Researchers who focus on the environment and natural resources work to improve environmental quality and natural resource stewardship. They inform policies and management that help people by protecting the environment and guiding sustainable development. This work couples applied microeconomic theory with data analytics and computational methods and often works at the intersection of other economic subfields and with collaborators from other disciplines. Topics include water and air quality, land cover and land use, circular economy approaches to waste reduction, climate change, species and habitat conservation, natural resource management and the economics of natural capital. 

By applying economic insight to issues like pollution, climate change, land use, and conservation, this work identifies cost‑effective solutions that protect natural resources while improving human well‑being.

Programmatic support and networks 

Researchers in this group secure major grants and funding from sources such as the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Valuable support also comes from endowed chair programs and research collaboratives: