People and Expertise 

Paul Watkiss is an independent researcher with 20 years' experience of multi-disciplinary research in climate change and adaptation policy, as well as a Senior Visiting Research Associate at the ECI, University of Oxford. 

Paul’s main area of expertise focuses on the impacts and economic costs of climate change, and the costs and benefits of adaptation. He developed the method for the UK’s adaptation economic national study, and has provided economic support and advice on adaptation costs and benefits to Defra, DFID, the EC, the OECD, the EEA, UNEP and the UNFCCC.

Paul has led a number of country studies on the economics of climate change and adaptation including in Nepal, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, and led technical development of Ethiopia’s Climate Resilience Strategy (Agriculture) and the Zanzibar Climate Change Strategy.  He was a contributory author on three chapters of the recent IPCC AR5 WGII (economics of adaptation and adaptation mitigation) and one chapter of the WGIII.

Paul also has leading expertise in environmental external costs analysis, policy appraisal, cost-benefit analysis, appraisal and evaluation, with extensive expertise in the social cost of carbon and air quality externalities. 

Paul has led numerous major studies for the UK government, European Commission,  and many other organisations.  He has written over 100 publications, reports and conference papers.

Federica Cimato

Federica Cimato is a senior economist specialised in international development, infrastructure investment, and climate change. She worked as an economist and policy advisor for the UK Government Economic Service, for Defra and then DFID, and has 10 years in both theoretical and applied environmental and development economics. During this time she has used her technical and subject matter expertise to design, implement, monitor and evaluate government policies and projects. Her knowledge and experience include cost-benefit analysis, financial modelling and risk management, socio-environmental standards and practices, climate change programmes, and political economy analysis.  Most recently she has been working as a senior economist on projects in Nepal, Malawi, Rwanda and Tanzania, undertaking detailed economic and financial modelling of adaptation projects.  

Adriana Quevedo

Adriana Quevedo has a Bachelor degree in Mathematics and Economics, a diploma in Economics and a Master degree in Development Economics. She has since developed her professional career in Rwanda, where she worked providing technical assistance, capacity building and  economic appraisal at the ministry of finance (with GIZ) and subsequently worked on a national roadmap for green urbanization into the six secondary cities in Rwanda, covering sectors of energy, transport, buildings, waste, sanitation and water at the Ministry of Infrastructure (for GGGI).  Her recent projects  include the co-design, economic and financial analysis of a tea and coffee adaptation pilot project with the ministry of agriculture and a review of the costs and benefits of adaptation for the EC ECONADPT project.

Paul Watkiss Associates also works with a network of associates to provide expertise on a wide range of policy issues, each of which is a recognised expert in the field.  This includes:

Alistair Hunt - an environmental economist and an expert in the valuation of climate change impacts and adaptation.  He is a Research Fellow in Environmental Economics at the University of Bath and works part time for PWA. He has led a number of studies on the costs and benefits of adaptation, and prepared UKCIP’s costing guidance on adaptation.  He has expertise in economic decision support under uncertainty, including the application to the health, flood and other sectors.  He has published on adaptation policy and was a contributor the IPCC 5th Assessment Report (chapter on Economics of Adaptation).

Will Blyth has worked for 20 years in the field of modelling and analysis of energy security and climate change policy. He is Director of Oxford Energy Associates, an Associate Fellow of Chatham House, and Visiting Research Fellow at London Business School. His work focuses on the role of policy on investment decision-making under uncertainty, and how to deliver secure energy supplies within a context of transition to a low-carbon economy.

Matthew Savage is an international policy economist, with finance and investment expert specialising in greenhouse gas mitigation and climate adaptation. He is Director of Oxford Consulting Partners, and has worked for both DFID and the International Finance Corporation, and acted as a senior advisor for a range of international financial institutions, including the World Bank, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).  He worked on the UK Climate Change Programme and has led assignments in more than 30 countries, incuding Central and South Asia, Sub Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Carribbean.