James Anderson is the Deputy Director of WRI's Cities4Forests initiative, where he helps manage project delivery across a global alliance of cities acting to conserve, restore and sustainably manage nature for human well-being. James works closely with communities to design and implement projects that maximize benefits from nature for water, air quality, jobs, disaster resilience, and more.

Previously, James served as Communications Manager for WRI's Forests Program, overseeing outreach and engagement for projects such as Global Forest Watch, the Global Restoration Initiative, and the Forest Legality Initiative. Before that, James was a Research Fellow at the Gobabeb Training and Research Centre in Namibia, where he managed a desert ecology research program and field school and advised companies and government on the environmental impacts of uranium mining. James has also worked with Jones Associates Foresters in Maine, the Fish and Wildlife Service in Kodiak, Alaska, and the National Park Service at Mt. Rainier, Washington. He was also a writer for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s online biodiversity database The Encyclopedia of Life.

James is passionate about rigorous research, effective communications, and WRI's people-focused approach. He studied English and Environmental Studies at Grinnell College, Iowa.

James is based in San Francisco, where he spends his time trail running, playing mandolin, and chasing around his twin toddler daughters.