AIMday focused on pathways to sustainable consumption
How can we reduce the climate impact of consumption – from the food we eat to how we travel, live and shop? This question was at the heart of AIMday Sustainable Consumption, held on 3 December at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and organised by the University Alliance Stockholm Trio.
Staff from the City of Stockholm and researchers discuss effective communication strategies for sustainable consumption.
In total, around 70 participants from KTH, Stockholm University, Karolinska Institutet and the City of Stockholm gathered to discuss a transition to sustainable consumption which, according to results from a Mistra research programme External link, opens in new window., requires strong support from society – through infrastructure, pricing, accessibility and cultural norms.
During the autumn, the City of Stockholm has identified challenges linked to the city's goal of halving consumption-based emissions by 2030 compared with 2019. These questions formed the basis for 20 workshops held during the day, addressing everything from how the design of the city shapes everyday choices to how the municipality can work towards a transition that is perceived as feasible, attractive and fair.
KTH President Anders Söderholm welcomed the participants and emphasised the shared responsibility to act for sustainable development. The City of Stockholm’s Climate General, Annica Jakobsson, provided an update on the city’s climate action, and representatives from Formas and Vinnova presented funding opportunities for research projects on sustainable consumption.
Jonas Allerup, Formas, and Lotten Juhlin, Vinnova, shared tips on upcoming calls for research funding.
Seed funding enables continued collaboration
Magnus Breitholtz, President’s Adviser for Sustainability and Collaboration and Chair of Stockholm Trio for Sustainable Actions, which hosted AIMday, described the day as a starting point. Participants who wished to continue working together after the event were offered support in the form of seed funding of up to SEK 50,000, as well as an opportunity to collaborate further with Openlab to refine their problem formulations and develop solutions related to sustainable consumption.
“The University Alliance Stockholm Trio wants to create arenas where researchers and societal actors can collaborate for sustainable development. AIMday gives us the opportunity to jointly explore concrete challenges linked to the City of Stockholm’s climate goals. The hope is that today’s discussions will be the beginning of new collaborations.”
Film: Stockholm University
Photo: Magnus Glans
How AIMday works
AIMday (Academic Industry Meeting Day) is based on actors outside academia – for example municipalities, companies or civil society organisations – submitting real-world challenges they want to discuss within a given theme. Researchers then select the questions to which they wish to contribute scientific perspectives, based on their expertise.
Each discussion lasts for one hour with the aim of problematising, exchanging knowledge and thinking aloud together – and perhaps sowing the seeds for future collaborations. The concept has been developed by Uppsala University and is used by universities in Sweden and around the world.