PhD in Ecological Economics
Current position: Associate Professor at the Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science (IR3S), University of Tokyo and Adjunct Associate Professor at the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), Japan
Research focus: sustainability assessment and ecosystem services valuation
As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford’s Biodiversity Institute, Alexandros conducted interdisciplinary research on ecosystem services and developed mechanisms for measuring and valuating these services. He has been exploring how the ecosystem services approach can be used to frame, assess and convey the direct and indirect impact of biofuel production.
Alexandros’s current research focuses on the development, refinement and application of sustainability assessment and ecosystem services valuation tools. Alexandros has applied these tools in different topics such as biofuels, food/energy security, energy policy, green economy, natural disasters, and urban metabolism, in geographical contexts as diverse as Brazil, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Philippines, Swaziland, and the United Kingdom.
CV as submitted for the Green Talents award (2012):
Biodiversity Institute, University of Oxford, UK
Research focus: Sustainability assessment and ecosystem services valuation
If you are looking for an all-rounder on sustainability issues, you might want to check in with Green Talents winner Alexandros Gasparatos. Currently a postdoc at the University of Oxford’s Biodiversity Institute, Gasparatos conducts interdisciplinary research on ecosystem services and is developing mechanisms for measuring and valuating these services, which include everything from food and energy supply to carbon sequestration, soil erosion protection, and freshwater purification.
Right now, Gasparatos is exploring how the ecosystem services approach can be used to frame, assess and convey the direct and indirect impact of biofuel production. His work, which includes case studies on jatropha landscapes in southern Africa, and sugarcane production in São Paolo State, has significant applied components. “My assessment tools could be used by the private sector to evaluate biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides in different bioenergy landscapes around the world,” explains the ecological economist from Greece. “Understanding and conveying the multi-faceted role of biodiversity for human well-being is key in facilitating green economic transitions.”
The jury was impressed by Gasparatos’ exhaustive research in ecosystem services and biodiversity, noting his application of the ecosystem service approach to his investigations of the social and economic impacts of energy crop cultivation. Gasparatos also impressed with his strong academic career and extensive list of publications.
