Karen O’Brien is the new Zennström Professor in Climate Change Leadership
Karen O’Brien, professor emeritus at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography at the University of Oslo, will be the new Zennström Professor at Uppsala University for the period March 2026–February 2027. Photo: Malin Eivergård
On 2 March, Karen O’Brien took up the position of Zennström Professor in Climate Change Leadership at Uppsala University. Karen is Professor Emeritus at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography at the University of Oslo and is internationally recognised for her work on how climate change affects people and societies.
Karen O'Brien's research focuses on the social and human dimensions of climate change and its consequences for human security. She is also co-founder of cCHANGE, an organisation that supports society’s engagement in the transition to sustainability.
With Karen O'Brien on board, Uppsala University gains a climate researcher who not only highlights the problems, but also provides clear, practical advice on how individuals and communities can act to meet the challenges of climate change.
“Climate leadership means acting with integrity based on a recognition that we are one with nature in a way that acknowledges the justice dimensions of climate change –including intergenerational justice. Today, when few people in positions of authority seem willing to take climate change seriously, we need individuals, communities, organizations, and businesses to be climate leaders,” says Karen O'Brien.
Contributed to IPCC reports
Karen O'Brien has contributed to several of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, in which researchers from around the world compile facts about the climate and how it affects people, communities and nature. The IPCC helps decision-makers with knowledge about risks, future scenarios and possible measures to reduce emissions and adapt society to a warmer climate.
During her time as Zennström Professor, Karen O'Brien hopes to discuss approaches to transformative change. Photo: Malin Eivergård
In her reports, O'Brien has contributed with knowledge about how social and cultural factors affect climate action and adaptation.
She has also been a co-chair of IPBES's Transformative Change Assessment, a scientific report that analyses the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and the fundamental societal changes needed to achieve to achive a target by 2050. It identifies how such change can happen, barriers to change, and what practical strategies and actions can promote equitable and sustainable transformative change globally.
Bridges between knowledge and action
During her time as Zennström Professor, Karen O'Brien hopes to discuss perspectives and approaches to transformative change and how they can be translated into action.
“I’d also like to learn more about how faculty, staff, and students are building bridges between knowledge and action,” she says.
“It’s easy to feel that our impact is limited to projects, publications, and citations. But impact can include engaging people in conversations, talking to the media, establishing relationships of trust, and being part of initiatives related to the things we care about – music, art, sports, children’s education, gardening. In other words, researchers have an opportunity to convey climate science across their multiple spheres of influence.”
What is the biggest misconception about societal transformation in climate transition?
“We often dismiss small and incremental changes as unimportant, when in fact small changes can make a big difference when they address the underlying causes of climate change and nature’s decline.”
Malin Eivergård