Sebastian Tonke

Dr. Sebastian Tonke is a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn, Germany. Starting March 2026, he will assume an Assistant Professor position at the Technical University Munich. His research focuses on environmental economics, behavioral economics, and development economics through field experiments and behavioral interventions.

• Doctoral Degree in Economics (2013-2019), University of Cologne
• MSc in Economics (2012-2013), Barcelona Graduate School of Economics
• BSc in Economics (2008-2012), University of Cologne

Dr. Tonke's research examines behavioral patterns affecting environmental conservation and resource sustainability. He applies experimental methods to evaluate interventions targeting water payment compliance, recycling programs, and climate justice norms, with a focus on translating behavioral insights into policy solutions.

His recent work analyzes identity formation effects in collective action dilemmas (2025), evaluates behavioral interventions for water conservation in Peru (2024), and investigates normative feedback mechanisms in recycling programs (2024). This reflects his ongoing interest in behavioral diagnosis and treatment design.

• Junior Scholar Award at BX2016 at Harvard University

Dr. Tonke collaborates with researchers like Matthias Sutter and Bettina Rockenbach on projects involving behavioral interventions in resource management. His upcoming work at TUM will focus on climate justice norms and complementary price/non-price interventions in water sectors.