About Paul

I’m Paul Watkinson, an environmental economist and independent researcher interested in natural capital, business strategy, corporate decision-making and artificial intelligence.

Experience

My background spans consultancy and public policy, including natural capital accounting, economic appraisal, nature-related risk and corporate sustainability.

As lead economist at Scottish Natural Heritage, now NatureScot, I developed work on Scotland’s Natural Capital Asset Index and provided economic advice on environmental policy. My consulting experience includes roles at SLR Consulting and ERM.

I hold an MSc in Ecological Economics from the University of Edinburgh and a BSc in Industrial Economics from the University of Warwick.

Current research

I study how businesses respond when nature constrains them, and what makes protecting or restoring nature part of their response.

I am developing a research programme centred on food and agriculture, with comparisons across other sectors. It will combine economic analysis with AI-assisted research, testing both the reliability of the workflows and my ability to understand, modify and maintain them. The aim is evidence and explanations that can support real research, policy, programme or business decisions.

For research conversations, collaboration or professional enquiries, get in touch.