Stockholm Environment Institute

Stockholm Environment Institute
AbbreviationSEI
Formation1 January 1989 (1989-01-01)
TypeFoundation
PurposeInternational research and policy
HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
Location
Region served
International
Official languages
English
Executive Director
Eeva Primmer
Main organ
Board of Directors
Revenue468,000,000 SEK (Global)[1] (2025)
Staff381[1] (2025)
Websitehttps://www.sei.org/

Stockholm Environment Institute, or SEI, is a non-profit, independent research and policy institute specialising in sustainable development and environmental issues,[1] with seven affiliate offices around the world.[2] SEI works on climate change, energy systems, water resources, air quality, land-use, sanitation, food security, and trade issues with the aim to shift policy and practice towards sustainability.[1]

SEI wants to support decision-making and induce change towards sustainable development around the world by providing knowledge that bridges science and policy in the field of environment and development.[1]

The institute's name derives from the Stockholm Declaration, adopted at the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972 — the first UN conference on the connections between human development and the environment — whose principles it was founded upon.[3] These principles have since been reiterated and developed further in forums including the 1987 Brundtland Commission, the 1992 Rio Summit, and the 2015 articulation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.[3] SEI's strategy for the period 2025–2029, "Transitions in turbulent times", focuses on three main impact areas: climate transitions, nature and resources, and health and wellbeing.[4]

History

SEI was established in 1989 by the Swedish Parliament.[3]

Activities

Programs - Current and Past

Partnerships

  • SEI was one of the organizations who founded the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance in 2007 together with the German Development Organization (GIZ)[5]
  • SEI collaborates closely with Stockholm University on research and education related to environment and development, including joint research applications and funding, guest lectures and seminars, postdoctoral mentoring, and reciprocal researcher affiliations. The agreement also allows Stockholm University researchers to be affiliated with SEI's offices in Estonia, Kenya, Thailand, the UK, and the US.[6]

Research

SEI researchers regularly take part in international research and policy collaborations. Two examples:

A study published in Science Advances in 2025, led by researchers at University College London (UCL) in collaboration with SEI, found that air pollution from oil and gas causes approximately 90,000 premature deaths in the United States each year, with disproportionate health impacts on communities of colour.[7]

SEI has also supported Moldova's Ministry of Environment on a study of treated wastewater reuse in agriculture, launched in 2024 as part of the "Green Agenda" project for Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The study aims to support Moldova's alignment with EU Regulation 2020/741 on water reuse.[8]

Organizational structure

Board of Directors

SEI's board is international, with members appointed by the Government of Sweden. Under SEI's statutes, the Board is responsible for deciding the institute's long-term goals and strategy; ensuring proper management and control of finance, organization, and administration; appointing the Executive Director; and approving the annual budget of the SEI foundation. Two SEI employee representatives sit on the Board as non-voting members.[9]

Board Chairs

The Chair of the Board is appointed by the Government of Sweden for a fixed term.

  • 2004–2009 Lars Anell
  • 2010–2021 Kerstin Niblaeus
  • 2021–2022 Isabella Lövin
  • 2023–present Lennart Båge

Executive Directors

Måns Nilsson announced his plans to step down as Executive Director in September 2025.[11] Eeva Primmer took over as Executive Director in May 2026, having previously served as Research Director at Finland's environment institute, SYKE.[11]

Centres

SEI operates in seven countries: Sweden, United States, United Kingdom, Estonia, Thailand, Kenya, and Colombia.

Funding sources

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) is SEI's main donor. SEI also receives funding from development agencies, governments, NGOs, universities, businesses, and financial institutions.[12]

For example, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also provides funds to SEI in the area of maternal health[12] and in sustainable sanitation.[13][14] At the SEI Science Forum in 2015, Melinda Gates took part to discuss sustainability and gender together with SEI staff to help shape SEI's future research.[12][15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Annual report 2025". SEI. Stockholm Environment Institute. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Stockholm Environment Institute | UIA Yearbook Profile | Union of International Associations". uia.org. Union of International Associations. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Origins". Stockholm Environment Institute. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "SEI strategy 2025–29: Transitions in turbulent times". Stockholm Environment Institute. 2 December 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "1st SuSanA meeting, Eschborn, January 2007, Germany". Sustainable Sanitation Alliance. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "Strong ties with Stockholm Environment Institute". Stockholm University. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Noor, Dharna (22 August 2025). "Air pollution from oil and gas causes 90,000 premature US deaths each year, says new study". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Laurenson, Jack (15 October 2024). "Moldova environment ministry launches study on wastewater reuse in agriculture". CEENERGYNEWS. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Board". Stockholm Environment Institute. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  10. ↑ http://miljoaktuellt.idg.se/2.1845/1.277951/johan-rockstrom-ar-arets-svensk
  11. 1 2 Videla, Emanuel (16 February 2026). "SEI hämtar ny vd från Finland" (in Swedish). Aktuell Hållbarhet. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 "Annual Report". Stockholm Environment Institute. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  13. ↑ Elisabeth von Muench, Dorothee Spuhler, Trevor Surridge, Nelson Ekane, Kim Andersson, Emine Goekce Fidan, Arno Rosemarin (2013) Sustainable Sanitation Alliance members take a closer look at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's sanitation grants, Sustainable Sanitation Practice Journal, Issue 17, p. 4-10
  14. ↑ "Sustainable Sanitation Alliance: Grant of $2.7 million to supercharge sustainable sanitation knowledge platform". Sanitation Updates. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  15. ↑ "Youtube video: Melinda Gates 'Gender aspects of global development'". Stockholm Environment Institute. 10 June 2015. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.