Mary Psilou

European Conference of the Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis (SBCA) 2025 | Conference Report

We are pleased to share with you the Conference Report of the European Conference of the Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis (SBCA) 2025, held on 27–28 November 2025 at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB). The conference brought together researchers, policymakers and practitioners from across Europe and beyond, featuring more than 70 presentations and rich academic exchange on the role …

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Addressing Biodiversity and Geopolitical Challenges: Keynote at “Climate Action 2025”

Professor Phoebe Koundouri’s keynote speech at Climate Action 2025, organized by the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN)—the first environmental NGO in Greece with more than 70 years of continuous activity—is now available online together with the full event recording. In her intervention, titled “War and the Environment: Geopolitical Instability and Its Impacts …

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Earth Observation and the SDGs: Accelerating Action Toward 2030 and Beyond

The recording of the EO Café session, “Unlocking EO for the SDGs: the road to 2030 and beyond,” is now available. Together with Dr. Marc Paganini (ESA), the session examined how Earth Observation can support accelerated and more effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as 2030 approaches, while also informing the post-2030 development …

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New Publication in Nature Climate Action

A new open-access article is now available: “Assessing national climate-neutrality plans through a modelling nexus lens: the case of Greece.” Publishing this work within the Nature Portfolio marks an important recognition of its scientific contribution and policy relevance. In this era of persistent and interconnected crises across natural, economic, and social systems, we must develop …

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Prof. Phoebe Koundouri at Triennale Milano: Advancing a Systemic Approach to Sustainability

On 2 December, Prof. Phoebe Koundouri delivered a lecture on “Sustainability: A Systems Approach” at Triennale Milano, as part of the KWords for the World lecture series, organised by Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) in collaboration with Hublab. In an in-depth interview on sustainability transformation and global climate policy, Prof. Koundouri emphasized that sustainability can …

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BRIDGE Black Sea Policy Brief: Guiding Smarter Decisions for a Sustainable Blue Economy

How a Digital Twin of the Black Sea Can Guide Smarter Decisions for a Sustainable Blue Economy? Prof. Phoebe Koundouri shares the launch of the BRIDGE Black Sea Policy Brief at the Final Conference in Brussels, highlighting the Digital Twin Ocean Demonstrator developed under the Horizon 2020 BRIDGE-BS project. This Digital Twin Ocean integrates environmental …

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An Interview with FEEM: Exploring Climate Transformation and the Role of Science, Technology, and Policy

Prof. Phoebe Koundouri, on 02/12/2025 in Milan, reflected on what it truly takes to move from climate pledges to systemic transformation, and how science, technology, and policy can effectively work together to achieve this goal. Prof. Koundouri recently had the pleasure of discussing these themes in an interview with Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), hosted …

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Prof. Phoebe Koundouri on the Future of the Greek & European Economy

On 26 November, during her appearance on Η ΝΑΥΤΕΜΠΟΡΙΚΗ | Naftemporiki TV, Prof. Phoebe Koundouri discussed the outlook for the Greek and European economy as the RRF enters its final phase and work begins on shaping the EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034. She highlighted Greece’s exceptionally high absorption rate of 50–59%, which reflects the country’s …

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New Publication on Climate Change Impacts in Mediterranean Ports

Read our team’s new paper published in the Journal of Sea Research (Elsevier), which analyses how climate change and sea-level rise may increase berth down-time and port-basin agitation in two key Mediterranean ports: Piraeus (Greece) and Limassol (Cyprus). The results contribute to more climate-resilient planning for future port operations and infrastructure.  Read the paper  Authors: …

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Advancing the Future of the Black Sea: Insights from the BRIDGE-BS Final Conference

On 25 November 2025, the Horizon Europe BRIDGE Black Sea project marked 4.5 years of collaboration and innovation, with our team from ReSEES, Research Laboratory at AUEB, Athens University of Economics and Business, participating in the event. Represented by Professor Dr. Phoebe Koundouri (AUEB Principal Investigator) and Alice Guittard (ReSEES Researcher), our team joined 160 …

