Environmental Change (TEMAM)

Tema M – Environmental Change is a platform for highly topical, problem-oriented and critical interpretive environmental research and education. At a time when almost the entire nature bears traces of human activity, the state of the environment is strongly linked to the development of society. Today, environmental problems are no longer perceived as ‘problems in nature’ but also as complex social problems that set new standards for scientific breadth, integration and problem-solving.

Environmental Change meets this challenge through a strong combination of analysis traditions and methods for natural science, social sciences, and the humanities. Among these included are analysis of biogeochemical processes and material flows, policy studies developed in close collaboration with user groups, as well as analytical studies of ideas and debates within the environmental and climate field. By promoting interdisciplinary cooperation in the borderland between these different analytical traditions, Tema M ensures that environmental change as a concept, process and political point at issue is not taken for granted but instead subject to constant review and transparency.

Tema M builds on a strong tradition of interdisciplinary environmental studies that have permeated the unit since 1980 and the Center for Climate Science and Policy Research (CSPR) since 2004. At Tema M, these studies are further developed and profiled in relation to contemporary environmental science and environmental policy development.

Strategic Research Areas

A park bench in water.
Pixabay

Climate Change

We study challenges posed by climate change, their implications around the world and actions that could lead to fossil free societies that are robust to the effects of climate change.

Insjö skog around.

Contaminant and Element Cycling

We study natural and human-induced changes using observational, experimental and modeling approaches. From major and trace elements to contaminants, we focus on biogeochemical processes driving their distribution and cycling in ecosystems.
People holding up signs.
Pixabay

Knowledge politics and communication 

We study how knowledge about current environmental and developmental challenges is represented, legitimized, problematized and made sense of in education, research practices, media and policy processes.

Lab environment.
Anna Nilsen

Earth resources 

We study challenges associated with sustainable use and management of resources with focus on waste, water, land, ecosystems, nutrients as well as renewable energy. We co-create knowledge through interactions with societal actors to assess and develop processes, technologies, analytical tools, and frameworks.  

Research Project

People sitting near industrial plant in Oulu, Finland.

Linköping University Negative Emission Technologies (LUNETs)

An increasing number of climate targets require net negative emissions of carbon dioxide. Here we study the methods bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and biochar in the Nordic and Tanzania.

 Irrigation and drainage of arable land.

Decision support for climate change adaptation in Swedish agriculture and forestry

This project aims to contribute to the development of tailored climate indicators for stakeholders in the Swedish agricultural and forestry sector, to create useful support for the work with climate adaptation.

Virtual Worlds: digital technologies in climate and biodiversity governance

Virtual Worlds explores the role of digital technologies in managing climate change and biodiversity loss. The program reviews how technology can improve environmental governance and include local knowledge for sustainable development.

Publications

Latest publications

2024

Anders Hansson (2024) Making the 1.5°C Aspirational Climate Target Tangible with Carbon Dioxide Removal and Boundary Work Climate, Science and Society: A Primer, p. 268-275 Continue to DOI

2023

Sara Cruz, Marisa Graca, Paulo Conceicao, Tina Schmid Neset, Sirkku Juhola (2023) Exploring the affective dimension in citizen science to support urban climate adaptation: a conceptual framework Journal of Environmental Planning and Management Continue to DOI
Anna Andersson, Mourad Harir, David Bastviken (2023) Extending the potential of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance massspectrometry for the analysis of disinfection by-products TrAC. Trends in analytical chemistry, Vol. 167, Article 117264 Continue to DOI
Gustav Pajala, Henrique Sawakuchi, David Rudberg, Jonathan Schenk, Anna Sieczko, Magnus Gålfalk, David Seekell, Ingrid Sundgren, Thanh Duc Nguyen, Jan Karlsson, David Bastviken (2023) The Effects of Water Column Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations on Lake Methane Emissions-Results From a Whole-Lake Oxygenation Experiment Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences, Vol. 128, Article e2022JG007185 Continue to DOI
Luka Safaric, Annika Björn, Bo Svensson, David Bastviken, Sepehr Shakeri Yekta (2023) Rheology, Micronutrients, and Process Disturbance in Continuous Stirred-Tank Biogas Reactors Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research Continue to DOI
Therese Asplund, Ann-Sofie Kall, Ola Uhrqvist (2023) Creative arts for sustainability transformations-Exploring children's theater for the UN Sustainable Development Goals Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, Vol. 11 Continue to DOI
Malin Andersson, Veronica Brodén Gyberg (2023) Sustaining business as usual or enabling transformation?: A discourse analysis of climate change mitigation policy in Swedish municipalities Environmental Policy and Governance Continue to DOI
Leonardo Amora-Nogueira, Christian J. Sanders, Alex Enrich Prast, Luciana Silva Monteiro Sanders, Rodrigo Coutinho Abuchacra, Patricia F. Moreira-Turcq, Renato Campello Cordeiro, Vincent Gauci, Luciane Silva Moreira, Fausto Machado-Silva, Renata Libonati, Thairiny Fonseca, Cristiane Nunes Francisco, Humberto Marotta (2023) Correction: Tropical forests as drivers of lake carbon burial (vol 13, 4051, 2022) Nature Communications, Vol. 14, Article 3282 Continue to DOI

Calendar

19 December 2023

Online dialogue: COP28 post-match analysis

1.30 pm – 3.00 pm Online

COP28 marks the conclusion of the first global stocktake. Did we come up with a roadmap to accelerate climate action? What questions were left unsolved and what issues need to be addressed before the next conference of parties in 2024? We gather a prominent panel to share insights into the COP28 negotiations. The event is arranged by Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research, Stockholm Environment Institute and Mistra Geopolitics. All are welcome, registration is required.

Contacts

Tina Schmid Neset

News

News

Three proposals from researchers to meet EU climate goals

The ability to meet EU climate goals is enhanced by investing in new technologies that remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Although it is currently unprofitable, there are ways to change that. This is concluded in an article by researchers from LiU.

The temperature is rising ahead of this year’s climate summit

Her passport is already on her desk. Maria Jernnäs at Tema M - Environmental Change is ready to leave for this year’s climate summit in Dubai. But despite the increasingly acute climate threat, she does not think negotiations will be easy.

Two women in the laboratory.

New lab, but still the same

Following a fire, the lab at TEMAM has been under restoration since 2020. Now that it is finished, most of it looks the same as before, as nobody could think of any changes they would like to make to the premises.

PhD Programme

Education

Contact

Staff

Staff

Visit us in Tema Building, Campus Valla

Postal adress
Linköping University, Department of Thematic Studies/Environmental Change, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden

Organisation