University of Gothenburg
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Cranes in the port of Gothenburg.
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NESS - Nordic Environmental Social Science Conference: Emergency and transformation

If global environmental changes, including climate change, have taken decades to build up to an emergency, in 2020 we saw the almost instantaneous spread of a fatal virus that in a matter of weeks pushed global society into a humanitarian crisis, and soon also into a deep economic crisis and of late into a security crisis. The 15th Nordic Environmental Social Science Conference, hosted by the School of Global Studies, will be a chance for environmental social scholars to meet and discuss where the crises have brought us.

Venues

7-9 June, 2022, at the School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg.
The conference will be held both at the Wallenberg Conference Center (Medicinaregatan 20A) and at the premises of the School of Global Studies (Konstepidemins väg 2B).

Please note that several workshops will take place in the Annedalseminariet building (Seminariegatan 1A), just next to the School of Global Studies.

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School of Global Studies, Konstepideminsväg 2B
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Annedalseminariet, Seminariegatan 1A.
Photo: Evelina Assarsson

Registration
Registration to the conference closed on 20 May, 2022.

  • What will be the cost of the conference?
    Due to the covid-19 pandemic, there has been several delays in application of funding. However, we believe the cost of the conference will be in line with general conference fees.
  • What will be the duration of each daily session?
    Most of the time of the conference is devoted to the workshops and we estimate there to be room for 12-15 presenters in each workshop over the three days. There will be some common conference activities, likely two keynotes and a panel but the rest of the time is for workshop activities. 
  • Is it possible to submit the same abstract to multiple sessions?
    Yes, you can submit to more than one session (if this is the case, please declare to chairs), but you can only attend one workshop.
  • Is it possible to register to the conference even if I won’t present a paper?
    Yes, it is possible to attend even if you don’t present a paper. All non-paper participants are however expected to actively contribute to the workshops, acting as discussants or co-Chairs. If you are interested in one of these roles, please contact directly the chair(s) of the workshop in which you would like to participate (this has to be done before completing the registration process).

  • Will it be possible to attend the conference online?
    No, we currently plan to hold the conference in person in Gothenburg. We believe this format is the best suited for NESS, which is traditionally based on a close and extended interaction among participants.

For questions about specific workshops, please contact the workshop chairs. Questions of a more general character should be directed at: ness@globalstudies.gu.se

Contact

For questions about specific workshops, please contact the workshop chairs (contact details are found in the list of workshops further down on this page).

Program

Note! All workshops will run in parallel.

Find the rooms of the different workshops here: List of workshops and meeting rooms.
See the heading "Venues" for Google maps to Wallenberg Conference Centre, the School of Global Studies and Annedalseminariet.

    NESS Conference, Gothenburg 2022
      Tuesday 7 June Wednesday 8 June Thursday 9 June

    08:30-10:00

    Registration and fika
    at Conference Centre Wallenberg

    Workshops Session III

    Workshops Session VI

    10:00-10:15

    Welcome
    Annica Kronsell and Sebastian Linke

    Venue: Wallenbergsalen
    (Conference Centre Wallenberg)

    10:00-10:30
    Fika at Conference Centre Wallenberg

    10:00-10:30
    Fika at Conference Centre Wallenberg
    and Annedal Campus

    10:15-11:00

    Keynote
    ‘The politics of transformation to fossil-free society: Sweden’s path toward decarbonization in the context of the European Green Deal’
    Karin Bäckstrand (Stockholm University)

    Venue: Wallenbergsalen

    10:30-12:30
    Panel/Keynote on ‘Science to Policy’.

    Moderator: Mikael Karlsson, Associate Professor Environmental Science (Uppsala University)
     
    Introduction: Lena Gipperth, Professor Environmental law (University of Gothenburg) and Martin Eriksson,
     
    Panel discussion:
    Laila Mendy, PhD student (Uppsala University)
    Eva Alfredsson, PhD, researcher (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm)
    Daniel Lindvall, PhD, researcher (Uppsala University)
    Tim Daw, PhD, researcher, Stockholm Resilience Centre (tbc)
     
    Roles of Science in Society
    Sebastian Linke, PhD Associate Prof. Environmental Social Science (University of Gothenburg)
     
    Questions and comments
     
    Common Survey
     
    What do research funders and universities say?
    Malin Mobjörk, Formas
    nn (tbc)
    Mikael Karlsson

    From science to policy, panel 2 and audience
    Laila Mendy, PhD student (Uppsala University)
    Eva Alfredsson, PhD, researcher (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm)
    Daniel Lindvall, PhD, researcher (Uppsala University)
    Tim Daw, PhD, researcher, Stockholm Resilience Centre (tbc)

    Venue: Wallenbergsalen

    10:30-12:30
    Workshops Session VII

    11:00-12:00

    Panel on Emergency and Transformation:
    Harriet Bulkeley (Durham University);
    Mikael Skou Andersen (Aarhus University);
    Simon Matti (LTU Luleå University of Technology);  
    Michelle Betsill (University of Copenhagen);
    Maria Brockhaus (University of Helsinki)

    Moderator: Sverker Carlsson Jagers (University of Gothenburg)

    Venue: Wallenbergsalen

    'Science to Policy' continues until 12:30

    Workshops continue until 12:30.

