Tag: Uppsala University

Inaugural lecture Aarti Gupta and Frank Biermann

9 April 2025 /

On 7 April 2025, the Zennström visiting professors in Climate Change Leadership, Aarti Gupta and Frank Biermann, delivered their inaugural lecture at Geocentrum, Uppsala University. The event, titled Science and Governance for the Planet, was opened by Vice-Chancellor Anders Hagfeldt and followed by a panel discussion on The Triple Planetary Crisis in Science and Policy. It brought together scholars and students eager to engage with urgent questions at the intersection of climate science and global governance.

Uppsala University’s vice-chancellor Anders Hagfeldt welcomes the audience. Photo: Frida Öhman

Planetary crisis in the time of Trump

“If you talk about planetary politics, you have to talk about climate change.”

Frank Biermann, Professor of Global Sustainability Governance at Utrecht University and founder of the Earth System Governance Project, reflected on the state of planetary governance in an increasingly fractured world. He spoke about the theme of the Planetary crisis in the time of Trump, focusing on the impact of disengagement of the United States from international climate cooperation. According to Biermann, we are witnessing the end of what he described as “the long 1990s”—a period marked by optimism, global cooperation, and a belief in the progressive realization of a universal order. That era, he argued, is rapidly giving way to one of fragmentation, as the United States retreats from its commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and possibly even the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Frank Biermann holding his lecture “Planetary Politics in the Age of Trump”. Photos: Frida Öhman

In this changing geopolitical landscape, Biermann posed difficult questions about how the international community might continue to work toward sustainable development in the absence of willing superpowers. He suggested that new institutional architectures may be necessary that can operate with or without U.S. participation. He explored the possibilities of creating a layered UN and setting up institutions without the US and other similar countries, such as a Planetary Protection Council or a UN Sustainable Development Council.

He also raised the critical issue of funding. With the largest contributor to international development work stepping back, how can climate initiatives be financed? One proposal he explored was the introduction of a global aviation tax, perhaps designed to be progressive by targeting frequent flyers.

Beyond institutional design and finance, Biermann highlighted the problem of planetary justice. The climate crisis, he emphasized, is not an issue caused by humanity as a whole, but rather by a small proportion of the global population, the wealthiest ten percent. Addressing climate change, therefore, also means confronting entrenched inequalities. He concluded his talk by underlining the need to democratize global governance systems in an age when many governments are growing more authoritarian.

While in Uppsala, Biermann expressed his wish to contribute to the development of research networks that will endure beyond his professorship. He also plans to begin work on a publication that explores the politics of planetary governance in the era of Trump. In addition, he hopes to support and strengthen the Earth System Governance Project, which is a global network of hundreds of scholars that now has its International Project Office hosted at Uppsala University.

The climate crisis and scholar activism

The second part of the lecture was delivered by Aarti Gupta, Professor of Global Environmental Governance at Wageningen University. She spoke about The Climate Crisis and Scholar Activism: The Necessity and the Challenges. She began by posing a series of urgent and provocative questions: What role should researchers play in today’s world? What responsibilities do scientists have in their engagement with society? And what can society rightfully expect from the scientific community?

Aarti Gupta during her lecture “The Climate Crisis and Scholar Activism: The Necessity and the Challenges.” Photos: Frida Öhman

Gupta argued that the time when researchers could remain in the ivory tower has passed. We are entering an era in which the boundaries between science and society are shifting, and scientists are increasingly expected to engage with public discourse, policy debates, and contested technologies. This shift, however, comes with its own set of dilemmas. What is the correct way to engage? How should scientists act when the science itself is uncertain or contested? What happens when scientists disagree on the best course of action?

These questions are particularly acute in the context of emerging technologies such as solar geoengineering. This is a technique that involves injecting aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight and reduce global temperatures. Gupta’s research focuses, among many other issues, on this highly controversial area and the ecological and geopolitical risks associated with the technology. In her view, this is a critical moment to engage with such issues. Once implementation begins, the space for deliberation may quickly disappear.

“Once a technology is developed, it will be deployed. History teaches us that.”

In response to the challenges posed by solar geoengineering, a platform of researchers has been formed, and an open letter has now been signed by over 540 scientists from 67 countries, calling for an International Non-Use Agreement on solar geoengineering. This initiative has aimed to reframe media narratives, influence policy arenas, and advocate for more ethically grounded and precautionary approaches.

Gupta also spoke about the personal and professional challenges that come with scholar activism. Engaging publicly in controversial issues can raise questions about credibility and polarization. The strain on time and resources is another issue. Yet she insisted that neutrality is not always an option. “We cannot afford to be pessimists,” she said, underscoring the importance of scholarly courage and ethical commitment and emphasising that “a critical perspective is the embodiment of hope”.

She plans to initiate a writing project and reading group during her time in Uppsala that will continue to explore these themes, deepening the conversation about the role of science in society and how we might collectively imagine a more just and sustainable future.

