Sigrid Stagl

Sigrid Stagl is a Full Professor and Head of Ecological Economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien), where she also leads the Competence Center for Sustainability Transformation and Responsibility. Her research spans ecological economics, sustainability science, and climate policy, with particular focus on distribution issues, migration, and refugee research and management. She has published 112 scholarly works and led 36 research projects throughout her career.

Professor Stagl's research interests center on the intersection of economics and sustainability, with particular emphasis on ecological economics, institutional economics, behavioral economics, multi-criteria decision support, evolutionary economics, energy transition, sustainable food systems, integrated assessment, agent-based modeling, energy economics, and green finance. Her work addresses critical contemporary challenges including climate policy acceptance, sustainable economic models beyond growth paradigms, and the social dimensions of environmental transitions. She approaches these issues through interdisciplinary frameworks that integrate social, economic, and ecological perspectives to develop holistic sustainability solutions.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on climate policy acceptance in Austria, energy transition pathways, sustainable economic models, and the social dimensions of climate action. The research demonstrates increasing attention to practical implementation challenges of climate policies, the role of societal acceptance in successful transitions, and the development of place-based responsibility frameworks within global resource systems. Her work consistently bridges theoretical ecological economics with practical policy applications.

• Young Economist Award, Austrian Economic Association (2001)
• Forschungspreis für Ökologische Ökonomie der Schweisfurth-Stiftung, München (2000)

Professor Stagl has been actively involved in numerous research projects and collaborations. Current projects include "Open Organizing for Energy Transition" (2025-2026), "WaterFin: Wechselwirkungen von Klimawandel, Wasserknappheit, Entwaldung und dem Finanzsystem" (2023-), "RCE Vienna - Regional Centre of Expertise for Educational on Sustainable Development" (2012-), "LADAME: Loss, Damages and Adaptation in Europe", and "EVN BEG Begleitung: Sozioökonomische Studie zu Bürgerenergiegemeinschaften (BEG)". She has served on numerous habilitation committees, appointment committees, and editorial boards, demonstrating her significant role in academic governance and knowledge dissemination.

Professor Stagl leads the Department of Ecological Economics and the Competence Center for Sustainability Transformation and Responsibility at WU Wien. Her team focuses on interdisciplinary research that bridges economic theory with practical sustainability challenges, particularly examining how social, economic, and ecological systems interact in the context of climate change and resource management. The center serves as a hub for collaborative research across disciplinary boundaries, working with policymakers, civil society organizations, and international research networks to develop innovative approaches to sustainability transformation.