    12:00-13:00

    Lunch at Conference Centre Wallenberg

    12:30-13:30
    Lunch at Conference Centre Wallenberg

    12:30-13:30
    Lunch at Conference Centre Wallenberg

    13:00-15:00

    Workshops Session I

    13:30-15:00
    Workshops Session IV

    13:30-14:30
    Panel: Emerging contributions to NESS
    Eva Lövbrand (Linköping University);
    Karin Bradley
    (KTH Royal Institute of Technology);
    Anna Krzywoszynska
    (University of Twente);
    Tim Daw (Stockholm University);
    Eivind Brendehaug
    (Western Norway Research Institute)

    Moderator: Rikard Warlenius
    (University of Gothenburg)

    Venue: Wallenbergsalen
    -------------------------------
    14:30-15:00
    Next conference and goodbye

    15:00-15:30

    Coffee/tea at Conference Centre Wallenberg
    and Annedal Campus

    Coffee/tea at Conference Centre Wallenberg
    and Annedal Campus

    Coffee/tea at Conference Centre Wallenberg

    15:30-17:00

    Workshops Session II

    15:30-16:15
    Workshops Session V

     

    Evening

    17:30-19:00
    Reception at Conference Centre Wallenberg
    Drinks and a mingle buffet is served.

    18:00-21:00
    Conference Cruise Dinner
    Boats will depart from Lilla Bommen (Strömma) and Stenpiren (Bohuslinjen) at 18.00 sharp (more info below)

     

    Conference Cruise Dinner - instructions

    • If your name tag has a red circle, you will join the cruise with boat company Strömma.
      The boats depart at 18:00 on 8 June from Lilla Bommen in central Gothenburg.
    • If your name tag has a yellow circle, you will join the cruise with boat company Bohuslinjen.
      The boat will depart at 18:00 on 8 June, from Stenpiren, in central Gothenburg.

    Both Lilla Bommen and Stenpiren are very easy to access through public transport, bus or tram. The closest tram stops to the School of Global Studies are Olivedalsgatan and Seminariegatan, both are located about 3-5 minutes walk from the School.

    • Download public transport company Västtrafik's app Västtrafik To Go, to plan your trip and purchase your bus/tram ticket.

    NESS Workshops

    The workshop sessions will take place in the following venues. If you are a non-paper participant, please contact the workshop chairs (contact details in this document) to determine your role in the sessions you wish to attend.

    Abstracts

    Submissions closed on 15 January 2022.

    Soils as sites of emergency and transformation (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Anna Krzywoszynska, The University of Sheffield
    Daniel Münster, Oslo University
    Janna Holmstedt, KTH Royal Institute of Technology/Linköping University
    Can democratic innovations support environmental governance? Theoretical and empirical evidence of challenges and opportunities (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Tim M. Daw, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University
    Naghmeh Nasirtousi, Department of Political Science, Stockholm University
    Lars Tønder, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen
    Katariina Kulha, Researcher in the FACTOR project at University of Turku
    Transformative Change for a Green Industry: Nordic Experiences and Challenges (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Patrik Söderholm, Luleå University of Technology
    Hans Hellsmark, Chalmers University of Technology
    Just Transition and the Role of the State (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Roger Hildingsson, Department of Political Science, Lund University
    Eva Lövbrand, Department of Thematic Studies: Environmental Change, Linköping University
    The climate and biodiversity crises are bound together: how could integrated solutions in politics and management be stimulated? (PDF)
    Workshop Chairs:
    Eivind Brendehaug, Kyrre Groven and Torbjørn Selseng, Western Norway Research Institute,
    Norway
    Sirkku Juhola, Helsinki University
    Erik Stange, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
    Ecosystem based Transformative Ocean Governance: Nordic Experiences and Challenges (PDF)
    Workshop Chairs:
    Lena Gipperth University of Gothenburg
    Henrik Ringbom, Åbo Akademi University
    Governing a sustainable transformation – The role of knowledge, expertise and the reflexivity of public institutions (PDF)
    Workshop Chairs:
    Monika Berg, Environmental sociology section, Örebro University, Sweden
    Karin Gustafsson, Environmental sociology section, Örebro University, Sweden
    Johan Munck af Rosenschöld, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Finland
    Urban regeneration in partnership with nature: local challenges and solutions (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Thomas. B. Randrup, SLU Alnarp
    Catalina Turcu, Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, UK
    Marie Thynell, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg
    Ylva Norén Bretzer, School of Public Administration, University of Gothenburg
    The crisis of inequality: Politics, power and interests in the “development” of forest-agriculture frontiers (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Grace Wong, Stockholm Resilience Centre
    Maria Brockhaus, University of Helsinki
    Thilde Bech Bruun, University of Copenhagen
    Andrea Downing, Stockholm Resilience Centre
    Fair Transformations Achieving Carbon Budgets (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Mikael Karlsson, Department of Earth Sciences, Natural Resources and Sustainable
    Development, Uppsala University
    Eva Alfredsson,Division of Sustainable Development, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
    Charlotte Louise Jensen, Department of Planning, AAlborg University, Denmark
    Psychological and behavioral effects of emergencies: implications for sustainability (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Magnus Bergqvist - Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
    Mattias Holmgren, Department of Building Engineering, Energy Systems and Sustainability,
    Science, University of Gävle, Sweden
    What can science deliver and what does policy want? Sciencepolicy interactions and climate action (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Linda Soneryd, Sociology/STS University of Gothenburg, Sweden
    Göran Sundqvist, Sociology/STS University of Gothenburg, Sweden
    Erlend Hermansen, CICERO, Centre for International Climate Research, Norway
    Imagining transformation: Urgency, emergency and hope in a time of multiple crises (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Alexandra Nikoleris, Environmental and Energy Systems Studies, Lund University
    Josefin Wangel, Dept. of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
    Lisette van Beek, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and the Urban Futures Studio, Utrecht University
    Green Innovation Policy – exploring the Green Deal Foundations (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Mikael Skou Andersen,Aarhus University, Denmark
    Rauno Sairinen, University of Eastern Finland
    Exploring grassroots initiatives for transitions (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Karin Bradley, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Department of Urban Planning
    and Environment
    Erica Löfström, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim,
    Department of Psychology
    Sofie Tornhill, Linneaus University, Department of Social Studies
    Environmental policy attitudes in an era of crises (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Niklas Harring, Centre for Collective Action Research (CeCAR), Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg
    Steffen Kallbekken, Center for International Climate Research (CICERO), Oslo, Norway
    Social science contributions to the biodiversity agenda (PDF)
    Marie Stenseke, Human Geography, School of Business, Law and Economics, Gothenburg
    Elizabeth Barron, Geography, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
    Håkon B. Stokland, Science and Technology Studies, Norwegian institute for nature research (NINA), Norway
    Governing Low Carbon Sustainable Urban Transformation (PDF)
    Workshop chairs:
    Olga Stepanova, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
    Maria Figueroa, Department for Management Society and Communication, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
    Transnational Governance Initiatives at the Climate-Biodiversity Frontier (PDF)
    Workshop Chairs:
    Michele Betsill, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen
    Harriet Bulkeley, Department of Geography, University of Durham, and Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Developmen, Utrecht University
    Stacy VanDeveer, Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance, University of Masschusetts, Boston

