Include Research centre for socially inclusive energy transitions

• Hegsvold, Kirsten (2026). Collective Decision‐Making and Institutional Configurations in Polycentric Environmental Governance. Environmental Policy and Governance. ISSN 1756-932X. 36(5), p. 1218–1218. doi: 10.1002/eet.70091. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  ABSTRACT Why do formally similar polycentric governance arrangements differ in their governance performance, and how do institutional configurations of enabling conditions account for these differences? [Correction added on 07 July 2026, after first online publication: The preceding sentence has been updated.] This article examines variation in governance performance across three metropolitan regions in Norway operating under the national Urban Growth Agreement (UGA) framework and pursuing the shared objective of zero growth in private car traffic. Drawing on participatory observation of steering group meetings, three rounds of elite interviews, and document analysis, the study analyzes how polycentric governance operates in practice. Building on the Institutional Analysis and Development framework and Carlisle and Gruby's concept of enabling conditions, it argues that variation in governance performance is explained less by whether enabling conditions are present than by how they are configured across decision arenas. The findings identify three governance configurations: one characterized by structured bargaining and distributive tensions, one by stable coordination supported by technical expertise and consensus‐oriented procedures, and one by consensus‐constrained adaptation shaped by territorial balancing. The findings show that institutional configurations of enabling conditions shape adaptive capacity, institutional fit, and redundancy in polycentric urban climate governance systems.

• Korsnes, Marius; Hansen, Arve; Sundet, Øyvind; Volden, Johannes & Loeng, Martin (2026). Bodies in tension: embodied persistence and change in meat-eating. Food, Culture, and Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research. ISSN 1552-8014. p. 22–22. doi: 10.1080/15528014.2026.2740964. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article examines how embodied knowledge contributes to both the reproduction and possible reorientation of meat consumption. Drawing on household interviews and a dietary experiment with consumers in Norway, we analyze three interconnected dimensions of embodied meat-eating: shared cultural understandings of meat as healthy and nutritious; habituated routines of shopping, cooking, and eating; and interpreted bodily experiences of taste, satiety, craving, and discomfort. Together, these dimensions show how meat becomes part of what feels normal, practical, satisfying, and at times necessary in everyday life. They also reveal tensions arising when habituated ways of eating, bodily experiences, and demands associated with health, social expectations, or dietary aspirations do not fully align. Inspired by practice theory, we conceptualize these frictions as “bodies in tension.” Such tensions may reinforce established conduct, be accommodated within familiar routines, or create openings for dietary reorientation. The article contributes to food studies by showing how bio-social bodies shape both the persistence and transformation of meat-eating. More broadly, it demonstrates that dietary transitions depend not only on changing attitudes or intentions but on creating alternative ways of shopping, cooking, tasting, and eating that can become familiar, satisfying, and socially supported.

• Tennøy, Aud & Hagen, Oddrun Helen (2026). How Social Justice Concerns in Strategic Land-Use Planning May Help Explain the Persistence of Urban Sprawl. Land. 15(10), p. 1–23. doi: 10.3390/land15101846. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper examines whether social justice concerns in strategic land-use planning may help explain the persistence of urban sprawl. It explores how such concerns shape political arguments and priorities and thereby influence whether planning outputs support sprawl, even where there is broad agreement on the need for sprawl containment. It further analyses which social justice concerns underpin arguments for both sprawl containment and sprawl, and which groups are recognised in these arguments. The empirical study draws on strategic land-use planning in four municipalities in the Oslo region, Norway, characterised by sustained population growth and a strict and widely supported sprawl containment regime. The data comprise planning documents and 12 interviews with politicians and planning officials. The findings suggest that social justice concerns may partly explain continued pressures for sprawl in the cases studied. Arguments supporting sprawl containment primarily recognised broad societal groups and future generations, whereas arguments supporting sprawl recognised more immediate concerns and specific groups. The paper contributes empirically grounded insights into how social justice operates in land-use planning and shapes political priorities and planning outcomes, thereby offering more nuanced explanations of why urban sprawl persists despite strong containment ambitions.

• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson; Matthiasen, Eivind Hjorth & Sareen, Siddharth (2026). Coherent, credible and comprehensive or diffuse and ineffective? The energy poverty policy mix in Norway during geopolitical changes. Energy Policy. ISSN 0301-4215. 220, p. 115615–115615. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115615. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Unlike numerous European Union member states, Norway lacks an explicit definition of energy poverty and targeted alleviation policies. Historically associated with energy abundance thanks to its early capitalisation on hydropower attributes, the country offers a fertile context to investigate the changing impact of Europe's turn towards energy security amid geopolitical turbulence and resultant impacts at household level. We report on the first study to address this directly in Norway by analysing its energy poverty policy mix. The policy mix literature has identified coherence, credibility and comprehensiveness as desirable aspects for effectiveness. Based on a top-down approach through a desk study of relevant policies, and a bottom-up approach using an expert focus group discussion, we identify and explain the implications of Norway's diffuse energy poverty policy mix. Measures address symptoms rather than underlying causes through short-term populist policies and misdirect support in ways that risk increasing inequity while failing to ameliorate energy poverty for vulnerable households. While Norway's broader welfare system offers social protection, the lack of a definition of energy poverty, ambiguous institutional responsibility, and weak coherence of policy measures limit policy mix effectiveness, while failing to furnish a firm base for its credible and comprehensive treatment.

• Nygård, Julie Høie; Nilsen, Elin Anita & Solnørdal, Mette Talseth (2026). “Delivering on Expectations”: The Potential of the Climate Budget to Facilitate Transformative Change. Climate. 14(9). doi: 10.3390/cli14090185. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Climate budgets are increasingly used by municipalities as a framework for monitoring emissions and aligning local actions with broader climate goals. Despite their growing use, their potential to support transformative climate change remains underexplored. This study examines the formal configuration of management controls in climate budgets and discusses their potential to facilitate transformative change. Drawing on the levers of control framework and the concept of dynamic tensions, we conducted a qualitative document study of climate budgets from eight municipalities in Norway. Our findings identify a predominance of controls centred on targets, indicators, and monitoring. By contrast, controls intended to promote dialogue and learning, establish behavioural boundaries, or articulate shared values and purpose were considerably less visible. The climate budgets are therefore well equipped to monitor predefined emission-reduction measures and support accountability, but provide a more limited formal basis for questioning assumptions, reconsidering priorities, and developing new responses. The study shows that performance information may contribute to transformative change when used as an input to dialogue and learning processes. Municipalities should therefore complement emissions monitoring with clear climate-related boundaries, shared purpose, and processes that use performance information to explore alternative responses.

