Frans de Vries

Frans de Vries is Full Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Aberdeen Business School where he holds the Chair in Environmental and Resource Economics. He is a member of the Scottish Experimental Economics Laboratory (SEEL), the Aberdeen Centre for Research in Energy Economics and Finance (ACREEF), and an affiliate of the North Atlantic Microplastic Centre (NAMC) in Norway. His work focuses on environmental policy design, market mechanisms for pollution control, and the relationship between environmental regulation and technological innovation.

Education:

• PhD in Environmental Economics (2003) - University of Groningen
• MSc in Economics of Agriculture and Environment (1996) - Wageningen University

Professor de Vries' research centers around the design and functioning of environmental markets and incentive-based policy mechanisms for pollution control and biodiversity conservation. Another focal point relates to the interplay between environmental regulation, market structure, and technological change. His work often combines economic theory with laboratory experiments to investigate environmental policy performance and economic decision-making in environmental markets. Key research areas include emissions trading systems, biodiversity offset markets, plastic pollution governance, and sustainable investment strategies.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on international environmental agreements, carbon market design, marine plastic pollution governance, and the ecological-economic dynamics of biodiversity conservation. The research shows increasing emphasis on transboundary environmental issues, spatial coordination in environmental markets, and the interplay between environmental policy and sustainable business practices. His work bridges theoretical economic models with practical policy applications across multiple environmental domains.

Professor de Vries has consulted for the OECD (Environment Directorate), the UK and Irish Environment Agencies, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and the European Patent Office, demonstrating the policy relevance of his research.

Teaching:

• Applied Economic Policy Evaluation (EC4030)
• Industrial Economics (EC3522)
• Introduction to Energy Economics (BU5053)
• Economics of Energy Transition (BU555H)
• Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECNM11028)