Sustainability strategy
Research with purpose
At BI Norwegian Business School, we believe in research that matters. Our commitment is to rigorous, high-quality academic work that strengthens business practice, provides evidence for policymakers, and contributes to solving major societal challenges. Guided by Strategy 2030, which emphasizes responsible research and societal relevance, we pursue knowledge that drives sustainable, long-term value creation.
Contributing to the global goals
In line with BI’s Strategy 2030, our work actively supports sustainable development. In 2024, 60% of our research publications addressed one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To assess our impact, we have adopted the Web of Science citation database’s automated SDG classification, which provides an estimate of our research contributions across the different goals. Below, we present a breakdown of BI’s 2024 publications by SDG.
Figure: Number and percentage of BI’s publications in 2024 categorised by Web of Science as relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Committed to open science
BI makes research publications openly available through the Norwegian Research Information Repository (NVA). This includes both publicly funded research and research where open access is financed by BI. In line with national open science requirements, all publicly funded Norwegian research is openly accessible. BI additionally supports open access publishing beyond these requirements and encourages researchers to register and disseminate their work through NVA, ensuring broad access for academia, business, policymakers, and the wider public.
Archive and reporting
Transparency is central to the Nordic academic tradition. We provide comprehensive overviews of our research contributions from previous years to track our evolution in sustainability.
- Explore our previous sustainability research reports: 2020–2021, 2019, and 2018.
- Read Strategy 2030 to learn more about BI’s approach to research and societal impact.
Engaging in the public debate
Bridging the gap between theory and action is essential. BI Business Review publishes research-based articles and opinion pieces by BI faculty, translating academic insight into accessible knowledge for business and policy. Many contributions are also featured in national newspapers, bringing research-based perspectives into public debate.
Research centres
Driving focused impact
Sustainability is a key dimension of the work across BI's research centres. The following highlights their research topics related to sustainability, ethics, and responsibility, which is pursued as part of their broader, interdisciplinary portfolios in collaboration with business and society.
BI Centre for Applied Macroeconomics and Commodity Prices (CAMP)
CAMP conducts applied macroeconomic research with a strong focus on energy economics and serves as a forum for dialogue between academia, government, and the private sector.
Sustainability-related research topics: carbon pricing and emissions trading, climate and energy policy impacts, climate risk and financial stability, renewable integration, and just-transition labour-market effects.
BI Centre for Asset Pricing Research (CAPR)
CAPR studies how financial markets price risk and allocate capital.
Sustainability-related research topics: climate and nature risk, sustainable investment, financial inclusion, inequality, market stability under systemic and climate-related shocks, and long-term economic resilience.
BI Centre for the Construction Industry
The centre conducts research on sustainable transformation and value creation in construction projects and industry practices.
Sustainability-related research topics: circular resource use, waste reduction, climate impacts, digitalisation, collaboration across value chains, and governance challenges in large and complex projects.
BI Centre for Household Finance and Macroeconomic Research (HOFIMAR)
HOFIMAR studies households’ financial behaviour and its interaction with the macroeconomy.
Sustainability-related research topics: wealth accumulation and inequality, housing access and mortgage-related financial vulnerability, distributional effects of economic shocks, and the welfare implications of policy.
BI Centre for Health Care Management
The centre conducts research on leadership, organisation, and innovation in the health and care sector.
Sustainability-related research topics: ethical decision-making and leadership practice, patient-centred services, digital health and responsible innovation, collaboration across health systems, and the governance of sustainable, high-quality health and care services.
BI Nordic Centre for Internet and Society (NCIS)
NCIS conducts research on the societal implications of digital technologies.
Sustainability-related research topics: digital work and platform economies, data privacy and governance, algorithmic decision-making and accountability, digital inequality, and ethical challenges related to artificial intelligence.
BI Centre for Corporate Governance Research (CCGR)
CCGR examines how ownership and governance of firms affect value creation and stakeholder welfare.
Sustainability-related research topics: gender balance in board governance, sustainability expectations, financial inclusion, climate and nature finance, responsible succession, family firms and social responsibility, and the Norwegian green bond market.
Nordic Research Centre of Labour Law (NORLAB)
NORLAB produces policy-relevant labour law research.
Sustainability-related research topics: social sustainability, focusing on labour protections in the green transition, education and skills systems, collective labour relations, and digital and platform work.
BI values both curiosity-driven and practice-oriented research. By working across disciplines and with stakeholders, we turn evidence into action and generate knowledge that contributes to long-term societal benefit.
Centres, groups and other initiatives
A cross-cutting theme
The focus on sustainability, ethics, and societal responsibility extends as a cross-cutting theme to other research environments at BI. The overview below highlights these aspects of their work, which is grounded in Norwegian and Nordic contexts.
The Nordic Alliance for Communication & Management (NORA)
A pan-Nordic, cross-disciplinary research think tank that brings together academia and industry to advance organisational communication.
Sustainablity-related topics: responsible AI, trust, disinformation, and CSR.
Centre for Applied Mathematics and Operations Research (AMOR)
AMOR develops advanced mathematical, statistical, and AI-based methods to solve complex operational and regulatory challenges.
Sustainability-related topics: sustainable logistics, transport regulation, food waste reduction, and low-emission supply chains.
BI Tax and Fiscal Policy Centre
The centre conducts interdisciplinary research on taxation and fiscal policy, bridging academia and policymakers.
Sustainability-related topics: tax avoidance and transparency, wealth and income inequality, climate-related taxation, global mobility and tax base erosion, fiscal governance, and the role of tax systems in supporting fair, effective, and resilient societies.
Centre for Business History (CBH)
CBH studies the historical development of business, markets, and institutions in Norway and the Nordic countries, in an international perspective.
Sustainability-related research topics: industrial systems and infrastructure, state–business relations, labour relations, corporate power and responsibility, responsible investment and consumption, and the historical roots of today’s economic, social, and environmental challenges.
Centre for Foundations
The centre is a national research-based network for Norwegian foundations. Through research and biennial seminars, the centre supports foundation leaders with evidence-based knowledge on governance and strategy to improve positive impact.
Sustainability-related research topics: governance, responsible capital management, impact measurement, and operational practices to strengthen long-term societal impact.
Centre for Ocean Business (OBZ)
OBZ brings together academia, industry, and regulators to develop research-based knowledge on business models, collaboration, and scaling in ocean and maritime industries.
Sustainability-related research topics: decarbonisation of shipping, climate and energy transition in ocean industries, maritime regulation and governance, public procurement and emissions reduction, autonomous and digital shipping technologies, and the economic and legal conditions shaping ocean-based industries.
Centre for Monetary Economics (CME)
CME connects researchers, the financial sector, and public authorities around key issues in monetary economics and financial markets. The centre commissions Norges Bank Watch, an annual independent evaluation of Norges Bank’s monetary policy.
Sustainability-related research topics: institutional accountability, long-term economic stability, and climate change and monetary policy.
Centre for Sustainability and Energy
The centre conducts research and teaching on sustainable business and leadership.
Sustainability-related research topics: energy system transformation, governance and policy frameworks addressing climate and sustainability challenges, and climate psychology.