Jeroen van den Bergh

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

Social & Behavioural Sciences

Jeroen van den Bergh is ICREA Research Professor at the Institute of Environmental Science & Technology of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He is also honorary professor of Environmental & Resource Economics in the Faculty of Economics & Business Administration and the Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam. Previously, he was professor of Environmental Economics (1997-2007) at VU University Amsterdam, and a member of the Energy Council of the Netherlands (2003-2007). He obtained a Masters degree in Econometrics and Operations Research from Tilburg University, and a PhD in Economics from VU University Amsterdam. He has published 16 books and more than 180 journal articles. He was awarded the Royal Shell Prize 2002 and the IEC Environmental Prize (Premi Sant Jordi de Medi Ambient) 2011, and received awards for several publications. He is editor-in-chief of the Elsevier journal "Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions".


Research interests

The intersection of economics, environmental science and innovation studies. Work in recent years is focused on environmental innovation, notably renewable energy, the design of effective climate policy, assessment of climate policy impacts, carbon and energy rebound, and modelling a transition to a low-carbon economy. He makes frequent use of insights and approaches of behavioral and evolutionary economics. Past work covered integrated environmental-economic modelling, construction of aggregate performance indicators, contributions to the growth-versus-environment debate, economic aspects of dematerialization and recycling, and spatial/international aspects of environmental policy.

Selected publications

– van den Bergh JCJM 2016, ‘Disagreement on sustainability policy within the social sciences?’, European Review, 24(1): 83-88.

– Shemelev S & van den Bergh J 2016, ‘Optimal diversity of renewable energy alternatives under multiple criteria: An application to the UK’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 60: 679-691.

– Drews S & van den Bergh J 2016, ‘Public views on economic growth, the environment and prosperity: Results of a questionnaire survey’, Global Environmental Change, 39: 1-14.

– Maestre-Andres S, Calvet-Mir L & van den Bergh J 2016, ‘Sociocultural valuation of ecosystem services to improve protected area management: a multi-method approach applied to Catalonia, Spain’, Regional Environmental Change, 16(3): 717 – 731.

– van den Bergh J 2016, ‘Spatial inequity of resources impedes autarky, Comment on “The Island Logic”‘, Journal of Industrial Ecology, 20(5): 1212-1213.

– Drews S, van den Bergh JCJM 2016, ‘What explains public support for climate policies? A review of empirical and experimental studies’, Climate Policy, 16, 7, 855 – 876.

– Rodrigues L, van den Bergh J, Loureiro M, Nunes P & Rossi S 2016, ‘The cost of Mediterranean sea warming and acidification: A choice experiment among scuba divers at Medes Islands, Spain’, Environmental and Resource Economics, 63(2): 289-311.

– Subtil Lacerda J & van den Bergh J 2016, ‘Mismatch of wind power capacity and generation: Causing factors, GHG emissions and potential policy responses’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 128(1): 178-189.

– Antal M & van den Bergh JCJM 2016, ‘Green growth and climate change: Conceptual and empirical considerations’, Climate Policy, 16(2): 165-177.