The aim of the thesis is to analyze the design of the present climate and energy policies. The main focus is on how the policy instruments affect the Swedish stakeholders who are included in the European Union’s Emission Trading Scheme (EU-ETS). In-depth interviews have been carried out with representatives from the basic industry, energy utilities as well as industrial and green organizations. The purpose is to illustrate have how these stakeholders view the current policy framework and what amendments that they view as necessary. Suggestions to the Government are given regarding the design of national policies and policy instruments to provide for an improved policy framework. The information and synthesis have furthermore been collected through extensive literature studies as well as participating at conferences and seminars. The thesis is written as a monograph in order to address a larger group of readers interested in the transition of energy systems towards sustainability as well as policy makers and Swedish stakeholders. The common understanding that the global energy systems have to undergo a transition to renewables and higher energy efficiency due to the earth’s finite sources of fossil fuels and uranium presents large challenges for policy makers and business sectors as well as the society in general. Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have to be drastically reduced and the work to achieve this has started through international negotiations such as the Kyoto Protocol. As the present commitment levels are low, an important issue in a short-term perspective is to develop a more comprehensive and efficient system with a much wider participation and more stringent emission targets. In order to achieve current national policy goals and international GHG emission commitments the Swedish Government utilizes a number of policy instruments that are either nationally self-assumed or called for by international agreements or the European Union. The Swedish stakeholders that are included in the EU-ETS face a broad policy framework that has a large impact on their daily operations and future investment strategies. It is imperative for the policymakers, i.e. the Government, to act in accordance with the long-term perspective that the climate change issue and the transition of the energy system require. It is likewise important that any actions are in accordance with the operational and investment climate that the business sector faces. It is argued that these aspects are not fully considered as the success of the next national budget or term of public office seems to overshadow these issues. A long-term perspective is required to provide the business sector with stable and reliable incentives. This is needed to provide the economic conditions under which the businesses can realize investments that will result in emission reductions. Short-term policies reinforce the view of environmental investments as a form of risk investments. This negatively affects the possibility of the policy instruments to effectively achieve established policy goals. Paying attention to these requirements is however not a simple task for policy makers as it will require agreements between the political parties. This demonstrates the main political difficulty with climate change – the requirement of a long-term and full commitment by all state authorities. It should be noted that the thesis does not attempt to describe the Swedish policy makers as neglecting the urgency of acting to mitigate climate change. The national agenda is far to advanced from an international perspective for such statements. The thesis however pinpoints some important issues highlighted by stakeholders, within the business sector and other organizations, who are concerned with the present climate and energy policy framework. Some of the findings are as follows: • Reducing GHG emissions in order to combat climate change must include a long-term perspective • The design of policy instruments should consequently be long-term to increase the support for investments in GHG emission reducing technologies • The design of policies that promote low GHG production alternatives within the energy utilities should be improved • The large potential for reduced GHG emission available through fuel switching and energy efficiency improvements in the Swedish basic industry should be promoted by amended policies • Reformulate or abandon the national GHG emissions target goal with the current formulation • Strive for an emission rights allocation system that is as transparent, fair and predictable as possible • The policy framework should aim for a high level of stability through interaction with the affected stakeholders • These factors are inherently important for the overall efficiency of the policy framework

The thesis aims to examine the impact of climate change on line rating and to investigate the possibility of a potential increase of capacity of an overhead line. The line rating of an overhead line determines how much current can be transmitted in the line. The weather parameters which affect the line rating are ambient temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, and wind direction. If the line rating is adapted to weather conditions, it is important to be able to predict how the weather will change in the future. Therefore, the impact of climate change on weather parameters is investigated. The ambient temperature and solar radiation are expected to change between different scenarios. However, it is unclear how wind speed and wind direction will be affected. Climate scenarios are designed that take these findings into account. The results show that wind speed has, by a large margin from other weather parameters, the largest impact on the dynamic line rating. This is followed by the wind's angle of attack to the conductor, ambient temperature, and finally solar radiation. For the designed climate scenarios, the dynamic line rating is almost the same in each case, which means that the calculated change in ambient temperature and solar radiation has no significant effect on the line rating. To further increase the capacity of the overhead line, the line could be upgraded with a conductor with a larger cross-sectional area.

