About the series

The Cambridge University Press Elements series in Environmental and Natural Resources Economics offers concise, accessible, and interdisciplinary resources tackling today’s most pressing environmental challenges. Bridging economics, ecology, and policy, the series delivers short volumes that synthesize cutting-edge research, theoretical frameworks, and practical case studies. Tailored for academics, policymakers, and students, these books address topics like climate economics, biodiversity, and sustainable development in a format that is both rigorous and digestible. With a global perspective and contributions from diverse scholars, this series equips readers with the insights needed to address the environmental issues shaping the 21st century.

About the Editor

Professor Dr. Phoebe Koundouri is an economist renowned as a pioneer in developing innovative, human-centered, interdisciplinary, mathematical systems that enable the sustainable interaction between nature, society, and the economy.  With an MPhil and PhD from the University of Cambridge, she has held academic positions at Cambridge, UCL, LSE, University of Reading, Technical University of Denmark, and is now Professor of Economics at Athens University of Economics and Business and University of Cambridge.  Ranked among the top 1% of scientists globally, she has authored 20 books, 650 publications, and led 100 international projects in 120 countries. She is the Chief Scientist for the UN Global Sustainable Development Report 2027, President of the World Council of Environmental and Resource Economists Associations, Chair of the UN SDSN Global Climate Hub, Co-chair of SDSN Europe, Founder and Director of AE4RIA. A Fellow of numerous prestigious global, european, and national academies and a member of the Nobel Prize in Economics Committee, she has received many academic awards and honors, including the European Research Council Synergy Grant (€10 million) and numerous awards for academic excellence, including the Award of Science from the Academy of Athens and the Award of Excellence of the Republic of Cyprus. 

Contact details

Phoebe Koundouri: pkoundouri@aueb.gr

Editorial Board

Simone Borghesi, Vice Rector and Professor of Environmental Economics, Department of Political and International Sciences, University of Siena; Director, FSR Climate – European University Institute; Secretary General Policy Outreach Committee EAERE – European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists

Michael Hanemann, Professor & Julie A. Wrigley Chair in Sustainability; Director, Center for Environmental Economics & Sustainability Policy, Department of Economics, Arizona State University; Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley

Madhu Khanna, ACES Distinguished Professor in Environmental Economics; Alvin H. Baum Family Chair and Director, Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment; Director, Center for Economics of Sustainability, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign

Areas of interest

Ecosystem services and natural resources

• Non-Linearities and Tipping Points in Environmental and Resource Economics
• Decision Theory and Uncertainty
• Discounting
• Valuation Methods
• Decision Theory and Uncertainty
• Spatial Econometrics

Climate and Energy Efficiency

• Drivers of Energy Demand
• Innovation and Digitization for Energy Investments
• Climate Change Control with Energy Efficiency
• Energy Economics and Climate Policy Modeling

Land Use and Biodiversity

• Economics of Land Use Models
• Ecological and Economic Modelling of Land-use-based Biodiversity Conservation Policies
• Socio Economic Drivers and their Impact on Biodiversity

Waste Management and the Circular Economy

• Economic, Environmental and Social Optimization of Waste Management
• Empirical Assessment of Circular Economy Targets and Policies
• Business Models and Supply Chains for the Circular Economy Transition
• Circular Economy and Development

Sustainable Finance and Climate Change

• The Role of Central Banks in Climate Change and Sustainable Finance
• Sustainable Financial Instruments
• ESG Strategies Acceleration and Quantification

Sustainable Development Goals, quantification and acceleration

• Are the SDGs Consistent with Environmental Economics Theory?
• Economic Models in Enabling the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Business Models and Sustainable Development Goals

Environmental macroeconomics and development

• Economic Instruments and Environmental Policy
• Environmental Policy and Business Cycles
• Macroeconomic Theory and Models for Analysing Sustainability Challenges
• Environmental Impacts of Macroeconomic and Sectoral Policies Financial Development, Economic Growth and Income Inequality