CourseCourse QuestionQuestion

IB Environmental Systems and Societies

Topic 1: Foundation

Topic 2: Ecology

Topic 3: Biodiversity and conservation

Topic 6: Atmosphere and climate change

Topic 7: Natural resources

Topic 8: Human populations and urban systems

8.1 Human populations

8.2 Urban systems and urban planning

8.3 Urban air pollution

HL.a Environmental law

HL.b Environmental economics

HL.b.1—Economics definition

HL.b.2—Environmental economics

HL.b.3—Market failure

HL.b.4—Polluter-pays principle

HL.b.5—Greenwashing

HL.b.6—Tragedy of the commons

HL.b.7—Environmental accounting

HL.b.8—Use vs. non-use values

HL.b.9—Ecological economics

HL.b.10—Ecosystem services valuation

HL.b.11—Economic growth measurement

HL.b.12—Economic growth perspective

HL.b.13—Economic growth environmental impacts

HL.b.14—Eco-economic decoupling

HL.b.15—Ecological economics and degrowth

HL.b.16—Slow/no/zero growth model

HL.b.17—Circular economy and doughnut economics

HL.c Environmental ethics

IB/ESS/HL//Concept/Topic 8: Human populations and urban systems/HL.b Environmental economics/HL.b.13—Economic growth environmental impacts

Topic 8: Human populations and urban systems

Syllabus: First assessment 2026
Section: —
Level: HL

Exam analysis

Most tested topics

Human populations
Urban systems and urban planning
Urban air pollution
HL.a Environmental law
HL.b Environmental economics
HL.c Environmental ethics