The period up to 2030 will be crucial for progress on climate and sustainability: we must keep our sights set on our strategic goals.

2024 marked the close of SEI’s 2020–24 strategy and the opening of a new chapter: Transitions in Turbulent Times. Amid global uncertainty and accelerating climate impacts, SEI strengthened operations, deepened partnerships, and shaped key outcomes at COP29 and COP16.

With renewed core funding and a focus on collaboration across centres, SEI enters 2025 ready to support bold action and accelerate sustainability through innovative research.

Måns Nilsson

Executive Director, SEI Headquarters

2024 in numbers

Funding sources

Top funding and top ten funders

SEI received support from over 100 funding institutions, including governments, research councils, NGOs and private foundations.

Increased annual financial turnover

SEI receives funding from a wide variety of sources, including government departments, development agencies, NGOs, businesses, financial institutions, philanthropic organizations, and academic and research groups. See pages 28–31 for a full index of our finances and funders.

SEI’s income has grown steadily, increasing from 275M SEK in 2018 to 454M SEK in 2024. This growth enables SEI to expand its reach, partnerships and scientific output.

Impact in action

The following stories highlight how SEI contributed to meaningful change in 2024, showcasing diverse ways our research, partnerships and tools delivered real-world impact.

Navigate through the change stories using the arrow beneath the image.

Shaping the EU’s response to growing climate threats (pages 36–37)

SEI played an integral part in shaping the first-of-its-kind European Climate Risk Assessment, commissioned by the European Environment Agency and designed to inform the priorities of the new EU Commission. The EUCRA delivers a clear and unequivocal message: climate risks facing Europe have reached a critical level and require urgent, decisive action. SEI researchers helped conceptualize, manage and write the assessment, and the EU Commission deemed it successful in meeting all four of its objectives.

Photo: CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2024– Source: EP.

Foundations laid for a clean air future in Africa (pages 38–39)

SEI’s work on laying the foundations for regional action on cleaner air in Africa has been the result of years of research and the careful navigation of a highly complex policy landscape and network of international and regional partners. The work is helping to strengthen institutional frameworks and support national and regional coordination on air quality.

Photo: CDKNetwork / Flickr.

Circular threads in Kenya’s textile industry (pages 40–41)

SEI’s persistent engagement with the circular economy, and a 10-year collaboration with players in the fashion industry in Estonia, provided a platform to take hold of an opportunity to support circular innovation in Kenya’s textile industry. The collaboration contributed to the development of locally rooted solutions and capacity to drive change in East Africa’s textiles sector.

Photo: Ingrid Varov / SEI.

Terminal Binjai transformed (pages 42–43)

In Indonesia, SEI worked with local partners to redesign a neglected public transport hub in Medan. The process was led by local people, through a participatory design approach, and resulted in a vibrant community space. The project highlights the importance of engaging communities in shaping resilient and inclusive urban environments.

Photo: Fatwa Esa / Studio Ink Production.

A just energy transition in Colombia (pages 44–45)

SEI Latin America partnered with Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy to define strategies for a just transition towards renewable energy in La Guajira. The SEI report Enabling factors for the social acceptance of wind projects in La Guajira was widely cited in the Ministry’s Just Energy Transition Roadmap. The work contributed to national-level planning for wind energy expansion and community engagement.

Photo: Eduar Monsalve / SEI.

A dynamic and expanding workplace

The impact and quality of our work fully depends on the skills and commitment of our people. SEI aims to provide a safe, professional and creative workspace for all, and is proud of its commitment to diversity.

• Staff increased by 70% since 2017


• 364 employees in 2024


• 60+ nationalities represented


• Active mentorship and staff exchange programs support personal growth and cross-centre collaboration

Our centres are stronger when we work together. By building on this staff exchange, I hope we can create a more robust network of collaboration where colleagues from any SEI centre feel empowered to reach out, share ideas, and co-create solutions.

Charmaine Caparas, Communications Manager, SEI Asia

Cutting air travel emissions

SEI committed to cutting air travel emissions by 25% per employee by 2024 – and surpassed that target. Emissions dropped 51% per FTE, while staff numbers grew.

Air travel emissions per full-time equivalent since 2015

Figures are in metric tonnes CO₂ equivalent

How we did it:

• TR2AIL tool supports low-emission travel decisions


• Remote collaboration and optimized travel schedules


• Upcoming tools to track rail, road and ferry travel

Operational emissions comparison

Scope 1 (generated energy and own vehicles), scope 2 (purchased energy), and scope 3 (air travel emissions) for SEI HQ, York, Asia, Tallinn, Latin America, Africa and Oxford. Figures for scope 2 emissions use local electricity grid emissions factors not adjusted for SEI centres’ use of green and renewable energy tariffs.

Download

SEI Annual report 2024 / PDF / 11 MB