I represent the Department of Environmental Economics at the Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. From an environmental economics perspective, we are most interested in contributing through research on key trade-offs and synergies of forest development pathways. As is also clear from the wide range of keywords, we have expertise many related issues and methods, ranging from market and non-market valuation of forest ecosystem services, to implementing these values in social cost-benefit analysis and in (circular) business models. Although our research is not specifically focused on forests, we work in various national and EU projects in which forests and forest ecosystem services are key elements. We cannot lead a consortium, but we have ample human resources to contribute to writing a strong research proposal, leading a work package in proposal and hopefully also project stage, and contribute to a succesfull and innovative project, both from scientific and societal perspectives.

Established in 1971, IVM is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognised for its high-quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context.

The department of Environmental Economics (EE) leads the institute’s efforts in improving insights into the interaction between the environment and the economy. The department is one of the main groups of environmental economists in Europe, consisting of around 45 scientific staff and PhD researchers. The department's strategy is to consolidate and further strengthen its position as a major player in the European field of environmental economics. Important fields of application include climate change, energy, circular economy, water, ecosystem services, and environmental and natural resource management. A key element of our research philosophy is to conduct research jointly with stakeholders and collaborating institutes.