Our multidisciplinary team is working at the cutting edge of environmental science research, with decades of experience in natural and social science, policy analysis, and business development.
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Dr Cécile Girardin
Director
BioCécile combines years of experience in climate change and nature policy analysis with a background in tropical ecology and a thorough understanding of forest ecosystem functioning to provide a unique multidisciplinary approach to her work. She trained as an Ecosystems Scientist at the University of Oxford and Imperial College, and has over 25 years of field experience: working in tropical forests, managing international teams, leading scientific publications, training students and corporates, and facilitating discussions on translating science into policy and action. Cécile has worked on the EU ETS (ERM), increasing our understanding of carbon dynamics in tropical ecosystems (University of Oxford, Global Ecosystems Monitoring network), operationalising REDD+ (UN FAO), and building the evidence on the effectiveness of Nature-based Solutions (University of Oxford, NbSI). Her current focus is on designing tools to ensure corporate nature strategies are guided by scientifically sound evidence.
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Professor Nathalie Seddon
Non-executive Director, Advisor
BioNathalie is Professor of Biodiversity, founding Director of both the Nature-based Solutions Initiative and the Agile Initiative at the University of Oxford. She is trained as an ecologist at Cambridge University and has over 25 years of research experience studying the origins and maintenance of biodiversity and its relationship with global change, including as a Research Fellow of the Royal Society. Nathalie guides governments, UN agencies, and businesses on nature-based solutions.
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Luke Ramsay
Director of operations
BioLuke combines a background in carbon assessment and environmental sustainability with experience of business operations. His previous experience includes embedding environmental sustainability principles into the cultural sector and researching opportunities to reduce the carbon impact of digital infrastructure. More recently, he’s been responsible for managing and scaling a software start-up.
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Dan Seddon
Director of communications
BioDan is a data visualiser, developer and designer working at the University of Oxford for the Nature-based Solutions Initiative. He has designed and developed all their online data platforms and websites. He is director of communications here at Nature-based Insights but also works as a freelance data visualiser under his own company FJ Visualisation.
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Jill MacKeith
Lead project manager
BioJill has eighteen years of project management experience across multiple industry sectors, combined with Masters in environmental science and sustainable development. She has managed research projects with multi-stakeholder groups and delivered nature-related advisory projects for corporates and investors. Jill enjoys working with people to find creative solutions to project challenges.
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Dr Francisco Amorim
Senior researcher
BioFrancisco is an ecologist who is especially interested on the short- and long-term spatial and temporal dynamics of biological communities facing global scale changes. Bats have been the main subject of his research and he became a skilled bat ecologist and conservationist, with active collaborations with conservation agencies, research institutions and NGOs at both international and national level.
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Dr Joana Marcelino
Researcher
BioJoana is a computational ecologist passionate about leveraging big data, geographic information systems, and advanced computational methods to better understand the complexity of ecological systems. With a background in avian ecology research, she transitioned from academia to the private sector where she now supports companies in achieving their goals while setting robust sustainability strategies. She brings hands-on experience in developing methodologies aligned with the SBTN framework.
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Zoe Brown
Researcher
BioZoe is a biologist and PhD researcher at the University of Oxford, where she explores how nature-based solutions can support climate adaptation in small island developing states. She conducts interdisciplinary research using biodiversity assessments, interviews, and systematic reviews to understand socio-ecological systems and how to build resilience within them. Zoe has conducted research on cocoa agroforestry in Nigeria, fisheries in The Bahamas, plastic pollution in Canada and works with Nature-based Insights as an associate researcher.
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David Nemecek
Researcher
BioDavid specialises in sustainable finance and policy, and holds an MSc in political ecology. His career has enabled him to participate in advocating for, designing and implementing sustainability standards in the EU and globally. His passion lies in using complex frameworks, such as TNFD, SBTN and ESRS, to leverage real world data and inform key stakeholders, including investors and local communities. He is an IPBES Fellow for Business and Biodiversity Assessment, and an associate researcher with NbI.
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Dr Pedro Moura Costa
Advisor
BioPedro has been involved in climate policy, carbon finance and GHG mitigation projects since 1991, when he developed the first carbon-funded projects worldwide. In 1996, he founded EcoSecurities Group Plc, responsible for a portfolio of more than 700 GHG mitigation projects worldwide.
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Dr Jeppe A. Kristensen
Advisor
BioJeppe is a research fellow of the Environmental Change Institute in the School of Geography, working on soil and climate responses to different management strategies. He currently works on ecosystem restoration projects, but previously agroecosystems and semi-natural systems have been the target of his research.
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Professor Yadvinder Malhi
Advisor
BioYadvinder is Professor of Ecosystem Science at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford. He is Programme Leader of the Ecosystems Group at the Environmental Change Institute and Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery.
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Professor Michael Obersteiner
Advisor
BioMichael is Director of the Environmental Change Institute in the School of Geography, having recently moved from his post as Director at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenberg, Austria. He leads large-scale interdisciplinary research projects in the fields of integrated assessment of climate, energy, and land-use.
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Dr Isabela Butnar
Advisor
BioIsabela is a senior researcher in bioenergy systems at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources. Chemical engineer by training, she specialised in quantifying environmental impacts from agricultural and energy supply chains. Her recent research focuses on carbon dioxide removal options, investigating the role they could play in UK and global decarbonisation pathways.
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Dr Mark Hirons
Advisor
BioMark is a researcher in environmental social science at the University of Oxford who is interested in addressing inter-linked social and environmental challenges through interdisciplinary research. He is broadly engaged with research that investigates issues of well-being, inequality and justice with respect to climate change and natural resource governance.
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Dr Marta Dondini
Advisor
BioMarta is a research fellow in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Aberdeen. She has over 10 years of experience in soil measuring and modelling and has broad interests in understanding soil nutrient dynamics, maintenance of soil health and its relationship with global change. Marta trained as a soil scientist at the Tuscia University and the Trinity College of Dublin.