The Department of Ecological and Environmental Economics traces its origins to the Department of Environmental and Resource Economics at the School of Environment & Natural Resources. Renmin University of China (RUC) has been a pioneer in the field of Resource and Environmental Economics in China. The establishment of the Institute of Environmental Economics in 1988 marked a significant milestone. RUC furthered its pioneering role by introducing the country's first specialized second bachelor's degree program in Environmental Economics and Management in 1991.These initiatives laid the groundwork for the subsequent establishment of the School of Environment in 2001. Over the past two decades, the School of Environment has been instrumental in cultivating a significant number of exceptional talents in the field of Environmental Economics and Management, contributing significantly to the nation's pool of expertise in these critical fields.

The Department currently offers a spectrum of programs, including an undergraduate program in Resource and Environmental Economics, a dual-degree program combining 'Resource and Environmental Economics with Public Administration,', the Mingde Environment “Economics-Science” Elite Talent Experimental Class, master's and doctoral programs in Population, Resource and Environmental Economics, and a postdoctoral research station in Theoretical Economics. Among them, the discipline of Population, Resources, and Environmental Economics is the earliest established, largest in scale, and most comprehensive in training levels in the field of Resource and Environmental Economics in China. It has been included in the first batch of key disciplines for the 'Double First-Class' initiative nationwide and possesses both national and Beijing municipal levels first-class undergraduate program construction sites in 'Resource and Environmental Economics.

The Department is equipped with a distinguished faculty comprising 6 professors, 6 associate professors, and 9 assistant professors, of which over 90% have overseas study or visiting experience in world-renowned universities and research institutions. . The research focuses on environmental economic policy analysis, economic analysis of energy and climate policies, environmental valuation, green finance, ecological economics, and the realization of ecological product value. The department is dedicated to nurturing talents who have a systematic mastery of the analytical tools and cutting-edge theories in environmental and ecological economics, and who are committed to addressing significant real-world issues and contributing to the great practice of building China's ecological civilization. These talents exhibit strong patriotic sentiments, profound theoretical literacy, and exceptional problem-solving abilities, making them composite talents in economics.

The department has a large number of talented graduates, including party and government leaders and cadres at all levels, renowned scholars, corporate executives, and heads of international organizations, who play an important role in the process of building China's ecological civilization. The faculty team of our department has undertaken a variety of national-level funded research projects, including those from The National Social Science Fund of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and National Key Research and Development Program of China. Additionally, they have been involved in research projects commissioned by central and local government departments and enterprises. Their scholarly output includes numerous academic papers published in domestic and international top journals, along with authoritative textbooks and academic monographs, notably the widely-used Introduction to Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. Positioned as one of the foremost think tanks in China's environmental landscape, the Department has furnished influential policy recommendations on key issues in environmental economic policies, many of which have been incorporated into policy decision-making processes. In general, the department act as a central hub for talent cultivation and a pivotal force in academic research within the field of Resource and Environmental Economics in China.