This master thesis investigates planning initiatives to address extreme weather events' impacts, specifically focusing on floods in Namibia. The study highlights the significance of such events in the context of global climate change, emphasising their adverse effects on livelihoods, particularly in rural communities and informal settlements. The research aims to evaluate existing strategic plans and policies in Namibia concerning extreme weather events and to examine the extent to which such events are considered when planning initiatives are implemented. Based on the theoretical framework of implementation theory, the study adopts a mixed-method research approach. Document analysis is employed to examine policies and plans related to planning in Namibia, while semi-structured interviews with key informants provide insights into the stakeholders' perspectives. A comprehensive understanding of the subject is achieved by comparing and validating findings from both methods. The results of the study reveal several approaches in current strategic plans and policies regarding the consideration of floods in Namibia. While several documents acknowledge the threat of floods and outline responsibilities and measures, there is a lack of comprehensive and coordinated approaches. The study highlights the need for a more integrated approach and increased alignment among different levels of planning documents. Furthermore, the research shows that the implementation of planning initiatives in Namibia is a centralised process overseen by the Ministry of Urban and Regional Development, with a limited focus on flooding beyond urban areas. The study identifies key challenges in implementing climate change adaptation strategies and projects in Namibia, including limited communication and coordination between actors, difficulties in accessing planning laws, plans and policies, and the centralisation of planning at the national level. However, opportunities for improvement are also recognised, such as enhanced local autonomy in planning processes and the integration of local and indigenous knowledge. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of addressing the impact of extreme weather events, particularly floods, through comprehensive and coordinated planning initiatives in Namibia. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers and planners in developing effective strategies to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change in the country.

There is an urgent need to mitigate carbon emissions to the atmosphere to reduce the negative effects of climate change. Countries have pledged national strategies to reach their climate change mitigation goals in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). In the case of Colombia, the country envisions becoming carbon neutral by 2050.  A pathway to reach this goal is emission reduction through nature-based solutions (NBS). Biochar is an NBS with the potential to be used as a land-based emission mitigation technology. Records indicate that it was first used by indigenous communities in the Amazon about a thousand years ago. Biochar can be obtained through thermochemical conversion by slow pyrolysis of residual biomass. The original organic carbon present in the biomass is sequestered in the biochar as it is pyrolyzed and thus, CO2 emissions are prevented. Biochar is not yet considered in Colombia´s carbon neutrality strategy. The aim of this thesis project is to investigate the potential of biochar production in Colombia as a land-based mitigation technology (LMT). Therefore, a comprehensive assessment is performed with the purpose of identifying the status of biochar in the country. The motivation behind the assessment is to gain an understanding of the variables involved in biochar production. Factors such as the production sectors involved, feedstocks, production technologies, project costs and emission mitigation are of interest. The study explores these factors by following five methodological steps. First, the current research on the technology is mapped to understand biochar’s status at a national level. Second, experts are interviewed to collect their views regarding biochar and a PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental & Legal) analysis is employed based on their point of view on the technology. Third, the potential sources of residual biomass which could be used to produce biochar in the agricultural sector are quantified. The approach to biochar’s potential is enriched with a focused in-person case study of biochar production from oil palm residues. Fourth, these residual biomass sources are subsequently employed to estimate the emissions sequestered in their biochar production. Lastly, project feasibility implementation is evaluated through a techno-economic to identify the project’s main cost drivers. The results are then discussed using a SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, and Opportunities & Threats) analysis. The existing studies and the local experts’ opinion