• Amundrud, Anja & Rasmussen, Ingvill (2026). Interpreting tensions in teacher–researcher collaboration. Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice. ISSN 1354-0602. doi: 10.1080/13540602.2026.2713119. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Teacher—researcher collaboration is often promoted to create research-informed schools. Yet, research highlights several challenges that generate tensions shaping how such collaborations unfold in practice. This article examines how teachers reflected on and responded to such tensions in a design-based research project to promote dialogic teaching, using pedagogical resources and digital technology. The analysis draws on interviews with 14 Norwegian lower-secondary teachers. Using activity theory and the concept of experiencing, we investigated tensions related to pedagogical aims, resource use, and expectations of participation. The findings demonstrate how teachers navigated tensions through reflection, pragmatic adjustments, and partial engagement. Participation reflected what felt realistic and valuable in teaching routines. Modest or temporary uses of new resources were seen as meaningful, indicating how teachers adapted project ideas to their practice. Building on the concept of experiencing, we introduce relational experiencing to capture the reciprocal dynamic by which evolving relationships, expectations, and ongoing negotiations in teacher—researcher collaboration shape what teachers take up from, engage with, and sustain regarding the pedagogical resources and ideas introduced by researchers. The article contributes to the nuanced understanding of how teacher—researcher collaboration develops in practice, emphasising the significance of everyday negotiations, situated reflections, and adaptive practices as constructive elements.

• Bauwens, Thomas; Friant, Martin Calisto; Beumer, Koen & Velasco-Herrejón, Paola (2026). Pluriversal technologies: A decolonial typology of knowledge integration for disruptive sustainability. Research Policy. ISSN 0048-7333. 55(4). doi: 10.1016/j.respol.2026.105458. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Amid accelerating socio-ecological crises—climate breakdown, mass extinctions and widening inequalities—there is an urgent need for transformative approaches that address root causes rather than symptoms. Disruptive sustainability seeks such transformations; however, it remains theoretically underdeveloped regarding how radically different knowledge systems can work together across the life-cycle of technologies. Drawing on science and technology studies and decolonial scholarship, we build a decolonial typology of knowledge integration in ‘pluriversal technologies’—technologies co-designed, co-produced and co-owned across epistemic communities. We identify four modes: extractive appropriation, parallel operation, adaptive integration and transformative integration. We demonstrate how each appears along the design, production and ownership dimensions of a technology's life-cycle. This study makes three contributions. First, by demonstrating that a single technology can occupy different integration modes across its life-cycle, it exposes the dimensional unevenness that often derails ostensibly collaborative initiatives. Second, it moves beyond binary treatments of integration to a graded, four-mode framework. Third, it identifies catalytic mechanisms—such as trust building, co-learning, shared governance, recognition and reparation—that enable initiatives to shift between modes. This typology enriches research on disruptive sustainability by clarifying how diverse knowledge systems can collaborate or clash and by mapping routes toward more just, sustainable and effective innovation.

• Sønderskov, Mette & Tortzen, Anne (2026). Ungdomsrådene som aktive samskapere: Muligheter og barrierer hos politikerne. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 42(1), p. 1–17. doi: 10.18261/nst.42.1.1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne artikkelen undersøker potensialer og barrierer hos lokalpolitikere når det gjelder muligheten for å utvikle ungdomsrådene til å bli en mer innovativ og aktiv medvirkningsform, hvor de unge inngår som aktive samskapere i kommuners møte med komplekse samfunnsutfordringer, såkalte «samfunnsfloker». Artikkelen tar utgangspunkt i en teoretisk ramme om demokratisk innovasjon og samskaping, og analyserer politikeres holdninger til ungdomsrådets potensielle rolle. Empirisk materiale er hentet fra S4U-prosjektet (Samskaping gjennom simulering, scenarier, samtaler og spill for og med ungdom), der 12 politikere fra Drammen og Lillestrøm kommune er intervjuet om deres holdninger til og erfaringer med ungdomsmedvirkning. Resultatene viser at det i praksis er tale om at de unges innflytelse er begrenset, og at deres medvirkning ofte er symbolsk snarere enn reell. Politikerne beskriver ungdomsråd som viktige, men peker på utfordringer knyttet til uklare kriterier for hvilke saker som behandles, spørsmål om representativitet, og begrenset mulighet for å påvirke beslutninger. Samtidig anerkjenner noen politikere ungdom som innovative aktører med potensial til å bidra med nye perspektiver. For å realisere dette potensialet, foreslås det en mer direkte dialog og en «tykkere» medvirkningspraksis, der ungdom trekkes inn tidlig i beslutningsprosessene, og der ungdomsrådenes arbeidsbetingelser endres. Artikkelen konkluderer med at en dreining mot samskaping krever både institusjonelle endringer og en endring i politisk kultur, der ungdommenes stemmer verdsettes på en reell måte.

• Volden, Johannes (2026). “Almost but not quite”: embodiment and materiality in encounters with meat substitutes. Food, Culture, and Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research. ISSN 1552-8014. p. 1–26. doi: 10.1080/15528014.2026.2638598. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Plant-based meat substitutes remain contested among consumers. While much effort has gone into investigating attitudes and preferences related to meat alternatives, less is known about how substitute products are understood and put to use in contextually contingent food practices. This paper explores consumers’ experiences experimenting with plant-based meat alternatives in everyday life, drawing on empirical data from a qualitative, exploratory food intervention in Norway. With empirical attention to material and embodied aspects of food practices, the paper demonstrates how substituting meat with substitute products is enabled and constrained through acquiring, appropriating, and appreciating food in everyday life. The paper finds that replacing meat with substitute products was far from straight-forward: consumers’ embodied experiences of seeking out, preparing, eating, and digesting food complicate the use of substitutes, notably also for analog-style products. Although meat substitutes were at times perfectly suited to replace meat, the substitutes often performed in ways not fully aligning with, or measuring up to, their meaty counterparts. The paper’s insights have important implications for how we conceive of meat substitutes in the protein transition and for understanding the acceptance of new foods more broadly.

