12 Best New Environmental Economics Books To Read In 2021

1. Stephen Smith — Environmental Economics: A Very Short Introduction

In this Very Short Introduction, Stephen Smith shows how the field of environmental economics looks at how economic activity and policy can affect the environment in which we live. The book discusses environmental issues including pollution control, reducing environmental damage, global
climate change policies, questions about how we should balance environmental and economic considerations, and what form government policies should take. In recent years, Smith reveals, many economists have argued for greater use of incentives such as pollution charges and emissions trading rather than more traditional direct regulation of polluters. Including many illustrative case studies, this book offers an illuminating introduction to an exciting field of economics.

2. Frank Ackerman and Lisa Heinzerling — Priceless: On Knowing the Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing

Can you assign a monetary value to things like the environment and health? Many economists have tried to do this and, while it sounds rather cold and calculated, it’s often how governments decide what’s important to them. The problem is, our moral compasses are often ignored when numbers are the way we try and solve the problems we face. In Priceless, Ackerman and Heinzerling argue that the cost-benefit analysis which defines how many societies are run is hugely detrimental to the environment, and that issues such as climate change and health should be dealt with using democratic, moral values, rather than numbers.

That being said, should we avoid all risks, for fear of something bad happening? Some of the analysis in Priceless seems to imply that certain things are simply too risky to take on, and they cause people to be anxious, fearful, and depressed. The book often blames the nameless ‘company’ (much like in the Alien series), and the book has been criticised for encouraging cynicism and an anxious view of progress. Nonetheless, an interesting read which poses some important questions.

3. Tim Jackson — Prosperity Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet

Economic growth has long been touted as the solution for all problems, as the most important indicator of success in modern society. Recently, though, this idea has been challenged: particularly the Green parties of Europe have argued that endless growth is detrimental to a number of things, not least the environment. In Prosperity Without Growth, Jackson argues that economic growth in developed nations should stop, that growing consumption doesn’t improve the happiness levels of citizens, and, most importantly, that the world’s ecosystems will be destroyed unless we take a different view of progress. Jackson argues that humans can prosper while taking into consideration the limits of a planet which has very obviously finite resources. Current evidence suggests that the level of current economic activity isn’t sustainable, meaning, if we decide our planet is important, it needs to be decreased. A revolutionary read which turns fundamental ideas of economics on their head, and was based on a report Jackson wrote for the Sustainable Development Commission in the UK, which was the most downloaded in 2009.

4. Paul Hawken — The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability

Hawken’s book confronts the conflict between businesses and environmental protection by making the argument that businesspeople need to transform commerce and make it sustainable. His book is premised on the fact that business, as it currently functions, is contributing to our exceeding the limits of what our planet can offer us, and in the process destroying the ecosystems we need to survive. Writing ‘the promise of business is to increase the general well-being of humankind through service’, he contends that the general rule that businesses exist to make money needs to be contested, and that through innovation and creativity, commerce can be reformed to serve the needs of the planet while also serving the needs of its customers.

But how? At the forefront of his idea is that businesses must manage their waste more effectively so it all is reused or recycled, and that the energy businesses use must rely solely on solar power and hydrogen. Governments can’t do this, he argues: businesses must take the lead, driven by an incentive shift from commercial gain in the short term to a wider view of ecological sustainability. A very business-centred approach that offers important ideas while perhaps not taking into account the dramatic system change which needs to take place to save the planet.

5. Jonathon Porritt — Capitalism: As If the World Matters

The current world is predominantly capitalist, particularly in those states which produce the most greenhouse houses. Even countries like China which have strict socially authoritarian governments have made moves towards a capitalist economy in the last few decades. In Capitalism, Porritt addresses the question of whether this economic system is at all able to deliver the change we need to see to save the environment — can it offer us a sustainable, green future? Porritt believes it has to be able to, even though our and politicians’ faith in the system has been shaken, because it’s the only system we really have.

While analysing capitalism and the role of businesses within it, the author also discusses the challenges that face the environmental movement and makes the argument that rather than emphasising the bad things that will happen if we don’t go green, it should be focusing on the (economic) positives of becoming sustainable. Porritt argues capitalism offers the best middle ground for personal well-being, economic growth, and sustainability — and anyway, we don’t have any other choice. A bit of a status-quo read that may ruffle the feathers of those who believe overall system change is the only solution.

6. Naomi Klein — This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate

In stark opposition to Porritt’s analysis, Klein writes that the status quo is no longer viable and to protect our world, radical change is needed to our economic system. She argues that climate change isn’t just another issue which needs to be dealt with by politicians, but the wake up call we have needed which tells us that our systems are failing both us and the planet. Looking at how solving climate change can help us fix some of the problems that are at the forefront of modern society, such as widening inequality and democracies that only sort-of work, Klein builds a compelling case for why the capitalist market isn’t the solution to our problems and how current environmentalist movements are too defeatist. The climate crisis, while urgent and something we have very limited time to fix, acts also as a ‘gift’ — a way to rebuild our broken relationship with nature and totally change the way we live and interact with one another. A good companion to other, more capitalist-based solutions to the crisis, and one that offers a radical alternative.

7. Charles D. Kolstad — Environmental Economics

Looking for a textbook that focuses solely on environmental economics, getting straight to the point? Kolstad’s Environmental Economics does exactly that, assuming knowledge of micro- and macroeconomics from the off. While not offering newer ideas for the study and analysis of the environment in relation to economics like the other books on our list, this work will, however, give you a comprehensive overview of what the field looks like right now.

