Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Vetenskaplig osäkerhet i policyprocessen : En studie av svensk klimatpolitik

Knaggård, Åsa LU (2009) In Lund Political Studies
Abstract
The dissertation is about scientific uncertainty in the policy process, that is when scientific knowledge about an issue is lacking or the existing knowledge is uncertain. The aim of the study is to understand if and how scientific uncertainty affects the policy process. For that purpose, the development of climate change policy in Sweden is studied, from 1975 until 2007. The material studied consists of interviews with politicians, bureaucrats and scientists, newspaper articles and debate articles, as well as governmental and agency material. The theoretical framework developed and used in the dissertation builds on John Kingdon’s multiple streams framework as well as insights from Science and Technology Studies, relating to the... (More)
The dissertation is about scientific uncertainty in the policy process, that is when scientific knowledge about an issue is lacking or the existing knowledge is uncertain. The aim of the study is to understand if and how scientific uncertainty affects the policy process. For that purpose, the development of climate change policy in Sweden is studied, from 1975 until 2007. The material studied consists of interviews with politicians, bureaucrats and scientists, newspaper articles and debate articles, as well as governmental and agency material. The theoretical framework developed and used in the dissertation builds on John Kingdon’s multiple streams framework as well as insights from Science and Technology Studies, relating to the production of knowledge and the relation between scientists and society.



The study shows that scientific uncertainty is only one among many factors that affect the policy process and that it has a limited influence. The area where scientific uncertainty, in the case studied, has had most influence is in the selection and formulation of policies. There policy makers have used a number of ways to make decisions in the face of uncertainty. These include reframing the issue so that uncertainties are no longer relevant, relying on the precautionary principle, requesting more research, and basing decisions on the judgment of scientists. The most common way of managing uncertainty has been to reframe the issue. In the case studied, scientific uncertainty has made scientists very influential as to how climate change has come to be understood as a political problem. Yet they have had a very limited influence over the formulation of climate policy. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Avhandlingen handlar om vetenskaplig osäkerhet i policyprocessen, det vill säga när vetenskaplig kunskap om en fråga saknas eller den existerande kunskapen är osäker. Studiens huvudsyfte är att förstå om och hur vetenskaplig osäkerhet påverkar policyprocessen. För att undersöka detta har utvecklingen av den svenska klimatpolitiken från 1975 fram till 2007 studerats. Materialet som undersöks består av intervjuer med politiker, tjänstemän och forskare, tidningsartiklar och debattartiklar, liksom riksdagstryck och rapporter från ämbetsverken. Det teoretiska ramverk som utvecklas och används i avhandlingen baseras på John Kingdons flödesramverk och forskning inom Science and Technology Studies, som... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Avhandlingen handlar om vetenskaplig osäkerhet i policyprocessen, det vill säga när vetenskaplig kunskap om en fråga saknas eller den existerande kunskapen är osäker. Studiens huvudsyfte är att förstå om och hur vetenskaplig osäkerhet påverkar policyprocessen. För att undersöka detta har utvecklingen av den svenska klimatpolitiken från 1975 fram till 2007 studerats. Materialet som undersöks består av intervjuer med politiker, tjänstemän och forskare, tidningsartiklar och debattartiklar, liksom riksdagstryck och rapporter från ämbetsverken. Det teoretiska ramverk som utvecklas och används i avhandlingen baseras på John Kingdons flödesramverk och forskning inom Science and Technology Studies, som behandlar produktionen av kunskap och relationen mellan forskare och samhället.



Studien visar att vetenskaplig osäkerhet bara är en av många faktorer som påverkar utvecklingen i policyprocessen och att den inte är en av de mer framträdande. I det studerade fallet är det främst vad gäller val och utveckling av policyer som vetenskaplig osäkerhet har haft en påverkan. Politiska beslutsfattare har hanterat osäkerheten på ett antal olika sätt för att möjliggöra beslut trots den. De hanteringssätt som identifierats i avhandlingen är att en fråga omformuleras så att osäkerheterna inte blir relevanta, att försiktighetsprincipen åberopas, att mer forskning efterfrågas, och att beslut baseras på forskares bedömningar. Att frågan omformuleras har varit det vanligast förekommande sättet att hantera osäkerhet. I det studerade fallet har vetenskaplig osäkerhet inneburit att forskare fått ett stort inflytande över hur klimatfrågan ska förstås som politiskt problem, men däremot inte över hur den ska hanteras. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • docent Nilsson, Måns, Stockholm Environment Institute
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Scientific uncertainty, policy making, Kingdon, climate policy, energy policy, science and technology studies, policy entrepreneur, knowledge broker, framing, Sweden, climate change, policy process
in
Lund Political Studies
issue
156
pages
348 pages
publisher
Lund University
defense location
Edens hörsal, Statsvetenskapliga institutionen
defense date
2009-10-02 10:15:00
ISSN
0460-0037
ISBN
978-91-88306-75-3
91-88306-75-5
project
Climate Initiative
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
17905f87-c25d-4786-9436-4e90e17f28c8 (old id 1472541)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:20:56
date last changed
2025-04-04 13:54:27
@phdthesis{17905f87-c25d-4786-9436-4e90e17f28c8,
  abstract     = {{The dissertation is about scientific uncertainty in the policy process, that is when scientific knowledge about an issue is lacking or the existing knowledge is uncertain. The aim of the study is to understand if and how scientific uncertainty affects the policy process. For that purpose, the development of climate change policy in Sweden is studied, from 1975 until 2007. The material studied consists of interviews with politicians, bureaucrats and scientists, newspaper articles and debate articles, as well as governmental and agency material. The theoretical framework developed and used in the dissertation builds on John Kingdon’s multiple streams framework as well as insights from Science and Technology Studies, relating to the production of knowledge and the relation between scientists and society. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
The study shows that scientific uncertainty is only one among many factors that affect the policy process and that it has a limited influence. The area where scientific uncertainty, in the case studied, has had most influence is in the selection and formulation of policies. There policy makers have used a number of ways to make decisions in the face of uncertainty. These include reframing the issue so that uncertainties are no longer relevant, relying on the precautionary principle, requesting more research, and basing decisions on the judgment of scientists. The most common way of managing uncertainty has been to reframe the issue. In the case studied, scientific uncertainty has made scientists very influential as to how climate change has come to be understood as a political problem. Yet they have had a very limited influence over the formulation of climate policy.}},
  author       = {{Knaggård, Åsa}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-88306-75-3}},
  issn         = {{0460-0037}},
  keywords     = {{Scientific uncertainty; policy making; Kingdon; climate policy; energy policy; science and technology studies; policy entrepreneur; knowledge broker; framing; Sweden; climate change; policy process}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  number       = {{156}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Political Studies}},
  title        = {{Vetenskaplig osäkerhet i policyprocessen : En studie av svensk klimatpolitik}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3313639/1472546.pdf}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}