indicate that biochar potential is in the agricultural sector and that it can be thought of for soil adaptation. Biochar’s emission mitigation is considered an added value. In 2021, the agricultural sector produced near 73 million tonnes of agricultural products. The residues from agriculture could be used for biochar production. If the residues from the most produced agricultural products are transformed into biochar, about 1 to 2,2 tonne of CO2 per tonne of biochar could be avoided. The published literature and the in-person study visit confirmed that the largest advance in biochar production and use in Colombia is in the oil palm sector. Palm kernel shell, fibre and empty fruit bunches are the oil palm residues that could be used to produce biochar. From 1 tonne of these three oil palm residues, about 60 kg of biochar can be obtained. The results show that currently there is no market for trading with biochar in Colombia. High investments, transport and feedstock costs are identified obstacles. An Advanced Technology pyrolizer cost can cost around 330.000 USD while a Basic Technology one can be around 100 USD. Taxes associated with revenue from the biochar trade can negatively impact a biochar project’s feasibility. In this study, a price for biochar is estimated using break-even analysis. Under the assumptions used, the biochar price per tonne is around 200 to 1.000 USD. Price variability is explained in the technologies used for production, feedstock biomass availability and variable revenues from biochar sales. / Koldioxidutsläppen till atmosfären behöver minskas för att undvika de negativa effekterna av klimatförändringar. Olika länder har presenterat på sina nationellt fastställda bidrag (NDC) hur sina mål för begränsning av klimatförändringarna skulle kunna uppnås. I Colombia är planen att uppnå koldioxidneutralitet år 2050. Ett sätt att uppnå detta mål är att minska utsläpp genom naturbaserade lösningar (NBS). Biokol är en NBS som kan användas som landbaserade åtgärder för att minska växthusgasutsläpp eller öka koldioxidupptag. Forskning har bevisat att biokol användes i Amazonas för ungefär tusen år sedan. Biokol framställs genom långsam pyrolys av restprodukter av biomass. Kolet i biomassan binds i biokolet genom pyrolysis, vilket förhindrar koldioxidens utsläppning till atmosfären. Biokol inkluderas ännu inte i Colombias strategi för koldioxidneutralitet. Syftet med detta projekt är att undersöka biokolets produktionspotential i Colombia son ett landbaserade åtgärder (LMT). En analys gjordes för att identifiera statusen av biokol runt om i landet. Faktorer såsom berörda produktionssektorer, råvaror, produktionstekniker, projektkostnader och koldioxidutsläppen var av intresse. Studien undersöker faktorerna ovan genom att tillämpa en femstegsmetod. Först identifierades den aktuella forskningen om biokol i Colombia. Sedan intervjuades experter för att samla in deras åsikter om biokol och en PESTEL analys (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental & Legal) användes. Nästa steg i metoden var att kvantifiera potentialen av restprodukter inom jordbrukssektorn. Detta steg kompletterades med en fallstudie som fokuserade på biokolproduktion från rester från oljepalmer och sedan beräknades utsläppen som binds i biokol. Till sist utvärderades projektets genomförbarhet genom en teknoekonomisk analys som identifierade viktigaste drivkrafterna bakom kostnaderna. Resultaten diskuterades med hjälp av en SWOT analys (Strength, Weaknesses, and Opportunities & Threats). Experter och forskningsresultat om biokol i Colombia anger att det finns stor potential nom jordbrukssektor där biokol skulle kunna användas för jordförbättring, medan utsläppsminskningar endast anses vara en ytterligare fördel. År 2021 Colombias jordbrukssektor producerade nästan 73 millioner tonne av jordbruksprodukter och restprodukter från jordbruket kan användas för produktion av biokol. För varje ton biokol som produceras undviks ungefär 1 till 2,2 tonne koldioxid. Litteraturen och studiebesöket bekräftade att största framsteget inom produktion och användning av biokol i Colombia händer inom oljepalmssektorn. Palmkärnor, fibrer och tomma fruktknippar är restprodukterna som kan användas för att producera biokol. En ton av dessa tre typer av oljepalmsrester ger cirka 60 kg biokol. Resultaten visar att det inte finns en marknad för biokol i Colombia. Höga investeringskostnader, transport-och råvarukostnader är främsta hindarna som identifierades. En pyrolysanläggning med avancerad teknik kostar cirka 330 000 US-dollar, medan en pyrolysanläggning med grundläggande teknik kostar cirka 100 US -dollar. Skatter på inkomster från biokolsförsäljning kan ha en negativ effekt på genomförbarhet. Studien uppskattas ett pris för biokol med hjälp av en break-even-analys och visar att cirka 200 till 1.000 USD per tonne biokol vore ett möjligt prisintervall. Prisvariationerna förklaras av tekniken som används för produktion, tillgång på biomassa som råvara och varierande intäkter från biokolförsäljning.