Panel discussion

Following the lecture, a panel was convened to discuss The Triple Planetary Crisis in Science and Policy. In the panel were four Uppsala University professors:

  • Joëlle Rüegg, Professor of Environmental Toxicologyat the Department of Organismal Biology.
  • Marika Edoff, Professor of Solid State Electronics at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, specializing in solar cell technology.
  • Gabriele Messori, ​ Professor of Meteorology at the Department of Earth Sciences.
  • Jacob Höglund, Professor of Animal Conservation Biology at the Department of Ecology and Genetics.
Panel discussion on the triple planetary crisis. From left to right panelists Marika Edoff (solar energy), Joëlle Ruëgg (toxicology), Jacob Höglund (biodiversity), Gabriele Messori (extreme weather) and moderator Mikael Karlsson. Photo: Frida Öhman

Moderated by Mikael Karlsson, Associate Professor in Environmental Science and in Climate Change Leadership at the Department of Earth Sciences, the panel discussed some of the issues raised in the lectures. This included the role of science in addressing climate issues, the question of scholarly activism, and how to deal with political backlashes and disinformation in our age of rising populism. Biermann and Gupta engaged in this lively exchange, and the audience was also given an opportunity to ask questions.

Zennström professors Frank Biermann and Aarti Gupta are visiting Uppsala University until July 2025. More photos and a recording of the event follow below.

The 2025 Zennström professors Frank Biermann and Aarti Gupta listen attentively to the panel discussion. Also in the audience: previous Zennström professors Sverker C. Jagers (2023) and Stacy VanDeveer (2024). Photo: Judith Lundberg-Felten

Frank Biermann, Niklas Zennström and previous Zennström visiting professor Stacy VanDeveer. Photo: Judith Lundberg-Felten

Aarti Gupta shares her reflections on the panel discussion. Photo: Frida Öhman

Frank Biermann reflects on the panel’s words. Photo: Frida Öhman

Aarti Gupta and Frank Biermann. Photo: Stacy VanDeveer

Mingle outside of Hambergsalen. Photo: Judith Lundberg-Felten

Frank Biermann. Photo: Frida Öhman

Aarti Gupta. Photo: Frida Öhman

Tales from a storytelling conference

17 March 2025 /

I spot two familiar faces in the crowd and feel a flush of relief that I can ease my way into mingling. Carefully, I wrestle my way through the crowd of people gathered in the foyer of the conference venue, towards Christoffer Söderlund Kanarp and Sofia Bernett. Over a coffee, we share anecdotes summarising the ups and downs of work and life over the past months. Out of curiosity, I ask how the two of them know each other and Sofia says cheerfully: “Oh, we just met over lunch, we sat next to each other and it turns out we are going to the same workshops and seminars!”. We all laugh and agree that there is something special about conferences, they become venues for making new friends and reconnecting with old ones, venues for sharing and listening to new and old stories.

Our conversation is interrupted by a soft ringing sound which breaks through the chatter of people. A man gently hits a brass bell with a small wooden mallet, creating a sound not unlike the one typically made by singing bowls. It is the cue telling us that the official programme has started, upon which we make our way into the main room. The central theme of the conference is the multiple roles that stories and storytelling play in sustainability. Over the course of the two days, stories are conceptualised and thought of in multiple ways. From being seen as vehicles of shared hope, to false stories that use disinformation to delegitimise calls for climate action.

Final plenary session of the Mistra Environmental Communication conference Critical and Creative Approaches to Environmental Communication – Storytelling as, and for, Sustainability.

Storytelling as, and for, Sustainability

Keynote speaker Michael Wilson opens the conference and speaks with calm authority about the state of storytelling today. He claims that we live in a time of “boasterism”, and makes a distinction between boasts and stories. The distinction hints to what Wilson describes as power hierarchies in the public debate. Boasts are the opposite of stories, the tales of the powerful. Meanwhile, the experiences of the powerless are typically dismissed as “only stories”, tales not worth listening to. Thus, in a world of disinformation and distrust, Wilson argues that we need stories of hope. 

“We don’t live in a time of storytelling, we live in a time of boasterism!”

Michael Wilson, Loughborough University

It is clear that he is concerned about the state of storytelling for “homo narrans”, the storytelling human. Wilson leans on thinkers such as Robin Wall Kimmerer, John Berger, and Byung-Chul Han to give flesh to his arguments. I listen to his speech from a packed room in the historic quarters of Uppsala at a conference titled “Critical and Creative Approaches to Environmental Communication – Storytelling as, and for, Sustainability”, arranged by the research programme “Mistra Environmental Communication”.

All these false stories

On day two of the conference, I attend a round table organised and chaired by Climate Change Leadership (CCL)’s Mikael Karlsson, entitled “All these false stories”. I find a place among the audience which seems eager to hear what these stories entail. The room is quiet with anticipation as Mikael presents the topic. False stories concern the way that political decision-makers lie on purpose, and construct stories to be false, explains Mikael. This includes distorting or deliberately silencing information about climate change to downplay or delegitimise climate action. The round table consists of Swedish television’s previous climate correspondent, Erika Bjerström; Tomas Hallberg, who works for the Swedish wind energy association; and Sofia Bernett, who is one of the directors of the research programme FairTrans. Three parallel experiences are told about having to navigate false stories in a time of climate change.

The round table discussants participating in the Storytelling for sustainability conference. From left to right: Erika Bjerström, Mikael Karlsson, Tomas Hallberg, Sofia Bernett.

Climate journalism between a rock and a hard place

After working in journalism her entire life, reporting on climate change globally, Erika made the decision to leave the newsroom. Living under death threats and a constant questioning of the climate narrative, she lost her faith in public media. “We live in a crazy time, with a fascist in the white house who has sided with Putin, and where military expenditures clash with climate investments”, she argues. This affects the stories that the newsrooms present. Except for the scribbling of pens among the eager listeners, the room is thick with quiet concentration. Newsrooms struggle to stand up against the disinformation because climate change has become so politicised, it is essentially seen as a leftist issue, continues Erika. Climate change should be the biggest news story of our time, but newsrooms struggle to capture the seriousness of the topic. Journalists are accused of being activists, and there is a constant plea for ‘hopeful’ stories which in turn delays the story that should be told of our time’s most pressing issue.  

Erika Bjerström sharing her experiences from working as a climate journalist, Mikael Karlsson listening.

The global anti-wind movement and when graphs become stories

We learn from Tomas that international organisations work to influence the spread of wind power across Sweden. The organisations target people with false stories about the negative effects of wind power, prompting local citizens to call for a use of the municipal veto that allows municipalities to reject the establishment of wind power within their territories. “In the 2020s, between 60-75% of all windmills that were planned were stopped by the municipal veto, and this is before it is even possible to let the environmental impact assessments commence and find out whether the projects will have any negative impact on people and nature, which is the claim of the counteracting organisations”, Tomas says firmly. The accusations are false, and the delaying organisations spread fabricated facts to paint wind power as harmful and dangerous.

“When I became a mother, that’s when the emissions graphs became a story – my kids will be in their 30s in 2050 – that’s when it became relatable”

Sofia bernett, Stockholm resilience centre

Sofia’s story starts on the night of November 8th, 2016 when she goes into labour. She expects a baby girl on the day when she believes that the leader of the free world will be a woman for the first time in history. However, history wanted a different story, and she explains the mixture of immense love and fear she feels when her daughter is born to a world of Donald Trump in the White House. This prompts Sofia to leave her job in marketing and enter the world of climate science as a communicator, where she remains today. 

Self-criticism, nuance, and living with multiple stories

Instead of presenting a solution, Mikael humbly asks the audience, who have been listening intently: “What do we do then? The focus of this conference is stories. What do these stories do?”. Mikael shares his uncertainty about the potential of counteracting bad stories with good stories, and turns to the audience to ask what they think we should do instead. This sparks an eager discussion involving the entire room. We share ideas, questions, concerns, and anecdotes. The round table quickly turns into an animated ping-pong match where everyone seems to be engaged. 

The audience engages in discussion during the round table entitled “All these false stories”.

As the conversation continues, Erika calls for self-criticism, pointing to the obvious power held by many in the room, who have long shaped and still shape public debate. “We are former climate reporters and activists, where is the self-criticism? What did we do wrong?”. A concern is raised by Anke Fischer (SLU) that too little attention is paid to asking what causes these so-called false stories. Does the framing of stories as something snappy leave too little room for nuance or for changing our minds, she asks. The call for nuance is echoed by the conference keynote speaker, Michael Wilson. He stresses that people live with multiple stories, and asks whether the dichotomy between good and bad stories is useful.

Researchers’ role in storytelling for sustainability

“How can we in different ways make visible that we are very many people and organisations who still think these issues are important?”

Hanna Bergeå, Swedish university of agricultural sciences

Hanna’s question reflects the frustration that is shared in the room, as the discussion develops. Good examples are shared of how to create stories that reflect people’s realities. A single mother with low income might need to hear that climate policies will not disrupt her life. Whereas privileged men might become more engaged in climate action if they are told stories that explain how their identities are threatened by climate inaction, and thus provoked to reflect about what a good life entails for them.

We laugh, applaud, and frantically scribble notes whilst listening, and several questions are raised but left unanswered. Should we avoid the word ‘climate’ altogether? Do we need simple or complex stories? How can we make the silent middle speak up for climate action? The shared modesty of not knowing the right answer to these questions is seen as a potential to engage in a different kind of storytelling. To sum up, Mikael Karlsson asks the audience if one solution could be to continue the conversation: “Maybe an outcome of this talk can be to come together and study and explore how we can move this further?”. As the room empties and the brass bell sounds with its soft ringing sound to mark the end of the conference, it is clear that the story has not yet come to an end.

From left to right: Sofia Bernett, Mikael Karlsson, Erika Bjerström, Tomas Hallberg. Participants in the round table “All these false stories” at the conference Storytelling for sustainability.

