Sörlin, Professor of Environmental History at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, has spent his career challenging the boundaries between science, society, and storytelling. A towering figure in global conversations on the Anthropocene, climate change, and the role of the humanities in a time of planetary crisis, his scholarship — covering topics ranging from Arctic geopolitics to global environmental governance – has profoundly shaped academic debate and public discourse.
Sörlin has led trailblazing research projects such as the ERC-funded SPHERE (Study of the Planetary Human-Earth Relationship: The Rise of Global Environmental Governance). He has also authored, co-authored, or edited more than forty books, including The Environment: A History of the Idea (2018) and Snö: A History (2025). Blending historical insight with urgent calls for change, Sörlin’s groundbreaking work has received numerous prizes and honors, including the August Prize, the Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences' Great Gold Medal, and the Axel Hirsch Prize. He has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Bergen and the University of Turku.
Beyond academia, Sörlin has long served as one of Sweden’s foremost public intellectuals, domestically as well as internationally. He has advised the Swedish government and UNESCO, served as a member of the Climate Policy Council, shaped environmental policy debates, and championed the critical role of the humanities in addressing global environmental challenges. His work reminds us that climate, environment, and society are not separate domains but deeply intertwined — a perspective that resonates powerfully in an era of escalating planetary crisis.
The Arne Næss Symposium, an annual highpoint in the Norwegian intellectual calendar, brings the world’s leading international thinkers to Oslo to address the most pressing socio-environmental challenges of our time. With Sörlin as chair, this year’s symposium promises to be both vital and provocative – a clarion call to reimagine humanity’s place in a rapidly changing world.
Arne Næss Symposium: Humanities’ answer to our planetary emergency will take place on 24 September. Read more and sign up for the event here