Andrew Plantinga, a lead researcher at UC Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute (MSI), has been elected a Fellow of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE), the highest honor in the field. The award recognizes his career-long contributions to environmental policy, shaped through innovative economic research.
In addition to his role at MSI, Plantinga is a professor at UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and a research associate at the campus’s Environmental Markets Lab (emLab). His interdisciplinary work uses economic modeling to better understand how land-use decisions influence climate change, biodiversity, wildfire risk, and water quality.
"Professor Plantinga’s research exemplifies the Bren School’s mission to integrate science, economics, and policy in solving environmental challenges,” said former Chancellor Henry T. Yang. “His election as an AERE Fellow is a testament to the impact and excellence of his work."
At UCSB, Plantinga’s interdisciplinary research draws on insights from economics, ecology, forestry, and climate science. His affiliation with the Marine Science Institute further supports his collaborations on topics such as coastal land-use impacts, marine ecosystem services, and climate policy.
Plantinga was honored at the 2025 AERE Summer Conference in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. AERE President Sheila Olmstead noted that his work has had broad influence in areas such as carbon markets, biodiversity conservation, land management, and wildfire mitigation.
Looking ahead, Plantinga continues to focus on improving climate-related policy tools, such as carbon offset markets and land-use regulations that affect both terrestrial and coastal environments.
“Environmental challenges are deeply tied to human behavior,” he said. “Economics gives us the tools to create better incentives and better outcomes.”
Original reporting by Harrison Tasoff, “Andrew Plantinga Recognized for Shaping Environmental Policy through Economic Insight.” The Current, UC Santa Barbara, 2025.