• Amundrud, Anja & Omland, Maren (2026). Design thinking as an approach to teaching sustainability in higher education: fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and co-creation. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. ISSN 1467-6370. p. 20–20. doi: 10.1108/ijshe-07-2025-0751. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose This study aims to explore how design thinking (DT) can foster interdisciplinary dialogue and co-creation within Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This study examined the incorporation of DT into a sustainability-focused course at a Norwegian university, where students collaborated across disciplines and with external stakeholders regarding real-world challenges. Design/methodology/approach The authors drew on a case study of 21 students, two teachers and five stakeholders in an interdisciplinary course. The students collaborated in groups to address real-world sustainability cases using a DT approach. Data collected from the course included participant observations, interviews with students and stakeholders and students’ written feedback. A sociocultural perspective guided the thematic analysis, focusing on interaction through dialogue and co-creation. Findings The DT approach fostered the students’ engagement, supported interdisciplinary dialogue and helped the students navigate uncertainty and complexity. The students reported a sense of ownership and responsibility in their work, and the process encouraged participation and co-creation. Meanwhile, the DT approach required facilitation to sustain dialogue and encourage critical reflection on broader sustainability dimensions. Tensions emerged from divergent expectations, varying group dynamics and unclear stakeholder roles, which occasionally limited the depth of the students’ engagement with cases. Originality/value This study contributes to sustainability education by demonstrating how DT can be used as a pedagogical approach to foster co-creation and support the development of key ESD competencies. It offers practical insights into how interdisciplinary participatory learning environments can prepare students to engage with complex sustainability challenges.

• Eikeland, Per Ove; Christina, Köhler-Tschirschnitz,; Jörg, Radtke, & Stefan, Wurster, (2026). The German Energiewende and the role of the EU: are misfits an Achilles heel of the energy transition in Germany? | Energy, Sustainability and Society | Springer Nature Link. Energy, Sustainability and Society. doi: 10.1186/s13705-025-00556-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The aim of the energy policy proclaimed by all German federal governments since the Fukushima incident of 2011 is a fundamental transformation of the national energy system towards renewable (excluding nuclear) energies. However, since German energy policy is embedded into a European multilevel governance system, not only national but also European forces shape the German Energiewende. By analysing the complex political and legal interlinkages, this study identifies fits and misfits between national and European policy initiatives in functionally related energy fields. First, it finds broad coherence between the EU and German energy transition objectives. Objectives deviate in one area, the phase-out of nuclear power in Germany which is not paralleled at the EU level. Secondly, it observes more extensive misfits around the preferred policy instruments that have pressured Germany to change. This concerns instruments tied to the support of renewable energy and the operation of electricity networks in support of the transition. Here, the German policy approach saw a misfit with internal energy market regulations in the EU. Whereas European adaptation pressure caused a shift in the German renewable energy support policy, resulting in a slowdown in the expansion of renewable energies, EU pressure to end coal subsidies helped accelerate the phase-out of coal in Germany.

• Szulecki, Kacper (2026). Energy. In Stockemer, Daniel; Sawyer, Stephen & Gagnon, Audrey (Ed.), IPSA Companion to Political Science. Springer Nature. ISSN 9783032069184. p. 1–4. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-06918-4_139-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Energy is not a political science concept. It originates in physics and describes “a fundamental entity of nature,” best understood as “the capacity for doing work.” Furthermore, as the Encyclopaedia Britannica notes, it “may exist in potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear, or other forms,” to which Merriam-Webster dictionary adds that it can be “transferred between parts of a system in the production of physical change within the system.” At the same time, energy is a frequent object of political discussions, due to the fundamental role it plays in modern societies. Energy generates welfare through ceding human physical labor to work done by machines, from home appliances to steelworks; it provides the physical comfort of adequately heated or cooled surroundings; it makes possible the mobility achieved through modern means of transportation. All of these rely on the conversion of energy resources into energy services. Socioeconomic development is correlated with increasingly higher energy consumption (Destek & Sarkodie, 2019). The fundamental and omnipresent nature of energy and its importance for sustaining modern livelihoods are expressed with the often-used metaphor of the “lifeblood of society.” This has political consequences, as access to energy services at a certain level and affordable price is the foundation of social contracts, leading to popular discontent when these are not provided.

• Sævarsdottir, Margret; Hovland, Marit & Smørdal, Ole (2026). Sustainable Food Education: A Case Study of a Collaboration between an NGO and a Lower Secondary School. Acta Didactica Norden (ADNO). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The whole-school approach is a strategy that facilitates effective teaching in sustainable development (ESD). The strategy implies that involvement should take place at several levels to promote ESD. This article examines the meeting between teachers, students and an external actor in the school. The study observed how teachers translated an external training scheme, called “FoodGain”, from an NGO to their own teaching practice. In addition, we look at whether the scheme promoted action competence among the students. "FoodGain", is a sustainable food education plan consisting of three workshops for teachers and students. The aim of the scheme was to teach students to prevent food waste by developing better judgment about groceries and awareness of the climate consequences linked to food waste. The education plan was the basis for a three-year collaboration between voluntary organizations and a municipality in Eastern Norway aimed at secondary school students in the 9th grade (14–15 years). The main finding indicates that external actors, in this case a voluntary organisation, must pay more attention to involving teachers when they prepare the teaching plan in addition to accommodating the school's practice. “FoodGain” is to a large extent a normative teaching scheme which to a small extent promoted action competence among the students.

• Volden, Johannes (2025). Making meals and replacing meat with insects: an exploratory food intervention with consumers. Food and Foodways. ISSN 0740-9710. doi: 10.1080/07409710.2026.2606451. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Edible insects are proposed as an “alternative protein” to meat in future food practices but are not commonly consumed in many parts of the world, including Europe. Much attention has been geared toward consumers’ attitudes toward edible insects as a measure for “consumer acceptance”. However, less is known about how insects are actually put to use in places where insect consumption is uncommon, which has implications for insects’ acceptability and capacity to replace meat. This paper explores the meanings and functions edible insects gain in consumers’ meals and food practices in the situated context of everyday life. The paper reports from an exploratory food intervention study from Oslo, Norway, in which 14 participants from 10 households were recruited to experiment with commercially available insect products in their daily lives for two weeks. Participants found using substantial amounts of insects in meals to be challenging, in part due to the insects’ particular material properties. The most successful applications entailed meat substitution to a very limited degree, indicating the importance of carefully considering what role edible insects can play in sustainable future food practices. The paper argues that to achieve dietary transition from meat to alternative proteins such as insects, it is crucial to consider foods’ acceptability in relation to their “substitute-ability”, in other words their capacity to act as meat replacers in the practical context of food consumption.

