Skip to main content
To KTH's start page

KTH Climate Action Centre mobilises forces

Speeding up climate action

Sunlight through green forest
“At this point, we know which paths lead to a safer climate. We have most of the technologies we need to achieve the climate goals. Now we need to create a series of infrastructural and societal changes in order to reach the finish line. That is the goal of our research at KTH’s Climate Action Centre,” says Francesco Fuso Nerini, Director of the centre. (Photo: Mostphotos)
Published May 11, 2022

Global environmental action is headed in the right direction, but it’s progressing too slowly, states Francesco Fuso Nerini, Director of KTH Climate Action Centre.
“We need a swift and radical reduction of emissions, and everyone knows that there’s no magical technology that can solve these problems. That’s why KTH Climate Action Centre’s researchers are focusing on changing society at a system level”.

The increase in worldwide greenhouse gas emissions has been at a record high for the last 20 years, despite international pledges to radically reduce them. And when the UN’s climate panel IPCC reported on the state of international environmental work this spring, countries were urged to speed up their climate action work at a system level.

“Covid-19 has shown us that major societal changes can be implemented quickly if countries invest sufficient resources into solving problems at hand. If the same type of global mobilization and focus during the pandemic were to go into climate action work, then we’d be in a completely different situation for the environment,” says Francesco Fuso Nerini , Director of KTH Climate Action Centre.

Portrait of Francesco Fuso Nerini
Francesco Fuso Nerini, föreståndare för KTH:s Climate Action Centre (Foto: Alexandra Von Kern)

KTH Climate Action Centre  brings together an increasing amount of researchers (currently around 40) from KTH’s various schools, in order to jointly accelerate the development of climate action measures in society.
“Although new environmental technologies do make a difference, technology cannot stand alone –we need to change society as a whole. We have to change industrial and social structures, and influence environmental policy solutions,” says Francesco Fuso Nerini.

As an example, he mentions KTH’s ongoing research project in collaboration with the World Bank , which aims to support climate and energy access planning in low-income countries.
“I am pleased to say that several of our research projects manage to link climate measures with actions that actively fight poverty.”

“We researchers gain influence by making information available. Through collaboration with
politicians, business and decision-makers, our multidisciplinary research can influence the development of society in a positive direction.”

What are the future plans for the centre’s activities?
“We are working towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the Swedish Climate Act deadline: By 2045, Sweden plans to reach net-zero emissions and we work with partners in business and policy to support that vision. The Climate Action Centre’s Deputy Director Karin Larsdotter  and I are working to attract more students to join our activities this autumn, and interest is expected to grow. We’re counting on growing.”

Katarina Ahlfort

Francesco Fuso Nerini's debate article "We know what we should be doing to solve the climate crisis, so why aren’t we doing it?” 

Climate Action Centre soon to be located on the KTH campus

- In August 2022, co-workers at the Climate Action Centre will move into premises at Teknikringen 43.
- We are already planning a number of climate activities for KTH students, starting in August. Many students’ commitment to sustainability is awakened later on in their studies and we’re hoping to get them involved at an earlier stage,” says Centre Director Francesco Fuso Nerini.

KTH News