Adapting existing buildings to climate change
Existing buildings are often described as particularly difficult to adapt due to, for example, unclear distribution of responsibilities, lack of national steering and funding, and access to land. The project "Support for actor-collaboration and multifunctional climate adaptation of residential areas" studies how the ability of real estate companies to adapt their property can be enhanced. Climate risk analyses of large real estate portfolios have been carried out. These form the basis for guidance on how to analyse risk and need for adaptation targeted to large real estate companies. The project has also investigated how real estate companies can integrate climate adaptation into their operations and how homeowners, housing associations and vulnerable groups in elderly care and preschools are affected by extreme weather events, such as intensive rains and heat waves.
New research projects
In 2024, three new research projects are being launched. The project "Where are we heading?" examines how Swedish national government agencies have operationalized and followed up climate adaptation goals and how governance resources are used to create incentives for adaptation, i.e. are we heading towards the goal. The project "Making adaptation work" studies six new solutions for accelerated climate adaptation of the built environment that involve collaboration between property owners and municipal actors. The project "Towards more climate-robust socially important services" aims to strengthen societal learning about how intensive rains affect Swedish municipal welfare through case studies in Gävle and other Swedish cities.
International climate governance
In the arena of international climate change governance, we have previously examined which governmental and non-governmental actors are involved, what they do and what they want to achieve. Here we have developed new concepts, such as governance profiles, and methodologies. In particular, we use the unique survey study: the International Negotiation Survey, which measures the perceptions of climate negotiators and experts on climate policy issues and leadership. Surveys combined with interviews and document studies enable exciting and new analyses. The research is used by, among others, the UN Climate Secretariat and several countries' negotiating delegations.
