Articles and blog posts on climate adaption

How long can everyday life keep flowing — with morning coffee and water from the tap — before something changes? The Drop it project explores how we can save water without sacrificing too much of our daily comfort, by combining smart technology with changes in behaviour. In a changing climate, we need to protect our most vital resource – water.

Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and intense, even in cold countries like those in the Nordic region. This creates new challenges for our buildings, which are designed to retain heat rather than release it. RISE is addressing this pressing issue from several angles.

Climate transition requires more than visions – it requires action. Across Sweden, several municipalities and cities are leading the way with concrete measures that reduce emissions, strengthen resilience and create sustainable communities. The transition needs to happen on a large scale and at a rapid pace. But how should the transition be financed and how should we solve the major challenge of increased consumption?

Water is essential for human life, social development and economic growth. Despite this, access to clean water is often taken for granted - especially in countries like Sweden, where water supplies have long been stable, secure and affordable. But in an era of climate change, geopolitical turmoil, growing investment debt and digital vulnerabilities, the water sector faces new and complex challenges.

On April 29, RISE organized a full-day conference on the theme 'Water – from Vital Resource to Climate Challenge.' The conference brought together stakeholders from across society to jointly discuss how we can address both current and future water challenges.

48 Swedish municipalities are aiming for climate neutrality by 2030. But how do we pay for the transition – and how do we avoid the costs of not doing so? Circular economy and new financing models can show the way towards both climate goals and economic resilience.

Sweden's largest initiative for sustainable cities, Climate Neutral Cities 2030, is stepping up. 48 of Sweden's 290 municipalities are coming together to tackle the climate crisis. In just five years, the original nine cities in the initiative have now become 48. According to Lars Johansson, change leader and transition strategist at RISE and part of the Viable Cities program office, the ambition is for all Swedish municipalities to become climate neutral, and it is not an impossibility. The initiative is driven by Viable Cities, which is one of Sweden's national strategic innovation programs.

Climate change has long been characterised by reactive thinking and blame. But meeting the challenges of the future requires a new perspective that puts human needs and innovation at the center. – Businesses and cities should see climate change not as a blame game, but as an opportunity to innovate, says Dennis Pamlin, innovation expert at RISE.

Unlimited access to water has long been taken for granted in Sweden. But is the water supply really infinite? Do we have a plan for future climate change? And how prepared are we for future crises, such as water shortages during extreme droughts or major floods? Water Wise Societies has been tasked with securing Sweden's access to sustainable water, with RISE at the helm.

AI has great potential for sustainability, but its energy requirements cause emissions equivalent to Sweden's annual energy consumption. By developing energy-efficient AI, we can not only reduce the technology's footprint, but also create innovative solutions that support the climate transition.

Many Swedish buildings were built in a different era. Today, extreme weather conditions are becoming more frequent. This puts new stresses on buildings that can be difficult to withstand. But who is responsible for preventing damage and protecting buildings? The answer is not simple. – For example, in the event of a major flood, property owners sometimes feel that it is the municipality that has failed to take responsibility. However, it is the property owner who should be protecting themselves against the climate risks in question, says Stina Stenquist from RISE.

Around the world, people are struggling to cope with the effects of climate change. Can AI help us tackle one of the great issues of our time? "High-tech AI is unlikely to be the whole solution. But it can improve low-tech solutions and make them more efficient," says Olof Mogren, research leader at the Centre for Applied AI at RISE.Here's how it could work.

It may be time for Swedish industry to become more aware of its water consumption. The risk of water scarcity is only part of the problem. "The EU's Green Deal imposes stricter requirements, and old permits may be re-evaluated. Many would benefit from a better overview before we get there," says Marie Karlberg of RISE. 

The consequences of climate change, such as wildfires, torrential rain, and floods, can be very costly. The possibility is now being investigated of introducing so-called climate resilience certificates, a system that shows the climate risks linked to a property, and which can help property owners reduce their vulnerability and allow banks and insurance companies to better assess risks. 

Climate change places new demands on municipal urban runoff management. Uppsala’s newly established Rosendal district has been home to the testing of innovative full-scale blue/green/grey solutions – solutions that can handle torrential rain, purify water and improve the urban vegetation environment. “This way, even heavy rain is a resource,” explains Johan Eriksson, an environmental strategist at Uppsala Municipality.

Reducing carbon emissions is important to efforts to stop climate change, but at least as important is identifying and creating carbon sinks. RISE researcher Tora Råberg and her colleagues have helped the City of Malmö identify what they can do to reach net-zero emissions.

Delivering 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 is one of the new EU-missions that will help solve the major issues of our time. In the spring of 2023, when Sweden takes over the EU Council of Ministers, we will have the opportunity to impact the development towards more sustainable and inclusive cities and communities.

For a resilient water supply, both the supply and quality of the water need to be ensured. It demands materials that last over time and do not cause contamination. The latest update to the EU Drinking Water Directive brings new requirements affecting everyone involved in water supplies, from municipalities and property owners to producers of materials and products. The Materials in contact with drinking water network, operated by RISE, follows how the directive is implemented in Swedish law and provides support and guidance.