Engaging Urban Communities of Newcomers to Sweden towards UNFCCC Climate Change Targets through Participation and Diversity

Sammanfattning: Human-influenced climate change is rapidly accelerating and continues to threaten to human existence. Global migration is leading to increasingly multicultural urban populations. This paper ties these two issues together through the lense of engagement. The thesis argues that a Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) can be used to plan strategies to engage multicultural communities towards second commitment Kyoto targets and be an opportunity for meeting community needs for social sustainability. The research took place in Sweden through interviews and focus groups. Key findings address systematic exclusion and the potential of inquiry to discover barriers and leverage points. The resulting set of guidelines for municipalities utilizes the full spectrum of engagement (inform, consult, involve, collaborate, empower) and the FSSD to enhance existing climate change action plans towards maximum participation for fulfilling Kyoto Protocol mandates.