Published 2021-12-15

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Mistra’s research programmes providing knowledge for the Stockholm+50 UN meeting

The UN’s Stockholm+50 meeting will be held in June 2022, with the aim of increasing the rate of the green transition. Three of Mistra’s research programmes are contributing to the research basis of a scientific report for the meeting.

Sweden and Kenya are hosting the high-level Stockholm+50 meeting, highlighting that it is fifty years since the UN’s first environment conference, the Stockholm Conference, in 1972. This meeting’s purpose is to speed up the transition and has the theme “A healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity”.

The Swedish Government has asked the Stockholm Environment Institute, SEI, to produce an independent scientific report for the meeting. SEI is writing the report in cooperation with a policy-focused research institute, the Council of Energy, Environment and Water, CEEW. Nina Weitz, researcher at SEI, says that numerous background papers that will be the basis of the report are being produced. In general, the contributors are researchers with relevant expertise from SEI and CEEW, but Mistra’s Mistra REES, Mistra Sustainable Consumption and Mistra Geopolitics research programmes are contributing a total of four background papers.

Carl Dalhammar, Senior Lecturer at Lund University

Carl Dalhammar, Senior Lecturer at Lund University, is writing the background paper for Mistra REES, together with the Programme Director Mattias Lindahl, as well as a paper for Mistra Sustainable Consumption, together with the programme’s forthcoming Programme Director Göran Finnveden. He says that the contribution from Mistra REES covers the circular economy, hindrances with the linear economy in which we live and the potential for remedying these.

“These hindrances include how we use concepts such as ‘waste’ and ‘resources’ – where language often governs our actions. There is also a need to standardise concepts in the circular economy, using international standards. We also focus on other issues, such as how regulations on waste are a barrier to circular solutions. These are very appropriate for discussion at Stockholm+50, as they often deal with international processes, like standardisation and changes in regulations and international conventions.”

Decoupling economic growth

The contribution of Mistra Sustainable Consumption examines the policy surrounding sustainable consumption. According to Carl Dalhammar, a great deal of current policy is based upon a paradigm that can be characterised as green growth. This contributes to the lack of success, due to rebound effects and the difficulties of decoupling economic growth from resource consumption and carbon emissions.

“So, we believe that we must also discuss ‘adequacy’ – what the total level of resource consumption could be and how we can limit consumption. We also discuss how environmental policy could be better at integrating these questions, such as by measuring environmental impact related to consumption, which is often done in other countries. We should also consider more radical instruments. The French prohibition on short flights is one such instrument,” says Carl Dalhammar.

He believes that the issue of consumption is entirely appropriate for discussion at Stockholm+50 as it is an issue of fairness; the world’s resources must be more equally distributed.

“Although we should cut down how much we consume in the world’s richer countries, the poorest countries must be able to increase their consumption so they can live dignified lives. It is also important to see the injustices within countries, and that the very richest are responsible for a massive proportion of total consumption.”

What do you hope your contributions will lead to?

“Mainly that these questions begin to be discussed in international contexts and that we start dealing with the issues that are politically sensitive, such as consumption. It is important that we start discussing issues that relate to the circular economy, because international trade agreements, for example, may be a barrier to circular solutions.”

Mistra Geopolitics’ contribution

One of the background papers from Mistra Geopolitics is written by Lisa Dellmuth, Senior Lecturer at Stockholm University, and covers multilateralism and how different types of international organisations and governments can work on creating greater understanding. The second paper from Mistra Geopolitics is being coordinated by Claire McAllister at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI, and focuses on the role of disarmament in the Stockholm Declaration of 1972 and its links to ongoing international environmental cooperation.

The intention is to launch SEI and CEEW’s report in May, with enough time to benefit the delegates during the meeting.

“It is positive and exciting that our research programmes, which contribute important knowledge and results that are primarily useful in Sweden and EU contexts, are now having a global reach. It is also beneficial for the programmes to weave in different perspectives and conditions in an international context,” says Thomas Nilsson, Programmes Director at Mistra.

Photo: UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata