Abstract for: Ecological Economics Curriculum around Feedbacks between Economic Growth, Climate Change Damage and North-South Divide

Macroeconomics curricula often fail to represent the complex feedback mechanisms of environmental and social sustainability. Current teaching frequently relies on a narrow neoclassical focus that overlooks North-South injustices, such as unequal climate damages and welfare inequality. Furthermore, systems thinking and system dynamics approaches are rarely utilized to help students understand these critical interdependencies between economic, natural and social systems. We have developed an ecological economics curriculum that employs an iterative System Dynamics framework implemented in Vensim PLE, evolving from a standard neoclassical Solow growth model. This model uses a neoclassical production function to simulate long-term socio-economic material living conditions. It progresses to a "Climate Solow" model and finally a preliminary "North-South Climate Solow" model, incorporating CO2 emissions, climate feedbacks, and aspects of a global North-South divide. The "Climate Solow" model for example demonstrates that climate change damage can cause losses in economic production factors such as capital or labor, which can lead to limits to growth. A preliminary version of a "North-South Climate Solow" model visualizes inequities in production factors and welfare. It specifically shows how migration flows from South to North, driven by welfare differences, cause substantial deviations from baseline economic growth and climate scenarios. Our teaching concept provides a curriculum template for undergraduate courses to bridge the gap between macroeconomics and sustainability science. By engaging in practical modeling assignments, students gain fundamental systems thinking skills and learn to reflect critically on neoclassical assumptions. The framework highlights how changes in model structures and feedbacks loops can significantly alter long-term economic, environmental and social system dynamics.