The Climate in the CAPs : A Comparative Case Study of Iceland’s and Sweden’s Climate Action Plans

• Main Author: Símonardóttir, Svandís Ósk
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för ekonomisk historia och internationella relationer 2021
• Subjects: Climate action plans; climate change; climate roles; climate leadership; environmental leadership; Nordic identity; Social Sciences; Samhällsvetenskap; Iceland
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-193772

This thesis examines the climate role conceptions and climate role positions of Iceland and Sweden respectively, as they are portrayed in their climate action plans. This study compliments the current trend to examine climate leadership within International Relations, with an additional focus on the Nordic countries. Not only is the Nordic identity enmeshed with ideas of environmentalism, but the Nordic countries also have a reputation of being environmental leaders. Despite this reputation, the Nordic countries vary considerably between themselves when it comes to climate performance, thus inspiring the study of the highest and lowest Nordic emitters of greenhouse gases. The study is carried out from a constructivist role theory perspective, which is complemented with a novel climate role analytical framework. A content analysis is conducted on Iceland‘s and Sweden‘s countries‘ climate action plans, and climate role indicators are coded and analyzed. The study reveals that both Iceland and Sweden depict themselves as climate leaders in their climate action plans. However, while both countries refer to themselves as climate leaders, the leadership indicators are manifested distinctively, resulting in the countries projecting different climate leadership role positions. By evaluating Iceland’s and Sweden’s portrayal of global climate leadership, it is assessed that Iceland assumes the climate role position of a pioneer, with aspirations for setting an example for other countries through its climate transition, and that Sweden assumes the climate role position of a constructive pusher, with aspirations to lead the domestic and global climate transition through ambitious actions. The analysis thus reveals how Sweden’s internationally ascribed roles as a climate leader and Iceland’s internationally ascribed role as an environmental leader is legitimated and reverberated throughout their respective climate action plans, in accordance with their role conceptions and identities.