Esther Choi
Research Lead, Nature-based Solutions and the Private Climate Sector
Esther Choi is Research Lead for Nature-based Solutions and the Private Climate Sector at World Resources Institute. She leads research initiatives to scale private sector contributions to nature and climate action by aligning incentives, mobilizing knowledge and finance, and building strategic networks that accelerate corporate and investor engagement.
Her work spans multiple areas: guiding companies on nature-positive action, improving access to finance for smallholder farmers and informal supply chain actors to reduce food loss and waste, identifying enablers for thriving climate start-up ecosystems in emerging markets, and advancing de-risking strategies and blended finance approaches to catalyze private investment in climate mitigation and adaptation. Esther is also serving as a Lead Author for the Finance Chapter of the IPCC’s 7th Assessment Report.
With over a decade of experience in climate finance, sustainable development, and international governance, Esther has held research roles at Stanford University’s Sustainable Finance Initiative, the Green Climate Fund, the World Bank, and the Global Green Growth Institute. She has worked across diverse geographies, collaborating with policymakers, investors, and multilateral organizations to design mechanisms that drive climate action and sustainable economic growth.
Esther holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley, where she focused on global environmental politics, and a Master’s in Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Insights
Research
Projects
International Financial Institutions
Visit ProjectStrengthening sustainability policies and governance in strategically-important institutions—including the multilateral development banks—to promote financing for sustainable activities and discourage financing for unsustainable ones.
Part of FinanceNature-based Solutions for Adaptation
Visit ProjectWRI aims to accelerate the uptake of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation by countries and cities.
Part of Climate ResilienceClimate Solutions Partnership
Visit ProjectA five-year philanthropic collaboration to scale climate solutions by combining HSBC’s financial expertise with the knowledge and experience of WRI, WWF and a network of local partners
Part of Business