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“When on my deathbed, the world may not have gotten any better, but I want to feel that I did everything I could. How can I still feel joy, hope and fulfilment given the state of the world? I am doing the best I can to improve the world from the position I am in.”

Beatrice Crona is science director and professor at Stockholm Resilience Centre. Her research focuses on developing tools and methods that help companies and asset managers act in ways that are sustainable for the planet.

What is your research about?

“My work involves creating tools capable of assessing risks to the environment and the ecosystem services upon which the entire economy depends. We have successfully developed a tool that considers more than just climate factors, based on research on planetary boundaries and tipping points. If we use more land here or more water there, how does that affect the whole system?”

What should companies and investors be aware of?

“They need to understand the connection between their own operations and global or large-scale environmental changes – and how these changes are likely to pose risks to their own business. What is the link between my own value chain, meaning the goods I need to produce my product or service, and planetary changes such as Amazon deforestation or climate change? How is this linked to wildfires and other environmental transformations we are witnessing? This is where detailed data from companies is needed to be able to assess their impact at the local level. Essentially, this is about accounting knowledge and so-called non-financial corporate reporting. Sustainability reporting, as it is designed and implemented today, is not enough to provide the necessary overview of impacts and risks. There is still much work to be done, and many companies worldwide are actively seeking ways to improve their operations.”

What kind of data is needed?

“Companies cannot be expected to measure or report hundreds of different indicators – it would be too overwhelming – so we rely on the planetary boundaries already established in scientific research. We have started with seven primary sectors that form the foundation for nearly all other value chains: fisheries, aquaculture, crop production, livestock farming, forestry, oil and gas extraction, and mining. What does science say about their impact on planetary boundaries? Based on this, we identified 15 key variables to assess the impact on the planet and local environments.”

How will your research lead to change?

“Many of the environmental problems we create, our negative impact on the planet, are not reflected in the pricing of the goods and services we consume. Our research helps create conditions for changing this and contributes a scientifically grounded perspective to the debate. What is needed is a kind of transformation. This does not mean returning to the Stone Age, but rather developing a fundamentally different relationship with the world and nature—especially as we develop our industries and businesses.”

What motivates you?

“I am driven by curiosity, but I have never been interested in merely digging deep into one specific topic. Instead, I have been more focused on building bridges between different fields, combining knowledge into a greater whole. This requires deep expertise while collaborating with others who are highly skilled in their own disciplines. That is how you create profound and broad knowledge. But I could never have predicted 20 years ago that I would be working on linking capital markets with natural sciences—or that I would be collaborating with accountants. Working with the business community has given me a deeper understanding of investors' realities. Now I try to bring that perspective into my research.”

What does the contact with students mean to you?

“I currently teach many students studying business administration. Teaching is an opportunity to encourage them to think more critically about the issues they will be working on in the future. I also want to instil hope and confidence that science has something very important to contribute to the business world.”

What should one study to work in your field?

“It does not matter what you study—almost all subjects are relevant when trying to understand the complex sustainability challenges we face. Collaboration is essential to solving these intricate issues.”