The Virchow Foundation stated that Johan Rockström has received the prize for his holistic and systems-based approach safeguarding human and planetary health. Rockström’s pioneering work revolves around the planetary boundaries framework, which he and an international team of researchers introduced to the world in 2009. This framework breaks down Earth’s complex and interconnected biophysical system into its elementary systems and processes and defines the boundaries beyond which the risk of irreversible and profound environmental changes increase. Since then, the Planetary Boundary framework has been discussed, critically assessed and enriched by countless contributions from a broad range of scientific disciplines. In a new scientific model, Rockström and other researchers have linked the concept of planetary boundaries to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to outline how these ambitious goals can be achieved. In the paper “Safe and just Earth system boundaries”, published in 2023, a team of 40 scientists combines planetary boundaries with standards of safety and justice, illustrating the close link between the stability of the Earth system and human well-being. It is thus necessary to protect the global commons in order to safeguard the well-being of future generations, they conclude. Johan Rockström’s research has an impact on international political discourse and raises awareness of the global dimension of climate change.
Rockström studied agriculture and philosophy in Uppsala (Sweden), Paris (France) and Stockholm (Sweden). In 1997 he completed his doctorate at Stockholm University’s Department of Systems Ecology. After working as a regional consultant and research coordinator at organisations including the Institute for Water Education in Delft (the Netherlands), he became Executive Director at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in 2004. He also founded the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) at Stockholm University in 2007. He was Director of the organisation until his appointment as Professor in Water Systems and Global Sustainability at Stockholm University and Professor in Earth System Science at Potsdam University in 2018. Since then, Rockström and fellow Leopoldina member Ottmar Edenhofer have led the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). He is also involved in various scientific expert groups, including the “Earth Commission” (since 2019), an international team of leading researchers who evaluate and categorise the latest scientific discoveries from around the world in relation to climate change. Alongside membership in Leopoldina’s Geosciences Section (since 2020), Rockström is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, has received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Gent (Belgium) and Amsterdam (the Netherlands), and has been awarded numerous prizes, including the Prince Albert II of Monaco’s Climate Change Award (2020), the German Environmental Prize (2015), and the Tyler Prize (2024).
The Virchow Prize honours the significant contributions of outstanding individuals and organisations at an international level that have made a lasting contribution to global health and are in accord with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and the Agenda 2030. The Virchow Foundation first awarded the prize in 2022. In 2024 the prize is under the High Patronage of the President of the German Bundestag Bärbel Bas. The official prize-giving ceremony will take place at the Rotes Rathaus in Berlin on 12 October.
The Virchow Foundation stated that Johan Rockström has received the prize for his holistic and systems-based approach safeguarding human and planetary health. Rockström’s pioneering work revolves around the planetary boundaries framework, which he and an international team of researchers introduced to the world in 2009. This framework breaks down Earth’s complex and interconnected biophysical system into its elementary systems and processes and defines the boundaries beyond which the risk of irreversible and profound environmental changes increase. Since then, the Planetary Boundary framework has been discussed, critically assessed and enriched by countless contributions from a broad range of scientific disciplines. In a new scientific model, Rockström and other researchers have linked the concept of planetary boundaries to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to outline how these ambitious goals can be achieved. In the paper “Safe and just Earth system boundaries”, published in 2023, a team of 40 scientists combines planetary boundaries with standards of safety and justice, illustrating the close link between the stability of the Earth system and human well-being. It is thus necessary to protect the global commons in order to safeguard the well-being of future generations, they conclude. Johan Rockström’s research has an impact on international political discourse and raises awareness of the global dimension of climate change.
Rockström studied agriculture and philosophy in Uppsala (Sweden), Paris (France) and Stockholm (Sweden). In 1997 he completed his doctorate at Stockholm University’s Department of Systems Ecology. After working as a regional consultant and research coordinator at organisations including the Institute for Water Education in Delft (the Netherlands), he became Executive Director at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in 2004. He also founded the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) at Stockholm University in 2007. He was Director of the organisation until his appointment as Professor in Water Systems and Global Sustainability at Stockholm University and Professor in Earth System Science at Potsdam University in 2018. Since then, Rockström and fellow Leopoldina member Ottmar Edenhofer have led the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). He is also involved in various scientific expert groups, including the “Earth Commission” (since 2019), an international team of leading researchers who evaluate and categorise the latest scientific discoveries from around the world in relation to climate change. Alongside membership in Leopoldina’s Geosciences Section (since 2020), Rockström is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, has received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Gent (Belgium) and Amsterdam (the Netherlands), and has been awarded numerous prizes, including the Prince Albert II of Monaco’s Climate Change Award (2020), the German Environmental Prize (2015), and the Tyler Prize (2024).
The Virchow Prize honours the significant contributions of outstanding individuals and organisations at an international level that have made a lasting contribution to global health and are in accord with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and the Agenda 2030. The Virchow Foundation first awarded the prize in 2022. In 2024 the prize is under the High Patronage of the President of the German Bundestag Bärbel Bas. The official prize-giving ceremony will take place at the Rotes Rathaus in Berlin on 12 October.