On 17 December 1987, Sweden’s government appointed a special investigation (SOU) for the creation of an international institute for environmental technology. The initiative came from Birgitta Dahl, the first Minister for the Environment and Energy in Sweden. Ms Dahl had a strong vision on sustainability, and foresight of how the multilateral system was gearing up to address the sustainable development challenges outlined in the recent Brundtland Report. She also wished for a strong, science-based Swedish voice and presence on the global scene, to act as a forerunner in environmental policy and technology as well as a leading voice for science.

The investigation, led by Göte Svensson and including Bert Bolin and Kerstin Niblaeus, who both later served as Chairs of the SEI Board, first recommended the creation of an institute called “SIIESTA” (The Stockholm International Institute for Environmentally Sound Technologies’ Assessment) in its report from 2 May 1988 (SOU 1988:23).

Following further preparations by the Ministry under Ms Dahl’s leadership, the mandate broadened beyond a focus on technology and into research on environmental policy and management, and, through a government decision on 18 August 1988, Stockholm Environment Institute was created. SEI started its operations in 1989 with Professor Gordon Goodman as its founding Director.  

All of us at SEI – staff, management and Board – send our condolences to Birgitta Dahl’s family, with admiration for her vision and political drive, without which we would not be here working together today.