Axel Eriksson studies the intersection of environment and society by developing tools and methodologies for engaging diverse audiences in social-ecological scenarios and models.

Eriksson researches how to make social-ecological scenarios and models relevant to their target audiences. In particular, he utilises the newly developed model FRIDA within the EU-funded WorldTrans project to engage different audiences at the intersection of environment, society and economy. This includes developing interactive workshop methodologies for education, citizen engagement and decision-making support, among other purposes.

He is also studying how FRIDA can be used to estimate the status of the nine planetary boundaries. Building on previous work in this direction, he is interested in exploring the role that FRIDA can play in providing a quick and clear indication of the state of the global environment using the statuses of the planetary boundaries as indicators.

Eriksson holds a MSc degree in Engineering Physics from Lund University. He has worked as a Research Assistant in regional climate modelling and quantum light-matter interaction, as a Teaching Assistant in programming and physics, and conducted a diversity of research projects, including his MSc thesis in planetary boundary science, his BSc thesis in pollinator-plant ecology, and other projects in aerosol chemistry and quantum electronics. Beyond academia, he has been involved in local, national and international decision-making, primarily on environmental issues, serving as UN youth delegate of Sweden to the UN climate and biodiversity conventions, and as a steering committee member, European co-coordinator, and Policy fellow of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network.

Eriksson is the training manager of the Climate Youth Negotiator Programme, which since 2022 has built the capacity and networks of over 400 young people from more than 60 countries to represent their governments at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Awards and achievements

• Max Thabiso Edkins Climate Ambassador (2025)
• Best Engineering Project in INPG ENSE3 Innovation Challenge (2024)
• C.J. Hultqvist scholarship fund (2024)
• Wallenberg Physics Prize team competition, 4th place with team Södra Latin (2020)

Supervisor
David Collste