Johan Rockström

Johan Rockström

Pioneering Earth System Scientist & Architect of the Planetary Boundaries Framework

Core Intelligence Domain: Sustainability
Location: Potsdam, Germany | Languages: English, Swedish
Representation: Represented globally by PSpeakers Global Intelligence

Johan Rockström is an internationally recognised Earth system scientist and a leading authority on global sustainability issues. As the joint Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Professor in Earth System Science at the University of Potsdam, he provides strategic foresight and vital scientific intelligence to the world’s highest-level policy and business forums. He is most renowned for spearheading the development of the Planetary Boundaries framework, a proprietary and paradigm-shifting metric that defines the safe operating space for humanity. This framework has become the standard for multinational corporations, international governance bodies, and environmental organisations to quantify systemic environmental risk and formulate resilient, long-term sustainability strategies.

Scientific Leadership & Global Impact

Before his tenure at PIK, Professor Rockström founded and spent over a decade as the Executive Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, transforming it into a world-leading hub for sustainability science. His expertise extends far beyond academia; he is a pivotal voice at the World Economic Forum, actively advising corporate boards and global governments on the urgent transition to carbon-neutral and nature-positive operational models.

He currently serves as the lead scientist for the Earth Commission and acts as Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water. Throughout his distinguished career, he has published extensively in premier scientific journals, including Nature and Science, and has co-authored influential books such as Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet, which inspired a major Netflix documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Rockström’s unparalleled contributions have been recognised with numerous accolades, including the prestigious Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.

Strategic Speaking Topics

• The Planetary Boundaries Framework: Operationalising the nine critical boundaries to ensure long-term corporate viability, risk mitigation, and systemic resilience.
• Navigating the Anthropocene: Understanding humanity’s role as the dominant force of change on Earth and interpreting what this means for future global markets.
• Climate Tipping Points: Strategic foresight on the irreversible shifts in the Earth’s climate system and their compounding macro-economic risks for global supply chains.
• The Economics of Water: Rethinking global water governance and transforming the hydrological cycle into a managed, sustainable global common.
• Sustainable Business Transformation: Actionable pathways for enterprises to transition from net-zero ambitions to nature-positive, regenerative business models.
• Global Commons and Food Systems: Securing the resilience of global agriculture, land use, and supply networks in an era of unprecedented climate instability.

Key Takeaways

• Proprietary Frameworks: Gain direct strategic insights into the Planetary Boundaries model, the gold standard for measuring global sustainability and systemic environmental risk.
• Strategic Foresight: Equip executive leadership with the scientific intelligence required to navigate climate tipping points and secure supply chain resilience against ecological shocks.
• Actionable Intelligence: Translate complex Earth system science into robust, future-proof corporate strategies that align with emerging global environmental regulations and ESG expectations.
• Unrivalled Authority: Benefit from the high-level guidance of a globally respected scientific advisor who shapes the sustainability agendas of the World Economic Forum and international policy bodies.