Eeva Primmer is the Executive Director at Stockholm Environment Institute SEI, an international non-profit research institute with headquarters in Stockholm and seven centres around the world, which tackles climate, environment and sustainable development challenges, connecting science to policy and practice, aiming to drive tangible impacts.
“Because our wellbeing relies on resources, we need to govern them sustainably, in a systemic fashion.” - Eeva Primmer
Professor Eeva Primmer is the Executive Director at Stockholm Environment Institute, SEI, where she supervises all senior management functions and is thus responsible for developing, planning and organizing work so that research, administration, financial management and communications are performed with quality, accountability and efficiency. Prof. Primmer is also an Adjunct Professor (Docent) in Environmental Policy at the University of Helsinki, and a member of the Finnish Forest Council.
Prof. Primmer has held a part-time Mercator Professor position at Albert Ludvig’s University Freiburg, and acted as an Associate Editor at the Elsevier journal Ecosystem Services. She has been an expert member of the Policy Support Tools and Methodologies and review editor of the Europe and Central Asia Assessment Chapter 6 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Prof. Primmer's interest lies in how institutions, networks of public and private actors as well as the constant, and sometimes abrupt, environmental change shape policy and management at different governance levels. She has worked on projects ranging from short evaluations to multi-year large collaborations, financed by the Academy of Finland, Finnish ministries, and the European Union. Her research has been published in academic peer-reviewed journals, monographs and conference proceedings.
Specialties:
-Governance of ecosystem services, multi-level governance and policy instruments
-Forest and environmental policy institutions, policy implementation, organizational adaptation and innovations
-Integrated conservation and use of natural resources
-Bioenergy and renewable energy policy analysis
-Analysis of organizational capabilities and resources as well as organizational networks
-Analysis of formal and informal norms and professional judgment
-Combining qualitative and quantitative analysis in environmental policy evaluations
Selected publications
Lovrić, M., Torralba, M., Orsi, F., Pettenella, D., Mann, C., Ganeletti, D., Plieninger, T., Primmer, E., Hernandez-Morcillo, M., Jellesmark Thorsen, B., Lundhede, T., Loft, L., Wunder, S., Winkel, G. 2026. Distribution of forest-based innovations across Europe. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2025.101066
Hale, T.N., Ali, S.H., Christman, P., Bleischwitz, R., Svobodova K, Primmer, E., Moutinho Pires, V.L.; Kulczycka, J. 2025. Critical minerals policies need clearer interface with scientifically credible targets. Global Sustainability. 2025, 8-15. https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2025.10014
Di Fulvio, F., Snäll, T., Lauri, P., Forsell, N., Mönkkönen, M., Burgas, D., Blattert, C., Eyvindson, K., Toraño Caicoya, A., Vergarechea, M., Antón-Fernández, C., Klein, J., Astrup, R., Lukkarinen, J., Pitzén, S., Primmer, E. (2025). Impact of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 on the EU wood-based bioeconomy. Global Environmental Change, 92, 102986. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2025.102986
Primmer, E., Furman, E., 2024. How have measuring, mapping and valuation enhanced governance of ecosystem services? Ecosystem Services 67, 101612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2024.101612
Pitzén, S., Lukkarinen, J., & Primmer, E. (2023). Coherent at face value: Integration of forest carbon targets in Finnish policy strategies. Ambio, 52(11), 1861-1877. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01923-3
Primmer, E., Schulman, L., Furman, E., Seppälä, J., Hildén, M., Kaljonen, M., Kautto, P.; Kivimaa, P.; Korhonen-Kurki, K.; Lyytimäki, J.; & Tainio, M. (2021). It is time for sustainability transformation. Finnish Environment Institute Policy Brief 9.12.2021. https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/337205/SYKE-PolicyBrief_2021-12_Sustainability-transformation_www.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Primmer, E., & Paavola, J. 2021. Insurance Value of Ecosystems: An Introduction. Ecological Economics, 184, 107001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107001
