Department Environmental Social Sciences

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In regions such as the Arctic and the Alps, climate change is progressing much faster than on global average. Rapid warming is affecting sensitive ecosystems and causing an increase in extreme events and natural hazards. Parallel to the search for effective answers in policy and practice, the role of science in society is also changing.

Until now, the role of science has often been described in terms of opposites such as problem/solution-oriented or distanced/engaged. However, such broad distinctions fall short of fully grasping the current changes. For successful adaptation to ongoing climate change, two potentials of science are becoming increasingly important: critically questioning existing decision-making structures and mobilizing social actors to take action. The project examines the extent to which researchers in two climate change hotspots – the Finnish Arctic and the Swiss Alps – are already exploiting these potentials. The project first takes stock of research projects ongoing or recently completed in the region of Lapland (Finland) and in the canton of Grisons (Switzerland) and identifies their societal orientation. It then examines selected research projects in greater depth with regard to their stakeholder relations and societal effects.

The project aims to provide a more differentiated view of how science relates to the social transformations that are so often talked about in a time of human-made environmental change. This can contribute to a broader understanding of scientific policy and practice advice as well as to reflective sustainability research in Switzerland and internationally.

The project will be carried out at Eawag (April to July 2025) and at ETH Zurich's TdLab (August 2025 to March 2026). Project outputs are documented on the SNSF project site.