05 September 2023

Björn-Ola Linnér intended to be a social studies teacher. Instead, he became a climate researcher. He had never imagined an academic career. Yet, he became a professor at the Department of Thematic studies - Environmental Change in Linköping and, as a researcher, plays an active role in the environmental debate.

He talks vividly about his journey from the free church environment in his childhood Gothenburg to a professorship at Linköping University.

“I didn’t know anyone who went to university until I was 18 or 19. I thought you had to be super smart.”

In the video, he talks about why he calls himself a frustrated optimist, the link between research and his free church background, how he handles the sometimes hateful climate debate and what he says to all those who despair about the future.

From Lund to Linköping

But through his sister’s boyfriend, thoughts of studying were awakened in him, which led to the upper secondary school subject teacher education programme in Lund. At the same time, he was interested in the environmental debate and was attracted by the research, but realised that the environmental issue spanned both the social and the natural sciences.

Therefore, he decided that he needed an interdisciplinary PhD education. In 1993, he found his way to Linköping University, and there he has remained.

“The most important thing in my life right now? That it wouldn’t be so much fun that you work too much,” smiles Björn-Ola Linnér.

Translation: Simon Phillips

Photo credit Anna Nilsen

Facts: Björn-Ola Linnér

Born 1963 in Gothenburg. At the Department of Thematic Studies - Environmental Change, Björn-Ola Linnér conducts research on international climate policy and sustainable development.
He is also Programme Director of the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research, Mistra, and is affiliated with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the University of Oxford.
As a researcher, he has also been involved in the international climate negotiations.

Norrköping Decision Arena.

Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research, CSPR

CSPR is a platform for knowledge production to trigger and promote societal changes towards safe and just climate futures for all. Our goal is to create knowledge and methodological approaches that can support and advance climate actions.

Flooding.

AI4ClimateAdaptation

AI4ClimateAdaptation explores the capacity of AI-based image processing and text mining to contribute to evaluating the accuracy of the national system for impact-based weather warnings and to contribute to the development of the system.

Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, Nadi, Fiji

Ontological security in a transforming world

Climate change presents security and health challenges. We need to better understand how political and practical responses to climate change emerge from how people experience such challenges and vice versa.

COP26

Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research at COP26

Researchers from the CSPR participated on site during the UN climate negotiations, COP26. Among other things, they followed the negotiations, coordinated survey studies and studied the youth movement's involvement in the climate issue.

coal power and wind power

LiU researchers on the climate report: “A transition must come”

Research from Linköping University has contributed to the climate report from the UN’s IPCC, published on 9 August. “Sombre reading, but a proud day for science”, summarises Björn-Ola Linnér, professor of climate policy.

Map of world

Mistra Geopolitics awarded

Mistra Geopolitics is awarded to the prestigious 100 List 2021, published by the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA). The 100 List highlights a diversity of research projects from Swedish universities in the field of sustainability.

Organisation

Latest news from LiU

The award winner: “Genetics is a bit like the Wild West”

Colm Nestor has been awarded the 2025 Onkel Adam Prize for outstanding research at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. One of his research areas is gender differences in susceptibility to autoimmune diseases and infections.

Increase in program applications at LiU

When the application for the autumn semester closed, 411,200 people had submitted at least one application. At LiU, the number of applicants to programs increased by three percent.

Claudia Tazreiter discusses her work.

From Europe to Australia and back

As a child in the 1970s, Claudia Tazreiter emigrated from Austria to Australia with her family. For more than three years now, she has been back in Europe. Now as a professor at LiU. It is not a coincidence that migration is her field of study.