Hjalmarsson, Linnea | Sveden

Linnea Hjalmarsson is a doctoral candidate at the department of Thematic Studies, Technology and social change at the Linköping University, Sweden. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and two Master’s degrees; one in Political Science focusing on International Relations and one in Policy Analysis. Since September 2010 she has been a doctoral candidate and her research focuses on policy processes regarding the development of more sustainable transport and energy systems in Swedish regions.

Project at IAS-STS: Policy Integration? – In the Intersection of Transport and Energy System’s Development towards Sustainability

Public policy integration is argued for, as a valuable tool in the struggle towards sustainability, by the Brundtland report as well as research about what is needed for a more sustainable future (see for example Banister). Policy integration is an idea of integration of traditionally separated policy sectors in a policy process ending up in making joint policy. Joint policy may, according to theory, contribute to more sustainable public practice and is therefore regarded as a desirable way of making policy. The question for the study is how and why it is used in policy processes aiming at changing large technical systems towards energy efficiency and use of renewable energy. The aim is to investigate policy integration in the policy making practices considering energy and transport systems in Swedish regions. This is done by analysing policy documents and interviews with regional politicians, public officials and representatives for the industry, interest organisations and academia. The documents show how policy is formulated over time and are analysed as the textual expressions of policy. The interviews are about describing the working practice in policy making for sustainable transport and energy systems. They are the basis for analysis of how it is done, why it is done in a certain way, who are included and excluded, who or what are actors in the process and what influence do different actors have. This is an attempt to map a governance reality in a Swedish region, trying to understand how it works and what is used as tools for more (?) integrated policymaking. The results of this analysis will elaborate explanations to why policy integration is used in some cases and not in others and the different dimension of the theoretical concept in its practical use.

Selected Publications

Hjalmarsson L., 2012. Integrated Policymaking between the Energy and Transport Sectors—The Case of Biogas and Energy-efficient Spatial Planning in the Stockholm Region., Conference on the Greening of Industry Network, October 22-24 2012, Linköping, Sweden

Olsson, L., Hjalmarsson, L., 2012. Policy for biomass utilisation in energy and transport systems—the case of biogas in Stockholm, Sweden., Proceedings from World Renewable Energy Forum 2012, May 13–17 2012, Denver, Colorado.

Hjalmarsson L., Larsson M., Olsson L., Wikström M., 2011. Pathways to a renewable transport system in Stockholm 2030., Working paper no 48, Energy Systems Programme, Linköping University