• Matthiasen, Eivind Hjort (2025). Negotiating time and energy: How work patterns and social class shape energy flexibility in Norway. Energy Research & Social Science. ISSN 2214-6296. 0(0), p. 1–11. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Calls to broaden the scope of energy flexibility have highlighted the need to include sociotemporal rhythms, such as working schedules, to gain a deeper understanding of the temporality of flexibility. Responding to this call, this article studied the energy flexibility practices of 37 interviewees from Oslo, Norway, from different social class backgrounds. The study focused on the occupations and working arrangements (such as hybrid work, shiftwork, and normal working days) of the interviewees, and the ways in which working schedules impact energy flexibility. Through thematic analysis, the article examined three themes—energy flexibility practices and working schedules, technology, and future projectivity—emanating from the interviewees' narratives. The article found that working hours affect the timing, duration, recurrence, and sequencing of energy practices such as heating, cooking and laundry. Furthermore, the experiences of temporally allocating energy practices varied across social classes—the working-class found it more challenging to perform energy flexibility practices due to limited access to automated systems and less flexible work routines, which increased the stress experienced when managing energy use.

• Roithner, Maximilian; Velasco-Herrejón, Paola; Greevenbroek, Koen van; Grochowicz, Aleksander; Vågerö, Oskar & Hvidsten, Tobias Verheugen [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Balancing act: the cost of wind restrictions in Norway’s electricity transition. Environmental Research: Energy. 2(3). doi: 10.1088/2753-3751/adde62. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  To meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement and reduce its dependency on energy imports, the pace, and scale of renewable energy deployment across Europe must increase dramatically over the next decade. Such a steep change in the net-zero transition will inevitably necessitate trade-offs with other societal priorities. Here we investigate a case study focused on the opposition towards onshore wind and the compromises that may need to be made to deliver its plans for deep electrification. Using an electricity system model, we explore the implications of key social and environmental dimensions shaping the future deployment of onshore wind on the costs and design of electricity systems for Norway in 2030. We find that under restrictions that allow for almost no additional onshore wind, demand cannot be met and load has to be shed. Yet, when reducing the restrictions on onshore wind or allowing for in-country transmission expansion, feasible system designs at a small fraction of that cost can be found. To meet the net-zero targets, compromises will need to be made on either wind power deployment, transmission expansion, non-electrification of industry or demand reduction.

• Gulbrandsen, Lars Harald; Stokke, Knut Bjørn; Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson & Peters, Sebastian (2025). What legitimises local nature encroachment? comparing planning processes for second homes and wind power in Norway. Local Environment : the International Journal of Justice and Sustainability. ISSN 1354-9839. p. 1–20. doi: 10.1080/13549839.2025.2576667. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The topic of land-use pressures from wind power and second homes is crucial due to the significant challenges they pose to land use, biodiversity and wilderness areas. But the local legitimacy each kind of development enjoys, stemming to a large degree from the respective planning processes they go through, can be starkly different. This article investigates legitimacy and planning outcomes by comparing top-down and bottom-up planning processes for wind power and second homes development in a Norwegian municipality. The study employs energy justice theory, focusing on recognition, procedural, and distributive justice, and uses a comparative case study approach to analyse the planning processes and outcomes. The findings reveal that, compared to wind power development, second homes development is perceived as fairer and more beneficial for the local community. Second homes are perceived to provide local income, employment, and have positive economic ripple effects, while wind power projects are considered to mainly benefit national energy needs and owners of the plants. The top-down planning process for wind power leads to increased resistance and perceptions of unfairness, whereas the bottom-up approach for second homes is seen as more inclusive and legitimate. These differences, combined with local benefits of second homes development, helps to explain the widespread opposition to wind power development and the strong support for second homes in many municipalities, even though second homes development has resulted in the greatest loss of wilderness areas in Norway.

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• Westskog, Hege; Vindegg, Mikkel; Sandnes, Thea & Bjørklund, Kjetil (2026). Jorda, skogen, dyra og menneskene: Fortellinger fra småskalaliv. Småskalalandbrukets bidrag til klima- og miljøomstilling. Kolofon Forlag AS. ISBN 9788230029909. 202 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Sareen, Siddharth & Juhola, Sirkku (2026). Societal Transitions to Sustainability: The Prefigurative Politics of Present Transformation. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9783032073952. 474 p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-07395-2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This open access book responds to the need for rapid and transformative societal change towards a sustainable future. The editorial introduction and conclusion bookend 27 case chapters about urban sites of experimentation and contestation, spaces of conviviality and politics, sectoral movements, and cross-sectoral and transdisciplinary transitions. These short case chapters address the prefigurative politics of present transformations based on wide-ranging empirical and conceptual analyses. They span societal transitions in and across sectors such as energy, food, and transport. Three key insights concern the multi-scalar nature of prefiguration, its entanglement with boundary transgression, and the multiple temporalities of prefigurative politics in the present.

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• Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2026). Include, Research Centre for Socially Inclusive Energy Transitions. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Through inclusive processes and close collaboration between research and partners in public, private and voluntary sectors, the objective of Include is to produce critical knowledge on how to achieve a socially inclusive and just energy, climate and environmental transformation. Include has six research partners and 20 user partners in Norway and the UK.

• Winther, Tanja; Røe, Per Gunnar & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2026). FME Include. Full text in Research Archive
• Hegsvold, Kirsten (2026). Byvekstavtaler kan bremse klimaomstillingen i norske byer. Forskersonen.no. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  KRONIKK: Klimaomstillingen i norske byer skal være både rask, effektiv og rettferdig. Men hva skjer når disse hensynene trekker i forskjellige retninger?

