M. Sc. Public Economics

How can economic incentives be designed to encourage companies to do more for nature conservation and climate protection? At the IÖW, Nico Schlag is researching how economic actors can be motivated to make voluntary contributions toward the protection and promotion of biodiversity.

The economist is particularly interested in which incentive tools are effective without creating additional bureaucracy. In doing so, he deliberately adopts the perspective of companies to better understand barriers and success factors. Through his work, he aims to contribute to incorporating scientific findings into policy processes and effectively advancing nature conservation.

Main focus

• Economic incentives for nature conservation
• Protection and promotion of biodiversity
• Environmentally sustainable business practices
   

Experience

• Since April 2026: Researcher at the IÖW
• 08/2025 – 03/2026: Intern at the IÖW in the research areas of “Ecological Economics and Environmental Policy” and “Sustainable Energy and Climate Protection”
• 2022 – 2025: Working student at the NGO urgewald e. V. in the “Multilateral Financial Institutions” team
   

Education

• 2023 – 2026: M. Sc. in Public Economics, Freie Universität Berlin
• 2018 – 2022: B. A. in International Relations and Economics, Universität Erfurt