Sophie Klein is a PhD Candidate in Sustainable Business and Finance with a diverse background spanning research institutes, the corporate sector, and international organizations. Her research focuses on the intersection of business sustainability and finance, examining how financial institutions and corporations integrate nature into their strategies, targets, and business models. This includes investigating how institutional investors develop biodiversity targets and nature transition plans, the role of financial intermediaries and instruments in sustainability transitions, and the financing of corporate transition planning in hard-to-abate sectors
Furthermore, Sophie actively engages in facilitating collaborations between Utrecht University and external stakeholders. A central part of her work draws on participatory action research, bringing together institutional investors, interdisciplinary researchers, and societal stakeholders to study how ambitions for systemic change are negotiated within financial institutions. She leads the interdisciplinary Financing Biodiversity programme within the Pathways to Sustainability community at Utrecht University, fostering collaborative research with broad societal impact. Sophie also serves as a board member of the UN Global Compact Young Sustainable Finance initiative and is active in teaching, including the master courses "Strategy, Economics, and Societal Impact" and "Social Impact Consulting Challenge."
Sophie holds a Bachelor's Degree in (Economic) Geography from the University of Heidelberg and a Master's Degree in Sustainable Business and Innovation from Utrecht University, with a focus on sustainable finance.
Selected Publications:
- Klein, S. M. A., Polzin, F., & Urbach, X. (2026). Planning to fail? Credibility and financing of corporate transition plans in hard-to-abate sectors. iScience, 29(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.116282
- Sustainable Finance Lab Policy Brief (2025). Pathways to Biodiversity Finance - Learnings from a collaborative project between institutional investors and academics. Link
- Klein, S., & Polzin, F. (2025). Greening the retail banking industry: Evidence from German banks. International Review of Financial Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2025.104326
- Klein, S. (2024). Teaching business sustainability – Insights from new and experienced educators. Network for Business Sustainability. https://nbs.net/teaching-business-sustainability-insights-from-new-and-experienced-educators/
- Perera, C., Toxopeus, H., Klein, S., & Merfeld, K. (2024). Enabling justice for nature-based solutions in real estate development. Nature-Based Solutions, 6, 100148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbsj.2024.100148