The journal is concerned with extending and integrating the understanding of the interfaces and interplay between "nature's household" (ecosystems) and "humanity's household" (the economy). Ecological economics is an interdisciplinary field defined by a set of concrete problems or challenges related to governing economic activity in a way that promotes human well-being, sustainability, and justice. The journal thus emphasizes critical work that draws on and integrates elements of ecological science, economics, and the analysis of values, behaviors, cultural practices, institutional structures, and societal dynamics. The journal is transdisciplinary in spirit and methodologically open, drawing on the insights offered by a variety of intellectual traditions, and appealing to a diverse readership.

Specific research areas covered include: valuation of natural resources, sustainable agriculture and development, ecologically integrated technology, integrated ecologic-economic modelling at scales from local to regional to global, implications of thermodynamics for economics and ecology, renewable resource management and conservation, critical assessments of the basic assumptions underlying current economic and ecological paradigms and the implications of alternative assumptions, economic and ecological consequences of genetically engineered organisms, and gene pool inventory and management, alternative principles for valuing natural wealth, integrating natural resources and environmental services into national income and wealth accounts, methods of implementing efficient environmental policies, case studies of economic-ecologic conflict or harmony, etc. New issues in this area are rapidly emerging and will find a ready forum in Ecological Economics.

《Ecological Economics》是一本由ELSEVIER出版商出版的专业管理科学期刊，该刊创刊于1989年，刊期Semimonthly，该刊已被国际权威数据库SCI、SCIE、SSCI收录。在中科院最新升级版分区表中，该刊分区信息为大类学科：经济学 2区，小类学科：生态学 2区；经济学 2区；环境科学 2区；环境研究 2区；在JCR（Journal Citation Reports）分区等级为Q1。该刊发文范围涵盖生态学等领域，旨在及时、准确、全面地报道国内外生态学工作者在该领域取得的最新研究成果、工作进展及学术动态、技术革新等，促进学术交流，鼓励学术创新。2021年影响因子为6.536，平均审稿速度一般,9-18周。