The critical and creative capacity of storytelling

Over the course of the two days, I attend seminars and workshops that approach storytelling from a range of perspectives. From creative presentations about the potential for personal transformation for sustainability through storytelling to the disarming capacity of presenting science as stand-up comedy. One workshop tries to unpack experiences of reciprocity and asymmetry in storytelling, and together with four people, we share our own experiences with the art of storytelling. Another workshop deals with the concept “collective loneliness”, where we discuss how we can overcome feelings of loneliness when working with sustainability issues. These workshops take place amidst sessions of meditation, art exhibitions, a drama workshop, and an escape room, as well as discussions of academic articles that touch upon the use of storytelling in various ways.

After two days in the historic quarters of Uppsala, I leave the conference and make my way back to my office and to CCL. I carry with me not just new ideas but newfound wonder over what stories the future will hold and our role as researchers to analyse, shape, and contribute to the ongoing conversation.  

Sverker C. Jagers’ inaugural lecture

23 November 2022 /

On 21 November 2022 Sverker C. Jagers held his inaugural lecture as new Zennström visiting professor. The lecture on the need of climate change leadership, was followed by a panel discussion led by Mikael Karlsson. We were delighted to have Niklas Zennström in the audience, whose generous donation through Zennström Philanthropies to Uppsala University funds the guest professorships in climate change leadership.

The Zennström visiting professorships

The Zennström Professorship in Climate Change Leadership is a ten-year series of visiting professorships. It is co-funded by generous donations from Zennström Philanthropies, founded by Niklas Zennström, Uppsala University alumnus, and his wife Catherine Zennström. Earlier, over the past six years, four visiting professors have been hosted by the department of Earth Sciences at Uppsala university: Doreen Stabinsky, Kevin Anderson, Keri Facer and Stefania Barca. In 2021 Mikael Karlsson, associate professor in environmental sciences became the formal head of the climate change leadership (CCL) unit at the department.  Thereupon, he has suggested new candidates for the Zennström visiting professorships, including Sverker C. Jagers.

In September 2022, Sverker C. Jagers, otherwise professor in political science at Gothenburg university, joined CCL as the fifth Zennström guest professor. Jagers has long standing experience working with environmental politics and environmental governance, driven by a deep interest in interdisciplinary science. Particularly, he is interested in assessing social and political acceptance of effective environmental and climate instruments, and under what conditions and by whom such instruments are feasible. 

We used the occasion of Niklas Zennström’s visit to Uppsala this November to arrange Jagers’ official inaugural lecture as Zennström guest professor in climate change leadership.

Fltr: Mikael Karlsson, Johan Tysk, Niklas Zennström, Sverker C. Jagers. Picture by J. Wahlgren

Inaugural lecture on the need of climate change leadership

In his inaugural lecture, Jagers proceeded from the theory of social dilemmas and collective action to explain the origin of climate change from a societal perspective and discussed how to overcome this problem. From Jagers’ perspective, climate change is similar to many other collective action problems, such as littering and corruption. The tricky thing with climate change, he argues, is the long-term and sizeable temporal and spatial scales – we’re basically dealing with a gigantic coordination problem. And just like any other collective action problem, it is unlikely that contributing actors will change their behavior spontaneously or voluntarily. Therefore, dealing with climate change requires active guidance and help; where climate change leaders are needed to show the possibility of alternative routes or contribute to necessary coordination through firmer steering. In his lecture, Jagers discussed several potential candidates who can take on this leadership role, including scientists, businesses, religious communities, and other members of civil society.  

Lecture room photographed from behind, with people in the audience and Sverker C. Jagers presenting
Inaugural lecture at Sonja Lyttkens lecture hall, Ångströms laboratory
View of the audience during the inaugural lecture with Niklas Zennström and vice rector Johan Tysk
Niklas Zennström (left) and vice rector Johan Tysk (centre) in the audience
Niklas Zennström in the audience, listening to Sverker C. Jagers inaugural lecture
To the left, Niklas Zennström
Audience view with a woman in the audience standing and holding a microphone during the Q&A session after the lecture
The audience in the room and on Zoom asked questions after the lecture.

Digging into the nitty gritty of Jagers’ research

As a political scientist by training, Jagers particularly elaborated on the possibilities and obstacles for political climate leadership. Political leaders compared to other societal actors, he argued, have the most comprehensive and stringent toolbox, which makes them relevant to study from a leadership perspective. Research on collective action shows that people are willing to undertake behavioral changes to reach a common objective only insofar others do so as well. But in the pursuit of answering why individuals undertake collective action, research has found several determinants that could explain why individuals behave in ways that contribute to a common objective. In his research studies, Jagers has looked at public opinions on climate taxes and laws and found that if people perceive climate policies as being fair and effective, they are more likely to support them. This means that for individuals to support collective action on climate change, policy instruments should be fair and effective, or at least perceived as such. Jagers suggested that for policymakers to show climate leadership, they should consider such determinants when developing and implementing climate policies, as a means to increase policy support and legitimacy. 

Factors affecting public acceptance of climate policies – a key message of the talk

Jagers then moved on to discuss environmental research from a broader perspective, asking what sorts of questions research should pose and answer. He argued that environmental research today is too focused on asking questions to prove a point (are these tragical things happening in society justifiable?) or testing a theory (could one explain the climate change problem by approaching it from another angle?) or challenging theories (does X explain climate change problems better than Y?). Jagers argued that science should be more applied and that researchers should pose questions which can help solve, avoid or mitigate a problem. According to Jagers, science should contribute to making the world a little bit better and naturally, scientists should to a higher degree ask questions that prompts such research (how can this theory help solve that problem?).  

Examples of climate leadership in different sectors

Jagers’ lecture was followed by a panel discussion led by Mikael Karlsson with representatives from different sectors. The panelists were chosen to match the actors (potential climate leaders) that Sverker C. Jagers referred to in his presentation: Naghmeh Nasiritousi, Associate Professor in political sciences at Stockholm university, Annika Gottberg, environmental specialist at Church of Sweden, Mattias Johansson Head of Public Affairs at Volvo Cars and former chief of staff at the Ministry of the Environment (C) and Eva Svedling, elected CEO Global Challenge (Global Utmaning) and former undersecretary of state at the Ministry of the Environment (MP). The panelists summarized their thoughts from having listened to Jager’s inaugural lecture. They furthermore discussed challenges and opportunities in their respective sectors with regards to climate change and how leadership promoting collective action and transformation can be taken. 

Mikael Karlsson standing on the left of the panel composed of three women and one man
Panel discussion moderated by M. Karlsson. Panel members: Naghmeh Nasiritousi , Annika Gottberg, Eva Svedling and Mattias Johansson

Nasiritousi agreed to many of Jager’s points and continued the discussion on political climate leadership, pondering about the lack of such leadership today and how research could help in supporting the evolution of political climate leaders. Johansson, representing the private sector, agreed that there is a current deficit in political climate leadership, but while this has implications for them as a company, he argued that their pathway forward is clear: electrification is happening with or without policy support. He continued saying that the private sector has to change because of customer and investor pressure, but also because they think it is the right thing to do. 

Svedling argued that they can support climate leadership by providing a platform where civil society actors, businesses and politicians can meet and discuss climate solutions. Global Utmaning, where Svedling will take over as CEO in February, can work as a node to bring different societal actors together to accelerate climate action as well as pushing others to do the same. 

Sverker C. Jagers taking notes during the panel discussion
Annika Gottberg resonates from the point of view of the Church of Sweden and their climate actions.

In the Church of Sweden, values are seen as crucial in overcoming barriers to climate action. According to Gottberg, nurturing values of equality and justice is key in their climate work. The Church can, through its wide community and as an important meeting point for people, shed a light on climate justice issues and support individuals in taking climate action. As an organization, they can also undertake measures themselves and “lead by example”. 

Following the panel discussion, Karlsson invited the audience to ask questions about Jagers’ presentation. A question that awoke interest concerned the question of power and how powerful actors can prevent or hamper climate leadership. Jagers found this question excellent, arguing that power is of course relevant in all types of collective action problems, not least concerning climate change. However, given limited time and the complexity of the issue, Jagers invited the audience to attend his master course, where Jagers expands on his thinking on the relationship between power, leadership and climate change. 

Mikael Karlsson gives the word to Sverker C. Jagers to comment on the panel discussion
Mikael Karlsson and Sverker C. Jager on the left of the seated panel composed of three women and one man
Sverker C. Jagers comments on the panel discussion.
Fltr: M. Karlsson, S. C. Jagers, N. Nasiritousi, A. Gottberg, E. Svedling, M. Johansson

Celebrating our new Zennström guest professor

After the successful official part of the event, the day ended with a mingle at the Ångströms laboratory with climate friendly finger food and more informal discussions with the panel, the audience and the new Zennström guest professor, Sverker C. Jagers.

Mikael Karlsson bringing out a toast on Sverker C. Jager
Mikael Karlsson bringing out a toast for Sverker C. Jagers

Recordings of the lecture and the panel discussion

Inaugural lecture recording
Panel discussion recording

Stefania Barca, Zennström Professor in Climate Change Leadership

9 February 2021 /

We are so pleased to announce the arrival of our fourth professor in Climate Change Leadership: Stefania Barca.

Stefania Barca, Zennström Professor in Climate Change Leadership Foto Mikael Wallerstedt

Stefania Barca is a scholar in Environmental History from Coimbra University. With a particular focus on social movements and Just Transition, Stefania will be bringing diverse and highly engaged networks from the Global South into dialogue with European environmental and workers rights organisations to work through the tricky questions of a Just Transition.

Her professorship begins with a series of conversations in Uppsala in relation to climate fiction, the arts and films. These explore the different methods and messages that can emerge from creative and participatory conversations. Her professorship will culminate in a conference on Just Transition in spring 2022.

You can read more about her background and planned activities here.

Läs mer om Stefania här (på svenska).

