IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/een/crwfrp/1203.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Ecological Economics

Author

Listed:
  • David I. Stern

    (Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University Author-Email: david.stern@anu.edu.au)

Abstract

Ecological economics is a relatively new interdisciplinary field concerned with the relationship between economic systems and the biological and physical world. This article covers the following topics: A discussion of views on whether ecological economics is just a field or approach within economics or a new ÒtransdisciplinaryÓ field in its own right; Origin of the name of the field; Core common principles of ecological economics; Comparison with environmental economics; Applications; History and institutions of ecological economics. The core principles are that the economy is embedded and dependent upon the ecosphere and that, therefore, models of the economy have to comply with biophysical principles. Ecological economists believe that there are limits to our ability to substitute human-made inputs and knowledge for natural resources and the environment in both production and consumption. They also argue that economic policy must consider jointly the objectives of economic efficiency, equity, and sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • David I. Stern, 2012. "Ecological Economics," Crawford School Research Papers 1203, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
  • Handle: RePEc:een:crwfrp:1203
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.crawford.anu.edu.au/pdf/crwf_ssrn/crwfrp_1203.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ropke, Inge, 2004. "The early history of modern ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3-4), pages 293-314, October.
    2. Ma, Chunbo & Stern, David I., 2006. "Environmental and ecological economics: A citation analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 491-506, June.
    3. Castro e Silva, Manuela & Teixeira, Aurora A.C., 2011. "A bibliometric account of the evolution of EE in the last two decades: Is ecological economics (becoming) a post-normal science?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(5), pages 849-862, March.
    4. Pagiola, Stefano, 2008. "Payments for environmental services in Costa Rica," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(4), pages 712-724, May.
    5. David I. Stern, 1997. "The Capital Theory Approach to Sustainability: A Critical Appraisal," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 145-174, March.
    6. Engel, Stefanie & Pagiola, Stefano & Wunder, Sven, 2008. "Designing payments for environmental services in theory and practice: An overview of the issues," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(4), pages 663-674, May.
    7. Ropke, Inge, 2005. "Trends in the development of ecological economics from the late 1980s to the early 2000s," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 262-290, November.
    8. Common,Michael, 1995. "Sustainability and Policy," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521436052.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Auci, Sabrina & Vignani, Donatella, 2013. "Environmental Kuznets curve and domestic material consumption indicator: an European analysis," MPRA Paper 52882, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Carlos Ordás Criado, 2007. "Temporal and spatial homogeneity in air pollutants panel EKC estimations: Two nonparametric tests applied to Spanish provinces," IRENE Working Papers 07-01, IRENE Institute of Economic Research.
    3. Macías, Arturo & Matilla-García, Mariano, 2015. "Net energy analysis in a Ramsey–Hotelling growth model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 562-573.
    4. Geraint Johnes, 2013. "Trade in the greenhouse: efficient policy in a global model," International Journal of Sustainable Economy, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 5(1), pages 1-14.
    5. Stern, David I., 2010. "The Role of Energy in Economic Growth," Working Papers 249380, Australian National University, Centre for Climate Economics & Policy.
    6. Burke, Paul J., 2013. "The national-level energy ladder and its carbon implications," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 18(4), pages 484-503, August.
    7. Jean-Thomas Bernard & Michael Gavin & Lynda Khalaf & Marcel Voia, 2015. "Environmental Kuznets Curve: Tipping Points, Uncertainty and Weak Identification," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 60(2), pages 285-315, February.
    8. Lo, Alex Y. & Spash, Clive L., 2011. "Articulation of Plural Values in Deliberative Monetary Valuation: Beyond Preference Economisation and Moralisation," MPRA Paper 30002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Aznar-Márquez, J. & Ruiz-Tamarit, J.R., 2017. "Sustainable growth and environmental catastrophes," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 83-91.
    10. Simon Baptist & Cameron Hepburn, 2012. "Intermediate inputs and economic productivity," GRI Working Papers 95, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    11. Schymura, Michael & Löschel, Andreas, 2012. "Investigating JEEM empirically: A story of co-authorship and collaboration," ZEW Discussion Papers 12-029, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    12. Perman, Roger & Stern, David I., 2003. "Evidence from panel unit root and cointegration tests that the Environmental Kuznets Curve does not exist," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 47(3), pages 1-23, September.
    13. Vasilis Angelis & Athanasios Angelis-Dimakis & Katerina Dimaki, 2013. "A Country's Process of Development as Described by a Butterfly Catastrophe Model: The Case of European South," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), International Hellenic University (IHU), Kavala Campus, Greece (formerly Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Institute of Technology - EMaTTech), vol. 6(2), pages 25-45, September.
    14. Galeotti, Marzio & Manera, Matteo & Lanza, Alessandro, 2006. "On the Robustness of Robustness Checks of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," Climate Change Modelling and Policy Working Papers 12045, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    15. Mariano Torras, 2008. "The Subjectivity Inherent in Objective Measures of Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 475-487, December.
    16. Elena Ketteni & Theofanis Mamuneas & Panos Pashardes, 2013. "ICT and Energy Use: Patterns of Substitutability and Complementarity in Production," Cyprus Economic Policy Review, University of Cyprus, Economics Research Centre, vol. 7(1), pages 63-86, June.
    17. Ernesto Aguayo-T鬬ez & Jos頍art󹑺-Navarro, 2013. "Internal and international migration in Mexico: 1995--2000," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(13), pages 1647-1661, May.
