Short bio

Prof. Christian Kroll, PhD, is a full Professor of Sustainability, an advisor, and a much-cited expert. He consults for companies, governments, and civil society organizations worldwide on sustainability and ESG, for instance, serving as an Advisor to Bain & Company. Prof. Kroll directs the Sustainable Management programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences, the largest in Germany, where he lectures on sustainable finance, ESG, the circular economy, and corporate social responsibility. He earned his PhD from the London School of Economics and has authored books as well as scientific articles for leading publishers (e.g., Cambridge University Press). Prof. Kroll is the inventor of the first measurement tool for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and founding Scientific Director of the SDG Index & Dashboards. His publications, which include a foreword by Kofi Annan, have been featured in national and international media such as CNN, BBC World News, Harvard Business Review, The Washington Post, Le Monde, Die Zeit, ARD, and Spiegel Online, among others. The World Economic Forum honoured him as a Young Global Leader in recognition of his achievements.

Portrait in Tagesspiegel (in German): https://background.tagesspiegel.de/sustainable-finance/christian-kroll

To explore advisory, research, or capacity-building opportunities on sustainability and ESG for your organization with Prof. Kroll, get in touch here via e-mail.

For speaking engagement requests, book Prof. Kroll for your event here.

Follow & connect on LinkedIn. 

Selected interviews and media coverage

Publications

Full list of publications and updated citation metrics are available on Google Scholar [click here to view]  

Peer-reviewed journal articles

Malik, A., Lafortune, G., Dahir, S., Wendling, Z.A., Kroll, C., Carter, S., Li, M., Lenzen, M. 2023. Global environmental and social spillover effects of EU's food trade. Global Sustainability. 1-27. Full text 

Malik, A., Lafortune, G., Carter, S., Li, M., Lenzen, M., Kroll, C. 2021. Social spillover effects in the EU’s textile supply chains: A global SDG assessment.  Journal of Environmental Management, 295,113037. Full text

Kroll, C. & Zipperer, V. 2020. Sustainable Development & Populism. Ecological Economics, 176, 106723. Full text

Kroll, C. & Zipperer, V. 2020. The Political Economy of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Does Performance on the SDGs Affect Re-Election? Sustainability, 12 (16), 6445. Full text

Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C. 2020. How is progress on the Sustainable Development Goals measured? A comparison of four approaches. Sustainability, 12 (18) 7675. Full text

Kroll, C., Warchold, A. Pradhan, P. 2019. Sustainable Development Goals: Are we successful in turning trade-offs into synergies? Palgrave Communications. Full text

Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Teksoz, K., Durand-Delacre, D. and Sachs, J. 2017. National baselines for the Sustainable Development Goals assessed in the SDG Index and Dashboards. Nature Geoscience 10 (8), 547-555. Full text

Kroll, C. 2015. Global development and happiness: How can data on subjective well-being inform development theory and practice? Oxford Development Studies, Vol. 43, 3, 281-309  Full text

Previous working paper version published as Institute of Development Studies Working Paper 432  Full text

Kroll, C. 2014. Towards a Sociology of Happiness: The case of an age perspective on the social context of subjective well-being. Sociological Research Online (British Sociological Association), special issue on Happiness Studies, edited by Cieslik, M. and Bartram, D. Volume 19, Issue 2. Full text

Kroll, C. and Delhey, J. 2013. A Happy Nation? Opportunities and challenges of using subjective indicators in policymaking. Social Indicators Research, 114 (1), 13-28, special issue on: Subjective social indicators – Usability and limitations for policymaking, edited by H.H. Noll. Full text

Kroll, C. and Pokutta, S. 2013. Just a perfect day? Developing a happiness optimised day schedule. Journal of Economic Psychology, 34, 210-217.   Full text

Kroll, C. 2011. Different things make different people happy: Examining social capital and subjective well-being by gender and parental status. Social Indicators Research, 104 (1), 157-177. Full text

Books

Sachs, J., Lafortune, G., Kroll, C., Fuller, G., Woelm, F. 2022. From Crisis to Sustainable Development. Sustainable Development Report 2022. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Full text 

Sachs, J., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., Woelm, F. 2021. The Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable Development Report 2021. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Full text 

Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., Woelm, F. 2020. The Sustainable Development Goals and COVID-19. Sustainable Development Report 2020. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Full text

discussed in Devex, Global Citizen, The Conversation, Gulf News, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Korean Prime Minister, UN HLPF, and others.

Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G. 2019. Sustainable Development Report 2019. Transformations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. New York: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network. 

Sachs, J.,Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G. 2018. Implementing the Goals. SDG Index Report 2018. New York: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network. 

Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Durand-Delacre, D. and Teksoz, K. 2017. Global Responsibilities: International spillovers in achieving the goals. SDG Index Report 2017. New York: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). Full text

Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Durand-Delacre, D. and Teksoz, K. 2016. SDG Index and Dashboards - Global Report. New York: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). Full text

Kroll, C. (with a foreword by Kofi Annan). 2015. Sustainable Development Goals - Are the rich countries ready? Gutersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung. Full text

Schraad-Tischler, D. & Kroll, C. 2014. Social Justice in the EU – how do member states compare? Gutersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Kroll, C. 2011. Towards a Sociology of Happiness: Examining social capital and subjective well-being across subgroups of society. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Full text LSE Theses online 

Kroll, C. 2011. Measuring progress and well-being: Achievements and challenges of a new global movement. Berlin: Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Summary Full text 

published in German as: Wie wollen wir zukuenftig leben? Internationale Erfahrungen bei der Neuvermessung von Fortschritt und Wohlergehen. Full text 

reprinted as RatSWD Working paper Nr. 186 Full text 

Kroll, C. 2011. Measuring progress and well-being: An opportunity for political parties? Berlin: Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Summary Full text 

published in German as: Die Neuvermessung von Fortschritt und Wohlergehen: Eine Chance fuer politische Parteien? Full text 

Kroll, C. 2010. Invited report for the Robert Bosch Foundation, Stuttgart: Erfolgreiche Interventionsstrategien zum Wohlergehen von Kindern [engl.: Successful intervention strategies to improve children's well-being.] 

Kroll, C. and Meditz, H. 2009. Invited report for the German Ministry of Family Affairs: Wissenschaftliche Bestandsaufnahme der Forschung zum Wohlbefinden von Eltern und Kindern. BMFSFJ Monitor Familienforschung 4/2009. [engl.: A scientific review of research on the well-being of parents and children]. (with Roland Berger Strategy Consultants). Full text 

Kroll, C. 2008. Social capital and the happiness of nations. The importance of trust and networks for life satisfaction in a cross-national perspective. Frankfurt a.M./New York/Oxford: Peter Lang Publishing Group.  Abstract Book on amazon.com

Book chapters and edited volumes

Kroll, C. (Ed.) (forthcoming). Sustainable Well-Being: Reconciling research on well-being with sustainability science. Special Issue of Sustainability.

Kroll, C., Schwarz, R. and Kaspers, M. 2018. Die Agenda 2030 als Weiterentwicklung der Sozialen Marktwirtschaft, in: Bertelsmann Stiftung (Hrsg.) Soziale Marktwirtschaft weiter denken. Gütersloh: Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Kroll, C. 2014. Social Correlates of Well-Being. In A. Michalos: Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Wellbeing Research. Dordrecht: Springer Full text   

Delhey, J. and Kroll, C. 2013. A 'happiness-test' for the new measures of national well-being: How much better than GDP are they? in: Brockmann, H. and Delhey, J. (Eds.): Is more always better? Human happiness and the maximization principle. New York / Heidelberg: Springer.

also published as: WZB Discussion Paper SP I 2012 201, June 2012 Full text  

Kroll, C. 2013. Das Prinzip des groesstmoeglichen Gluecks: Ein neuer Leitfaden fuer die Gute Gesellschaft. In: H. Meyer / C. Kellermann (Eds.): Die Gute Gesellschaft: Soziale und demokratische Politik im 21. Jahrhundert. Berlin: Suhrkamp. Book on amazon.de

Kroll, C. 2011. The Greatest Happiness Principle: An Imperative for Social Democracy? In: H. Meyer / J. Rutherford (eds.): "The Future of European Social Democracy - Building the Good Society. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Abstract Book on amazon.com 

