Daniel Peniston

Daniel Peniston is a Climate Adaptation and Resilience Specialist at Abt Global, where he provides technical support in adaptation, resilience, and climate change. He has experience in adaptation, climate policy, nature-based solutions, responsible forest management, ecosystem services, sustainable supply chains, political economy, urban sustainability, air pollution, and supporting Indigenous-led forestry and climate programs. 

Before Abt, Daniel worked as the Climate and Restoration Engagement Manager at the Forest Stewardship Council, where he developed projects and partnerships related to forest restoration, reducing deforestation, community forestry, Indigenous Peoples, and digital innovations. Daniel supported an Indigenous-led team to develop a $6.5 million USAID project to secure Indigenous Peoples’ rights, strengthen capacities, and drive Indigenous economic development, as well as a $3.9 million follow-on focused specifically on supporting Indigenous women. He also helped to develop a comprehensive framework on forest restoration and co-led a team to reduce commodity-driven deforestation in rubber supply chains. 

Prior to that, Daniel worked at John Snow., Inc, where he supported the USAID-funded Building Healthy Cities project in Indonesia, India, and Vietnam. He worked with local stakeholders to integrate health equity into Smart City sustainability, transportation, and health policies and helped to develop a policy brief on the benefits of low-cost air quality sensors. 

Daniel has a Masters in Environment, Politics, and Development from the School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and has conducted research on the political economy of climate adaptation in Khumbu, Nepal, carbon markets, hydropower development and Indigenous rights, and the legacy of the Paris Agreement.

He grew up in Kathmandu, Nepal and has a comprehensive understanding of South and Southeast Asian culture and politics. He has also lived in Indonesia, the U.K., and the U.S, and speaks Bahasa Indonesia, Nepali, Spanish, and French.

Expertise:

• Adaptation & Resilience
• Climate Policy
• Nature-based Solutions
• Sustainable Landscapes
• Community Forestry

Publications:

• “The Road to Climate Resilience.” February 2023. Blog Post, USAID Climatelinks.
• “How Need-based Climate Insurance can help Communities in the Pacific.” December 2022. Blog Post, UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
• Building Healthy Cities. 2019. “Policy Brief: Low-Cost Real-Time Sensors for Air Quality Monitoring.” Arlington, VA: Building Healthy Cities (BHC) project.