    18. Bagliani, Marco & Bravo, Giangiacomo & Dalmazzone, Silvana, 2008. "A consumption-based approach to environmental Kuznets curves using the ecological footprint indicator," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 650-661, April.
    19. Dongyong Zhang & Uma Kambhampati & Stephen Morse, 2007. "Economic growth and the environment in Transitional China-an old topic with new perspectives," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(6), pages 765-779.
    20. Gerasimchuk, Ivetta, 2006. "Экологическая Практика Транснациональных Корпораций [Environmental Practice of Transnational Corporations]," MPRA Paper 9906, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2007.
    21. Lo, Alex, 2014. "The Problem of Methodological Pluralism in Ecological Economics," MPRA Paper 49543, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    22. Natina Yaduma & Mika Kortelainen & Ada Wossink, 2015. "The environmental Kuznets curve at different levels of economic development: a counterfactual quantile regression analysis for CO 2 emissions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(3), pages 278-303, November.
    23. David Grover, 2012. "The �advancedness� of knowledge in pollutionsaving technological change with a qualitative application to SO2 cap and trade," GRI Working Papers 100, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    24. André MEUNIE & Guillaume POUYANNE, 2007. "Is there an Environmental Urban Kuznets Curve? The case of polluting emissions due to daily mobility in 37 cities. (In French)," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2007-04, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    25. Petterson Molina Vale, 2011. "Acodição Estável Da Economia: Teoria Eprática," Anais do XXXVII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 37th Brazilian Economics Meeting] 193, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sattler, Claudia & Matzdorf, Bettina, 2013. "PES in a nutshell: From definitions and origins to PES in practice—Approaches, design process and innovative aspects," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 6(C), pages 2-11.
    2. Gómez-Baggethun, Erik & de Groot, Rudolf & Lomas, Pedro L. & Montes, Carlos, 2010. "The history of ecosystem services in economic theory and practice: From early notions to markets and payment schemes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 1209-1218, April.
    3. Costanza, Robert & Howarth, Richard B. & Kubiszewski, Ida & Liu, Shuang & Ma, Chunbo & Plumecocq, Gaël & Stern, David I., 2016. "Influential publications in ecological economics revisited," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 68-76.
    4. Jiřina Jílková & Lenka Slavíková, 2009. "Ekonomie životního prostředí na rozcestí [Economics of the Environmental Protection on the Crossroad]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2009(5), pages 660-676.
    5. Lo, Alex, 2014. "The Problem of Methodological Pluralism in Ecological Economics," MPRA Paper 49543, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Stern, David I., 1997. "Limits to substitution and irreversibility in production and consumption: A neoclassical interpretation of ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 197-215, June.
    7. Clive L Spash, 2009. "Social Ecological Economics," Socio-Economics and the Environment in Discussion (SEED) Working Paper Series 2009-08, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems.
    8. Juan Miguel Benito-Ostolaza & Nuria Osés-Eraso, 2013. "Incentives to give up resource extraction and avoid the tragedy of the commons," Documentos de Trabajo - Lan Gaiak Departamento de Economía - Universidad Pública de Navarra 1305, Departamento de Economía - Universidad Pública de Navarra.
    9. Legrand, Thomas & Froger, Géraldine & Le Coq, Jean-François, 2013. "Institutional performance of Payments for Environmental Services: An analysis of the Costa Rican Program," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 115-123.
    10. Kisaka, Lily & Obi, Ajuruchukwu, 2015. "Farmers’ Preferences for Management Options as Payment for Environmental Services Scheme," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 18(3), pages 1-22, September.
    11. Driss Ezzine-de-Blas & Sven Wunder & Manuel Ruiz-Pérez & Rocio del Pilar Moreno-Sanchez, 2016. "Global Patterns in the Implementation of Payments for Environmental Services," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, March.
    12. Kwayu, Emmanuel J. & Sallu, Susannah M. & Paavola, Jouni, 2014. "Farmer participation in the equitable payments for watershed services in Morogoro, Tanzania," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 7(C), pages 1-9.
    13. Clements, Tom & John, Ashish & Nielsen, Karen & An, Dara & Tan, Setha & Milner-Gulland, E.J., 2010. "Payments for biodiversity conservation in the context of weak institutions: Comparison of three programs from Cambodia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 1283-1291, April.
    14. Xiaoping Li & Yan Yan & Liuyang Yao, 2020. "‘Get a Fish’ vs. ‘Get a Fishing Skill’: Farmers’ Preferred Compensation Methods to Control Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-13, April.
    15. Laura Villalobos & Juan Robalino & Catalina Sandoval & Francisco Alpízar, 2023. "Local Effects of Payments for Ecosystem Services on Rural Poverty," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 84(3), pages 753-774, March.
    16. Dale Whittington & Stefano Pagiola, 2012. "Using Contingent Valuation in the Design of Payments for Environmental Services Mechanisms: A Review and Assessment," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 27(2), pages 261-287, August.
    17. Vignola, Raffaele & McDaniels, Tim L. & Scholz, Roland W., 2012. "Negotiation analysis for mechanisms to deliver ecosystem services: The case of soil conservation in Costa Rica," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 22-31.
    18. Astrid Zabel & Karen Pittel & Göran Bostedt & Stefanie Engel, 2011. "Comparing Conventional and New Policy Approaches for Carnivore Conservation: Theoretical Results and Application to Tiger Conservation," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 48(2), pages 287-301, February.
    19. Blackman, Allen & Woodward, Richard T., 2010. "User financing in a national payments for environmental services program: Costa Rican hydropower," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 1626-1638, June.
    20. Sanga, G.J. & Mungatana, E.D., 2016. "Integrating ecology and economics in understanding responses in securing land-use externalities internalization in water catchments," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 28-39.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q57 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Ecological Economics

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:een:crwfrp:1203. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: David Stern (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/asanuau.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.