Antropogena klimatförändringar, förkortat AK, är ett av nutidens stora miljöproblem. För att hantera AK är människors motivation och intention att agera klimatvänligt viktigt, eftersom avsaknad motivation och intention att adressera AK kan bringa negativa konsekvenser för samhället. Individers motivation och intention att agera klimatvänligt kan influeras av framing, vilket syftar till att betona specifika delar av verkligheten. Vilken framing som används kan vara avgörande ifall individer agerar klimatvänligt eller inte. Den konventionella framing som dominerar samhället grundas i att betona fakta och de negativa effekterna av AK. AK framställs som en inkräktande katastrof vilken bör hanteras via uppoffringar, förluster och kostnader. Konventionella klimatkommunikationen kan leda till passivitet hos individer och en önskan att undvika ämnet. Eftersom motivation och intention att agera klimatvänligt är betydande uppstår behovet att skapa en icke-konventionell framing som tar människors psykologiska barriärer i åtanke. Syftet med studien var att applicera Stoknes (2015) teori om de fem psykologiska barriärerna som hindrar en effektiv klimatkommunikation och hur dessa barriärer kan tas i åtanke för att uppnå en mer effektiv klimatkommunikation. Två olika framing alternativ i form av berättelser var fokus för studien. Frågeställningen var: Hur påverkar konventionell respektive icke-konventionell framing individers motivation och intention att agera klimatvänligt? För att testa berättelserna utfördes ett kontrollerat experiment och en sluten enkät utgjorde mätinstrument för att kvantifiera motivation och intention. Data från enkäten analyserades med Mann-Whitney U test och Cohen’s d test. En viss ökning av motivation och intention ägde rum, men det fanns inte en statistisk signifikant skillnad i motivation och intention att agera klimatvänligt efter deltagarna utsatts för en berättelse. Data antyder förändringar i motivation och intention skett för gruppen som tog del av icke-konventionella framing alternativet, och därmed bör fortsättningsstudier genomföras med normalfördelad population av betydligt större skala. Vidare kan potentiellt en annan vetenskapsteoretisk utgångspunkt nyttjas, specifikt flermetodsforskning. / Anthropogenic climate change, abbreviated ACC, is a major environmental problem. People’s motivation and intention to act climate-friendly is important in addressing ACC since lacking motivation and intention to address ACC can have dire consequences for society and the environment. Individuals’ motivation and intention to act climate-friendly can be influenced by framing, which refers to the practice of emphasizing certain aspects of reality. What type of framing is being utilized can be crucial regarding individuals acting climate-friendly. The conventional framing dominating society is based on emphasizing facts and negative consequences of ACC. ACC is portrayed as an encroaching disaster managed via sacrifices, losses, and costs. However, this can lead to passivity and a desire to avoid the topic. Since motivation and intention to act climate-friendly is important, the need for a non-conventional framing arises. The study's purpose was to create a framing that took psychological barriers into account based on Stoknes (2015) theories regarding climate communication and to investigate how it affected motivation and intention to act climate-friendly. The research question was: How do conventional framing and non-conventional framing affect individuals’ motivation and intention to act climate-friendly? Two framing alternatives made up of stories about ACC were tested during a controlled experiment, and motivation and intention were quantified utilizing a closed-ended questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Cohen’s d test. A slight increase in motivation and intention was measured, but no statistically significant difference existed in motivation and intention to act climate-friendly after the participants had been subjected to a framing alternative. Data suggests changes in motivation and intention to act climate-friendly occurred for the group subjected to the non-conventional framing, and thus further research should be conducted with a normally distributed population of a significantly larger scale. Furthermore, future studies could pursue mixed methods research.

