Guest editors

Alessandro Tavoni
(Associate Editor SBE) University of BolognaDipartimento di Scienze Economiche Via San Giacomo 3, Bologna, Italy
alessandro.tavoni@unibo.it

Sanchayan Banerjee
(Editorial Board, SBE) Kings College, LondonMelbourne House, 44-46 Aldwych, London WC2B 4LL
sanchayan.1.banerjee@kcl.ac.uk 

Key deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 24/09/2026

Closing date for manuscripts submission: 15/03/2027

Introduction

Behavioural economics has paved the way for evaluating how behavioural insights can offer solutions to many Environmental, Natural Resources and Ecological (ENE) challenges facing us today. This is in isolation or in conjunction with traditional economic instruments. Behavioural insights can include but are not limited to the incorporation of the role of behavioural biases, social preferences, information constraints, nudges and defaults, etc in the study of strategic and interdependent decision making and policy outcomes at the local, regional, national and global scales including different types of agents.

In this special issue we want to showcase original cutting edge theoretical, and empirical, research integrating behavioural economics insights and strategic perspectives into the analysis of ENE challenges. We encourage papers examining strategic and inter-dependent interactions among individuals, households, firms, communities, governments, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders operating at local, regional, national, and global scales. Research may consider how actors anticipate the behaviour of others, respond to incentives, coordinate or free-ride, form coalitions, negotiate, share information, or adapt their behaviour in response to changing policies and environmental conditions. We welcome research examining how behavioural insights can

• Expand our understanding of heterogeneous policy responses by different types of economic agents and entities while responding to ENE challenges.
• Improve the design and implementation of economic policies at different scales involving different types of actors.
• Provide guidance about the impact of policy and decision spillovers and unintended consequences for different types and classes of agents
• Enhance understanding and offer solutions in contexts at the intersection of ENE challenges with those associated with health, food systems agriculture, energy, etc.

Policy Significance

A central objective of SBE and the special issue is to connect behavioural and strategic research with environmental policy and practice. Submitted papers should clearly articulate the policy significance of their findings. Accepted submissions must include a Policy Significance section (approximately 150–300 words) in non-technical language as a companion to the paper highlighting:

• The policy problem or decision context;
• Key scientific findings including role of behavioural insights;
• Implications of findings for policy, management, or practice; and
• Recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, industry, or other stakeholders, wherever appropriate

Submission and Review

All submissions will undergo the journal’s standard editorial and peer-review process and will be evaluated according to the standards of Strategic Behavior and the Environment. Workshop participation does not automatically imply paper acceptance.

Expected Review and Decision Timeline

The editors aim to complete the editorial and peer-review process within 18 months of initial submission, subject to timely revisions and reviewer availability

How to Submit

Manuscripts should be submitted through the journal’s official Emerald ScholarOne portal. Please remember to highlight in the cover letter the strategic (and/or interdependent) and policy relevant components of your work and how it fits journal aims and scope.

Submit your manuscript:

Strategic Behavior and the Environment – Emerald Publishing

Authors should follow the journal’s submission guidelines and select the relevant special issue when prompted during the submission process. Emerald requires submissions to be original and not simultaneously under consideration by another publication.

List of topic areas

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Behavioural economics approaches to environmental and natural resource challenges
• Strategic decision-making and interdependent behaviour in environmental contexts
• Behavioural game theory and experimental economics applications
• Cooperation, coordination and collective action in environmental management
• Public goods, common-pool resources and free-riding
• Behavioural responses to environmental policies and incentives
• Behavioural biases, heuristics and environmental decision-making
• Information provision, learning and behaviour change
• Coalition formation, negotiation and environmental governance
• Policy spillovers, unintended consequences and heterogeneous responses
• Behavioural and strategic approaches to climate, energy, food and sustainability challenges
• Behaviourally informed environmental policy design and implementation

Submissions information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/stratbe  Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: https://www.emerald.com/sbe