Dominant discourses of Green Growth and the Swedish North: A topic model of the “green” transition in Swedish news media, 2015–2023

Figure 1

Figure 2

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_008

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Land Use Conflicts	sami village; reindeer; gällivare; land; persson; forest sami village; sami; path; interest; use; reindeer husbandry; green; area; transition; sweden	0,2605
Conflict/Challenges – Mining Debates & Population	year; mine; jobs; want; move; government; beowulf; sweden; jokkmokk; new; survey; kallak; imagine; land; give	0,3537
Exploitation of the Swedish North & Rural Perspectives	sweden; municipality; countryside; million; country; north; give; crown; should; whole; investment; build; rural area; money; norrland	0,1314
Rural & Regional Challenges	sweden; new; sami; countryside; signify; alta; north; growth; struggle; film; marie; want; isaksen; hætta; minister for rural affairs	0,3647
Transition & Crime	company; police; sweden; crime; government agency; person; collective agreement; risk; work; control; criminality; foreign; worker; subcontractor; north	0,3917
Critical Perspectives	swedish; sweden; conservative; proposal; project; problem; want; organisation; new; alternative; sweden democrat; report; enterprise and industry sector; question; north	0,2092
Criticism & Debate – Green Steel	henrekson; magnus; green; h2; steel; north; criticism; lkab; risk; time; project; report; h2gs; company; wait	0,2959
Arne Müller – Criticism & Debate	müller; arne; green; industry; sweden; book; build; electricity; require; want; new; metal; north; wind turbine; author	0,3383
Food Production	whole; sweden; food; own; grow; stefan; country; many; tomato; build; power; human; sundström; act; year	0,381
Crisis – War, Conflict & Military	russia; sweden; europe; ukraine; country; war; china; russian; military; dependence; norway; nato; usa; eu; affect	0,1621
Green Industry & Electricity – Criticism & Debate	sweden; lkab; north; hybrit; consider; johansson; electricity; vattenfall; project; henrekson; criticism; wind power; state; magnus; actor	0,2917
Crisis – Climate & Security	sweden; snow; alps; emissions; skistar; year; rice; harald; europe; warm; climate change; swedish; question; winter; want	0,3151
Crisis – War, Conflict & Military	sweden; swedish; north; russia; actor; industry; company; power; goal; security; information; johan; different; espionage; wiktorin	0,3947

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_009

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Future & Development	new, volvo; sweden; generation; north; way; society; future; build; give; battery; car; nycander; gustavsson; future	0,3538
New Technology & Marketing	ai; campaign; new; different; freelance; renström; project; show; andy; area; sweden; green; job; turner; factory	0,2881
Growth & Development	sweden; new; development; whole; company; opportunity; country; create; region; prerequisite; growth; want; contribute; north; industry	0,085
Investment & Increase – Electricity, Wind Power & Education	sweden; new; year; swedish; prognosis; south; wind power; kulin; wind energy; twh; north; daniel; electricity production; increase; approximately	0,3784
Opportunity, Innovation & Leadership	green; sweden; transition; north; sustainable; create; new; society; world; develop; solution; technical; university; industry; challenge	0,0848

Themes

Theme #	Theme	Number of topics	Per cent
T1	Energy and energy production	23	17
T2	Politics and political administration	16	13
T3	Places (cities, municipalities, and regions)	16	11
T4	Industries and industrial actors	15	10
T5	Labour, competence provision, and migration	14	9
T6	Critique, problems, and challenges	13	8
T7	Future and development	5	6
T8	Cars and housing	8	4
T9	Infrastructure	4	3
T10	Climate and climate change	4	3
T11	Cultural and social issues	5	3
T12	Economy	4	2
T13	Education and healthcare	3	2

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_010

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
The Housing Market & Electric Cars	year; eu; country; villa; sweden; rent; communally owned housing; buy; difference; ledin; eneroth; believe; realtor; although; wait	0,5263
Housing & Construction	housing; municipality; build; year; construction; sweden; north; residential construction; new; construction company; apartment; small house; skellefteå; investment aid; housing shortage	0,2793
Housing, Housing Shortage & Construction	housing; person; north; gällivare; year; skellefteå; new; northvolt; start; green; jobs; fossil-free; steel; boden; many	0,4234
Fuel & Reduction Obligation	reduction obligation; farmanbar; percent; gasoline; diesel price; diesel; increase; electricity price; minister for energy; sweden; year; increased; biofuel; reach; south	0,2621
Biofuels & Hydrogen as Fuel	biogas; hydrogen; sweden; use; fossil-free; hvo; year; fuel; skoog; propellant; diesel; vehicle; heavy; biofuel; future	0,3892
Electric Cars & Charging Infrastructure	car; electric car; sweden; year; rechargeable; percent; vehicle; gasoline; charge; rural area; new; drive; diesel; increase; road	0,2852
Residential Construction	tor; borg; build; demand; hermansson; cecilia; problem; housing; swedish; household; at the same time; increase; inflation; percent; lack	0,4306
Construction Industry – Economy	economy; crisis; construction industry; time; private; stenbeck; economic; public; sweden; build; investment; sector; kinnevik; cristina; whole	0,4778

