Nicholas Hanley

Professor Nicholas Hanley holds the Chair in Environmental and One Health Economics at the University of Glasgow's Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine. He joined in 2017 after previous roles at the Universities of Stirling, Edinburgh, and St Andrews. His research focuses on applying economic methods—including behavioral economics—to biodiversity conservation, One Health challenges, sustainability metrics, and the design of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes. He is an Associate Editor of Resource and Energy Economics and Ecological Economics.

Current research includes modeling biodiversity net gain policies in the UK, ecological-economic simulations of woodland expansion impacts, and the relationship between natural sounds (e.g., bird song) and mental well-being. He also leads work on coastal resilience, soil carbon markets, and the economic implications of historic pollution. His projects often integrate interdisciplinary approaches, combining ecology, economics, and policy analysis.

Key research themes include valuing biodiversity offsets, spatial coordination in conservation auctions, and the economic consequences of land-use changes. His work emphasizes practical policy applications, such as designing effective conservation markets and evaluating trade-offs between environmental and economic objectives.

Publications span over 350 articles, with recent work focusing on marine plastic pollution agreements, livestock disease economics in Tanzania, and sediment management in hydropower systems. His research frequently highlights the importance of integrating behavioral insights and spatial analysis into environmental policy design.