What about Sweden and climate justice? A discourse analysis on Swedish development cooperation policy

Sammanfattning: This thesis is a study on Swedish development cooperation policy, aiming to understand the approach to environmental- and climate change issues between 2010-2021. By using a theoretical framework focused on climate justice combined with the method of discourse analysis, the analysis is guided by four questions regarding: climate injustices, solutions, actors, and nature. These questions are posed to the material consisting of official policy- and other guiding documents by the Government and the Swedish agency for international development cooperation (Sida). The results demonstrate a broad understanding to environmental- and climate change issues in regard to injustices and solutions, considering long-term issues, systems of discrimination and agency. Actors, and particularly women were discussed along the lines of victimhood and as agents of change, highlighting the agency of women. Finally, the understanding of nature developed significantly over the years. Certain interlinked root causes and systems of oppression were however less visible, such as dominating economic systems and its effect on development, people in poverty and specifically on nature. In conclusion, this thesis finds that climate justice concerns evolve in Swedish development cooperation policy over the years, but it does not address certain root causes in line with the climate just framework.