At WRI since early 2019, Carter Brandon works on the economics and finance of climate change adaptation. This includes how countries can better understand and manage climate risks – ranging from the local-level (e.g., floods and droughts) to the macro-level (e.g., growth, fiscal balances, debt sustainability, and financial sector stability). He has led detailed work on the triple dividends of climate adaptation investments and on potential financing options. He is also interested in nature-based solutions and maximizing the full benefits of investing in nature across the multiple objectives of improving livelihoods, building resilience, sequestering carbon, and conserving biodiversity.

Prior to joining WRI, Carter had a 24-year career at the World Bank, culminating as Global Lead Economist for the Environment/Natural Resources and Climate Change Departments. While at the World Bank, he also held various senior and management positions concerning the environment, agriculture, poverty, and climate change, including five years in Buenos Aires and four in Beijing.

Earlier in his career, he started and ran the Development Economics Group, an economics consulting firm, for seven years. He also made a documentary film on political unrest in Chiapas, Mexico, and played bassoon in the Paris Symphony. He graduated from Harvard University (B.A.) and Oxford University (MSc and DPhil, ABD, Agricultural Economics), where he was a Rhodes Scholar.