Adaptation to climate change in Sweden: knowledge, policy and practice in decision-making

The document identifies a gap between the recognition of scientific knowledge and its practical application in Swedish climate adaptation. While County Administrative Boards coordinate regionally, local action is often hindered by a lack of political prioritization and a preference for short-term gains over long-term vulnerability management. Sector-specific analysis reveals that forestry lacks a formal adaptation strategy due to a focus on short-term productivity, and the water sector's investments are limited by a reliance on strict cost-benefit analyses and a lack of regulatory requirements.

• Local adaptation decision-making in Sweden is influenced by the translation of international scientific findings through formal political and administrative processes, such as the report of the Commission on Climate and Vulnerability. However, a lack of local political prioritization and the need to 'mainstream' adaptation into sectoral policies and technical norms act as barriers to action.
• While stakeholders are positive about using scientific knowledge, current climate change and impact scenarios are not sufficiently user-friendly. To better support decision-making, scientific results need to provide more locally relevant information, clear graphics, and shorter time horizons.
• The Swedish forestry sector lacks a climate adaptation strategy despite its national and international importance. Integration is hindered by uncertainty regarding climate effects, a focus on short-term productivity, and insufficient collaboration between lobby groups promoting adaptation.
• In municipal spatial planning, particularly in the Stockholm region, adaptation responses vary from 'weak and passive' to 'strong and proactive'. Integration is obstructed by a perceived lack of national government guidelines and a conflict where the pursuit of immediate property development gains outweighs long-term vulnerability risks, such as sea-level rise.
• Investment in the water and waste water sector in the Stockholm Region is driven primarily by climate knowledge rather than regulations. However, the potential for investment is limited by an over-reliance on 'climate facts', 'optimal solutions', and cost-benefit analyses, which restricts the implementation of costly adaptation measures.

APA

Massé, N. (2010). Adaptation to climate change in Sweden: knowledge, policy and practice in decision-making. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Sustainable-livelihoods/sei-2011-fs-swartling-sweden-climate.pdf

Chicago

Massé, Nicolas. Adaptation to climate change in Sweden: knowledge, policy and practice in decision-making. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2010. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Sustainable-livelihoods/sei-2011-fs-swartling-sweden-climate.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Massé |first1=Nicolas |title=Adaptation to climate change in Sweden: knowledge, policy and practice in decision-making |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2010 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Sustainable-livelihoods/sei-2011-fs-swartling-sweden-climate.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mass2010adaptation, author = {Massé, Nicolas}, title = {{Adaptation to climate change in Sweden: knowledge, policy and practice in decision-making}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Sustainable-livelihoods/sei-2011-fs-swartling-sweden-climate.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }