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Kristjan Jes­per­sen

Associate Professor

Subjects
Circular economy Biodiversity Sustainability Green transition ESG Social responsibility

Educating minds, empowering change for a sustainable future

Dr. Kristjan Jespersen is an Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School (CBS) specializing in Sustainable Innovation and ESG. As Director of the Nordic ESG Lab, he leads pioneering research on ESG indicators and data reliability, shaping the future of responsible investing and corporate sustainability.  

He also coordinates CBS’s ESG Minor, equipping students in Finance, Economics, and Accounting with critical ESG investment skills. Internationally, Dr. Jespersen contributes to frameworks addressing EU-driven global deforestation and teaches ESG-focused courses at leading U.S. MBA programs, CBS Executive Education, and DTU.  

Since 2021, he has also served as ESG Advisor at Loh-Gronager Partners, guiding best practice implementation across firms and portfolios. Holding a PhD from CBS on ecosystem services and conservation finance, he remains a leading voice in advancing sustainable finance and governance globally. 

Recent research projects

Making Oceans Count II - Velux Foundation

Green Digital Finance Alliance and HUB Ocean, develops blue indicators and metrics that help investors, regulators, and ocean-economy actors assess marine ecosystem risks and dependencies. The project focuses on the Nordic region, particularly Denmark, and on sectors such as shipping and offshore renewable energy, while aiming for global relevance in advancing a sustainable blue economy. Its goal is to bridge the gap between ocean-ecosystem data and financial decision-making by creating science-based, actionable metrics aligned with evolving sustainability regulations.
Go to the project website

The paradoxes of climate-smart coffee (PACSMAC) - DANIDA FFU

The PACSMAC – Paradoxes of Climate Smart Coffee project at Copenhagen Business School explores how climate change and climate-smart adaptation measures are transforming coffee value chains in Ethiopia and Tanzania. It examines how these shifts affect value distribution, livelihoods, governance structures, and land-use transitions in coffee-producing regions. The project highlights the paradox that initiatives intended to promote climate-smart production can sometimes reinforce existing inequalities or create trade-offs for smallholder farmers and local ecosystems.
Go to the project website

Innovation Alliance for Training Programmes for Deforestation Free Supply Chains in Europe - ERASMUS

The EMMA4EU project, running from 2023 to 2026, brings together universities, vocational training institutions, businesses, and NGOs to develop new education and training programs for deforestation-free supply chains. It supports the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation by creating a new professional profile — the Deforestation-Free Supply Chain Manager — equipped with interdisciplinary, digital, and sustainability skills. The project focuses on strengthening compliance, technology use, and corporate responsibility across key forest-risk commodities such as cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, rubber, and timber.
Go to the project website

Outside activities

Circle House Lab – BLOXHUB, 2020– 2020

Business analytics

Gemic , 2021–2021

Keynote Speech

Loh-Gronager Partners, 2021 –ongoing

ESG Advisory Services