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SBCA – Closing Session

The Closing Plenary of SBCA 2025 brought the Athens conference to a thoughtful and forward-looking conclusion. Professor Dr. Phoebe Koundouri, Scientific Lead of SBCA 2025, opened the session with final reflections, thanking participants for their active engagement and emphasizing the central role of rigorous benefit–cost analysis in shaping effective, evidence-based public policy. Daniel Herrera, Vice …

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Parallel Session VI Overview – Social Programmes, Non-Monetary Valuation and Low-Carbon Mobility

The final set of parallels focused on social and health programmes, non-monetary valuation and low-carbon mobility. Speakers presented work on climate adaptation and willingness to pay, elderly care and integrated social support, global meta-analyses of the value of statistical life, prioritisation by age and health, and benefit–cost analysis of electric vehicle charging, military emissions and …

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Parallel Session V Overview – Policy Solutions, Spatial Dynamics and Socio-Economic Development

Midday sessions turned to policy-level applications of BCA, spanning intergenerational discounting, electric vehicle diffusion, and the capitalization of energy efficiency in housing markets. Further papers addressed urban recovery in Ukraine, innovative predictive approaches, multilateral development bank practice in water and sanitation, and the role of BCA in higher education and institutional development. Parallel Session on …

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Keynote II – Energy assistance and special pricing programs

Professor Anna Alberini (University of Maryland) delivered the second keynote address: “The Benefits and Costs of Energy Assistance and Special Energy Pricing Programs.” Drawing on extensive work in energy and environmental economics, she examined residential energy demand, targeted assistance schemes for vulnerable households, and the distributional and efficiency implications of special energy pricing programs, illustrating …

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Parallel Session IV Overview – Behavioural Insights, Ethics and Digital Innovation

The Friday morning parallels combined behavioural and experimental insights with questions of ethics and digital transformation. Contributions covered how risk information affects environmental choices, valuation of personal data and environmental health, public preferences for cultural heritage, and advances in distributional weighting that better capture equity considerations in BCA. Day 2 opened with “Climate, Environment & …

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Parallel Session III Overview – Net Zero Enablers, Urban Nature-Based Solutions and BCA in Cities

In the late-afternoon sessions, participants examined net-zero enablers such as carbon taxation and low-carbon infrastructure, explored a hands-on tool for social cost–benefit analysis of urban nature-based solutions, and discussed applications of BCA in municipalities. Case studies ranged from Nordic climate pollutants and Greek climate city contracts to suicide barriers and retrospective regulatory evaluations. Chaired by …

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Keynote I – Cost–Benefit Analysis under Climate Change

Professor Anastasios Xepapadeas (University of Bologna & Professor Emeritus, AUEB) delivered the first keynote lecture, “Cost–Benefit Analysis under Climate Change: Fat Tails and Extreme Events.” His talk addressed how fat-tailed risks, deep uncertainty, and extreme climatic events challenge conventional BCA frameworks. He explored approaches that incorporate tail risks, ambiguity, and robust control into economic evaluation …

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Parallel Session II Overview – Pollution Valuation, Emerging Technologies and Energy Transitions

The second block of parallels focused on the economic valuation of pollution impacts, the challenges of assessing rare earth recycling and hydrogen valleys, and the broader socioeconomic consequences of energy transitions. Presentations illustrated how BCA can be used to evaluate innovative technologies, regulatory efficiency and the distributional outcomes of energy and climate policies. This paper …

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Parallel Session Ι Overview: The Social Costs and Benefits of Open Science

The conference continued with the Parallel Session titled “The Social Costs and Benefits of Open Science.” Chaired by Gelsomina Catalano (CSIL), the roundtable examined key insights into the value, impact, and challenges associated with Open Science. The session featured: Silvia Vignetti (CSIL) presenting a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis framework for evaluating the social costs and benefits …

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Highlights from the Opening of the 2025 European SBCA Conference

The 2025 European SBCA Conference is opened on 27 November at the Athens University of Economics and Business, setting the tone for two productive days ahead. Welcome by Professor Vassilis Vasdekis, Rector of the Athens University of Economics and Business Opening Address by Professor Dr. Phoebe Koundouri, Scientific Lead of SBCA 2025, Athens University of …

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