Benjamin William Cashore

Benjamin William Cashore is the Li Ka Shing Professor in Public Management and Director of the Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) at the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Previously, he spent 18 years at Yale University as a professor of environmental governance and political science, where he directed the Governance, Environment and Markets (GEM) initiative and the Yale International Fox Fellows exchange program from 2014-2019.

• PhD from University of Toronto
• Postdoctoral research at Harvard University and University of British Columbia
• Former policy advisor to the leader of the Canadian New Democratic Party
• Expertise spans Southeast Asia, North America, Latin America and Europe

Cashore specializes in global and multi-level environmental governance, comparative public policy and administration, and transnational business regulation/corporate social responsibility. His research focuses on climate policy, biodiversity conservation/land use change, and sustainable environmental management of forests and related agricultural sectors. Theoretically, he examines the legitimacy requirements of non-state market driven (NSMD) global governance, the influence of economic globalization on domestic environmental policies, and anticipatory policy design for addressing 'super wicked' environmental problems. His work integrates around developing multi-stakeholder policy learning processes and nurturing multiple step policy pathways.

His recent scholarship demonstrates consistent engagement with climate change governance, forest policy, and the intersections between private regulation and public policy. Cashore's publications reveal a strong focus on identifying effective governance mechanisms for addressing complex environmental challenges through both state and non-state approaches.

• Author of two influential books: 'Global Environmental Forest Policies: An International Comparison' (2010) and 'Governing Through Markets: Forest Certification and the Emergence of Non-State Authority' (2004)
• Extensive publication record in top journals across political science, environmental policy, and governance fields

Cashore has developed significant expertise in designing stakeholder learning dialogues and identifying policy pathways for addressing complex environmental governance challenges. His work bridges theoretical insights with practical policy applications across multiple continents and governance contexts.