The Campus Garden

16 December 2020 /

As the climate impact and health threats associated with industrial food systems grow ever stronger, demand for local and sustainable food systems also grows. The Campus Food Garden is a student designed and led project, building an on-campus urban garden in unused and vacant spaces of Uppsala University campus. Funded by the Uppsala University Climate Pot and CCL, the initiative aims to explore the potential for local and sustainable food production system in reducing Uppsala University’s climate impact.

Visit The Campus Garden’s Facebook page for regular updates and to find out how you can get involved, or connect with project leaders and Uppsala University students Otilia and Sagnik. They are encouraging all growers – old or new, staff, student of Uppsalabo – to come and join in with them.

You can also read more about them on Uppsala University’s student magazine, ERGO.

Resources

10 December 2020 /

Find recorded lectures, podcasts and reports with members of the Climate Change Leadership initiative.

Follow our youtube channel for talks and events with the Climate Change Leadership initiative at Uppsala University. Follow the CEMUS youtube channel for associated talks and events.

Find resources and reports for climate justice and Just Transition here.

Find resources and reports for the Swedish Carbon Budget work here.

Find resources and reports for the work on universities and education here.

Föreläsning: ”Laggards or leaders (bromskloss eller ledare); Paris, 2°C & the role for Sweden” av Kevin Anderson. Den hölls på Hotel Lysekil den 9 mars och publik var människor som hade samlats för att protestera mot Preems utbyggnad av oljeraffinaderiet i Lysekil. Dagen efter deltog Kevin Anderson som vittne i Mark- och miljööverdomstolens förhandlingar om Preems ansökan om utbyggnad. Mars 2020.

Seminarium: Fossilfri välfärd och negativa utsläpp – vision, kollision eller tomma ord? Den 11 februari 2020 samlades forskare och beslutsfattare för att ta sig an dessa två centrala idéer i den aktuella klimatpolitiken: fossilfri välfärd och negativa utsläpp. Isak Stoddard, doktorand hos CCL och NRHU, var med i panel diskussionen.

Report: Internationalisation and Sustainability The report below provides a brief exploration of the relationship between internationalisation and sustainability agendas in the contemporary university. It reports on a short programme of desk research by the team and a workshop bringing together university leadership, students, faculty and administrative staff. It identifies key tensions, possibilities, and routes towards achieving more sustainable internationalisation strategies in universities. The report has been compiled rapidly to respond to current debates and is intended as the basis for wider discussion.

Report: Internationalisation and SustainabilityDownload

Transforming Universities for the Future keynote lecture by Keri Facer at the International Association of Universities Conference. December 2019.

En koldioxidbudget för Umeå: Vår del av Paris avtalet. Med Aaron Tuckey och Martin Wetterstedt. October 2019.

Watch Professor Keri Facer’s inaugural lecture on Renewing the European University’s Mission in a Changing Climate. An early version of the text of this talk is also available here. October 2019.

Universitetens roll för en hållbar värld – omvärldens förväntningar. Almedalen lecture and panel discussion with Keri Facer, Göran Enander, Ingrid Petersson, Matilda Strömberg, Lotta Ljungqvist, and Carl Johan Sundberg. July 2019.

Climate vision – what is the role of universities in combating climate change? Almedalen panel hosted by Keri Facer with Eva Åkesson, Emma Nohrén, and Matilda Ernkrans. July 2019.

Climate change leadership – perspectives from science, industry and politics. Almedalen panel hosted by Keri Facer with Anna Rutgersson, Åsa Wikforss, John Hassler, Klas Palm, and Kristina Persson. July 2019.

Four-part interview with Keri Facer, on the role of the future, the richness of the meanwhile, and desirable futures at the Constructing Social Futures Conference 2019 for Futuuri magazine. June 2019.

Sustainability Talk on Campus Gotland, Uppsala University by Keri Facer. Building a University for the Common Good. March 2019.

Watch a short film: Professor Kevin Anderson on Living within our carbon budget: the role of politics, technology and personal action

A Democracy Now! broadcast with Kevin Anderson: World’s Richest Must Radically Change Lifestyles to Prevent Global Catastrophe. From the United Nations Climate Summit in Katowice, Poland. December 2018.

Sweden’s carbon budget challenge – turning Paris’ aspirations into local climate action Part 1 and Part 2. A lecture and panel discussion with Kevin Anderson, Agneta Green, Anders Wijkman, and Karin Sundby. July 2018.

The Swedish Carbon Cycle 2018 with Kevin Anderson.

From Paris to Sweden: 2° C, integrity, and the climate law, Kevin Anderson talk in Halmstad. June 2018.

ClimateExistence Conference: The Science, Politics and Culture of Climate Change – Beyond a Climate of Fear by Kevin Anderson followed by a dialogue between Vanessa Andreotti, Jens Holm, Anja Fjellgren Walkeapaa and Kevin Anderson, hosted by Sanna Gunnarsson, intervention by Klimatriksdagen. May 2018.

Kevin Anderson on Climate change and the need to change behaviour in the West. Research and the Sustainable Development Goals at the Danish Institute for International Studies. 26 April 2018.

Kevin Anderson on Climate change and economic growth: Can they be managed together? From Klimatriksdagen seminarium. February 6, 2018.