Klimatförändringarna är en av vår tids största utmaningar och stater har samlat sig för att begränsa de bakomliggande orsakerna och dess konsekvenser. Genom avtal, agendor och deklarationer planerar stater för gröna ekonomier fria från utsläpp av växthusgaser, med målsättning att förhindra ytterligare störningar i klimatsystemet. Omställningsarbetet för att minska utsläppen av växthusgaser har sipprat ner på kommunal nivå, eftersom deras lokala expertis och förmåga att verka på gräsrotsnivå är avgörande. Forskarsamväldet har synliggjort vikten av att basera omställningen på rättviseaspekter, men definitioner av en rättvis omställning är tvetydiga inom området. Den här studien syftar till att undersöka om och hur miljö- och klimaträttvisa framställs i svenska kommuners strategier för att motverka klimatförändringar. För att uppfylla studiens syfte har tillgänglig strategisk dokumentation av fyra svenska miljö- och hållbarhets-topprankade kommuner analyserats. Med vägledning av JUST-ramverket, som representerar principerna för miljö- och klimaträttvisa, visar resultatet att även om rättviseprinciper inte är huvudsyftet med deras strategier, är aspekter av rättvisa relativt närvarande. Resultatet visar dessutom att kommunernas olikheter och förutsättningar påverkar deras strategiska arbete med klimatförändringar och likaså förekomsten av miljö- och klimaträttvisa. / Climate change is one of the main challenges of the 21st century, and states are coming together intending to mitigate its causes and consequences. Through agreements, agendas and declarations, states aim towards green economies to prevent further disruptions within the climate system. Furthermore, the transition work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has trickled down to a municipal level, as their local expertise and ability to operate at a grassroots level is vital to the transitional work. Scholars have highlighted the importance of making the transition based on aspects of justice, even though the definition of a just transition is unclear within the field. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how and if environmental and climate justice are occurring in Swedish municipalities' strategies towards climate change mitigation. To do so, available strategic documentation of four top-rated sustainability and climate-aware municipalities in Sweden has been analyzed and interpreted. Through the lens of JUST-framework, representing principles of environmental and climate justice, the results reveal that while justice is not a central point in these strategies, elements of justice are relatively present. The findings indicate that the municipalities' differences and circumstances affect their strategic work with climate change mitigation and whether justice is occurring.

Industrisektorn står inför omfattande omställningsutmaningar i samband med dess höga klimat- och miljöpåverkan. Trots att en omställning av fossilintensiva industrier är högst nödvändig är samhället fortfarande beroende av dem på flera sätt eftersom de bidrar till viktiga samhällsfunktioner, arbetstillfällen och produkter. Omställningar är ofta omtvistade, där framför allt klimat- och miljöfördelar ställs mot ekonomiska och sociala nackdelar. Detta har skapat en debatt om hur omställningsarbetet ska genomföras på ett rättvist sätt. Rättvis omställning är ett koncept som ska minimera de negativa effekterna som omställningar kan resultera i och samtidigt maximera de positiva effekterna. Både EU och Sverige har politiska ambitioner för att underlätta genomförandet av en rättvis omställning, exempelvis genom den gröna given, fonden för rättvis omställning och nationella styrmedel. Syftet med denna studie är att utforska hur rättvis omställning speglas i debatten kring omställningen av svensk industri. Mer specifikt kommer åsikter om de två fossilintensiva industrierna Cementa och Preemraff att undersökas genom att analysera delar av mediedebatten. För att undersöka aktörernas åsikter har kvalitativa innehållsanalyser och intervjuer genomförts. Studien visar att motståndarna till industrierna framför allt lyfter argument om den negativa klimat- och miljöpåverkan som industrierna har, medan förespråkarna främst lyfter argument kopplat till negativa ekonomiska och samhällsmässiga effekter som en omställning kan innebära. Även om åsikterna går isär kring hur omställningen av fossilintensiva industrier ska genomföras på ett rättvis sätt belyser vår studie vikten av att beakta olika perspektiv i omställningar. / Deep decarbonization of fossil-intensive industries will be necessary to keep global warming well below 2°C. However, industries play an important role considering their contribution to jobs, local society, and necessary materials. Industries multifaceted advantages and disadvantages often result in infected debates considering how a just transition should be implemented. Just transition is a concept where the negative impacts a transition could result in should be minimized and simultaneously maximize the positive effects. There are political ambitions in both the EU and Sweden to facilitate a just transition, for example through the European Green Deal, the fund for a just transition and national policy instruments. The aim of this study is to explore how a just transition is framed in parts of the media debate concerning transitions of Swedish fossil-intensive industries. More specifically the study investigates the opinions about the two fossil-intensive industries, Cementa and Preemraff. This has been made possible to investigate through qualitative content analysis and interviews. The analysis shows that opponents to the industries mainly highlight the negative climate and environmental impacts while the advocates mostly highlight social and economic concerns. Even though the opinions about how a just transition of industries should be made differs, our study illustrates the importance of implementing justice in the transition process of fossil-intensive industries.

