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Humanity is exceeding multiple planetary boundaries from Earth-system science, yet billions of people are still unable to meet their basic needs. My research explores how societies can meet human needs within environmental limits, and what structural economic changes are required to make this possible.
I am a Beatriz Galindo Distinguished Professor at the University of Barcelona, a Visiting Professor at the University of Leeds, and Coordinator and Principal Investigator of the Horizon Europe MAPS Project (Models, Assessment, and Policies for Sustainability). I am also co‑author of the internationally best‑selling book Enough Is Enough: Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources.
My work is grounded in the idea that economic systems should be aligned with human wellbeing, social equity, and environmental sustainability. A central framework I use is the “Doughnut” of social and planetary boundaries, which defines a safe and just space between essential social thresholds and environmental limits. My goal is to determine the changes required for societies to live within this space.
Core Research Areas
Core Research Areas
Measuring Sustainability: I develop indicators and assessment frameworks that measure whether countries are meeting essential human needs at sustainable levels of resource use. This work has shown that no country currently achieves high social outcomes within planetary boundaries, and that environmental pressures are increasing faster than social conditions are improving.
Ecological Macroeconomics: I build national‑scale simulation models to assess the social and environmental impacts of alternative economic policies. I led the development of COMPASS, the first model capable of evaluating how policy choices affect basic needs, inequality, and resource use relative to planetary boundaries. This work includes post‑growth scenarios that go beyond GDP as a measure of progress.
Impacts of Artificial Intelligence: I examine how AI development affects the environment and human wellbeing. My research highlights how many AI risks stem from the economic incentives shaping its development and explores how economic theory and policy may need to change in response to the emergence of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Recognition and Impact
Recognition and Impact
My research is published in leading journals including Nature, Nature Sustainability, Nature Communications, The Lancet Planetary Health, and Global Environmental Change. I have been an invited speaker at institutions such as the European Parliament, European Central Bank, French National Assembly, and the University of California at Berkeley. My research has been featured in more than 200 media outlets worldwide, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, BBC World Service, Guardian, Scientific American, and New Scientist, among others.
Before joining the University of Barcelona, I was Professor of Ecological Economics at the University of Leeds and President of the European Society for Ecological Economics.
Explore My Work
Explore My Work
You can find my latest research on this website and via the MAPS Project, as well as interactive sustainability assessments at A Good Life for All. Links to my academic accounts and YouTube channel are provided below:
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