The International Society for Ecological Economics
Kenneth E. Boulding Memorial Award for Ecological Economics
Kenneth E. Boulding (1910-1993) was a leading systems thinker who integrated social theory with the natural sciences and moral philosophy. He was an eccentric, provocative critic of the fragmentation that characterized modern scholarship. Yet his creativity, seminal ideas, and constructive engagement with the scientific community were widely recognized, resulting in his being elected President of the American Economics Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Kenneth and his wife, Elise Boulding, herself a renowned sociologist, were Quakers who actively contributed to the international peace movement. Kenneth lived humbly, with grace, wit, and laughter, and maintained unbounded faith that goodness and sensibility would ultimately prevail in a world that was seriously threatened by human folly.
This award honors people who exemplify aspects of Kenneth E. Boulding’s special character. It hopes to perpetuate his many individual strengths, combined into wisdom, among ISEE members and beyond.
2027 Boulding Award Nominations
Nominations for the 2027 Boulding Award are open until December 15, 2026. You can submit nominations by emailing a CV of the nominee(s) and justification for nomination to secretariat@isececo.org.
2025 Boulding Award Nominations are now closed.
The 2025 Boulding Award recipients will be announced soon.
2023 Boulding Award for Ecological Economics Recipients
The 2023 Boulding Award Jury Committee is delighted to announce the joint recipients of the 2023 Award: Bina Agarwal, Professor of Development Economics and Environment at the University of Manchester, and David Barkin, a professor at the Metropolitan University in Mexico City.
Both esteemed scholars are being recognized for their significant and enduring contributions to Ecological Economics, particularly in their exploration of social equity and gender roles in rural societies within developing regions.
The 2023 Prize Jury was comprised of the following members:
- Peter May, Chair Full Professor at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro-UFRRJ (retired)
- Carl Folke, Anthropocene Lab; Beijer Institute; Stockholm Resilience Centre, Sweden
- Lisi Krall, Professor of Economics at the State University of New York, Cortland, USA
- Jane Mariara, Executive Director (ED) of the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP), Kenya
- Volker Mauerhofer, Professor, Mid Sweden University, Department for Natural Science, Design and Sustainable Development, Sweden
- Rajeswari Raina, Professor Shiv Nadar University, Delhi, India
ISEE Boulding Award Recipients
1994 | Robert Goodland and Herman Daly
1996 | Ann-Mari Jansson
1998 | Robert Costanza
2000 | C.S. Holling
2002 | Robert Ayres
2004 | Karl Goran-Maler and Partha Dasgupta
2006 | Richard Norgaard
2008 | Manfred Max Neef and Charles Perrings
2010 | Joan Martinez Alier and Ignacy Sachs
2012 | William Rees and Mathis Wackernagel
2014 | Peter Victor
2016 | Kanchan Chopra and Arild Vatn
2018 | Inge Røpke
2020 | Rashid Hassan
2023 | Bina Agarwal and David Barkin