Matthew Cranford

Dr. Matthew Cranford leads the nature markets and public finance work within WWF’s Nature Finance and Investment team. In this role, he works closely with WWF offices globally to originate, develop, and finance the highest-quality nature-based solutions providing marketable ecosystem services and sustainable products, and to support governments to mobilize nature finance through public policy and investment.

Matthew is a seasoned expert in financial and economic instruments for nature, with experience working across governments, multilateral institutions, corporates, and financial institutions. Prior to joining WWF, Matthew was an Executive Director at Pollination, a nature and climate focused advisory and investment firm, where he led advisory work on nature finance. Previously, Matthew spent nearly a decade in the U.S. Treasury Office of International Affairs, departing as Senior Policy Advisor on Climate and Sustainable Finance. Before joining government, Matthew was a nature finance and environmental economics consultant based in London. Across these roles, he managed the U.S. co-chairing of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group as the group was established, was lead advisor to the U.S. Board Member of the Green Climate Fund during the fund’s initial resource mobilization and first $1 billion in funding approvals, and co-authored the first holistic global review of nature finance for CBD COP-10.

Matthew holds a PhD in Environmental Policy & Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science and MSc in Environmental Economics & Policy from Imperial College London. His academic research focused on payments for ecosystem services in South America. Matthew is also a CFA charterholder.