A new climate centre is being established at Lund University. Researchers will investigate how society should address emissions from sectors that are difficult to fully transition to fossil-free production. The centre will receive just under SEK 50 million from Formas over four years.
The emissions include those from agriculture and the cement, steel and chemical industries.
"There is a widespread assumption among countries and private-sector actors that certain emissions are either very costly or technically difficult to eliminate completely. We will study exactly what these emissions are, why they are so difficult to eliminate, and who should be responsible for handling them," says Wim Carton, associate professor at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies.
These emissions are known as residual emissions. Previous research in this field has been fragmented, and different actors in society have differing views on how residual emissions should be defined and calculated.
Clarifying this is important because the expected level of residual emissions affects how much different countries will need to invest in carbon capture and storage in order to achieve net-zero emissions.
One way of compensating for residual emissions is through BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage), in which the carbon dioxide absorbed by trees and plants is captured when biomass is burned and then stored underground or beneath the seabed. However, large-scale use of BECCS would be very costly and would also have implications for, for example, energy and biomass demand.
"An important part of the work is to understand how different sectors and resources in society interact. If, for example, large amounts of biomass or fossil-free electricity are needed both for industrial decarbonisation, fuel production and carbon storage, conflicts between competing objectives will arise and will need to be managed proactively. We want to analyse which paths are the most realistic, sustainable and equitable from a long-term societal perspective," says Wim Carton.
Lund University involved in another climate centre
Lund University is also a co-host of a climate centre coordinated by the University of Gothenburg. The centre will develop new knowledge about how climate change affects mountain ecosystems.
Temperatures in Sweden's mountain regions are rising faster than the global average. The mountains are also part of Sámi cultural landscapes, where the interplay between reindeer grazing and climate affects vegetation, carbon balance and biodiversity.
"Our research aims to help balance climate action and adaptation with biodiversity, cultural values, Indigenous rights and livelihoods in a way that can create sustainable communities in mountain regions over the long term," says David Harnesk, associate professor at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies.
"The starting point for the centre is that the climate transition is not only about understanding how nature is changing, but also about how society organises decisions, priorities and responsibilities in situations where many objectives need to be balanced at the same time," says David Harnesk.
This centre will also receive SEK 50 million over four years. Both centres will begin their work in spring 2027.
About the centres:
CREST: Centre for Residual Emission Studies
Wim Carton, associate professor at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, will lead the new interdisciplinary centre together with Lars J Nilsson, professor of environmental and energy systems at the Faculty of Engineering, Lund University. The centre also includes researchers from the faculties of Social Sciences and Science, the School of Economics and Management and the Faculty of Law, as well as IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and representatives from the private sector and civil society.
FjellShape
Robert Björk, professor at the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Gothenburg, will lead the new FjellShape centre together with David Harnesk of the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies. The centre also brings together leading social and natural scientists from Umeå University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Mid Sweden University, Lund University and Stockholm University, as well as representatives from public authorities and Sámi institutions.
About the national initiative from Formas:
Formas is a government research council that funds research in the fields of environment, climate, sustainable development and society.
The aim of Formas's national initiative is to establish interdisciplinary centres that can contribute to an effective climate transition by building capacity and capabilities that can also strengthen society's preparedness or competitiveness.
A total of six centre initiatives received funding from Formas's national research programme on climate.
