PHOTO: Matthias Lehner, Pernilla Hagbert and Göran Finnveden
Several researchers from Mistra Sustainable Consumption have been awarded a total of 18 million SEK in research funding. The funds will enable further research into sustainable consumption.
Formas, a Swedish governmental research council for sustainable development, has decided to fund four research projects involving six researchers from Mistra Sustainable Consumption. In three of these projects, Mistra’s researchers are the principal investigators. The funded research covers policy instruments related to food and air travel, the environmental effects of digitalization, methods for calculating Sweden’s consumption-based environmental impacts, and so-called “consumption corridors.”
“A Dream Project”
Matthias Lehner at Lund University was the principal investigator for the project focusing on the environmental impacts of digitalization.
– The funds will be used to better understand the climate impact of digitalization on people’s lifestyles. This includes examining how digitalization affects consumer behavior, identifying behavioral changes, and proposing policy instruments to guide digitalization in ways that help people reduce their carbon emissions, says Matthias Lehner.
Initially, it was uncertain whether the project would become a reality. “It’s a dream project that I’ve worked on for two years, slowly piecing it together. Being able to realize it and having others believe it’s a good idea is a confirmation that the topic is important and engaging,” says Matthias Lehner.
A Validation of Quality and Relevance
Göran Finnveden at KTH and program director of Mistra Sustainable Consumption also received a share of the funding.
– We will develop methods for calculating consumption-based emissions for Sweden. There is currently official data published annually by Statistics Sweden (SCB), and in our application, we highlighted several areas with potential for improvement. This includes how emissions from air travel and biofuels are managed, as well as increasing the resolution of the food sector, says Göran Finnveden.
How does it feel to receive this funding?
– Very rewarding! It’s a validation that our work is of high quality and relevance.
The other Mistra researchers who received funding from Formas are Jörgen Larsson at Chalmers, who will continue researching climate policy instruments for air travel and food, and Pernilla Hagbert at KTH, who studies the negotiation of consumption corridors.
Read more on Forma’s homepage.
