To reach climate targets, society must use energy in a more sustainable way. This requires that national climate policy is translated into meaningful support for citizens in their everyday lives. In her doctoral thesis, Lisa Bastås examines how civil servants translate broad political goals into locally relevant energy advice, thereby helping to make sustainable energy transitions both understandable and actionable for citizens.
What challenges do you focus on in your research?
“My research departs from the major changes in energy use that are required for society to meet climate targets. Many important decisions are made in our homes – how we heat our houses, use electricity, and invest in low-carbon technologies. At the same time, households differ in terms of knowledge, financial resources, and practical constraints, all of which shape the choices they are able to make. This is why support is needed that helps citizens make strategic and sustainable decisions about their energy use.”
How do you address the problem?
"In this thesis, I investigate how civil servants translate national energy goals into advice that works in everyday life, focusing on Sweden’s public energy advising program. Through documents studies, interviews, and surveys, I study how these civil servants approach their mandate, what shapes their role, and how they collaborate with other actors supporting citizens, such as private solar panel installers.”
What are the main findings?
“My findings show how civil servants help people navigate what is often a complex and confusing landscape of climate actions – from installing solar panels and heat pumps to making smaller behavioral changes. They do this by starting from citizens’ needs and circumstances and by offering impartial and reliable guidance. These civil servants also influence the broader energy system by connecting local actors, spreading knowledge, and conveying local needs to policymakers.”
“At the same time, their mandates often primarily focus on technical solutions and on homeowners who can afford major investments. To support more just and inclusive transitions, civil servants need a clearer mandate to also promote behavioral change and more resource-efficient lifestyles.”
What do you hope your research will lead to?
“With my research, I hope to contribute to more just and inclusive energy transitions, where policymakers and policy instruments not only support investments in low-carbon technologies but also make it easy for all citizens to make strategic decisions that reduce the environmental impact of their energy use. I also want policymakers to more clearly recognize and strengthen the role of civil servants as a vital link between policy and citizens. This requires more ambitious mandates, more stable and long-term governance, and structures that make use of their local knowledge and systemic contributions.”
Read the thesis: Civil servants as intermediaries contextualizing policy for sustainable energy transitions
Public defence: 13 March 2026 at 09:15
- Doctoral Student, Innovation and R&D Management, Technology Management and Economics
- Associate Professor, Innovation and R&D Management, Technology Management and Economics