Behovet av klimatanpassning i kustområden är stort, och fortsätter öka världen över. Naturbaserade lösningar (NBS) är flexibla och multifunktionella åtgärder som samverkar med naturliga processer, vilket gör dem anpassningsbara till förändrade förhållanden, till skillnad från hårda kustskydd. Genom denna studies kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra skånska kustkommuner har förutsättningar för NBS att främja klimatanpassning visats vara på god väg. Kustkommunerna ser NBS som ett självklart förstahandsval inom kustskydd. NBS har fått större genomslag i och med ökat samarbete på lokal, regional, nationell och internationell nivå genom nätverk och projekt, vilket har möjliggjort stort utbyte av praktiska lärdomar och kunskap om NBS, naturliga processer och klimatförändringars effekt i kustområden. Samverkan är en viktig del i klimatanpassningsarbetet där samlad expertis bidrar till gemensam förståelse för NBS funktion och mervärden. Idag finns konsensus om ett naturbaserat arbetssätt, där tjänstepersoners och eldsjälars kunskap, intresse och engagemang spelar en avgörande roll för det kommunala arbetet med NBS. Deltagande i NBS-projekt ger mer praktisk erfarenhet och synliggör åtgärdernas positiva effekter, vilket i sin tur kan skapa lokala politiska incitament för att integrera och använda NBS ytterligare i klimatanpassningsarbetet. Dock påträffas flertalet svårigheter, i huvudsak gällande förlegad lagstiftning som inte är kompatibel med NBS flexibilitet, tidskrävande och komplicerade tillståndsprocesser samt frånvaron av uttalat tillvägagångssätt gällande gränsöverskridande åtgärder för hur kommuner, myndigheter samt enskilda fastighetsägare ska samarbeta och dela på ansvaret. För att kunna normalisera och skala upp implementering behöver NBS bli inkluderade som standardalternativ vid beslut om olika kustskyddsåtgärder. Svenska kustkommuner kommer behöva ta ställning och diskutera acceptansen för klimatförändringars olika grad av påverkan i kustområden, där obekväma beslut och övervägandet av andra strategier såsom förändrad markanvändning och planerad reträtt väntas bli mer påträngande. Studiens resultat kan förhoppningsvis uppmuntra naturbaserade insatser inom svenskt klimatanpassningsarbete ytterligare, för att säkerhetsställa levande kustområden där natur och samhällen kan bevaras och klimatsäkras för dagens och framtida klimatförändringar. / The need for climate adaptation in coastal areas is great, and continues to increase worldwide. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are flexible and multifunctional measures that interact with natural processes, which makes them adaptable to changing conditions, as opposed to hard coastal protection. Through this study's qualitative interviews with four southern Swedish coastal municipalities, the conditions for NBS to promote climate adaptation have been shown to be on the right track. The coastal municipalities see NBS as an obvious first choice in coastal protection. NBS have had a greater breakthrough by increased cooperation at local, regional, national and international level through networks and projects, which has enabled a great exchange of practical lessons and knowledge about NBS, natural processes and the effect of climate change in coastal areas. Collaboration is an important part of the climate adaptation work, where collective expertise contributes to a common understanding of NBS' function and co-benefits. Today, there is consensus on a nature-based approach, where the knowledge, interest and commitment of officials and champions play a crucial role in the municipal work with NBS. Participation in NBS projects provides more practical experience and highlights the positive effects of the measures, which in turn can create local political incentives to further integrate and implement NBS in climate adaptation work. However, many difficulties are encountered, mainly regarding outdated legislation that is not compatible with NBS flexibility, time-consuming and complicated permit processes, and the absence of a stated approach regarding cross-border measures for how municipalities, authorities and individual property owners should cooperate and share responsibility. To be able to normalize and scale up implementation, NBS needs to be included as a standard alternative when deciding on various coastal protection measures. Swedish coastal municipalities will need to take a stand and discuss acceptance of climate change's different level of impact in coastal areas, where uncomfortable decisions and the consideration of other strategies such as changed land-use and planned retreat are expected to become more intrusive. The results of the study can hopefully encourage nature-based initiatives in Swedish climate adaptation work further, to ensure living coastal areas where nature and communities can be preserved and climate-secured for current and future climate change.

This thesis investigates the impact of climate refugees on the real estate market in coastal Louisiana and methods to mitigate entry barriers in safer markets. Utilizing a mix-methods approach, including quantitative analysis of socio-economic indicators from 2005 to 2023 and qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, the research reveals significant disparities in property values and housing trends between coastal and inland regions. The findings suggest that frequent climate disasters may be a significant factor that has led to declining property values and increased financial instability in affected areas. These results underscore the need for targeted policy interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on vulnerable communities. / Denna avhandling undersöker klimatflyktingars inverkan på fastighetsmarknaden i kustnära Louisiana och metoder för att mildra inträdesbarriärer på säkrare marknader. Genom att använda en blandad metod, inklusive kvantitativ analys av socioekonomiska indikatorer från 2005 till 2023 och kvalitativa intervjuer med viktiga intressenter, visar forskningen betydande skillnader i fastighetsvärden och bostadstrender mellan kust- och inlandsregioner. Resultaten tyder på att täta klimatkatastrofer kan vara en betydande faktor som har lett till sjunkande fastighetsvärden och ökad finansiell instabilitet i drabbade områden. Dessa resultat understryker behovet av riktade politiska insatser för att mildra de negativa effekterna av klimatförändringar på utsatta samhällen.

<p>The purpose of this thesis was to examine the relationship between feelings and visualizations of climate change. A case study was done on visualizations of climate change from a web page concerning climate change published by the Swedish newspaper <em>Expressen </em>and from the American photographer Gary Braasch’s web page “World view of global warming”. The thesis is based on the article ”Emotional anchoring and objectification in the media reporting on climate change” by Birgitta Höijer. I have been aiming to understand the feelings of fear, hope, guilt, compassion and nostalgia through semiotic theories of icon, index and symbol.</p><p>Previous research has proven the difficulties in bringing the issue of climate change up on the public agenda – which is connected to the difficulties of visualizing climate change. The nature of climate change being slow and hard to spot on an individual level has been highlighted as a cause of both of these difficulties. Pictures and photos have in this thesis been seen as the “interface” between science and the public – and hence <em>decoders</em> of the science of climate change. Höijer’s article about feelings has been used to understand this process of decoding.</p><p>The results show that the analyzed material could be linked to and described by the semiotic theories of icon, index and symbol. The emotional anchoring found in the material and the semiotic application have been shown to work complementarily with each other, leading to a broader understanding of the material’s relationship to social cognitions. The results further demonstrated that context is essential in some of the analyzed visualizations of climate change. Generic pictures found in the material could have been regarded as icon, index or symbol of other messages – but is through its contexts anchored with feelings, and becomes visualizations of climate change. The analysis also suggests that if icons of nature could be connected with feelings – so could nature itself. The consequences are speculated to lead to objectification of nature and ecophobia. By objectifying nature and using generic pictures, the material’s relationship to the concepts of “truth” and “myth” is questioned.</p><p>In conclusion, understanding of the analyzed material is advantageously achieved through complementary use of Höijers emotional categories and the semiotic theories of icon, index and symbol.</p>