Justin Johnson

Justin researches how the economy affects the environment, and vice versa, on global to local scales. Using big-data, spatial econometrics and computable general equilibrium modeling, Justin assesses how to manage tradeoffs among the sustainable development goals, such as improving food security and protecting natural ecosystems. Justin works closely with the Natural Capital Project at the Institute on the Environment and Stanford University where he studies how ecosystem services and natural capital affect human wellbeing. Recently, Justin published The Economic Case for Nature with the World Bank, which produced the first global model that links a general equilibrium approach to a high-resolution (300 meter grid-cell) model of ecosystem services. This research showed that investing in ecosystem services benefits low-income countries most and that “nature-smart” policies can achieve both economic development and environmental protection.