The book is split into four sections, dealing with (respectively): the definition of the field; market failures; the role of government regulation; and the demand for environmental quality. Kolstad takes an international/global approach to environmental economics, acknowledging that the discipline cannot work in isolation within states. That being said, he doesn’t ignore the differences between how countries use this field of economics to deal with (or not deal with) the environmental catastrophe we are facing. Perfect for undergraduate students who want to specialise in this field.

8. Environmental Economics The Essentials

Environmental Economics: The Essentials offers a policy-oriented approach to the increasingly influential field of environmental economics that is based upon a solid foundation of economic theory and empirical research. Students will not only leave the course with a firm understanding of environmental economics, but they will also be exposed to a number of case studies showing how underlying economic principles provided the foundation for specific environmental and resource policies. Key features include: Extensive coverage of the major issues including climate change, air and water pollution, sustainable development, and environmental justice; Introductions to the theory and method of environmental economics including externalities, experimental and behavioral economics, benefit-cost analysis, and methods for valuing the services provided by the environment; Boxed ‘Examples’ and ‘Debates’ throughout the text which highlight global examples and major talking points. The text is fully supported with end-of-chapter summaries, discussion questions, and self-test exercises in the book, as well as with multiple-choice questions, simulations, references, slides, and an instructor’s manual on the Companion Website. This text is adapted from the best-selling Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, 11th edition, by the same authors.

9. The New Environmental Economics

oo often, economics disassociates humans from nature, the economy from the biosphere that contains it, and sustainability from fairness. When economists do engage with environmental issues, they typically reduce their analysis to a science of efficiency that leaves aside issues of distributional analysis and justice. The aim of this lucid textbook is to provide a framework that prioritizes human well-being within the limits of the biosphere, and to rethink economic analysis and policy in the light of not just efficiency but equity.

Leading economist Éloi Laurent systematically ties together sustainability and justice issues in covering a wide range of topics, from biodiversity and ecosystems, energy and climate change, environmental health and environmental justice, to new indicators of well-being and sustainability beyond GDP and growth, social-ecological transition, and sustainable urban systems. This book equips readers with ideas and tools from various disciplines alongside economics, such as history, political science, and philosophy, and invites them to apply those insights in order to understand and eventually tackle pressing twenty-first-century challenges. It will be an invaluable resource for students of environmental economics and policy, and sustainable development

10. Environmental Economics and Policy

Environmental Economics and Policy is a best-selling text for environmental economics courses. Offering a policy-oriented approach, it introduces economic theory, empirical fieldwork, and case studies that show how underlying economic principles provided the foundation for environmental policies. Key features include: Introductions to the theory and method of environmental economics, including externalities, benefit-cost analysis, valuation methods, and ecosystem goods and services. Extensive coverage of the major issues including climate change mitigation and adaptation, air and water pollution, and environmental justice.

Boxed “Examples” and “Debates” throughout the text, which highlight global examples and major talking points. This text will be of use to undergraduate students of economics. Students will leave the course with a global perspective of how environmental economics has played and can continue to play a role in promoting fair and efficient environmental management. The text is fully supported with end-of-chapter summaries, discussion questions, and self-test exercises in the book. Additional online resources include references, as well as PowerPoint slides for each chapter.

11. Global Business An Economic, Social, and Environmental Perspective

The GLOBAL BUSINESS: An Economic, Social, and Environmental Perspective is the 2nd edition of the book titled “Foundations of International Business” published by Information Age Publishing, Inc. in 2015. We have approached the 2nd edition from a forward looking perspective by incorporating economic, social, and environmental issues, which have strong links to stakeholders and are guided by the Triple Bottom-Line (TBL) concept. A TBL approach emphasizes the importance of Profit, People, and Planet, or PPP.
The Triple Bottom Line concept is highlighted throughout each chapter.

Successful Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) are increasingly linking the company’s profit maximization goal (the economic or Profit maximization components) to the social well-being of the community and corporate social responsibility initiatives of the firm (the social or People components), as well as the environmental consideration of scarce resources, climate change and sustainability (the environmental or Planet component). This approach enables readers to assess global business opportunities and risks in a comprehensive and integral manner.

12. The Future Earth A Radical Vision for What’s Possible in the Age of Warming

The first hopeful book about climate change, The Future Earth shows readers how to reverse the short- and long-term effects of climate change over the next three decades. The basics of climate science are easy. We know it is entirely human-caused. Which means its solutions will be similarly human-led. In The Future Earth, leading climate change advocate and weather-related journalist Eric Holthaus (“the Rebel Nerd of Meteorology” — Rolling Stone) offers a radical vision of our future, specifically how to reverse the short- and long-term effects of climate change over the next three decades.

Anchored by world-class reporting, interviews with futurists, climatologists, biologists, economists, and climate change activists, it shows what the world could look like if we implemented radical solutions on the scale of the crises we face. What could happen if we reduced carbon emissions by 50 percent in the next decade? What could living in a city look like in 2030?How could the world operate in 2040, if the proposed Green New Deal created a 100 percent net carbon-free economy in the United States? This is the book for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the current state of our environment. Hopeful and prophetic, The Future Earth invites us to imagine how we can reverse the effects of climate change in our own lifetime and encourages us to enter a deeper relationship with the earth as conscientious stewards and to re-affirm our commitment to one another in our shared humanity

if you need any some of the books, you can comment.