Mikael Granberg

I am a professor of political science and a researcher at the Centre for Societal Risk Research (CSR), where I study how societies try to navigate a world shaped by rising risks and increasing uncertainty — and why our political institutions so often struggle to keep up.

In my role as Vice Chair of the Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science (CNDS) at Uppsala University, I work with researchers from climate science, social science, and security studies to understand how societies can better prepare for extreme weather, natural hazards, and long term environmental changes. This collaboration helps bridge gaps between scientific insight and real world political action.

My work also extends beyond Sweden. As an affiliated researcher at the Climate Change Adaptation Lab (CCAL) at La Trobe University in Melbourne, I am involved in research that explore how climate change affects our society and reshape communities, decision making, and people’s sense of security.

Over the last 20 years of my career, I have been driven by a simple but pressing question: Can our current political systems handle the challenges that a changing climate brings? My research shows that the answer is far from clear or positive. While we have extensive scientific knowledge about climate scenarios and risks, our political and institutional structures are rarely built to act on that knowledge with the speed and coordination required.

In recent years, my attention has increasingly turned to how ideas, norms, and ideologies shape the way we perceive and talk about climate change, and how these processes open or close pathways for meaningful action. I believe that understanding climate change requires more than science; it requires understanding society with its power and politics, and the stories we tell about what is possible. My goal is to contribute to that understanding — and to help highlight what it would take for societies to respond to climate change not just with ambition, but with real capacity.

Recent publications

(in English only. For my publications in Swedish, look at the Swedish version of this webpage)

I am, together with Ioannis Rigkos author of article "Exploring democracy in the anthropocene: The case of practices of collective care" (2024). You can read more about the article here. 

I am, together with Leigh Glover, author of the book Climate Change as Societal Risk: Revealing Threats, Reshaping Values (2023). You can find information about the book here.

I am, together with Evangelia Petridou, Jörgen Sparf, Per Becker and Beatrice Onn the author of the open access article "Pandemic responses at the subnational level: Exploring politics, administration, and politicization in Swedish municipalities" (2022). You can read the article here.

I am, together with Ingemar Elander och Stig Montin, author of the open access article "Governance and planning in a ‘perfect storm’: Securitising climate change, migration and Covid-19 in Sweden" (2022) in the journal Progress in Planning. You can read the article here. 

I am, together with Anthony Greenfield and Susie Moloney, the author of the open access article "Climate emergencies in Australian local governments: from symbolic act to disrupting the status quo?" (2022). You can read the article here.

I am, together with David Olsson and Andreas Öjehag-Pettersson, author of the open access article "Building a Sustainable Society: Construction, Public Procurement Policy and ‘Best Practice’ in the European Union" (2021) published in the journal Sustainability. You can read the article here.

I am, together with Leigh Glover, author of the open access article "The politics of maladaptation" (2021) published in the journal Climate. You can read the article here.

I am, together with Ann-Catrin Kristianssen, author of the open access article "Transforming local climate adaptation organization: Barriers and progress in 13 Swedish municipalities" (2021) published in the journal Climate. You can read the article here.

I am, together with Leigh Glover, author of the open access article "The climate just city" (2021) published in the journal Sustainability. You can read the article here.

I am a co-author of the open access article "Covid-19 and Sweden’s exceptionalism—a spotlight on the cracks in the social fabric of a mature welfare state" (2021) published in the journal Public Money & Management. You can read the article here.

I am, together with Erik Persson, author of the open access article "Implementation through collaborative crisis management and contingency planning: the case of dam failure in Sweden" (2020) published in the Journal of Risk Research. You can read the article here.

New book (2020) with Leigh Glover, The Politics of Adapting to Climate Change. You find more information about the book here.

I am a co-author on the open access article "Sustainable development and cross-disciplinary research education: Challenges and opportunities for learning" (2020) published in the journal Högre Utbildning.You can read the article here.

I supervise doctoral and master students and teach courses on all educational levels.

I collaborate with external actors and often speak at various events aimed at actors in the private and public sector about aspects of climate policy. I am a memeber of the steering group for Karlstad Municipality's "Climate Neutral Karlstad" and in the innovation team for Karlstad Municipality's climate transition.

I am, together with Hartmut Fünfgeld and Susie Moloney editor for an Edvard Elgar "Handbook on Local Government and Climate Change". The book is due for publication in 2027 so the work of commisioning chapter authors has jut started.

Edvard Elgar descibe their handbooks in the following way: "Our authoritative handbooks comprise specially commissioned, peer reviewed, original chapters offering comprehensive analyses of each topic. Our handbooks are unique in their research focus and, in many cases, the cross disciplinary nature of the topics. We publish handbooks in established fields and in emerging areas that outline current research and set out new research agendas for the future. A good mix of senior and emerging scholars allows for a lively debate between chapters and encourages aspirations to pave the way for future research."

Here is a short desciption of our handbook: Local governments play a crucial role in tackling climate change at local and regional levels. They have often pioneered climate action, joining international networks and driving strategies for emissions reduction in energy, mobility, and urban development. Beyond mitigation, they must also protect citizens from climate impacts like extreme weather, planning for resilience and adaptation. Limited resources make integrated approaches—such as nature-based solutions for greening, carbon storage, and cooling—especially valuable.

Together with higher levels of government, municipalities share responsibility for effective climate interventions. These are relatively new policy areas, shaped by political debates over goals, speed, and distribution of costs and benefits. Local governments must align vertically within multi-level governance and horizontally across departments, balancing risks of unequal burdens with opportunities to improve well-being and transform economies and infrastructures sustainably.

Climate politics at the local level are complex and often polarized, influenced by competing priorities such as economic growth and inter-municipal competition. Moreover, local governments differ widely in geography, governance, and resources, facing diverse hazards and capacities. Thus, there is no universal blueprint—contextual understanding is essential for analysing their roles and responsibilities in climate action.

The Handbook on Local Government and Climate Change will provide a scholarly overview of key topics, approaches, methods and challenges associated with local government policymaking, planning and action on climate change. A key aim of the book is to provide insights into current challenges of local government climate action as they have recently been discussed in academic discourses, and highlight solutions by referring to practice-based cases of local governments that have managed to engage effectively in climate change.