Explore our knowledge

Jac­ob Has­sel­balch

Associate Professor

Subjects
Politics Sustainability Green transition Climate Environment EU

Primary research areas

Green eco­nom­ic plan­ning
How can state-led in­dic­at­ive plan­ning un­der cap­it­al­ism be used to or­gan­ize more am­bi­tious cli­mate polit­ics and de­car­bon­iz­a­tion pro­grams? Can cor­por­ate plan­ning tech­niques and prac­tices be up­cycled from the firm to the level of the green state? Which vari­et­ies of plan­ning re­gimes cur­rently ex­ist at the sec­tor or coun­try level across dif­fer­ent eco­nom­ic sys­tems?
Ex­perts and ex­pert­ise in the green trans­ition
Ex­perts and ex­pert­ise mat­ter for the green trans­ition: what counts as ‘green’, how sustain­ability is defined and meas­ured, which op­tions are pur­sued and dis­carded—these ques­tions are all settled through ex­pert struggles to con­trol the know­ledge polit­ics of the trans­ition. How can such ‘trans­ition ex­pert­ise’ be opened up for demo­crat­ic par­ti­cip­a­tion and great­er ef­fect­ive­ness?
The polit­ics of the plastic crisis
Plastics present one of the primary sustain­ability chal­lenges of our time: from the re­source in­tens­ity and fossil feed­stock of pet­ro­chem­ic­al pro­duc­tion to the is­lands of plastic waste in mar­ine eco­sys­tems. Re­search ad­dress­ing this crisis must take a hol­ist­ic view of the plastic life cycle and ex­plore rad­ic­al al­tern­at­ives to the cur­rent sys­tem.

I ex­plore polit­ic­al-eco­nom­ic al­tern­at­ives to un­lock sustain­ability trans­formation

My research examines how societies can break free from unsustainable economic models and pursue credible pathways toward sustainability. I focus on three interrelated areas: green economic planning, which considers how states, markets, and finance can be coordinated to accelerate decarbonization; transition expertise, which highlights the role of professional knowledge, networks, and authority in shaping sustainability trajectories; and alternative organizing in the plastic crisis, which reveals how grassroots initiatives, activist networks, and businesses experiment with novel approaches to circularity and waste reduction. 

What drives me is the conviction that alternatives already exist in abundance—often in overlooked corners of society. From activist campaigns to experimental business models and public sector innovations, these initiatives embody creative ways of thinking about collective futures. By studying them, I seek to amplify their relevance and make visible the diversity of pathways available. 

Recent research projects

Plastic Al­tern­at­ives (Lund Uni­ver­sity)

I am a core par­ti­cipant of the Plastic Al­tern­at­ives pro­ject at Lund Uni­ver­sity, led by Dr. Eka­ter­ina Cher­tkovskaya. Our pro­ject seeks to crit­ic­ally in­ter­rog­ate the cir­cu­lar eco­nomy by ex­plor­ing al­tern­at­ive or­gan­iz­a­tions all over the world that work cre­at­ively to change the way we live with plastics.
Plastic Alternatives (Lund University)

Outside activities

Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, PhD defence - opponent, 2025–present