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Ecological Economics

Author

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  • 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
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    File URL: http://www.crawford.anu.edu.au/pdf/crwf_ssrn/crwfrp_1203.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    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.
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    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, October.
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    Citations

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    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].

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    JEL classification:

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

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