Jonathan Colmer is an Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Virginia and the Co-Founder and Director of the Environmental Inequality Lab. He is an environmental economist who also works in the area of growth and development economics. His research combines data with insights from economic theory and environmental science to better understand how economic activity and the environment influence one another.

Research Interests:

  • How we can manage natural assets and liabilities in a way that maximizes global economic potential?

  • How does environmental quality affect poverty, economic opportunity, and inequality?

  • What are the causes of environmental inequality?

  • What are the environmental and economic consequences of environmental policies and regulations?

Professor Colmer is a Theme Leader for the Climate & Environment Program at PEDL (CEPR); a research affiliate of CEPR, the CESifo Network, IZA, and the IGC; and a research associate at the Center for Economic Performance and the CAGE Research Centre. In 2024, he received a NSF CAREER Award in Economics for his work on "The Extent, Causes, and Consequences of Environmental Inequality in the United States."