Tomas Thernström

Tomas is a Senior Expert in Circular Economy and Waste Management at SEI Headquarters – Environmental Policy & Strategy Team – Societies, Climate and Policy Support Division.

He serves as a senior expert in circular economy and waste management at SEI, where he leads strategic initiatives and provides expert guidance on sustainable solutions for resource use, waste reduction, and circular systems. He is particularly engaged in providing technical support to national governments in Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries, helping to strengthen their capacity in circular economy and sustainable waste management.

He has long experience in leading cross-sectoral projects involving academia, industry, and the public sector focused on waste management, resource planning and circular transition. He has extensive experience covering all phases of waste management, including strategy development, implementation, and follow-up within political organizations. His work has spanned areas such as municipal waste planning, waste-to-energy, collection systems, capacity building, innovation development, circular business models, CSRD, waste statistics and economic models for waste collection including tax models and EPR systems.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Development Studies and Development Economics, with a strong foundation in economic policy, public sector governance, and participatory approaches.