1. What is the role of economics in environmental sustainability?

Economics can be used as a tool in environmental sustainability by providing information and analyses for the general public, policymakers, and companies. Economics is a field that, at its core, studies scarce resources and optimal distribution. As such, it is the perfect contender to answer questions about environmental sutainability, which also deals with both of these issues at heart.

Markets, companies, governments and consumers all play a role in the grand game of sustainable development. An economists job is to carefully view how these actors play their part in the event of a new policy, a new crisis, or new technology.

Economists use tools such as econometrics to combine both economic and statistical data, to gather information. An example could be a new policy for sustainable development; An economist can answer questions regarding how this policy has worked, how well it worked and how it should be worked on.

Economists also learn "from an early age" how certain market conditions work, and how these conditions matter when policies or crises are introduced. An example of this is the study of imperfect labour markets when there is a labour shortage, or the study of public finance when a tax is introduced.

Environmental and resource economics is its own field within economics. This field deals with sustainable development and optimal resource extraction, among other things. Another important job of an economist is to ensure that all consequences have been taken into account in the introduction of a new policy.

2. What is the relationship between environmental economics and natural resource economics?

Natural resource economics seeks to combine elements of biology and economics, to ensure an optimal outcome that serves both profit and sutainability. An example of this is the economics of fisheries, where the optimal solution for an open access fishery is not the maximization of profits in the short-term; Rather, companies seek to retain as much fish as possible, while making as much profit as possible. Companies want to have the extra fish in their pond, as long as it increases their profits over time.

In this sense, it may be counter-intuitive from what you learn in standardised economics: Here, firms seek to maximize their profits, that is it. If fisheries were to do that, all fish would be harvested instantly in one day, and then there is nothing more to fish for the rest of time. The amount of money lost from today and 10 years forward in time would surely be more than what the companies earned in that one day.

Therefore, natural resource economics and environmental economics share one trait; The importance of the long term.

Dr Kristian Bjerke thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Environmental economics focuses on how they use and manage finite resources in a manner that serves the population while meeting concerns about environmental impact. This helps governments weigh the pros and cons of alternative measures and design appropriate environmental policies. Economic sustainability refers to practices designed to create the long-term economic development of a company or nation while also managing the environmental, social, and cultural aspects of its activities. It is about balancing economic growth and generating profit with the impact on the environment and people. Economic sustainability is all about giving people what they want without compromising the quality of life, especially in the developing world. Environmental sustainability: It is the process of meeting the needs of air, food, water, and shelter as well as ensuring that the environment is neither affected nor polluted. The critical difference in natural resource economics and the environmental economics is that the natural resource economics is interested in the demand, supply, and distribution of natural resources, while environmental economics studies the environmental issues. Extracting, processing and using natural resources can cause environmental problems such as: air, land and water pollution; disruption or destruction of ecosystems; and a decrease in biodiversity. Resource economics, which covers subjects in land and water use, such as mining, fisheries, agriculture, and forests and environmental economics, which takes a broader view of natural resources through economic concepts such as risk, valuation, regulation, and distribution. The natural environment is central to economic activity and growth, providing the resources we need to produce goods and services, and absorbing and processing unwanted by-products in the form of pollution and waste. Environmental economics focuses on allocating scarce resources to meet human needs while still preserving the environment. This process involves balancing the benefits and costs of specific economic activities on the environment and outlining policies that further sustainable development. We use economic analysis and evidence to help design and implement public policies that can address the challenges of climate change, energy, pollution, agriculture, water, and ecological systems. Environmental economics involves financial impact of environmental and political policies using empirical studies. Natural Resource economics provides an insight on dependence of natural resources on an economy and how these resources can be managed to meet the sustainability of resource for future generations. Sustainability is the practice of using natural resources responsibly, so they can support both present and future generations. Forests are one natural resource that sustainability groups are focused on conserving.

Environmental economics and sustainability are important for using resources wisely and ensuring a healthy planet for future generations. They help balance economic growth with environmental protection