Sigrid Stagl

Sigrid Stagl is Professor of Ecological Economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, where she serves as Head of the Institute for Ecological Economics and Director of the Competence Center for Sustainability Transformation and Responsibility. Her research examines how economic systems can operate within ecological limits while addressing social challenges such as climate change, energy transitions, and sustainable food systems. 

Stagl completed her doctoral studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the United States, where she was awarded the world’s first PhD in Ecological Economics. Before joining WU Vienna as a full professor in 2008, she conducted research and taught at the University of Leeds and the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. 

In addition to her academic work, Stagl has been actively involved in international sustainability research networks and policy discussions. She played a leading role in the governance of the European Society for Ecological Economics and continues to contribute to interdisciplinary debates on sustainable economic transformation. Her work aims to advance economic approaches that integrate environmental limits and social well-being.