Pieter van Beukering

Prof. Pieter van Beukering is a Full Professor of Environmental Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), affiliated with the Faculty of Science and the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute. He leads the Environmental Economics Department and serves as Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM). His roles include coordinating the MSc program in Environment and Resource Management (2015–2022) and serving as Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Science. He holds a PhD in Environmental Economics (2001) and an MSc in Economics from the University of Amsterdam (1992).

Research focuses on natural resource management, ecosystem service valuation, and renewable energy. Key areas include biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, and sustainable technology diffusion. He has directed programs like the PREM initiative (2003–2009) to strengthen environmental economics capacity in developing countries and led the MSc program in Environment and Resource Management.

Over 230+ publications span topics like coral reef economics, marine plastic management, and behavioral responses to environmental policies. Notable projects include evaluating ecosystem service losses from invasive species and assessing the social costs of pesticides. Van Beukering contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly through climate resilience and biodiversity conservation efforts.

Grants and collaborations include the ALIGN4Energy project (2022–2027), evaluating clean energy diffusion in Africa. He advises on policy design for nature-based solutions and sustainable finance mechanisms in Caribbean regions. His work bridges academic research with practical applications in policy and development sectors.