An economist (and formerly an ecologist) by training and a forester by profession, his research draws on the emerging field of ‘data science’, particularly the use of pattern recognition algorithms and high-resolution geospatial data. Other areas of methodological interest are econometrics and statistics. Recent projects include global studies of harvested forest quality, the theory and measurement of productivity, and development paths in forestry; he is also working on nature-based solutions, offsets and carbon leakage, and environmental behavioural economics.
Outside of academia, Ben has worked as forestry engineer and spent three years as Advisor to the Forest Products Association of Canada while leading climate change work under the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement. During his PhD, Ben was a Vanier Scholar at the University of Toronto and a pre-doctoral fellow at Ottawa’s Smart Prosperity Institute. He is current advising the Canadian government on the design of a national offset protocol for Improved Forest Management projects.
