Esther Blanco

Esther Blanco is a Professor of Economics at the University of Innsbruck and an Affiliated Faculty member at the Ostrom Workshop, Indiana University. She holds a position in the Department of Public Finance and is the Coordinator of the Innsbruck Decision Sciences Research Center. Her research focuses on environmental and behavioral economics, examining drivers of climate action and resource conservation. Key interests include responses to climate change, mitigation/adaptation choices, and collective action challenges in resource management.

Blanco is leading a Special Research Area on Credence Goods (2021–2026, ~4 million Euros), investigating green markets and insurance against information asymmetries. She also serves as a Coordinating Lead Author for the APCC Assessment Report on Climate Change in Austria (2022–2025). Her work integrates experimental methods, including randomized control trials and field experiments, with complementary data sources.

Her research team includes Elisabeth Gsottbauer, Natalie Struwe, Claire Rimbaud, and Adria Bronchal. Notable projects include #ManyDesignsCarbon (exploring behavioral interventions for carbon pricing support) and #Cooperate4Climate (building climate decision-making competencies for adolescents).

Blanco’s grants and projects emphasize multi-disciplinary approaches to societal challenges, with a focus on climate policy, sustainability, and governance. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with real-world applications, addressing gaps in collective action and resource management.