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The conference will be held in Leeds, UK on the 17th and 18th of September, 2026 and will be hosted by the Leeds University Business School. We will also hold a reception on the evening of September 16.

The aim of the conference is to promote and improve the theory and application of the tools of benefit-cost analysis; that is, to have both a research and policy focus and to provide a forum for scientific exchange.

Both theoretical and empirical contributions based on the various methods used to support public sector decision-making, including benefit-cost analysis (BCA), cost analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, risk-benefit analysis, and damage assessment, are welcomed.

All topics related to BCA are relevant, such as non-market valuation, discounting, equity, social policy, regulation, implementation of BCA, and applications to any public policy area, such as environment, transport, energy, aging and healthcare, etc.

Extended abstracts (500 words) and proposals for thematic sessions are accepted through April 30, 2026. 

Key deadlines:

May 31, 2026: Extension of deadline! Call for abstracts and sessions.

June 15, 2026: Registration launches

July 15, 2026: Presenter registration deadline, early (discounted) registration ends

August 31, 2026: Registration closes

Prof. Susan Chilton

Susan Chilton is a Professor of Economics at Newcastle University Business School. Her main interests centre around methodological issues associated with the use of stated preference methods to elicit economic preferences, experimental economics and decision making under risk and uncertainty to understand topics around welfare economics. Her expertise includes non-market valuation, behavioural economics and environmental policy, with her research used by UK government departments such as DEFRA and HSE. Much of her work has been used as a central guide for government appraisal and evaluation in the UK.

Romain Espinosa

Romain Espinosa is CNRS fellow at the Centre international de recherche sur l’environnement et le developpement (CIRED) and a leading scholar in behavioural and experimental economics. His research interests focus on animal welfare, meat consumption, veganism, experimental and behavioural economics. He currently leads the interdisciplinary research group Observatoire de Recherche sur la Condition Animale (ORCA) at CNRS, which brings together around 60 researchers across disciplines to advance research on animal welfare and human–animal relations. Some of his latest work focuses on Animal Adjusted QALYs and animal welfare considerations, integrating behavioural insights, ethical considerations, and public policy tools like taxes and information campaigns.

Romain Crastes dit Sourd (R.CrastesditSourd@leeds.ac.uk)

Thijs Dekker (T.Dekker@leeds.ac.uk)

Pierre-Alexandre Mahieu (mahieu-pa@univ-nantes.fr)

Irene Mussio (I.Mussio@leeds.ac.uk)

Manuel Ojeda Cabral (M.A.OjedaCabral@leeds.ac.uk)