Climate Change Adaptation in Swedish Forestry Policy A Historical Overview, 1990–2010

The report finds that the integration of climate change adaptation into Swedish forestry policy was slow and hindered by the dominance of production and mitigation frames. While academic advocacy and external events like Storm Gudrun (2005) increased awareness, the sector's long tradition of relying on experience over predictive modeling and a strong focus on short-term productivity created significant resistance. The study concludes that while some progress was made through the Commission on Climate and Vulnerability, adaptation is often viewed through the narrow lenses of either increasing production or preserving biodiversity, rather than as an integrated policy approach.

• The integration of climate change adaptation into Swedish forestry policy was significantly hindered by the dominance of the 'production frame' and the 'mitigation frame', which often viewed adaptation as conflicting with or secondary to emissions reduction and economic output.
• Storm Gudrun in January 2005 served as a primary catalyst for increasing interest in adaptation within the forestry sector, though subsequent policy responses still prioritized short-term productivity.
• A deep-seated professional tradition in Swedish forestry of relying on historical observation and experience rather than predictive climate modeling created a cognitive barrier to accepting adaptation research.
• The Commission on Climate and Vulnerability (2007) played a critical role in legitimizing adaptation by shifting the discourse to recognize that mitigation and adaptation are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.
• There is a persistent conflict between those advocating for adaptation to increase forest production and those advocating for adaptation to preserve biodiversity, with the former typically dominating.
• The Swedish government's approach to adaptation is characterized by 'mainstreaming' concerns into existing sectors rather than implementing a single national adaptation strategy.
• Media analysis from 1995 to 2010 confirms that forest production and climate change mitigation received far more public attention than forest adaptation or biodiversity.
• The lack of a strong, organized advocacy coalition and clear leadership within the forestry sector slowed the integration of adaptation compared to the efforts of the academic community.

APA

Ulmanen, J., Swartling, Å. G., & Wallgren, O. (2012). Climate Change Adaptation in Swedish Forestry Policy A Historical Overview, 1990–2010. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-ProjectReport-Ulmanen-ClimateChangeAdaptation.pdf

Chicago

Ulmanen, Johanna, Åsa Gerger Swartling, and Oskar Wallgren. Climate Change Adaptation in Swedish Forestry Policy A Historical Overview, 1990–2010. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2012. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-ProjectReport-Ulmanen-ClimateChangeAdaptation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ulmanen |first1=Johanna |last2=Swartling |first2=Åsa Gerger |last3=Wallgren |first3=Oskar |title=Climate Change Adaptation in Swedish Forestry Policy A Historical Overview, 1990–2010 |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2012 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-ProjectReport-Ulmanen-ClimateChangeAdaptation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ulmanen2012climate, author = {Ulmanen, Johanna and Swartling, Åsa Gerger and Wallgren, Oskar}, title = {{Climate Change Adaptation in Swedish Forestry Policy A Historical Overview, 1990–2010}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-ProjectReport-Ulmanen-ClimateChangeAdaptation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }