Martin Christopher Hänsel

Martin Christopher Hänsel is an Assistant Professor in Nature’s Values at the Institute for Infrastructure and Resource Management (IIRM) of the Faculty of Economics and Management Science at Leipzig University. He earned his PhD in Quantitative Economics from Kiel University and previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

• Current Affiliation: Leipzig University (since 04/2023)
• Previous Positions: Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (02/2019–04/2023); Kiel University (04/2014–07/2018)

Research Interests center on the economic transformation toward sustainability, with a focus on climate change economics and the valuation of natural resources. His methodological expertise spans economic theory (growth and general equilibrium theory), econometric analyses, and integrated assessment modeling, often through interdisciplinary collaborations.

Recent Publications include studies in American Economic Journal, Nature Climate Change, and Science (2024), where he introduced a novel framework for valuing ecosystem benefits. His work is cited in IPCC AR6 and informs policy decisions globally.

Scientific Awards

• Frontiers Planet Prize (2025) for advancing planetary health through groundbreaking ecosystem valuation research

Teaching includes Climate Economics (Master) and Nature’s Values (Bachelor), covering topics like climate policy, cost-benefit analysis, and ethical foundations of resource valuation. He supervises theses on sustainability economics.

Labs and Teams: Leads the research group Valorization of Nature at IIRM, collaborating with teams at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, TU Berlin, and the University of Potsdam.