Hi Anna, welcome to our team!
Thank you so much! I’m very excited to be a part of the Nudgd Team with so much knowhow and energy.
What are the most exciting sustainability trends right now according to you?
I think it is exciting how the climate crisis FINALLY has made it to the top of the public agenda. In Sweden, a critical report (in swedish) on Sweden’s climate policy was published by the Swedish Climate Policy Council last week. All of a sudden we had a more realistic debate on the actions we need to take in order to achieve the climate goals. Moreover, a new report from WWF Sweden (in swedish)shows that six out of ten Swedes worry about the climate crisis, compared to four out of ten a year ago.
What is even more exciting, is that people are willing to take action. The report shows that, during the last year, half of the respondents have tried to reduce their climate impact. One out of three are now biking or walking instead of driving. Many have also reduced their consumption and changed the way they eat. The SOM Institute at the University of Gothenburg, which conducts measurements of Swedes’ attitudes every year, shows a similar trend in the latest Consumption Report. I think these are very promising figures!
What made you interested in nudging and behavioral science in the first place?
I am basically an environmental scientist and economist and have worked extensively with sustainability issues for a long time. Sometimes I lecture on policies and instruments for sustainable development. To change the behavior of people and organizations, you can work with “hard” measures such as screwing up taxes, changing legislation or “soft” measures such as information and campaigns, I usually tell students.
I also tell the students: the problem is that they don’t seem to work very well. Or rather, they are not implemented very well. We are soon crossing many of the planetary boundaries and the 1,5 degree goal is not within reach with the policies in place at the moment. The problem is of course that there are not enough policies in place. But another problem might be how we convey our message. In this regard, nudging and behavioral design are interesting pieces of the puzzle that I’m looking forward to learning more about.
What added value are you aiming to bring to the organization?
In terms of competence and experience, I bring with me many years of experience of both operational and strategic sustainability work in various organisations and fields. My hope is that with my broad background and knowledge in all aspects of sustainability, I can contribute with a holistic view and a systems perspective. I have worked with communicating sustainability messages in a number of different contexts, it is knowledge that I bring with me into my new role.
What is your favorite nudge?
Transport accounts for close to a third of fossil emissions in Sweden today. So we can not have it! To rearrange transport, we must work on all fronts. Here, changing travel habits is an important piece of the puzzle. Too many trips are made today by car. It is bad for the climate and for public health. Because of this, I think Nudgd’s digital platform “Smart Travel Habits” is a fantastic nudging tool. The platform provides, for example, new (moved in) or newly hired individualized information on how they can travel sustainably, for example based on the residential address. Travel habits make it easy to do the right thing. I think it’s perfect.
What do you do when you are not working?
When I’m not working, I usually hang out with my family, with two small children there is not much time left for other things. But otherwise you will find me in the woods where I sit on a mountain and philosophize, swim in my secret forest star or take a ride on the skis. If I’m not there, I’m probably standing in front of the stove trying to cook climate – smart food. Food and cultivation is my great passion and my most important input on the issue of sustainability, which I also blog about. In addition, I am involved in the board of the Conversion Network, which works to create and support conversion initiatives for resilient and regenerative local communities.
Here you find the entire team at Nudgd and Annas contact information >>
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