• Hegsvold, Kirsten (2026). Kirsten Hegsvold om byvekstavtaler og interkommunale samarbeidsprosjekter: Hvem former politikken og beslutningene? Plan - tidsskrift for samfunnsplanlegging, regional- og byutvikling. ISSN 0805-083X. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Byvekstavtaler skal samordne areal, transport og klimapolitikk. Men hvem former kunnskapsgrunnlaget og alternativene politikerne får på bordet?

• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson & Winther, Tanja (2026). Energi2050: Hvilken energifremtid kan og bør Norge velge? doi: https:/www.polyteknisk.no/program/energi2050-hvilken-energifremtid-kan-og-bor-norge-velge. Full text in Research Archive
• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson & Halvorsen, Bente (2026). Energi­fattigdom – et betydelig problem som er lite belyst. [Journal]. Energi og Klima. doi: https:/www.energiogklima.no/to-grader/ekspertintervju/energifattigdom-et-betydelig-problem-som-er-lite-belyst. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Det er energifattigdom i Norge, men vi vet ikke så mye om hvor mange det angår og hvordan problemet best kan møtes. Det vil forskningsprosjektet PowerPoor gjøre noe med.

• Tennøy, Aud (2026). 30 km/t bidrar til bærekraftig byutvikling. Full text in Research Archive
• Matthiasen, Eivind Hjort (2026). Energifattigdom og rettferdig omstilling. Full text in Research Archive
• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson; Gulbrandsen, Lars Harald; Sareen, Siddharth & Skjærseth, Jon Birger (2026). Changing wind and solar licensing processes: implications for local influence and democratic fairness. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Norway aims to develop more wind and solar power plants to reach its climate targets and meet industrial demand. However, new electricity generation projects have been stymied by legitimacy crises and consideration of land-use change and impact on nature. The wind power licensing scheme was reformed in 2022, while the process for utility-scale solar power licensing followed in 2025. Both designs diverge strongly, but both empower host municipalities. Municipalities can thus stop wind and solar power developments. This increased local responsibility has been paired with boosted economic incentives for wind but not for solar power. Using an energy democracy approach, this paper analyses evolution in participation and influence in licensing. It asks what the most important implications of the changes in licensing scheme are, for energy democracy and influence of municipalities on solar and wind power energy projects, we utilise empirical data from ten interviews with developers, politicians, and public officials, analysis of policy and licensing documents and key media articles during 2022-2026. We argue that increased municipality influence on national developments is not a silver bullet for democratic fairness. While local anchoring is crucial, and an initially top-down approach of the licensing process undermined the legitimacy of renewable energy development in Norway, municipalities are rarely equipped to manage these controversial processes effectively and fairly. We conclude that municipal roles in determining renewable development require institutional capacity-building and facilitating planning expertise to manage emerging land use conflicts, mitigate polarised community engagement, and allocate resources justly.

• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson (2026). Grønn energi vs. samiske rettigheter – hvem skal vike? doi: https:/www.arendalsuka.no/program/gronn-energi-vs-samiske-rettigheter---hvem-skal-vike. Full text in Research Archive
• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson (2026). Datasentre, storskala vindkraft og fornybare energisamfunn – hvordan ble omstillingen rettferdig? doi: https:/www.arendalsuka.no/program/datasentre-storskala-vindkraft-og-fornybare-energisamfunn---hvordan-ble-omstillingen-rettferdig. Full text in Research Archive
• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson (2026). Riksrevisjonen refser arealforvaltningen: Vi vet fortsatt ikke hvilken natur vi ødelegger. doi: https:/www.arendalsuka.no/program/riksrevisjonen-refser-arealforvaltningen-vi-vet-fortsatt-ikke-hvilken-natur-vi-odelegger. Full text in Research Archive
• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson (2026). Lokal styring, natur og arealer. Full text in Research Archive
• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson (2026). Energiomstilling: konflikt mellom kraftbehov, natur og areal. Full text in Research Archive
• Bjørklund, Kjetil; Westskog, Hege; Smørdal, Ole; Selvig, Eivind & Wang, Lars (2026). På vei mot en ny standard? Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne gangen presenteres rapporten På vei mot en ny standard? som inngår i Include-satsningen Deltakende omstilling. Vi inviterer også til drøfting av hvordan rapporten kan brukes som grunnlag for et større forskningsprosjekt innenfor Grønn og rettferdig omstilling. Det blir lagt spesielt vekt å drøfte hvilke prosjekter (case) som kan brukes for å kunne få erfaringer og innsikter fra praksis (innovasjonsfronten) samt hvem som kan være aktuelle samarbeidspartnere.

• Amundrud, Anja & Smørdal, Ole (2026). Design for Dialogue Across Contexts. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the Norwegian educational context, increased emphasis on the interdisciplinary themes, democracy and citizenship, sustainable development, and health and well-being has strengthened expectations that schools support students’ engagement with complex societal issues across subjects. This places dialogue, collaboration, and collective meaning-making at the centre of democratic participation. While previous research has shown how dialogue can be deliberately designed for and supported in classrooms, less attention has been paid to what happens when such designs unfold in practice across contexts involving both schools and external actors. This paper reports on a qualitative case study from a collaborative project involving a lower secondary school, a public library, and researchers. The aim was to explore ways of engaging young people more actively in local sustainability-related issues. Through a joint workshop, the partners co-created a teaching design that was implemented over one semester through classroom activities and field-based work at the library. Students were invited to explore the library as a community space and develop proposals for how it could become more relevant to young people. Data consist of video recordings from the design workshop, field observations, and interviews with participants from the school and library. The analysis draws on reflexive thematic analysis and activity theory, conceptualising the teaching design as the object of the activity. The findings show that the design initially generated strong engagement among both students and teachers. Students developed many ideas and, according to teachers, more students participated than in ordinary classroom activities. At the same time, the design was interpreted differently in practice by the participants. As the work progressed, the design was gradually reshaped in relation to school expectations of assessment, progression, and completion. This narrowed the scope of the exploration, reduced students’ sense of ownership, and undermined the original ambition to carry students’ proposals forward in the library. Instead, the design became a basis for reflection on future collaboration. The study empirically demonstrates the central challenges in designing for democratic participation, namely, creating authentic opportunities for dialogue while also sustaining them across phases, contexts, and institutional demands.