Primmer, E., Varumo, L., Krause, T., Orsi, F., Geneletti, D., Brogaard, S., Aukes, E., Ciolli, M., Grossmann, C., Hernández-Morcillo, M., Kister, J., Kluvánková, T., Loft, L., Maier, C., Meyer, C., Schleyer, C., Spacek, M., Mann, C. 2021. Mapping Europe’s institutional landscape for forest ecosystem service provision, innovations and governance. Ecosystem Services, 47, 101225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101225
Kivimaa, P., Primmer, E., & Lukkarinen, J. 2020. Intermediating policy for transitions towards net-zero energy buildings. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2020.01.007
Paavola, J., Primmer, E. 2019. Governing the Provision of Insurance Value from Ecosystems. Ecological Economics, 164, 106346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.06.001
Primmer, E., Varumo, L, Kotilainen, J.M., Raitanen, E., Kattainen, M., Pekkonen, M., Kuusela, S., Kullberg, P. Kangas, J.A., Ollikainen, M. 2019. Governing biodiversity offsetting: An institutional analysis of rights and responsibilities. Land Use Policy 81, 776-784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.11.040
Primmer, E., Saarikoski, H., Vatn, A. 2018. An empirical analysis of institutional demand for valuation knowledge. Ecological Economics 152, 152–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.05.017
Annala, S., Lukkarinen, J., Primmer, E., Honkapuro, S., Ollikka, K., Sunila, K., Ahonen, T. 2018. Regulation as an enabler of demand response in electricity markets and power systems. Journal of Cleaner Production 195, 1139–1148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.05.276
Bouwwma, I., Schleyer, C., Primmer, E., Winkler, K.J., Berry, P., Young, J., Carmen, E., Špulerová, J., Bezák, P., Preda, E., Vadineanui, A. 2018. Adoption of the Ecosystem Services concept in EU policies. Ecosystem Services, 213-222. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2017.02.014
Primmer, E., Termansen, M., Bredin, Y.K., Blicharska, M., Garcia-Llorente, M., Berry, P., Jääskeläinen, T., Bela, G., Fabók, V., Geamana, N., Harrison, P.A., Haslett, J., Cosor, G., Holst Andersen, A. 2017. Caught between personal and collective values: biodiversity conservation in European decision-making. Environmental Policy and Governance 27(6), 588–604. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eet.1763
Primmer, E., Jokinen, P., Blicharska, M., Barton, D.N., Bugter, R., Potschin, M. 2015. A framework for empirical analysis of ecosystem services governance. Ecosystem Services 16, 158-166. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2015.05.002
Makkonen, M., Huttunen, S., Primmer, E., Repo, A., Hildén, M. 2015. Policy coherence in climate change mitigation: an ecosystem service approach to forests as carbon sinks and bioenergy sources. Forest Policy and Economics 50, 153-162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2014.09.003
Primmer, E., Paloniemi, R., Similä, J., Tainio A. 2014. Forest owner perceptions of institutions and voluntary contracting for biodiversity conservation: Not crowding out but staying out. Ecological Economics 103, 1-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2014.04.008
Primmer, E., Furman, E. 2012. Operationalising ecosystem service approaches for governance: Do measuring, mapping and valuing integrate sector-specific knowledge systems? Ecosystem Services 1, 85–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2012.07.008
Primmer, E. 2011. Analysis of institutional adaptation: integration of biodiversity conservation into forestry, Journal of Cleaner Production, 19:16, 1822-1832. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.04.001
Videos
Prof. Primmer talks about SYKE Policy Brief: It is time for sustainability transformation, Finnish Environment Institute
Transformation of biodiversity conservation policy with Eeva Primmer, University of Helisinki
Prof. Primmer talks about forest governance and restoration, European Forest Institute (EFI)
View more publications on Eeva Primmer's Google Scholar