According to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), maximizing synergies and minimizing trade-offs are central to accelerating a sustainable climate transition. This research project focuses on how responsible entities, such as governments and authorities, manage these trade-offs—situations where competing goals come into conflict. The project's aim is to develop a theoretical framework for studying goal conflicts and conflict management, offering valuable insights for researchers and practitioners to better understand and facilitate a sustainable climate transition.

In goal conflicts, which often involve trade-offs between competing priorities, it is not always possible to design solutions that benefit everyone equally; instead, advantages and disadvantages are distributed unevenly among societal actors. While previous research has primarily focused on identifying goal conflicts, there is an increasing need for studies on how to manage them. This is particularly important, as the way these conflicts are addressed directly influences how actors perceive the legitimacy of the climate transition—perceptions that, in turn, can significantly impact the transition’s practical implementation.

The empirical focus of the study includes managing goal conflicts related to electrification in Sweden, with particular attention to wind power, nuclear energy, and electric vehicles. The project is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2025 and will continue for three years. It is funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet).