Eeva Furman

Eeva Furman is Professor of Practice on Sustainability at Aalto University School of Business, Department of Management. Dr Furman is a member of the Sustainability in Business Research Team, led by professor Minna Halme.

Eeva Furman contributes with her expertise at the Aalto University, including teaching students on ecological sustainability and supporting students, staff and collaborators of Aalto on holistic sustainability.  As a member of Aalto staff, she takes actively part in societal debates through committees, workshops, assessments and through media.

She carried out her undergraduate studies at the University of Helsinki, majoring on ecology. She continued her studies at the University of Wales, where she earned a PhD in Marine Biology. At Menai Bridge Laboratories. This period directed her towards broader socio-ecological questions, which became her focus through the rest of her career.

She returned to Finland and made a long academic and managerial career at the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) on environmental governance studies. During there years she was leading several large international research and development projects, carried out evaluations of projects, processes and institutes in Europe and beyond. She also chaired Finland´s independent sustainability panel and was one of the 15 scientists who we mandated to write an independent global sustainable development report (GSDR2019) to the United Nations. This assessment of present scientific knowledge was to advise countries.

Her main academic interests included:

·       Conceptual and methodological tools for society: Impact assessment and people´s opportunities as a case, broader assessments and evaluation

·       Socio-ecological systems to societally useful tools: Conceptual development of socio-ecological research, biodiversity governance: implementation, operationalization and practices; knowledge needs

·       From sustainable development goals towards sustainability transformation: Sustainability transformation in food system, and in multilevel governance

In 2022, she transitioned to the Prime Minister´s Office (PMO) as Chief Specialist and Secretary General of the National Commission on Sustainable Development. This role involved close collaboration with the State Secretary and the Prime Minister, as well as with staff from all twelve ministries, the parliament (especially with the committee of Future), businesses, NGOs, municipalities, and international colleagues, including the UN and most frequently the staff of the Government Strategy Department of the PMO. Key initiatives included developing a holistic societal sustainability assessment, advancing Finland´s policy framework foway of r sustainable development through the National Commission for Sustainable Development and building a framework to strengthen biodiversity governance in the Government.