• Tønnesen, Anders (2026). Hvordan opprettholde tillit mellom lokalbefolkning og myndigheter når de restriktive tiltakene skal gjennomføres? Full text in Research Archive
• Tønnesen, Anders (2026). Hva kjennetegner kommuner med ulik arealforvaltning? Full text in Research Archive
• Tønnesen, Anders (2026). Velkommen til Include brukerpartnermøte – foreløpige funn fra delprosjektet Grønne Pionerkommuner. Full text in Research Archive
• Vindegg, Mikkel (2026). Hver mann sin høne? Småskalalandbrukets bidrag til matberedskap. doi: https:/cicero.oslo.no/no/arrangementer/robust-samfunn-i-urolige-tider. Full text in Research Archive
• Szulecki, Kacper & Szulecka, Julia (2026). Post-Populist Climate Politics: Lessons from Poland’s Liberal Reconstruction. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Right-wing populist political forces are generally perceived to be a threat to ambitious climate action. However, in some countries where populists came to power, liberal electoral victories allowed for reversing the dismantling of institutions and opened the space for more ambitious environmental and climate policy. What are the problems such reconstruction processes face? This article looks at the case of Poland, where, following two terms of populist rule, a liberal coalition took power with an ambitious climate action program. However, two years on, the actual policy output is modest. Cohabitation with a populist-backed president and the internal diversity of the anti-populist coalition governments are very important factors influencing policy outcomes. However, we note that the translation of ambitious electoral manifestos into policy proposals is explained by the way populists are still able to control the agenda and thus constrain liberal governments even when they are in power, which is a broader lesson that can be learned for liberal democracy and climate politics beyond Poland.

• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Om planlegging og planforskning. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Behov for og bruk av kunnskap i arealplanlegging etter pbl. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Hvorfor driver vi fortsatt med byspredning - i stedet for sentral fortetting og transformasjon? Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Indførelse af hastighedsgrænse på 30 km/t. Erfaringer fra europeiske bye, Cykliaden Syd. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Hva som kan gjøres i reguleringsplaner for å redusere klimagassutslipp knyttet til nye samferdselsanlegg. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Hva kommunene kan gjøre for å få flere til å velge grønn mobilitet. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Influences of transport infrastructure on land use, travel behaviour, traffic volumes and environment. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Causal relationships between spatial urban structures and travel behaviour. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Are we achieving the goals in urban land use and transportation? Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Kvalitativ metode for å analysere indirekte arealeffekter av samferdselstiltak og konsekvenser av dette på trafikkutvikling og arealforbruk. Full text in Research Archive
• Standal, Karina (2026). Arbeidsmøte Miljø, natur, urfolks rettigheter og sosial legitimitet, Energi2050. Full text in Research Archive
• Tønnesen, Anders (2026). Arbeidsmøte Landvind, Energi2050. Full text in Research Archive
• Røe, Per Gunnar (2026). Deltakelse i arbeidsgruppe for Klimavennlig transport, Energi2050. Full text in Research Archive
• Nygård, Julie Høie (2026). Klimabudsjett som verktøy for omstilling. doi: https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qJASSRTcxs. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Et faglig innlegg om hvordan kommunen, gjennom arbeidet sitt med klimabudsjett, framstår som en endringsaktør for klimaarbeid

• Kanestrøm, Jorunn; Røe, Per Gunnar; Böcker, Lars & Solli, Hilde (2026). Hva skal til for at vi lar bilen stå? - Universitetet i Oslo. doi: https:/www.uio.no/om/aktuelt/universitetsplassen/podkast/episoder/hva-skal-til-for-at-vi-lar-bilen-staa.wav?vrtx=view-as-webpage. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Let’s face it - det er ikke så mye som er rettferdig her i verden, og noen er mer privilegerte enn andre. Slik er det også når det gjelder våre hverdagslige reiser og krav til at vi velger klimavennlige måter å forflytte oss på. Økt satsing på grønne reiser kan bidra til bærekraftige byregioner, men tilgangen til sykkelveier, tog og bane er ulikt fordelt. Noen har god tilgang, mens andre har betydelig dårligere tilbud. Rettferdighet er derfor et viktig stikkord i byutviklingen, når bilen skal erstattes av klimavennlige reisemåter. Men er dette et hensiktsmessig mål?

• Matthiasen, Eivind Hjort (2026). Inequality sidelined? A literature review of household energy practices. Full text in Research Archive
• Velasco-Herrejón, Paola & Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson (2026). Sosiale konsekvenser av vindkraft i Norge. Full text in Research Archive
• Westskog, Hege (2026). Klimastrategiseminar Oslo kommune. Full text in Research Archive
• Szulecki, Kacper (2026). Catalysts of Environmental Awareness: Ecological Crises and Mobilisation in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. doi: https:/calendar.boell.de/en/event/history-environmental-movements-eastern-and-southeast-europe. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Which ecological crises and environmental disasters played a decisive role in the formation of environmental awareness in Eastern and South-Eastern European countries? Through what mechanisms and practices did these issues stimulate mobilisation at the local level? To what extent did the Chornobyl nuclear disaster function as a turning point and catalyst for the emergence and consolidation of environmental movements? With: Prof. Dr. Amir Duranović, University of Sarajevo. Focus: history of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Yugoslavia, diplomacy, and environmental history. Dr. phil. Astrid Sahm, Head of International Centre for Education and Exchange (IBB gGmbH). Focus: energy and environmental policy, development of political systems and integration policies of post-Soviet states (especially Belarus and Ukraine) Dr. Kacper Szulecki, Research Professor in International Climate Governance at NUPI

• Szulecki, Kacper (2026). Demokratyzacja energetyki w Polsce i Europie. Czy Kowalscy powinni decydować o kształcie systemu energetycznego? doi: https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgfNxVrkvak. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Wyzwania sektora energetycznego Starzejąca się infrastruktura i wyczerpywanie paliw kopalnych podważają stabilność energetyczną świata. Transformacja i decentralizacja energii Odnawialne źródła energii jak fotowoltaika i wiatr umożliwiają udział lokalnych społeczności i nowych interesariuszy Kryzys demokracji liberalnej Demokracja energetyczna przesuwa kontrolę z dużych podmiotów na poziom lokalny i zwiększa udział obywateli. Wyzwanie dla modelu technokratycznego Demokracja energetyczna stanowi alternatywę dla rządzenia przez wąską grupę ekspertów bez kontroli społecznej.

• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson (2026). Sentrale dilemmaer forklima- og energipolitikken i Norge . Full text in Research Archive
• Sønderskov, Mette & Tortzen, Anne (2026). Hva vil vi egentlig med ungdomsrådene? Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ungdomsrådene får tunge sakspapirer, korte frister og liten mulighet til å påvirke utfallet.

• Szulecki, Kacper (2026). The Political Afterlife of a Nuclear Catastrophe: A View from Poland. London Ukrainian Review. 3(6). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Chornobyl catastrophe fractured whatever trust remained in Poland's government after five decades of Communist rule, transforming pharmacy queues and playgrounds into spaces of political awakening. Exploring how environmental catastrophe sparked mass civic mobilisation, Szulecki asks whether these lessons can inform struggles for democratic control over nuclear infrastructure in Europe amid war and climate breakdown.

• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Hva kommunene kan gjøre for å få flere til å velge grønn mobilitet. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Kvalitativ metode for å analysere arealeffekter av samferdselstiltak og konsekvenser av dette på trafikkutvikling og arealforbruk. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2026). Hva som kan gjøres i reguleringsplaner for å redusere klimagassutslipp knyttet til samferdselsanlegg. Full text in Research Archive
• Westskog, Hege & Vindegg, Mikkel (2026). Jorda, skogen, dyra og menneskene: Fortellinger fra småskalaliv. Full text in Research Archive
• Matthiasen, Eivind Hjort (2026). Hadde ingen draum om akademia. No har han fått fast jobb. [Journal]. Khrono. doi: https:/www.khrono.no/hadde-ingen-draum-om-akademia-no-har-han-fatt-fast-jobb/1032777. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Det er viktig å setja pris på fleksibiliteten i akademia, seier Eivind Hjort Matthiasen. Han har gått rett frå stipendiatstilling til fast forskarjobb.

• Smørdal, Ole (2025). Hvorfor medvirkning? Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Odilia Häussler Melbøe, Bydel Gamle Oslo og Ole Smørdal UiO/Include samtaler om hvorfor vi medvirker og potensialet i medvirkning som en del av klimaomstillingen.

• Tennøy, Aud (2025). Indførelse af hastighedsgænse på 30 km/t: Erfaringer fra europeiske bye. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2025). Fortetting versus gode stader. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2025). Utvidet bruk av fartsgrense 30 km/t for å nå mål om bærekraftig byutvikling: Hva kan vi lære fra europeiske byer? Buskerud FK. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2025). Hvilke effekter har innføring av 30 km/t i store soner og hele byer hatt på faktorer som bidrar til en mer bærekraftig byutvikling i europeiske byer? Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2025). Hva er mobilitet? Mobilitet som bidrar til samfunnsmål. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2025). Hva kommunene gjør og kan gjøre for å sikre at ønsket utbygging i og ved sentrum i små og mellomstore byer blir realisert. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2025). Erfaringer fra europeiske byer: Innføring av fartsgrense 30 km/t i store soner og hele byer bidrar til bærekraftig byutvikling. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2025). Videreutvikling av området Oslo S: Refleksjoner rundt mobilitet og tilgjengelighet. Full text in Research Archive
• Tennøy, Aud (2025). Samordnet areal- og transportplanlegging: Hvorfor, hva, hvordan? Full text in Research Archive
• Skjærseth, Jon Birger (2025). Shifting EU-Norway relations and coordination of climate and energy policies. Full text in Research Archive
• Durney, Florence (2025). UiO Research roundtable. doi: https:/www.globe.uio.no/english/include/research/projects/results/events/conferences/results-symposium. Full text in Research Archive
• Durney, Florence (2025). Sustainability Transformation Discourses at UiO. doi: https:/www.globe.uio.no/english/include/research/projects/results/events/conferences/results-symposium. Full text in Research Archive
• O'Brien, Karen (2025). Transformations to sustainability: ​ Are we talking with or past each other? ​. doi: https:/www.globe.uio.no/english/include/research/projects/results/events/conferences/results-symposium. Full text in Research Archive
• Durney, Florence (2025). Hva mener vi egentlig med bærekraft? Forskergruppen RESULTS tar tempen på forsamlingen. doi: https:/www.uio.no/om/aktuelt/universitetsplassen/domus-bibliotheca/arrangementer/2025/apning-senter-for-global-baerekraft. Full text in Research Archive
• Nygård, Julie Høie (2025). Kommuner som endringsaktører i energiomstillingen. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hvordan møter norske kommuner klima-og naturkrisen?

• Velasco-Herrejón, Paola (2025). Bridging Sustainability, Peace and Culture: Analyzing Community Dynamics and Well-being in Norway's Wind Energy Transition. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Paris Agreement identified renewable energy technologies (RETs) as essential to avoiding catastrophic climate change. Since 2010, the global electricity mix has rapidly evolved, with renewables as the fastest-growing source. However, ambitious renewable energy targets have significant social implications, particularly at the local level. To gain a holistic understanding of how these impacts occur, it’s important to understand the well-being implications of these impacts and how they may link to the politics of local approval of RETs. Norway has some of the best wind resources in Europe. Nonetheless, wind energy development has been contested and licensing has been revoked due to opposition from nature conservation groups, recreational activities, Sámi and local communities. This paper operationalises the Capability Approach to explore the challenges and trade-offs in evaluating well-being outcomes from wind energy. Specifically, the paper addresses the difficulties in understanding the voice of people living near wind energy infrastructure in Norway and how their conceptions of well-being can be used to estimate the impacts of wind energy development in two municipalities: one in Finnmark, on Sámi reindeer herders' land, and one in Østfold, near Oslo. This paper will expand on the description grounded approach used for the identification of capabilities from Alkire (2002, 2013), Clark (2003), Ibrahim (2008) and Uyan-Semerci (2007) among others to visualise the relationship between well-being and energy infrastructure projects. The research methodology involved a co-creation process with Sámi, Norwegian and other scholars leading to semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 59 participants in July and August 2024. Data shows that new wind power plans have heightened local polarization, affecting access to and perceptions of public deliberation processes. Findings emphasize the importance of inclusive community engagement that addresses information asymmetries, acknowledges historical land uses, and offers avenues for restorative justice, local employment, and nature protection. This paper contributes to a more compelling body of theory on the social impacts of wind energy by focusing on the recognition of valuable human capabilities, emphasizing locally defined priorities and perspectives. Additionally, it aligns with the conference's aim to explore avenues for creating spaces for deliberative public reasoning, addressing conflicts related to resource scarcity, particularly land. The participation of Indigenous authors is crucial for decolonizing knowledge and enhancing the cultural diversity and relevance of the research. We hope that this methodology will provide valuable insights for the configuration and implementation of future renewable energy projects that prioritize sustainability and social justice.

• Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2025). Hvorfor er det så vanskelig å være bærekraftig forbruker, og hva betyr det for kommunenes arbeid? Full text in Research Archive
• Wang, Lars; Bjørklund, Kjetil; Selvig, Eivind; Smørdal, Ole & Westskog, Hege (2025). Radikalt bærekraftig omstilling – fra retorikk til realitet. Plan - tidsskrift for samfunnsplanlegging, regional- og byutvikling. ISSN 0805-083X. p. 48–53. Full text in Research Archive
• Velasco-Herrejón, Paola; Viole, Isabelle; Venegas, Guillermo Andrés Valenzuela; Sartori, Sabrina & Zeyringer, Marianne (2025). Astronomy and energy justice in the Atacama Desert. In Mejía-Montero, Adolfo (Eds.), Energy Justice in Latin America. Routledge. ISSN 9781003492573. p. 181–197. Full text in Research Archive
• Gabrielsen, Neha Singh (2025). Samskaping av undervisning for bærekraftig utvikling. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Workshop om bærekraftige initiativer for barn og unge - samarbeid mellom skoler og lokale aktører

• Tennøy, Aud (2025). Debatt om utviding av handelspark i Hønefoss. [TV]. NRK. doi: https:/www.ringblad.no/fortsatte-honefoss-debatten-i-beste-sendetid-varaordforer-og-ordforer-helt-uenige-fikk-forsker-rad/s/5-45-2109335. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Debatt mello ordfører og varaordfører i Ringsaker, samt seniorforsker Aud Tennøy ved TØI, om konsekvenser av utvding av handelspark lanngs motorveien utenfor Hønefoss

• Smørdal, Ole (2025). Case 2: Hvordan arbeide eksperimentelt med praksis? Full text in Research Archive
• Smørdal, Ole & Amundrud, Anja (2025). Kommunenes og pedagogikkens rolle i bærekraftarbeid. doi: https:/www.uv.uio.no/forskning/grupper/coser/arrangementer/kommunenes-og-pedagogikkens-rolle-berekraftarbeid.html. Full text in Research Archive
• Bjørklund, Kjetil; Westskog, Hege; Smørdal, Ole; Selvig, Eivind & Wang, Lars (2025). Arbeidsverksted - Den nye standarden. Full text in Research Archive
• Smørdal, Ole; Bjørklund, Kjetil; Wang, Lars; Selvig, Eivind & Westskog, Hege (2025). Inkluderende og dynamiske læringsprosesser som fremmer omstilling. Full text in Research Archive
• Smørdal, Ole (2025). Exploring ways to connect and expand dialogic spaces to develop local matters of concern. Full text in Research Archive
• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson (2025). Transition dilemmas and implications for energy use: examples from North of Norway'. Full text in Research Archive
• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson (2025). Paneldebatt - prioritering as strøm og energifattige. Full text in Research Archive
• Inderberg, Tor Håkon Jackson (2025). Sol eller skygge i Norge? Stor solkraft og kommunene. Full text in Research Archive
• Matthiasen, Eivind Hjort (2025). Energy consumption in Norway: When electricity becomes political. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Presentasjon for Shanghai-delegasjon

• Volden, Johannes (2026). Tomorrow’s food today: An empirical exploration of meat replacement and alternative protein consumption in Norway. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Given the increasing recognition of meat production and consumption’s environmental impacts, calls are made for a transition from conventional animal protein towards more sustainable options – including “alternative proteins” such as plant-based substitutes and edible insects. Despite a growing interest in such foods among geographers, limited attention has been paid to how dietary transitions from meat to alternative proteins play out in the practices of consumers. Directing analytic focus to consumption is necessary because reducing the environmental impact of food requires dietary change, and because the success of alternative proteins in replacing meat ultimately depends on whether and how such foods are adopted by consumers. This thesis explores consumers’ experiences with meat substitution and alternative proteins based on qualitative research from Norway, with plant- and insect-based foods as empirical cases. Rather than focusing on reported attitudes and hypothetical food choices, the thesis investigates how meat alternatives – as “tomorrow’s food” – acquire meaning and function in consumers’ food practices today. The thesis reports on two studies. The main study is an exploratory food intervention in which consumers from 20 households in Oslo were recruited to experiment with plant- or insect-based food products in daily life for two weeks. The intervention is complemented by insights from an interview study with 50 participants from four regions in Norway. The thesis adopts a practice-theoretical approach which directs attention to how food consumption is embedded and embodied in everyday practice. Two main research questions are posed: First, how do consumers experience and engage with alternative protein consumption in the context of everyday life in Norway, and what are the implications for meat substitution? Second, how can empirically studying everyday food consumption contribute to understanding the protein transition and its geographies? The thesis highlights everyday life as a site where transitions from meat towards alternative proteins are negotiated. Results are presented in four articles which in different ways draw attention to the embodied and practical aspects of consuming alternative proteins and replacing meat. By exploring consumers’ encounters with food across moments of consumption – from buying and preparing to eating and digesting food – the articles reveal a series of tensions in adopting alternative proteins in practice. Moreover, consumers’ accounts and experiments shed light on multiple challenges for plant-based alternatives and edible insects to replace meat specifically. Thus, the thesis provides important insights into what kind of foods alternative proteins are, and about their prospect of becoming “the new meat” in the future. The thesis contributes to geographical scholarship on protein transition(s) by fleshing out everyday geographies of alternative protein consumption, and to broader consumption literature by offering a practice-theoretical account of meat replacement in food consumption.

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