Kort intervju: Kevin Anderson om flygets utsläpp och alternativa fakta. February 2018.

Kevin Anderson: Revealing the naked emperor – Paris, 2° & carbon budgets. Talk at SR and SVT-event, November 2017.

A Democracy Now! broadcast with Kevin Anderson: Our Socio-Economic Paradigm Is Incompatible With Climate Change Objectives. From the United Nations Climate Summit in Bonn, Germany. November 2017.

Quit the loose climate talk and let’s get serious! A talk between Kevin Anderson and Hugh Hunt. Climate Matters show live from COP-23 in Bonn, Germany. November 2017.

Kevin Anderson discusses negative emissions at UNFCCC with Glen Peters, Corinne Le Quéré, and Youba Sokona. November 2017.

Kevin Anderson and Isak Stoddard on Carbon Budget and Pathways to a fossil free future in Järfälla Kommun. October 25, 2017.

Podcast: Transition for beginners – How not to fly with Kevin Anderson, Radio Luftbalett, October 27, 2017.

Leader or Laggard? Reviewing Sweden’s climate and sustainability agenda . A lecture and panel discussion from Almedalen 2017 with Kevin Anderson, Ranjula Bali Swain, Hanna Hansson, and Erik Westholm.

Are universities making the world worse? Education and research in an age of climate change . A panel discussion from Almedalen 2017 with Kevin Anderson, Josefin Wangel Weithz, and Johanna van Schaik Dernfalk.

Sustainable development dilemma – why are facts not enough to convince? A panel discussion with Kevin Anderson, Henrik Hamrén, Maria Osbeck, and Anna Rudels from Almedalen 2017.

Climate Catastrophe or Societal Transition – What is Needed of Politicians and Individuals? An interview with Kevin Anderson and Stigbjörn Ljunggren. Almedalen 2017.

Courage and Climate: An Interview with Kevin Anderson. Interviewed by Paul Campion and Stephen Tuscher, students at the Newman Institute, for Civic Courage in Theory and Practice, a course taught by Brian Palmer. November 2016.

Climate Change: A Parisian Tale of Triumph and Tragedy. Uppsala University Lecture in Climate Change Leadership August 2016 with Kevin Anderson.

Education, Sustainable Development and the Challenges of Climate Change . CEMUS Spring Semester Introduction lecture 2016 with Professor Doreen Stabinsky.

Find external resources linked to people and groups doing inspiring work.

Sister’s Academy develops new art-based research methods to collect data. Based in Denmark.

Emergence Network is a research inquiry into the otherwise via practices that trouble the traditional boundaries of agency and possibility.

Climate and Mind explores the relationship between climate disruption, human behaviour, and human experience.

Bifrost is an environmental humanities intervention on climate change bridging nature and culture, science and art, understanding and action, challenges and solutions.

Gesturing towards decolonial futures is a portfolio of artistic, pedagogical and cartographic experiments that seek to not only imagine but also enact the world differently.

Ecoversities network explores what the university might look like if it were at the service of our diverse ecologies, cultures, economies, spiritualities and Life within our planetary home.

Dark Mountain is a radical project looking for other stories that can help us make sense of a time of disruption and uncertainty.

The Zennström Professors

10 December 2020 /

The internationally recognised Zennström Professors in Climate Change Leadership work with academics, students, civil society and public and private partners to understand the scale of the transition needed to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and begin to develop routes towards these transitions. To date we have had four Zennström Professors.

STEFANIA BARCA – ZENNSTRÖM VISITING PROFESSOR 2021 – 2022

We are delighted to welcome Stefania Barca as our next Zennström Professor in Climate Change Leadership. Stefania is a scholar in Environmental Humanities, with a strong commitment to environmental and climate justice.

Stefania Barca
Zennström Professor in Climate Change Leadersship
Foto Mikael Wallerstedt

During her time in Uppsala she will be building on the legacies left by the previous professors, as well as facilitating new initiatives around the Covid-19, climate and care nexus. In particular Stefania looks forward to actively contributing to the convergence of labour, feminist, youth and climate justice organisations towards a politics of Just Transition.

Stefania will begin her time in Uppsala with with a series of events with academics, practitioners and activists, exploring emergent themes stemming from such creative and participatory conversations. Her professorship will culminate in a conference on Just Transition in spring 2022, the first of this kind in Europe.

contact: stefania.barca@geo.uu.se

KERI FACER – ZENNSTRÖM VISITING PROFESSOR 2019–2020

Dr. Keri Facer, Professor of Educational and Social Futures

Keri Facer is Professor of Educational and Social Futures at the University of Bristol, School of Education. She works on rethinking the relationship between formal educational institutions and wider society and is particularly concerned with the sorts of knowledge that may be needed to address contemporary environmental, economic, social, and technological changes.

Since 2013, Keri has been Leadership Fellow for the RCUK Connected Communities Programme. This research programme is creating new relationships between communities and universities, drawing on arts and humanities perspectives and methods to enable new forms of knowledge production to address urgent contemporary issues.