    Conference theme: Emergency and transformation

    When it rains it pours. If global environmental changes, including climate change, have taken decades to build up to an emergency, in 2020 we saw the almost instantaneous spread of a fatal virus that in a matter of weeks pushed global society into a humanitarian crisis, and soon also into a deep economic crisis and of late into a security crisis. The Covid-19 emergency will most definitely be a watershed in modern history, but where the rain will flow is too early to tell.

    The 15th Nordic Environmental Social Science Conference (NESS), will be a chance for environmental social scholars to meet and discuss where the crises have brought us.

    • What are the urgent contributions of environmental social science to these emergencies?
    • Is the crisis an opportunity for accelerating since long necessary green transformations or a moment for patience, where resources should be directed toward the most urgent needs?
    • Either or – what are the lessons learned by the Covid-19 crisis for a green transformation? Is the ‘strong society’ now back on the arena after decades of liberalizations, marketizations, and ‘just in time’?
    • What are, then, the implications for democracy, governance, economic policies, and public discourses?

    While the interconnectedness of emergency and transformation will gain special attention during the conference, we welcome contributions in areas related, but not restricted, to climate change, biodiversity, food, water, energy, natural resource extraction, bio-economy, rural and urban sustainability, and conservation. The conference workshops will cover various aspects of environmental social science, from the local to the global, from empirical papers over policy-relevant papers to conceptual and theoretical contributions. As is the tradition of NESS, the workshops are at the center of the conference, with plenty of time devoted to presentation and discussion of submitted papers.

    Conference structure 

    The NESS conference consists of on the one hand common events, such as keynote speeches, joint panels, and social activities, and on the other, several workshops. The workshops – where junior and senior scholars meet and discuss common themes – are the central activity of this conference. The workshops follow a standing session format (similar to ECPR), which allows for substantive discussions on research in progress. The topics for discussion are defined by the individual workshop themes, and scholars currently working on the themes will be invited to participate.

    The overall objective of the workshops is to facilitate and encourage participation and collaboration across social sciences, between younger and more established scholars and across countries. In order to achieve this, the size of each workshop is limited so that adequate time is allowed for each contribution. Each participant is expected to be carrying out research relating to the theme of the workshop, able to submit and present a paper (or work in progress) for the discussion or participate as a discussant. The ambition with this format is that the workshops allow for in-depth and coherent discussions of the respective themes and provide opportunities for potential joint publications or other continuing collaborations between the participants.

    The organizer

    The host, the School of Global Studies, is an interdisciplinary department consisting of several social sciences, including peace and development research, human ecology, and social anthropology. The organizing committee is further broadened to include environmental social scientists from several departments at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. Together, we welcome Nordic and international researchers to NESS 2022 to stress the important role of environmental social science in times of emergency and transformation.