Dr Charles Palmer
About

Charles primarily works in the fields of environmental and development economics.

He is also a Lecturer in Environment and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Background

Before joining LSE, Charles was a Senior Researcher at the Chair of Environmental Policy and Economics, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

He holds a BA in Biological Sciences from Oxford University, an MSc in Environmental and Resource Economics from University College London, and a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Bonn, Germany.

Charles has worked for a number of international organisations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New York, and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Indonesia.

In 2009, he co-edited (with Stefanie Engel) a book on policy to implement strategies on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), Avoided Deforestation: Prospects for Mitigating Climate Change (Routledge).

Research interests

  • Environmental and development economics;
  • Contracting for natural resource use;
  • Mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change;
  • Institutions and property rights;
  • Instruments for environmental policy.

Research

Research - 2021

Research - 2020

Research - 2017

Research - 2016

Research - 2015

The decision of whether to retain forest or convert to another land use is affected by uncertainty over future land use returns. This paper examines the design of conservation payments to landowners under uncertainty. Payments are either indexed to the returns from deforestation (agriculture), or to a market value associated with forest nonuse benefits. Payment size depends on the degree of correlation between payments and agricultural returns, and their relative volatility. Market-based payments for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) are simulated for Brazilian soybean growers. Payments indexed to carbon prices are larger than those indexed to international soybean prices. (JEL Q23, Q24) Read more

Research - 2014

Research - 2013

Research - 2012

Research - 2011

Research - 2010

Events

Events - 2023

Events - 2018

Events - 2017

Events - 2015

News

News - 2022

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