Science advice and policy influence: Views of practitioners in the Swedish Climate Policy Council

Today, many nations have established climate councils to support the national implementation of the Paris Agreement. Previous research has shown that a successful council should be science-based and politically independent, but it should also be in close contact with the government it is reviewing and advising. This ambiguous position of being both politically-independent and politically-dependent forms the basis of this article. We present results from the first interview-based empirical study on how the Swedish Climate Policy Council balances this seemingly paradoxical situation of opposing ambitions. Our analysis utilizes approaches from the field of science and technology studies (STS) that can deepen our understanding of how science advice is (and should be) entangled with both science and politics. From this perspective, the supposed paradox could be dissolved. We find that the Swedish Council has become a point of reference in the national climate policy conversation. However, our findings also highlight the Council’s overall approach, which means avoiding both scientific and political details as an effort to not intervene in party politics. We conclude that advice from the Swedish Climate Policy Council is not sufficiently embedded in the political processes it serves, nor does the strong focus on autonomy and independence support these efforts. Hence, we argue that there is a need to re-think climate councils as political actors, both in practice and social science studies. • This article is the first to study climate councils through an STS approach. • The Swedish Climate Council conducts an overall approach in relation to politics. • Political independence is balanced against dependence but the former is emphasized. • Scientific experts should embrace an interdependent position to politics. • Councils need to present politically salient facts to better influence politics.