Environmental Economics (Prof. Dr. Engel)
Vision und mission
The world is facing urgent and complex socio-ecological challenges. Through our research, education, outreach, and engagement, we support the transformation towards collective well-being and sustainability.
Our research examines internal and external drivers of individual and collective human behavior at the root of socio-ecological challenges. We conceptualize pathways of behavioral and ecological change, and design and evaluate interventions to foster inner and outer transformative change. In doing so, we combine behavioral, experimental, and institutional environmental economics and draw on insights from related disciplines, such as psychology and systems science. Through innovative teaching, engagement, and outreach, we develop the capacities of diverse actors from the public and private sphere.
Origin and affiliation
The Department of Environmental Economics was established in 2014 when Prof. Dr. Stefanie Engel was honored with an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship, Germany’s highest endowed international research award, granted by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Today we are a vibrant, international, diverse and participatory team, engaging passionately in research and teaching. Our courses are integrated into several bachelor's and master's degree programs at the University of Osnabrück. Additionally, we are part of Osnabrück University’s interdisciplinary Research Center “ Institute of Environmental Systems Research” and the Laboratory for Economic Research.
Economic experiments –
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Latest publications
Ortiz-Riomalo, J. F., Ramírez-Ramón, D., Castro-Salvador, S., Koessler, A.-K., & Engel, S. (2026). Design guidelines for effective participatory processes in environmental and natural resource management [Policy brief]. Centre for Environmental Systems Research, Osnabrück University; Centro de Investigación en Geografía Aplicada, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; Institute for Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover. https://doi.org/10.48693/960
Rellensmann, T., Engel, S., Rommel, J., & Thomas, F. (2026). Collective contracts as a risk-sharing mechanism for result-based agri-environmental payments: Experimental evidence. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 77(2), 597–614. https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.70034
Bernal-Escobar, A., Midler, E., & Engel, S. (2026). Beyond a market discourse: Is framing a solution to avoid motivational crowding out in payments for ecosystem services? Ecosystem Services, 79, Article 101852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2026.101852
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Prof. Dr. Stefanie Engel
Environmental Economics
Barbarastraße 12
49076 Osnabrück
Room: 66/E06
Phone: +49 541 969-3339
fax: +49 541 969-2599
stefanie.engel@uni-osnabrueck.de