I am a critical geographer exploring intersections of global climate change policy, conservation, markets and justice. My work asks how, and by whom, carbon is quantified, standardized and commodified for carbon removal and nature-based climate interventions. I have particular expertise in carbon markets and offsets, climate finance, climate tech, and UNFCCC processes.

I am Associate Director of the Soil Carbon Solutions Center at Colorado State University, where I founded the Carbon Finance Bootcamp, and I hold a a joint faculty appointment in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability.

I am also a Research Scientist with the University of Arizona’s School of Geography, Development and Environment, researching Earth system governance, transformations, tipping points, and safe and just Earth system boundaries with the Earth Commission.

I regularly serve as subject-matter-expert in interviews with major media, including the Wall Street Journal, NPR, Washington Post, TIME, Al Jazeera English, Business Insider, and others.

You can find me on Twitter and Linkedin. And see my science communication here.

Recent Publications

2023. “Safe and just Earth system boundaries.” Nature, with Rockström, J, et al.

2023. “Governing for a safe and just future with science-based targets: opportunities and limitations.” Climate and Development. Gifford, L, et al.

2023. “Earth system boundaries and Earth system justice: sharing the ecospace.” Environmental Politics, with Gupta, J, et al.

2023. “Earth system justice needed to identify and live within Earth system boundaries.” Nature Sustainability, with Gupta, J, et al.

2022. “Impacts of Meeting Minimum Access on Critical Earth Systems amidst the Great Inequality.” Nature Sustainability, with Rammelt, C, et al.

2022. “Make greenhouse-gas accounting reliable — build interoperable systems.” Nature. with Luers, A, et al.

2022. “Achieving a nature- and people-positive future.” One Earth, with Obura, D, et al.

2021. “Reconciling safe planetary targets and planetary justice: Why should social scientists engage with planetary targets?” Earth System Governance, with Gupta, J, Liverman, D, et al.

2021. "The AAG’s emissions problem: Achieving carbon neutrality in a post-offset world.” Professional Geographer (PDF here)

2020. “You can’t value what you can’t measure:’ A critical look at forest carbon accounting,” Climatic Change (PDF here)

2020. “Climate finance justice: International perspectives on climate policy, social justice, and capital,” Climatic Change special issue editor, with Chris Knudson

2019. “No Pixel Left behind: Toward Integrating Earth Observations for Agriculture into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Framework.” Remote Sensing of Environment, with Whitcraft, A, Becker-Reshef, I, et al.