MSc Student, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment

Ashley Bang

Background

Ashley is an applied ecologist who uses spatial and statistical data modelling techniques to address the nexus between climate, nature, and business. She is passionate about developing practical and science-based frameworks to inform corporate nature and climate strategies. Based largely in the East and Southeast Asia region, her research encompasses themes of biodiversity impact accounting, coastal conservation, and climate risk modelling for financial institutions, policymakers, and civil society.
She also works as a Principal Consultant at The Biodiversity Consultancy, where she helps companies manage biodiversity risks and achieve positive nature and climate outcomes. Prior to this, Ashley developed biodiversity and climate risk management strategies for impact investment funds in the APAC region as an applied data scientist. She holds an undergraduate degree in Geology and Biology from Brown University, where she co-founded a network to support underrepresented minorities and host educational dialogues on inclusivity in the geosciences.

Research Interests

Having grown up in large Asian cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo, she became interested in bridging principles of nature conservation and climate change mitigation with societal development goals in this region. Her research is centred around the development of nature positive and climate-resilient adaptation pathways for business stakeholders and urban communities. In particular, she is interested in identifying effective areas for private sector engagement in supporting a nature positive transition and informing policies that jointly address climate and nature outcomes.

Current Research

Ashley’s dissertation investigates opportunities for nature-based solutions to align nature and climate policy agendas, specifically in Hong Kong. By quantitatively assessing the monetary and non-monetary contributions that natural ecosystems make to climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, her project will inform the development of Hong Kong’s climate and biodiversity strategies. She is also involved in research that investigates the role of business in delivering global biodiversity goals: how businesses can effectively adapt practices and investments to reduce impacts on nature, deliver positive biodiversity outcomes, and facilitate a socially just transition.

Brief CV

Education

2023 – present:  MSc Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford

2015 –2019: BSc Geology-Biology (Honors), Brown University

 

Work Experience:

2023 – Present: Principal Consultant, The Biodiversity Consultancy

2020 – 2023: Head Data Scientist, ADM Capital Foundation

2019 – 2020: Fulbright Research Fellow, Academia Sinica Biodiversity Research Center

Publications

Bang A. (2023) Accounting for Biodiversity: Towards measuring and valuing the biodiversity impacts of financial investments. ADM Capital Foundation.

Bang A, Kuo CY, Wen CKC, Cherh KL, Ho MJ, Cheng NY, et al. (2021) Quantifying coral reef resilience to climate change and human development: an evaluation of multiple empirical frameworks. Frontiers in Marine Science.

Hundertmark WJ, Lee M, Smith IA, Bang A, Gately C, Templer PH, Hutyra LR. (2021) Influence of Urban Management Practices on Urban Greenhouse Gas Budgets. Carbon Balance and Management.

Vanthournout H & Bang A. (2021) Eat Without Waste: Hong Kong’s takeaway packaging challenge. ADM Capital Foundation.

Sumaila UR, Cheung WWL, Teh LSL, Bang A, Cashion T, Zeng Z et al. (2021) Sink or Swim: The future of fisheries in the East and South China Sea. ADM Capital Foundation.