Amartya Sen

Indian economist and philosopher

Sen is most famous for winning the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work in welfare economics. He is not best known for discussion of climate change, but has written about environmental issues for several years, especially the intersecting issue of resources. His 2004 LRB essay ‘Why We Should Preserve the Spotted Owl’ stressed the role of citizenship and social participation in sustainable development. At the 2012 Resource Conference, he argued that a free market alone – without governments stepping in – would not necessarily provide the best solution to distributing risks and opportunities of an increasingly resource constrained planet (full 37 minute interview).