The Mistra research foundation supports 16 different projects under the theme Diplomacy for Sustainability, two of them at Linköping University.
The diplomacy on climate change
The first project deals with the international climate negotiations, which have so far been marked by major opposition and conflicts of interest. The background is COP28 in Dubai in 2023, where a new term found its way into the agreement text: transformational climate adaptation.
“This is something exciting and a bit new. And at the same time a concept that - as the parties themselves wrote - is difficult to understand the meaning of,” says Professor Victoria Wibeck, who leads the research project at Tema M, Environmental Change.
Social transformations actually involve more than just technical solutions for adapting societies to a changing climate. They are much more in-depth and also involve questioning, for example, economics, politics, values and norms.
“Could it be a way forward in the negotiations or is it more likely to become a new stumbling block that reinforces the existing lines of conflict? This is a relatively new debate within the scientific community, but it’s now a feature of diplomatic talks,” says Victoria Wibeck.
What then do different countries and actors understand by the term transformational climate adaptation? This is something researchers are now trying to find out, by way of international collaboration involving colleagues in Fiji, Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia. The researchers will also conduct in-depth interviews with participants in the international climate negotiations.
“This is about trying to find ways forward in international climate diplomacy, so we hope to contribute increased understanding that can help achieve this,” says Victoria Wibeck.
The project Transformational Adaptation – Prospects for a New Avenue in International Climate Diplomacy has received SEK 6 million in funding from Mistra. Assistant Professor Juliana Porsani and Professor Björn-Ola Linnér are also involved in the project
The diplomacy on nuclear waste
The second research project concerns what, if any, role civil society organisations will play in the design of Swedish spent fuel storage. The first ground was broken for the facility at Forsmark in early 2025.
Of particular interest to the researchers are The Swedish NGO Office for Nuclear Waste Review (MKG) and The Swedish Environmental Movement’s Nuclear Waste Secretariat (MILKAS). Financed by the Nuclear Waste Fund, they have for many years been one of the referral bodies concerning the final repository. But in 2023, funding was withdrawn. At the same time, interest in new nuclear power has increased.
“This raises questions about how much the organisations will now be able to participate, give advice and even criticise. And who fills the void after them?”, asks postdoctoral fellow Thomas Keating at Tema T, Technology and Social Change.
By interviewing decision-makers, representatives of the organisations and other parts of civil society, researchers want to get a picture of what has happened. Why was funding withdrawn and what consequences will this have on the discussion concerning the final repository?
Support for the final repository is high among the residents of Östhammar Municipality. One reason could be that they have gained insight and felt involved in the process. This has also attracted interest in other countries. Sweden is seen as a good example when it comes to building trust among its citizens. But the question is whether this risks being undermined if civil society organisations are pushed aside, according to Thomas Keating.
In addition to the scientific articles, he hopes that the research will result in a short report with tangible conclusions that may interest decision-makers.
The project Nuclear Diplomacy? Strengthening Civil Society involvement with final repositories for Nuclear waste will receive SEK 4.9 million in grants over three years. Thomas Keating leads the project together with Professor Anna Storm at Tema T, Technology and Social Change.
Translation: Annelie Mosell
