Environmental Defense Fund Appoints Leading Natural Resource Economist Christopher Costello as Chief Economist

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) announced the appointment of Christopher Costello as its new Chief Economist. Costello, a distinguished professor of natural resource economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), brings decades of experience and research in environmental markets, natural resource and conservation economics, climate policy and adaptation, risk, uncertainty, and environmental management.  

Costello will lead EDF’s team of economists and researchers to innovate climate and environmental policymaking using economics. His background in market design and conservation economics will support EDF’s work to design and implement incentives and market-based interventions that reduce pollution, conserve vital ecosystems, and improve livelihoods.  

"So many of us are already experiencing daily and costly realities of climate change whether through direct impacts like increasingly severe fires, floods, and droughts, or indirect effects on our gas and grocery bills,” said Costello. "Economic behavior is at the heart of our climate challenges—and that means economics must also be at the heart of our climate solutions. Truly effective climate solutions must deliver for both the environment and the economy.” 

Costello is a renowned scholar with over 100 research papers published in top academic journals. His interdisciplinary approach leverages scientific breakthroughs, the data revolution, and new approaches to finance to design market-based solutions that align everyday decisions with long-term sustainability.  

“Creating climate solutions that work for people, businesses, governments and our Earth requires that we build interdisciplinary solutions. That’s exactly what EDF’s team of expert economists does,” said Costello. “I’m looking forward to working alongside them, hand-in-hand with scientists, policy experts, businesses, NGOs, and governments to design and implement solutions that are both environmentally sound and economically viable.” 

Costello is the Founder and Director of the Environmental Markets Lab at University of California Santa Barbara, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and served on the Council of Economic Advisors for California Governor Gavin Newsom. His prior affiliations with EDF include serving as a member of the Economics Advisory Council and as a Trustee. 

“Chris has already been an invaluable member of the EDF family, and I'm thrilled to welcome him as our new Chief Economist,” said Thomas Murray, Executive Vice President, Solutions at EDF. “With election outcomes around the world underscoring the importance of livelihoods and economics, Chris’ expertise in creating effective environmental solutions that deliver economic benefits for communities, business and governments will help us keep our climate goals within reach.”