Evolutionary and environmental economics have a potentially close relationship. This paper reviews past and identifies potential
applications of evolutionary concepts and methods to environmental economics. This covers a number of themes: resource use
and ecosystem management; growth and environmental resources; economic and evolutionary progress; and individual behavior
and environmental policy. The treatment will address both biological and economic—including institutional, organizational
and technological-evolutionary phenomena. Attention will be drawn to the fact that evolutionary economics shows a surprising
neglect of environmental and natural resource factors.
Keywords Coevolution - Economic growth - Environmental policy - Innovation - Progress - Self-regulation - Renewable resources - Resilience - Social preferences
JEL Classification B52 - O3 - O4 - Q2 - Q5
The author is also affiliated to the Institute for Environmental Studies, Free University, and the Tinbergen Institute, both
in Amsterdam.