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Phoebe Koundouri

Phoebe Koundouri

Professor, School of Economics, Athens University of Economics and Business; Visiting Professor (Department of Earth Sciences); Senior Research Fellow at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge

Professor Dr Phoebe Koundouri is an economist renowned for pioneering human-centred, interdisciplinary, mathematical systems for sustainable nature–society–economy interaction. She holds an MPhil/PhD (Univ. of Cambridge) and has held positions at the Univ. of Cambridge, UCL, LSE, Univ. of Reading, and DTU. Currently, she is Professor at AUEB, Visiting Professor (Dep. Earth Sciences), and Senior Research Fellow at Peterhouse, Univ. of Cambridge. Ranked in the top 1–2% of scientists (e.g., Stanford list) with 20 books, 700 publications, and has led 100 projects in 120 countries. She serves on the Nominating Committee for the Nobel Prize in Economics. She is a Fellow of Academia Europaea, World Academy of Arts and Sciences (Trustee), European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Academy of Engineering & Technology of the Developing World, IAP, the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE), and European Forest Institute. In 2025, she was invited by the UN to co-chair the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2027. Since 2019, she is the President of EAERE; President, World Council of Environmental Resource Economists Association; Chair, UN SDSN Global Climate Hub (2,000 universities); Co-chair, SDSN Europe (900 universities); Director AE4RIA (200 researchers). Major distinctions include the ERC Synergy Grant, the Academy of Athens Award, and the Award of the Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts of the Republic of Cyprus. She is an ERC Ambassador, EU Climate Pact Ambassador, member of the EIB Climate Leaders Network, and contributor to the IPCC. She advises the UN, G20, World Bank, EC, EIB, EBRD, OECD, WHO, and national governments.

Articles by Phoebe Koundouri

  1. Is the European Green Deal’s vision still intact?

    Phoebe Koundouri, Angelos Alamanos, Georgios Feretzakis, Angelos Plataniotis, Ioannis Arampatzidis

    Economic development

    Europe has not abandoned the Green Deal – its flagship strategy for climate neutrality and shared prosperity – but it risks hollowing it out. As implementation pressures mount, the question is not whether the vision survives on paper, but whether it can still deliver a fair, system-wide transformation aligned with the SDGs

    Article

    SDGs: 1 2 3 4 7 8 12 13 16 17

  2. Time to face the facts

    Phoebe Koundouri

    Climate — Global

    COP28 is a pivotal moment for the Paris Agreement. The first global stocktake presents a comprehensive view of progress towards the goals of the agreement. The synthesis report released in September makes it clear we are falling well short. The science is clear and, collectively, we have the knowledge and resources to deliver. Now it is time for political leaders to unite behind a common plan to address the climate crisis

    Article

    SDGs: 2 7 9 10 11 12 13 15 17

  3. The false dilemma between economy and planet

    Phoebe Koundouri, Dogan Keles, Konstantinos Dellis, Conrad Landis

    Climate — Global

    There is a growing chorus calling for delays to net-zero initiatives, blaming climate action for the current cost of living crisis. In reality, green investment can offer a path out of the economic troubles that have been building since the start of the century

    Article

    SDGs: 7 8 9 13 14 15

  4. Curbing deforestation through strategic trade and subsidy policies: a global imperative

    Etienne Berthet, Phoebe Koundouri, Conrad Landis

    Economic development

    The EU’s unilateral approach to curb deforestation through restrictions on imports sends a powerful message, but will it deliver? Here, the authors argue that successful global action on deforestation calls for a carefully balanced system of tariffs and subsidies from a wider coalition of countries

    Article

    SDGs: 2 13 15 17

  5. Ideas into action

    Phoebe Koundouri, Ebun Akinsete

    Climate — Global

    At this mid-point to the 2030 deadline, it’s clear that action must ramp up massively if the SDGs are to be realized and climate catastrophe averted. Initiatives such as the UN SDSN Global Climate Hub can help get governments back on track

    Article

    SDGs: 7 8 9 12 13 14 15 17