Professor Dr. Phoebe Koundouri is an economist renowned as a pioneer in developing innovative, human-centered, interdisciplinary, mathematical systems that enable the sustainable interaction between nature, society, and the economy. She holds an MPhil and a PhD from the University of Cambridge, and she has held academic positions at the University of Cambridge, University College London, the London School of Economics, the University of Reading, and the Technical University of Denmark. She is currently a Professor at the School of Economics of the Athens University of Economics and Business, a Visiting Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, and a Senior Research Fellow at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge — her alma mater.

She is ranked among the top 1–2% of scientists worldwide according to various international classifications, such as the Stanford University list. She has authored 19 books and more than 650 published papers, and has coordinated over 100 research projects with impact in 120 countries. She serves on the Nominating Committee for the Nobel Prize in Economics and is an elected Fellow of several international academies, including Academia Europaea, the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) — where she also serves as Trustee — the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Academy of Engineering and Technology of the Developing World, and the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP). She has been appointed as one of the leaders of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission and of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences initiative on Financing for Development. In 2025, she was invited by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to co-chair the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR 2027), published every four years to assess global progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Among Professor Koundouri’s notable distinctions are the highly prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant, the Academy of Athens Award in the Natural Sciences, which is granted only once every four years, and the Award of Excellence of the Republic of Cyprus, conferred by the Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts of the Republic of Cyprus. She has been appointed Ambassador for the European Research Council, EU Climate Pact Ambassador, and Member of the EIB Climate Leaders Network. She also contributes to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body responsible for assessing climate change science. In 2022, she was named World Ambassador of Happiness and Peace — a title awarded by the Government of India at the House of Lords in London. She is also a Fellow of leading international scientific organizations, including the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) and the European Forest Institute.

Since 2019, she has served as President of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE), President of the World Council of Environmental and Resource Economists Association, Chief Scientific Advisor of the United Nations SDSN Global Climate Hub (comprising 2,000 universities), and Co-Chair of SDSN Europe (with 900 universities). She is the Founder and President of the Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Aeiphoria (AE4RIA), an international network of excellence uniting over 200 researchers, research institutions, innovation accelerators, and networks that bridge science, technology, and policy, with a focus on sustainable development.

Professor Koundouri serves as Editor for several leading international academic journals, including titles in the NATURE portfolio and other top-tier journals in the field of Economics. She has organized numerous international scientific conferences, supervised more than 50 PhD theses, and has been a keynote speaker at major international fora around the world. She advises international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), G20, World Bank, European Commission, European Investment Bank (EIB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as national governments worldwide.

Her interdisciplinary approach and dedication to addressing complex global challenges in sustainable development — through the combination of cutting-edge research, active engagement in policymaking, and emphasis on social impact — have advanced socioeconomic transformation across all continents.