Rate My Professor Rui Santos

Rui Ferreira dos Santos is Full Professor (Professor Catedrático) in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, where he has lectured since 1986. He earned a Degree in Economics from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, an MSc in Operations Research and Systems Engineering from the Instituto Superior Técnico, and a PhD in Environmental Engineering with a domain in Environmental Economics from the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. As Coordinator of the Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research (CENSE), he oversees the research unit on ecological economics and environmental management (ECOMAN). He teaches Environmental Economics, Ecological Economics, and related subjects in PhD, Master's, and postgraduate programs.

His research focuses on the design and evaluation of environmental policy instruments, emphasizing economic and market-based mechanisms, as well as regulation of water and waste markets. He has led and contributed to multiple EU-funded projects, including the FP7 initiatives OpenNESS and NETGREEN, alongside national studies and consultancies. Rui Santos served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Portuguese Institute for the Regulation of Water and Solid Waste Services (IRAR) from 2003 to 2006 and has been a member of the Advisory Council of ERSAR since 2010. He acts as advisor to the Portuguese government, regional administrations in Azores and Madeira, municipalities, and companies on environmental economics in areas such as waste management, water supply and wastewater treatment, biodiversity conservation, energy, and transports. Nominated by the government for various working groups, he participated in the Portuguese Green Tax Reform Commission in 2014 and represented Portugal in the WATECO group under the EU Water Framework Directive. Since 2010, he has presided over the Partnership Commission of the Public Integrated Water Partnership of Alentejo (AGDA). Key publications include 'Principles for sustainable governance of the oceans' (Science, 1998), 'Assessing the degrowth discourse: A review and analysis of academic degrowth policy proposals' (Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017), 'Eco-innovation in the transition to a circular economy: An analytical literature review' (Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018), and 'Participatory decision making for sustainable development—the use of mediated modelling techniques' (Land Use Policy, 2006).