The Environmental and Resource Economics special issue “Economics of the Environment in the Shadow of Coronavirus” comes at a hugely critical time for environmental economists and policy makers alike. We are in a situation of significant social change, a change that could potentially lay the foundation for mankind’s future in the years to come. As part of this special issue, ERE is trialing a novel, experimental form of article, drawing together short, focused pieces from a wide group of authors addressing the plethora of issues which such a fundamental challenge as the coronavirus pandemic generates. These provide critical and reflective perspectives on the environmental, socio-economic and policy paths that may be taken in the near and further future—strategies that could lead mankind either on roads to a much more sustainable development, or along paths that could bring about more instability, inequality and further environmental pressures. This innovative article combines short, policy-relevant and less technical papers that deal with specific aspects and provide clear recommendations for policy makers and suggestions for future research alike. The target audiences are policy makers and companies, but also researchers who want quick yet sufficiently detailed knowledge about particular analyses relating to COVID-19 and issues in environmental economics. We hope that the articles contained within this Perspectives collection provide the necessary information for policy makers to take wise decisions for our future, and for researchers the knowledge to help guide policy makers in their decisions.
