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Scholars

Kirstine Lund Christiansen

University of Copenhagen

Based in

Denmark
Europe

Today, more companies and organisations are setting net-zero or climate-neutral pledges, while public scrutiny of potential greenwashing has increased. This has caused renewed interest in the voluntary carbon market as a mechanism to achieve climate mitigation while also strengthening calls for reforming the market to ensure greater quality and integrity. In my research, I explore ideas about how the voluntary carbon market can be improved to deliver meaningful change.

As part of my research, I explore the role of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) as a new rallying point for climate mitigation. I am especially interested in how the CDR agenda provides further impetus to utilise nature and ecosystems as carbon sinks and how ideas of Natural Climate Solutions, Nature-based Solutions and nature restoration are evoked and discussed.

I build on interdisciplinary research traditions, and my research is influenced by scholarship from science and technology studies, critical political economy and political ecology. I have a background in political science, sustainability science and environmental studies.

Country(ies) of Specialty

Denmark Sweden

Focus areas of expertise

Greenwashing Climate policy and politics Net Zero

How to Connect

Publications

Articles

Christiansen, Kirstine Lund, and Wim Carton. “What ‘climate positive future’? Emerging sociotechnical imaginaries of negative emissions in Sweden.” Energy Research & Social Science 76 (2021): 102086.

Carton, Wim, Inge-Merete Hougaard, and Kirstine Lund Christiansen. “We can’t let markets decide the future of removing carbon from the atmosphere.” The Conversation (2021).
Christiansen, Kirstine Lund, and Inge-Merete Hougaard. “Net zero: Copenhagen’s failure to meet its 2025 target casts doubt on other major climate plans.” The Conversation (2022).
Dooley, Kate, et al. “The Land Gap Report.” (2022).