Kroll, C. 2008. Arbeit und Fairness in den vier Waenden. Eine empirische Untersuchung zum Zusammenhang zwischen unserem Geschlechterrollenverstaendnis und dem Ausmass unserer unbezahlten Haushaltsarbeit. [engl.: Work and fairness at home. An empirical analysis of the association between gender ideology and unpaid household labour.] In: A. Fischer, T. Gotthard, T. Lorenz and K. Humberg: Drahtseilakt Leben. Junge Forscher zwischen Wissenschaft und Wirklichkeit. Stuttgart: ibidem. Book on amazon.de 

Op-eds, articles in newspapers and policy journals

Lafortune, G., Kroll, C., Fuller, G., Woelm, F. 2022. The world is no longer making progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Apolitical Full text

Kroll, C. 2020. Globale Nachhaltigkeitsziele: Noch darf man hoffen. Tagesspiegel, 22 Sept. 2020 Full text

Kroll, C. 2020. COVID-19, populism, and sustainable development. Column on VoxEU.org (CEPR) Full text

 Kroll, C. 2020. Nachhaltigkeit in der COVID-19 Krise: Wie wir uns vor Populisten schützen können. Oekonomenstimme.org Full text

Kroll, C. 2018. How to measure real progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. World Economic Forum – Global Agenda. Full text

Kroll, C. 2018. Sustainable Development Goals als Orientierung für Investoren. Absolut Impact 02/2018 Full text

Kroll, C. 2015. Sustainable Development Goals: Much more than just a group picture. OECD Insights. Full text

Kroll, C. and Wagner, G.G. 2014. Gute Politik orientiert sich nicht nur am BIP. Capital. Full text

 Kroll, C. 2014. What makes people happy and why it matters for development. The Guardian. Full text

Reprinted in Spanish:

Objectivos para la felicidad. America Economia Full text and Revista Humanum (UNDP) Full text

Kroll, C. 2014. Wellbeing gains significance in German policymaking. OECD Progblog. Full text

Kroll, C. 2012. Wir brauchen neue Indikatoren - und ein 'Gluecks-Audit' fuer die Politik. Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, Nr. 27/28, Juli 2012, pp. 27-32. [engl.: We need new indicators - and a 'happiness audit' for public policy.] Full text

Parts reprinted in school book for German secondary schools / high schools

Kroll, C. 2012. Just do as Aristotle did. Zocalo Public Square debate: How Can We Most Effectively Measure Happiness? Full text 

Kroll, C. and Grassi, S. 2012. The international debate on progress: What does it mean for political parties? Social Europe Journal, 02/2012. Full text

Kroll, C. and Grassi, S. 2011. Impulse aus der internationalen Fortschrittsdebatte. Neue Gesellschaft/Frankfurter Hefte, 12/2011. 

Kroll, C. and Layard, R. 2011. Happiness matters. Social Europe Journal, 11/2011 Full text

Kroll, C. and Layard, R. 2011. Auch das Glueck zaehlt. DIE WELT, 21.10.2011, page 2. Full text

2010. Public policy and happiness. London: Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Full text 

published in German as: Die Politik des Gluecks. Full text 

Kroll, C. 2010. The SPD's ill-fated optimism. Policy Network, London. Full text

Kroll, C. 2010. Soziale Demokratie des Gluecks? Folgen der Gluecksforschung fuer die Politik. [engl.: Social Democracy of Happiness? Lessons from happiness research for public policy]. Neue Gesellschaft / Frankfurter Hefte. Nov. 2010 Full text

Kroll, C. 2010. Die Suche nach dem Bruttogluecksprodukt - Welcher Massstab fuer eine Politik des 21. Jahrhunderts? [engl.: In search of Gross National Happiness - what measure for public policy in the 21st century?]. Berliner Republik, 2 / 2010. Full text

Kroll, C. 2010. Volunteering, happiness and the "motherhood penalty". London: Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR), Volunteer Development Agency Northern Ireland, Volunteer Development Scotland (VDS) and Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA). Full text