Towards a fossil free Sweden

The Beijer Institute’ s research theme Urban Social-Ecological Systems will be part of a new major research programme designed to promote transformations to a fair and fossil free Sweden. The programme Fair Transformations to a Fossil Free Future (FAIRTRANS), will develop economic and political frameworks for transformations together with key actors from the business sector, trade unions and other organisations in Sweden.

In collaboration with trade unions and other large Swedish popular movements and civil society organisations, FAIRTRANS will design roadmaps for Sweden to stay within the remaining carbon budget of the Paris Agreement. Expected impacts include significally reducing the present societal polarisation and increasing legitimacy for rapid decarbonisation.

The programme is hosted by Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) and led by Thomas Hahn, SRC and Stephan Barthel, University of Gävle. Other partners include the think tank Global Utmaning, Uppsala University, as well as individual researchers from the Royal Swedish Institute of Technology, Swedish Environmental Research Institute and Lund University. The programme is funded jointly by Swedish research councils Formas and Mistra with 40 million SEK for four years.

Read more about FAIRTRANS

Beijer Institute programme director, Johan Colding, who is also newly appointed professor at University of Gävle, will lead one of the five work packages (WP4), entitled ”Fair Digital Transformation and Co-creation for Socially Accepted Climate Action”.

This work package will, among other things, develop science-based and co-produced knowledge for ensuring smart digital climate action, that is fair, inclusive and that fosters more democratic values, as well as knowledge about the public acceptability of a fossil free transformation.

It will explore questions such as: “How do we ensure that individuals and groups are not left out in digitalization schemes? How can digital tools become accessible also for marginalized groups? How can information and communication technologies (ICTs) be more resilient?”

”It is highly important to increase our awareness about both the benefits and risks involved when more and more infrastructures and services become digitalized in the pursuit of creating a fossil-free transformation”, Johan Colding says.

His work package will also explore the role of remote working communities for decarbonisation of society and what types of behavioural changes that the public is willing to accept when it comes to food, air travel and commuting, in order to reduce carbon emissions.

“I am proud to be part of this highly exciting and decisive research programme”, says Johan Coliding and adds: “With its strong collaboration between researchers and civil society actors, I believe it can make a real difference for making Sweden reach its goal of becoming climate neutral by 2045.”