Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir, an associate professor of political science at Malmö University, has studied the climate strategies of Swedish government agencies and climate initiatives in the municipalities of Malmö and Gothenburg. Greater awareness of the social dimensions is needed. Inclusive climate strategies would make climate initiatives more sustainable.
Global warming and the climate transition hit the poor, minorities, and marginalized groups the hardest. Historically, climate action has focused on techno-economic solutions, while issues of justice and social dimensions have been overlooked or deprioritized. Today, climate action is characterized by greater awareness of gender equality issues than in the past. However, other social differences such as class, age, education, and geographic location have not been recognized to the same extent by authorities in industrialized countries.
“Authorities in Sweden and other industrialized countries have been far too focused on the middle class. Tax breaks for electric cars and solar panels only benefit certain groups in society, since a certain level of income is required to purchase an electric car or solar panels,” says Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir.
Together with her colleague Annica Kronsell, a professor at the University of Gothenburg, Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir has been studying social inequalities and climate policy in Europe for a decade. In a new book they both edited, “Gender, Intersectionality and Climate Institutions in Industrialized States” (Routledge), they take a comprehensive approach to the climate issue from a justice perspective in industrialized countries.
Climate institutions are key players
– It is important to conduct research on climate institutions, as they are the ones that develop the strategies that various countries follow in their policies and possess the necessary expertise. “But within these climate institutions, there is path dependence and norms in decision-making processes that often cause them to continue down the same path, even if it means overlooking certain groups in society in their climate work,” says Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir.
Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir and Annica Kronsell have studied the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Swedish Energy Agency, the Swedish Transport Administration, and Vinnova. They have also followed up on climate efforts at the municipal level in Malmö and Gothenburg. The study focuses on several sustainability goals in the 2030 Agenda and falls within the scope of research on how government institutions can effectively steer toward climate goals and sustainability.
Focus on technological development and cost-effective solutions
Although research clearly highlights the social dimensions of climate change, climate strategies focus almost exclusively on technological development and economic solutions. Examples include public transportation corridors and bike lanes, the transition to renewable energy, energy efficiency measures, and the promotion of sustainable construction and resource efficiency.
“The focus on technology and economics in the climate debate is linked to ecological modernization—that is, we want to combat climate change without fundamentally altering society or changing our economy in a way that could hinder continued economic growth,” says Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir.
We want to develop tools for government agencies and municipalities to help create sustainable communities
Through their research, the researchers aim to develop tools for government agencies and municipalities to help them create fair and inclusive climate strategies.
- "We want to encourage the incorporation of social disparities into Swedish policy and climate efforts. In this way, all groups in Skåne and Sweden will be included, and we will create a fair and socially sustainable society," says Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir.
Facts
The Project Climate Policy and Intersectionality: Pathways to Socially Inclusive Sustainability examines the reasons why equity issues have not been integrated into Swedish climate policy, with the aim of contributing to increased expertise in this area. Annica Kronsell, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg, is the project leader, and Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir, a researcher at Malmö University, is participating alongside Benedict Singleton, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Gothenburg. The researchers are studying the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Swedish Energy Agency, the Swedish Transport Administration, and Vinnova, and are monitoring climate initiatives in two municipalities, Malmö and Gothenburg. The project is funded by Formas and runs from 2019 to 2023.
Path-dependent
“Path dependence” explains how experts are constrained by past choices and decisions in their work. New considerations, such as fairness, may then be deemed less relevant or appropriate than prevailing ideas based on technology and economics when officials develop energy scenarios used in long-term planning.
Text: Ellen Albertsdottir and Lotta Orban