Environmental Policy Research Unit

Economic development and poverty eradication ultimately depend on the protection and sustainable use of environmental and natural resources. This is especially true for developing countries like South Africa, where millions of impoverished people are heavily reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods. In such countries, policy makers and civil servants are challenged with aligning their economic growth goals with the sustainable management of natural resources; however, they are seldom capacitated to make effective policy decisions in this regard. By actively participating in the policy making process, providing assistance to local non-governmental organizations engaged in policy-related activities, and informing the private sector, EPRU is working to ensure that decision makers are equipped to make informed and evidence-based decisions in the environmental-economics policy arena. Formed in 2007 and based in the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town (UCT), our efforts can be broadly split into three categories: research, education and outreach: Research - We analyse environmental policy and conduct demand-responsive research that aligns with the needs of the policy community Education - We increase the capacity of individuals in academia, the public sector, and civil society organizations to use, understand, interpret, and advocate for environmental economic research. Outreach - To boost our impact on policy, practice and behaviour we use diverse formats and channels to share our findings with the public sector and civil society. EPRU is part of the global Environment for Development (EfD) Initiative, a network of similar centers in the Global South, with a secretariat based in Sweden at the University of Gothenburg’s Environmental Economics Unit. EfD consists of over 12 environmental economics research centers across the world, all working to enhance environmental research.