Keri’s aim is to work across the whole of Uppsala University to explore how universities can build partnerships with local, national, and international communities, how we can develop powerful knowledge, and how we can educate students to enable the massive transitions we need to live well with climate change.

Contact: keri.facer@geo.uu.se

KEVIN ANDERSON – ZENNSTRÖM VISITING PROFESSOR 2016–2018

Dr. Kevin Anderson, Professor of Energy and Climate Change

Kevin Anderson is one of the leading climate scientists in the U.K. He is Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the University of Manchester and Deputy Director at the renowned Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

Kevin is a well-known and established researcher within climate change science who engages frequently with policy-makers, the private sector, civil society as well as the media. He has pioneered research on carbon budgets and pathways to acceptable mitigation levels. His work on the technical, social and economic interactions involved in the transformation of energy systems and the mitigation and adaptation to climate change, addresses questions at the core of this professorship’s theme.

Kevin is a prominent thinker, writer and communicator who built on and expanded the work of the first visiting professor in Climate Change Leadership, Doreen Stabinsky.

Contact: kevin.anderson@ccl.uu.se

DOREEN STABINSKY – ZENNSTRÖM VISITING PROFESSOR 2015–2016

Dr. Doreen Stabinsky, Professor of Global Environmental Politics

Doreen Stabinsky is Professor of Global Environmental Politics at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. Her research, teaching, and writing concern the impacts of climate change, particularly on agriculture and global food security. She also serves as advisor to various governments and international environmental organisations, and has a large international network of collaborators.

Doreen stresses the central role that education must play in addressing the growing challenges of climate change and is known for her ability to strengthen young people’s capacity to contribute to a better world. The fact that the focus of the professorship itself was inspired by, and emerged from a student-led course on Climate Change Leadership at CEMUS, made Doreen a fitting first holder of the Zennström Visiting Professorship.

Contact: doreen.stabinsky@ccl.uu.se

Zennström Climate Change Leadership

10 December 2020 /

The Zennström Climate Change Leadership visiting professorship acts as a catalyst for public debate, research and education to directly address some of the most challenging questions that climate change poses to humanity. Since 2015 four Zennström Professors in Climate Change Leadership have been working with academics, students, civil society and public and private partners to both understand the scale of the civilisational transition needed to mitigate and adapt to climate change and to begin to develop routes towards that transition and prepare for adaptation.

Our current projects largely fall within four areas built upon the research themes of the Chairs of the Zennström professorship. These include:

Our First Three Professors: Keri Facer, Doreen Stabinsky, and Kevin Anderson
Stefania Barca, the fourth Zennström professor in Climate Change Leadersship, Foto Mikael Wallerstedt

Climate change leadership is a dynamic field, crossing disciplinary and societal boundaries, with the aim to catalyse innovative and bold approaches to meet the complex challenges of climate change. This dynamism and energy is derived from the increasing demand for knowledge and practices to meet challenges across all sectors of society, from the local to international level. Climate change leadership is characterised by knowledge co-production between academia and society at large, to ensure effective and just institutional and socio-technological transformations.

The overall goal of the initiative is to actively shape an inter- and transdisciplinary intellectual environment that combines education, research and outreach in innovative ways and applies knowledge into equitable climate action. The climate change leadership environment engages with new forms of vibrant, trans- disciplinary and exploratory forums with world-leading climate scientists, key climate negotiators, business and civil society leaders, policy-makers, social entrepreneurs and, not least, students and young leaders.

2018 – 2020: What have we been up to?

10 December 2020 /

In this report we summarise the activities of professor Keri Facer, the third Zennström professor of Climate Change Leadership at Uppsala University. This report is written in English.

I denna rapport sammanfattar vi aktiviteterna under perioden 2018 – 2020 med professor Keri Facer, den tredje Zennström professorn i klimatledarskap vid Uppsala universitet. Denna rapport är skriven på engelska.

You can download the report hereDownload

Dr Claire Craig: Science and Futures in Government

29 September 2019 /

Governments may have less immediate power than they used to but, in matters large and small, someone somewhere often has to make a decision that will affect many lives. The Ministers making those decisions are human too, and what we know about how science and futures thinking operate in government can tell us a lot about their place in wider public debates. Making decisions today, based on evidence from the past, in order to change the future: what could possibly go wrong?

Clair Craig joins us in Kollaboratoriet in early June. Head over to youtube to follow the full lecture.

Follow our youtube channel for more clips from this lecture, and for other talks and events with the Climate Change Leadership initiative at Uppsala University.

Dr Claire Craig CBE is Chief Science Policy Officer at the Royal Society. Previously Claire led the Government Office for Science, and has worked for three UK Government Chief Scientific Advisors. She was awarded a CBE for her work on Foresight, the UK’s science-based strategic futures programme, and was a member of Faculty at the World Economic Forum. Her career includes periods at McKinsey & Co and the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit. She has been pre-Elected Provost of the Queen’s College, Oxford, taking up post in summer 2019. Her first book “How does government listen to scientists?” was published by Palgrave in August 2018, and she began life as a geophysicist.

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