Uppsala aims to take a leading role in climate research

Climate research is about both understanding climate change and how society can cope with it. How is this breadth reflected in the research here in Uppsala?

“Uppsala University boasts an exceptionally strong and broad range of climate-related research. It is home to world-leading research on everything from climate physics to how ecosystems are affected by climate change and how energy systems can be transformed. At the same time, research is being conducted into the economic consequences of climate change, and policy instruments and legal frameworks for societies to adapt to a changing climate. In recent years, researchers in several of these fields have received prestigious grants from the European Research Council, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and others. This enables us to link knowledge about climate change with research into concrete societal and technical solutions.”

What do you think is unique about climate research at Uppsala University?

“What makes it unique is the combination of cutting-edge science and genuine interdisciplinarity. In Uppsala, there is strong research across many different areas of climate science, but also a tradition of collaborating across disciplinary boundaries. This enables us to tackle complex issues, such as how climate risks affect communities or which strategies for implementing technical solutions can be met with broad public acceptance. For me, interdisciplinary research involving social scientists, engineers, epidemiologists and others has become as important as disciplinary research in climate physics, which was the subject of my doctoral thesis.”

Many of the major climate-related issues require collaboration across different disciplines. How do researchers in these fields work together – from the natural sciences to the social sciences and engineering?

“Interdisciplinary work requires commitment from all parties. It can take time to find a common language and gain an understanding of which research questions and societal challenges are considered most important in different fields. The key to successful interdisciplinary work is having academic forums that facilitate continuous exchange between different disciplines. Uppsala University offers several such meeting places through research centres, visiting professorships and networks that also coordinate interdisciplinary seminar series, courses and conferences. Examples include Uppsala University Future Institutes, the Swedish Centre for Impacts of Climate Extremes, the Zennström Professorships in Climate Leadership, UUniCORN’s research network on Public Attitudes and Acceptance in the Energy Transition, and others. In Uppsala, we are therefore accustomed to interdisciplinary work and have structures in place to support these efforts.”

Could you give some examples of research areas or projects in Uppsala that are currently particularly important for understanding climate change and its consequences?

“There is so much exciting research to choose from. I myself am the coordinator of a PhD network funded by the European Commission that is looking at how various extreme weather events affect communities.

Some of my colleagues in Uppsala are leading a Wallenberg project on the ability of lakes to sequester carbon dioxide, and we also have the Swedish consortium for artificial photosynthesis, which is conducting pioneering research into carbon dioxide capture and utilisation. In addition, the Swedish Research Council is funding a research environment in Uppsala that focuses on how climate sustainability can be reconciled with economic growth. These are just a few examples, but the list is long!”

How can research in Uppsala contribute to society’s efforts towards climate transition and climate adaptation – both in Sweden and internationally?

“What I see as a great strength of Uppsala is that our work on climate-related research looks outwards. We collaborate extensively with the business sector – ranging from energy companies to insurance firms and technology firms – as well as with other public authorities and society at large, through surveys, reference groups and research projects in which citizens themselves actively participate; and we also work closely with decision-makers. As for the latter, I have personally co-organised a seminar on climate adaptation in the Swedish Riksdag (the Swedish parliament, and together with colleagues from the Climate Change Leadership research group, I coordinate Uppsala University’s Climate Days in Almedalen. The University’s work on climate risks, technical solutions, societal adaptation and more does not remain confined to scientific journals, but truly reaches a wide audience.”

Throughout the year, several conferences and meetings on climate and sustainability are being held in Uppsala. Why are such forums important for advancing research and collaboration?

“I recently organised a conference on the socio-economic impacts of extreme climate events, which attracted over 200 participants from five continents, and in May the university will host the Nordic Environmental Social Science (NESS) Conference. These and other meetings bring together hundreds of researchers and experts from various sectors in Uppsala, facilitating both intersectoral exchange of knowledge and networking that can lead to new interdisciplinary projects. The meetings are also vital for establishing Uppsala as an international hub for climate-related research.”

The government is expected to announce its decision on the new strategic research areas later this spring. What would such an initiative mean for climate research in Uppsala?

“Our current work on interdisciplinary climate research relies on time-limited funding from various research funding bodies, and many calls for proposals prioritise subject-specific initiatives. Receiving strategic funding from the Government would be an incredibly effective catalyst for climate research in Uppsala, and would enable targeted support for groundbreaking interdisciplinary research. One example is collaboration between engineers and social scientists to develop and implement carbon capture and utilisation in the sustainable energy systems of the future, in a way that can gain broad acceptance in society. Another example is the collaboration between climate researchers and engineers to understand how future climates may affect renewable energy sources. The strategic research area would also contribute to the growth of a new generation of researchers trained in interdisciplinary work and capable of tackling the major challenges posed by society’s climate transition. This would not only strengthen Uppsala University, but also play a crucial role in ensuring that Sweden remains an international leader in climate research.”

Looking ahead – what are the most important research questions in the field of climate research over the next ten years?

“We know a great deal about future changes in the global climate, but much less about what these mean for specific regions and inhabited areas, and many of the societal impacts of climate change occur at a local level. Furthermore, we have limited data on these impacts. It is relatively easy to measure temperature or rainfall, but much more difficult to measure, for example, economic damage or deaths. Another key issue concerns minimising further greenhouse gas emissions and adapting communities to more extreme weather events and other climate-related risks. Which technical solutions are most effective from a systems perspective, where political decision-making, public acceptance, conflicting objectives and other complex processes must be taken into account?”

What is it that makes climate research feel particularly important to you personally right now?

“Climate change is already affecting many aspects of society today. It is not just a problem for future generations, but for us here and now, which means there is a great need for knowledge; both about climate change itself and about how we can tackle it. As a researcher, I love addressing difficult research questions and writing scientific papers. At the same time, I realise that it is becoming increasingly important to look at the practical applications of my work so that society can make better decisions and future generations can have a safe world to live in from a climate perspective.