Vilja Halme

Vilja is driven by the question of how societies can transform to be within the planetary boundaries, with empathy and community at the heart of that change. She focuses on sustainability and just societal transitions, combining perspectives from her studies in sustainable business, global development, and social sciences. She is studying Creative Sustainability at Aalto University alongside Society and Change at the University of Helsinki. This multidisciplinary combination helps her approach sustainability with a systemic and holistic perspective. 

Vilja’s bachelor’s thesis examined anti-consumption and environmental sustainability, and she is passionate about challenging the growth paradigm and tackling the root causes of structural overconsumption. She is also interested in inclusion and climate resilience, topics she has explored through fieldwork in Nepal and will continue to research in her master’s thesis.

At Demos Helsinki, Vilja has worked on projects related to sustainable diets and mainstreaming alternative proteins with LIKE-A-PRO, enabling multispecies transitions with MUST, and economic policies beyond GDP with MERGE.

In her free time, she enjoys spontaneous swims, practicing circus acrobatics, and has recently taken up gardening and growing vegetables.