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Julien CALAS
Research Officer on Biodiversity
Researcher
Expertise : Biodiversity, biodiversity economics and financing, rural development
Languages : French, English
Theme : Biodiversity, Agriculture and Rural Development, Financial Systems
Julien Calas is an agricultural engineer specialized in development economics, who graduated from AgroParisTech after previous university studies in biology.
In addition to working at an economic observatory for the Permanent Assembly of French Chambers of Agriculture, Julien worked for ten years abroad as a project supervisor for AFD and the French Global Environment Facility (FGEF) in Senegal, Madagascar and Cambodia. He worked on the fisheries, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation sectors, as well as on the development of banking and microfinance activities.
In 2006, he became in charge of biodiversity at the FGEF, where he was responsible for assessing and monitoring projects for the conservation of marine and terrestrial biodiversity, agrobiodiversity, support for civil society organizations, and the development of innovative financing tools for conservation.
In September 2014, he joined AFD's evaluation and capitalization unit, where he was in charge of the assessment and capitalization program for the environment and rural sectors.
In January 2020, he joined AFD’s research department, where he is responsible for managing the ECOPRONAT research programme and contributes to research into the assessment of socio-economic risks associated with nature degradation.
- « Econobiomes: A terrestrial-based country classification for international sustainability comparison », with Matthieu Trichet and Julie Maurin, Land Use Policy 169, ScienceDirect (2026).
- « Socio-economic exposure to nature-related risks in the Southern African Development Community », with Antoine Godin and Julie Maurin, South African Reserve Bank, Working Paper Series, WP/26/03 (2026).
- « A framework to assess socioeconomic and spatialized nature-related risks: An application to South Africa », with Paul Hadji-Lazaro, Antoine Godin, Andrew Skowno, Pamela Sekese, Environmental and Sustainability Indicators Volume 26 Article n° 100605, ScienceDirect (2025)
- « Biodiversity loss and financial stability as a new frontier for central banks: An exploration for France », with Paul Hadji-Lazaro, Mathilde Salin, Romain Svartzman, Etienne Espagne, Julien Gauthey, Joshua Berger, Antoine Godin, Antoine Vallier, Ecological Economics Volume 223 Article n° 108246, ScienceDirect (2024).
- «A “Silent Spring” for the Financial System? Exploring Biodiversity-Related Financial Risks in France», with Romain Svartzman, Étienne Espagne, Julien Gauthey, Paul Hadji-Lazaro, Mathilde Salin, Thomas Allen, Joshua Berger, Antoine Godin, Antoine Vallier, Working Paper n°826, Banque de France (2021).
- «Coopérer et apprendre pour protéger les écosystèmes», Revue Espaces naturels, n°70, French Office for Biodiversity (2020).
- «Aires marines protégées : capitalisation des expériences cofinancées par le FFEM», with Catherine Gabrié, Thierry Clément, Jean Roger Mercie et Héloïse You, French Fund for the Global Environment (2010).
- « La biodiversité : pas qu’une affaire d’écologistes, un impératif économique et financier », avec Paul Hadji-Lazaro, Andrew Skowno, Antoine Godin, The Conversation France, June 29, 2025.
- «Scenarios for achieving the targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework», with Julie Maurin, GlobalDev, January 2024.
- « COP15 : comment financer un accord ambitieux pour financer la biodiversité ? », with Claire Cogoluenhes, The Conversation France, December 2022.
- « Comment évaluer l’impact du recul de la biodiversité sur le système financier français », avec Mathilde Salin, Etienne Espagne, Julien Calas, Paul Hadji-Lazaro, Romain Svartzmann, The Conversation France, February 2022.
