycling.
How can carbon taxes be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Activity 02
A debate on whether the Irish government should continue to increase the carbon tax every year. Students must represent different stakeholders: a low-income commuter, a beef farmer, and an environmental activist.
What are the economic costs of transitioning to renewable energy?
Activity 03
Students identify 'nudges' they see in daily life that encourage sustainable behavior (e.g., bin labeling, plastic bag charges). They discuss in pairs which are most effective and why.
How does a circular economy differ from a traditional linear economy?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Protecting the environment always hurts the economy.
The 'green economy' creates new jobs in retrofitting, renewables, and tech. A 'jobs of the future' brainstorming session helps students see the economic opportunities in sustainability.
A circular economy is just another word for recycling.
Recycling is the last resort; a circular economy focuses on *designing out* waste from the start. A 'product teardown' activity helps students see how design choices impact sustainability.
Methods used in this brief
Measuring Economic Performance
Critiquing the use of GDP, GNP, and GNI* as measures of economic growth and standard of living in Ireland.
8 methodologies
Economic Growth vs. Economic Development
Distinguishing between quantitative economic growth and qualitative economic development, including the Human Development Index (HDI).
8 methodologies
The Economics of Population and Labour
Analysing demographic trends in Ireland, including migration, aging populations, and their impact on the labour market and public finances.
8 methodologies