Rob Hart

How can we make sense of the changes in the human economy that we have seen of the last couple of centuries, and even the last 20000 years? In the light of our explanation of the past, what future scenarios are possible, or indeed likely, regarding long-run global production of goods and services, given the finite nature of the Earth, its natural resources, and the inflow of energy from the sun? Furthermore, what policies are called for in order to achieve desirable long-run outcomes with regard to (sustainable) long-run production and the quality of the living environment? Over the last 100 years and more the world has witnessed economic growth which is not only uniquely rapid, but also astonishingly steady, by which I mean that the increase in production of goods and services per capita in the richest countries has occurred at a remarkably constant rate. Can this increase be maintained, and if it is maintained, will that be at the expense of the quality of the Earth's environment or other species?

I have a wide range of teaching experience in Economics and Environmental Economics at bachelor, master's, and doctoral level. In the last few years I have taught in the following courses: 

Macroeconomics (bachelor);
Agricultural and environmental economics (bachelor);
Economic growth and sustainable development (Master's);
Maths for Economists (PhD);
and Economic Growth (PhD).

I am also the examiner of the Bachelor and Master's theses in economics for the programs given at Ultuna. 

As part of the overall research program described above, I work on many externally funded projects, some of which are listed below. 

'Economic Instruments and Consumption' together with PhD student Jonathan Stråle, funded by the Swedish EPA.  

'Sustainable consumption: From niche to mainstream', a very large project funded by Mistra of which I am a part. 

'UNISECO', a Horizon 2020 project in which I am working on macroeconomic issues related to a transition to more agro-ecological approaches in EU agriculture.

'To buy or not to buy', together with Efi Kyriakopoulou and Justice Mensah, on a transition to sustainable transport in Sweden, funded by the Swedish EPA. 

From 2008 to 2014 I sat on the Editorial Council of the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. I referee regularly for top field journals such as JEEM, JAERE, ERE, and REE. I have also refereed for journals such as the QJE, Econometrica, the Economic Journal, JPubE, the Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Macroeconomic Dynamics, etc. 

I am assistant head of department, and have been either assistant or deputy head for most of the last 9 years. I sit on the faculty appointments board.

Selected publications

For an up-to-date list of publications see google scholar