Political Theory

The purpose of the project is to develop a normative theory of climate compensation that can provide guidance on the fundamental questions raised by international climate compensation: who is entitled to compensation, who should provide it, and how it should be organized institutionally at the international level.

Principal investigator: Göran Duus-Otterström, Professor.

Financier: The Swedish Research Council, 2023.

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This project explores how conservatism can shape efforts to create a fair and sustainable climate transition. The researchers aim to understand which ideas and values are central to conservatism and how these might translate into different climate policy recommendations. They also study how such recommendations are received by people across the political spectrum, including conservatives themselves. At the same time, the project examines why conservatism is sometimes used as a basis for resisting climate policy. The overall goal is to provide insights that can help make the climate transition both more democratic and more effective.

Principal investigator: Olle Torpman, Associate Professor, Institute for Future Studies.

Member at the University of Gothenburg: Göran Duus Otterström, Professor.

Financier: Formas, 2023.

Read more about the project: Conservative climate justice for a sustainable transformation

At the core of global climate change politics is a question of international distributive justice: how should the burden of combating climate change be allocated between countries? Many are convinced that the answer is, at least in large part, given by the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP), which says that the burdens should stand in proportion to countries’ past and present emissions of greenhouse gases.

Principal investigator: Göran Duus-Otterström, Professor.

Financier: The Swedish Research Council.

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Some social norms are beneficial for society, while others undermine cooperation, perpetuate discrimination, or lead to poor health or criminal behavior. Political decision-makers, public administration officials, and those working with preventive health measures, among others, are often interested in strengthening norms with positive effects and changing norms with negative consequences. However, social norms are often difficult to alter.

Principal investigator: Lina Eriksson, Professor.

Financier: The Swedish Research Council.

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