Sustainable Finance expert Andreas Barkman new Chairman of Mistra BIOPATH board
With extensive knowledge and experience from international positions on environmental issues and especially sustainable finance, Andreas Barkman brings a life-long engagement and in-depth perspectives to the board of Mistra BIOPATH as of March 2025.
Andreas Barkman, expert on Sustainable Finance at EEA and new Chairman of the board of Mistra BIOPATH as of March 2025.
“I am really looking forward to working with BIOPATH's very strong and multidisciplinary team addressing some of our most important future questions on how we can protect and conserve biodiversity through better integration into decision-making in industry and the financial sector. Biodiversity conservation is not only necessary to ensure system-critical ecosystem services on which society relies, but also to maintain our economic competitiveness.”
Andreas Barkman has accepted the role as chairman of the Mistra BIOPATH board as he sees the urgency of reversing the loss of biodiversity and the increased risks it poses to business, investors and to financial stability as vital. It is a personal engagement and a strong belief in the cross-fertilisation of working together across academia, industry and public sector that motivates his choice to contribute to its progress and impact.
“The challenges are many and complex which requires significant investment in knowledge building and open dialog with and between businesses and the financial sector. BIOPATH's work makes a very important contribution to this through its strong network of partners in the business community. Strong policy instruments at national and EU level are important, but we also need to find solutions and overcome the challenges together in practice, adds Andreas Barkman.”
The EU sustainable finance policy is key for mobilising, scaling up and channelling private investment in more sustainable technologies and businesses and for financing economic growth in a sustainable manner in the long term. Sustainable finance has a key role to play in helping to deliver on the policy objectives under the European Green Deal as well as the EU’s international commitments to climate and sustainability objectives.
“Andreas brings a wealth of experience in environmental policy, governance frameworks and management, says Susanne Arvidsson, Program Director for Mistra BIOPATH. “His expertise related to combatting climate change and biodiversity loss aligns seamlessly with the objectives of Mistra BIOPATH. It is a pleasure to welcome Andreas onboard to our impactful consortium. He will play a pivotal role in advancing Mistra BIOPATH's mission to transform the financial system into a driver for halting and reversing biodiversity loss.”
About Andreas Barkman
Andreas Barkman currently holds a position at European Environment Agency, EEA, as an Expert on Sustainable Finance and coordination. In that capacity he is leading EEA's work in the sustainable finance policy area including managing an in-house team. Andreas has represented EEA in a range of EU expert groups on sustainable finance since 2016 including the High-Level Expert Group on sustainable finance. He is currently EEA’s permanent representative in the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance.
Andreas also has experience from corporate multinational environmental reporting and environmental consulting. He holds a PhD in mathematical modelling of environmental systems with focus on transboundary air pollution policy, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University. Originally from Sundsvall in northern Sweden, he has a special relation to the spectacular nature in the alpine mountain areas and goes hiking and skiing in the surroundings of his cabin whenever time allows.