Projects per year
Personal profile
University profile
Pankaj Lal, PhD, is founding director of Clean Energy and Sustainability Analytics Center and professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University. He utilizes a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to develop place-based solutions in the diverse landscapes, including South and Southeast Asia, Africa, Caribbean and North America. He has conducted original and applied research in the areas of energy and environmental policies and economics, sustainable development, global climate change, valuing environmental services, economic and energy modeling, industrial ecology, participatory natural resource conservation and management, human dimensions and resource governance. He undertakes integrative, interdisciplinary research that explores interconnections among society and the environment. His ongoing research projects involve aspects of clean energy, water, natural resources, and economies that collectively impact communities around the world.
Dr. Lal has longstanding research support and engagement in practice with multilateral institutions such as Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank, and international NGOs like World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation Society, and received more than $20 million in grants and contracts for his research, including funding from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Conservation Society, NJ Board of Public Utilities, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Rockefeller Foundation, PSEG Foundation, Orsted, German Development Agency GIZ, amongst many others.
Dr. Lal was awarded Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) by President Obama. The PECASE Award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. This Presidential Award embodies the high priority placed by the government on maintaining the leadership position of the United States in science by producing outstanding scientists and engineers and nurturing their continued development. The Awards identify a cadre of outstanding scientists and engineers who will broadly advance science and the missions important to the participating federal agencies. He is the first Montclair State University faculty recipient of the PECASE award. His PECASE award nomination stressed his contributions, saying that, “Besides fostering innovative developments in science and technology, Dr. Lal’s efforts and commitment enhance connections between fundamental research and the grand challenges facing the nation, and highlight the importance of interdisciplinary and systems-approached science, engineering, and technology for America’s future.”
Dr. Lal has been awarded the prestigious NSF CAREER Award to explored place-based opportunities for bioenergy sustainability. He was Advisory Board member for Rockefeller Foundation’s initiative on “Valuing the Resilience Dividend”, that was undertaken by RAND Corporation and the Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation. He was economic analysis lead in NJ Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding grant whereby ecosystem inventory for natural resources was developed and ecosystem tradeoffs due to potential engineering design solutions for flood mitigation across the state was evaluated. Dr. Lal conducted rapid economic impact analysis of regional summer flounder restrictions, which was successfully used by NJ DEP in their request to reconsider Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder Management Board's harvest restrictions. He is also primary author of a research report titled "Economic Values of Nyungwe National Park & Rugezi Wetlands and their contributions towards national policy goals in Rwanda", that was supported by MacArthur Foundation and Wildlife Conservation Society.
Dr. Lal earned his Master’s degree in geography from the University of Delhi, MBA from Indian Institute of Forest Management, and PhD in resource conservation and economics from the University of Florida.
Research interests
Areas of research include energy and environmental policies and economics, sustainable development, global climate change, valuing environmental services, economic and energy modeling, industrial ecology, participatory natural resource conservation and management, human dimensions and resource governance. Dr. Lal undertakes integrative, interdisciplinary research that explores interconnections among society and the environment. His ongoing research projects involve aspects of clean energy, water, natural resources, and economies that collectively impact communities around the world
Scholarly Interests
Environmental Policy and Economics
Energy Geography
Climate Change
Resource Management and Conservation
Teaching
Dr. Pankaj Lal is environmental management doctoral faculty and undergraduate geography program advisor at the University and teaches courses in environmental policy, environmental law and policy, environmental economics, human environment, life cycle analysis, water resource management, world geography, and introduction to global studies.
Faculty/Media Expert
Expert on climate change, environmental politics and policy, resource management and conservation, and economic modeling.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 2 Finished
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CAREER: EXPLORING PLACE-BASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIOENERGY SUSTAINABILITY
Lal, P. (PI)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
1/08/16 → 31/07/21
Project: Research
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Consumer Preferences for Wood-Pellet-Based Green Pricing Programs in the Eastern United States
Oluoch, S., Lal, P., Susaeta, A., Smith, M. & Wolde, B., Apr 2024, In: Energies. 17, 8, 1821.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Human-wildlife conflict and the likelihood of reporting losses in Nepal
Bhushal, G., Wolde, B. & Lal, P., Mar 2024, In: Trees, Forests and People. 15, 100512.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Impact of Fraxinus snag fall on electric distribution and infrastructure stability: An empirical analysis
Lyttek, E., Lal, P., Forgoston, E., Oberle, B., Dubey, R. S. & Forgoston, E., Nov 2024, In: Ecological Economics. 225, 108323.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Motivations underlying farmers’ management decisions and willingness to adopt sustainable practices: A case study of the northeastern United States
Smith, M., Lal, P. & Vedwan, N., Oct 2023, In: Journal of Rural Studies. 103, 103138.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Scopus citations -
Poor Water Quality Persists in Diverse Urban Communities
Cade, R., Yu, D., Whyte, K., Lal, P. & Borgerson, C., Oct 2023, In: Water (Switzerland). 15, 19, 3446.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Scopus citations
Press/Media
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Will the plastic bag ban in N.J. help the environment? Here's what experts say.
2/04/22 → 3/04/22
5 items of Media coverage
Press/Media
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NJ's new normal; More storms, more rainfall. Thank climate change.
2/09/21
3 items of Media coverage
Press/Media