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_004

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Government Agreement 2019	new; inquiry; implement; increase; execute; löfven; strengthen; sweden; proposal; lööf; school; appoint; legislation: annie; year	0,1408
Ebba Busch (KD) & Local News in English	busch; sweden; area; ebba; norran; transition; press conference; assignment; year; enterprise and industry sector; labour; north; new industrialisation; the swedish agency for economic and regional growth; new	0,5103
National Politics & Policy Issues	swedish; sweden; should; stand; country; political; problem; politician; write; time; question; future; state; new; act	0,0871
Government Coordinator for the Transition in the North	larsson; peter; government; coordinator; north; new; sweden; västerbotten; development; norrbotten; assignment; municipality; housing; infrastructure; state	0,1479
Government & Political Parties	party; sweden; government; want; green party; sd; mp; north; politics; election; social democrat; parliament; conservative; green; issue	0,1181
Politicians and Political Actors	government; helena; center party; time; lindahl; ygeman; proposal; new; isak; permit; parliament; power grid; lars; energy minister; want	0,2128
EU Politics & Regional Influence	eu; region; sweden; north; think; budget; jämtland; gotland; regional; netherlands; denmark; hold; example; regional politician; elise	0,3967
Environmental Law & Licensing	sweden; cementa; gotland; cement; swedish; threaten; lkab; stop; climate; foundation; application; baylan; problem; requirement; new	0,3098
Coordination Assignments – Government & Regions	assignment; government; north; sweden; issue; county governor; västerbotten; municipality; labour; knutsson; hellmark; employment agency; helene; support; want	0,1637
Energy Policy	government; sweden; electricity price; farmanbar; minister for energy; nuclear power; wind power; south; reactor; khashayar; year; shutdown; ringhals; close; low	0,2896
Government Parties & Politicians	government; sweden; busch; ebba; north; kristersson; minister; kd; live; ulf; chairman; karkiainen; member of parliament; minister for business and industry; social democrat	0,1477
Labour Market Policy	jobs; new; labour market; sweden; nordmark; eva; swedish; minister for employment; year; future; green; unemployment; government; create; transform	0,2621
Environmental Assessments & Permit Processes	county administrative board; land; new; permit process; lotta; government agency; talga; sundström; mine; finstorp; environmental court; year; process; operation; environmental assessment	0,251
Magdalena Andersson (S)	andersson; magdalena; social-democrat; conservative; require; new; politician; liberal; economic; minister for finance; social democratic; want; aid; chairman; country	0,2905
Party Politics – Stefan Löfven (S)	sweden; north; löfven; new; industry; norrbotten; government; prime minister; stefan; year; new industrialisation; green; politics; speak; example	0,253
Aviation Tax	aviation; tax; sweden; government; aviation tax; inquiry; swedish; country; center party; jobs; report; alternative; implement; åkesson; investigator	0,3487

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_015

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Universities, Research & Education	university; education; luleå; new; technical; school; sweden; ltu; teacher; student; competence; research; need; increase; north	0,2301
Welfare – Education & Healthcare	school; welfare; östersund; want; children; healthcare; young; opportunity; give; sweden; education; time; care; work; jobs	0,1948
Healthcare & Welfare	region; sweden; healthcare; year; municipality; increase; medical care; staff; human; västerbotten; person; left party; welfare; want; stand	0,1733

Distribution of media in corpus

	Number	Per cent
Regional and local outlets based in Norrbotten and Västerbotten	4,795	49
Regional and local outlets based in other parts of Sweden	4,030	41
National outlets	906	9
Other	24	< 1

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_005

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Societal Transition in Skellefteå	skellefteå; municipality; northvolt; battery factory; tell; burman; year; power; lorents; sweden; establishment; city; northvolt’s; new; north	0,1365
Municipalities in Västerbotten	umeå; municipality; västerbotten; lycksele; year; vilhelmina; city; storuman; new; county; local; skellefteå; nordebo; norrland; vk	0,0951
Västernorrland – Industrial Establishments	sundsvall; västernorrland; county; timrå; torsboda; municipality; region; new; härnösand; pieces; battery factory; sweden; chairman; region of sundsvall; volvo	0,2197
Municipal Investments & Perspectives	municipality; new; municipal commissioner; establishment; year; municipal; housing; inhabitants; million; berg; mats; area; build; crown; stand	0,0449
Societal Transition in Kiruna, Gällivare & Luleå	kiruna; lkab; new; city; move; year; gällivare; freelance; johan; society; sweden; old; zacke; mine; meter	0,2662
South & North (Tidholm & Energy Market)	tidholm; po; area; brandin; sweden; production; north; janus; moderator; swedish; south; norrland; electricity price area; norrbotten; market	0,3878
Industry & Transition in Boden & Luleå	boden; nordmark; claes; municipal commissioner; king; municipality; sweden; luleå; engineer; h2gs; issue; north; steel; green; salary	0,1766
Industry & Transition in Luleå	luleå; sammeli; new; lkab; port; industrial park; carina; municipality; build; robert; svartön; eriksson; want; project; ssab	0,1932
Regional Perspectives – Gender Equality & Forest Grazing Damage	woman; county; north; society; sweden; county governor; prostitution; sexual; require; want; gender equality; demand; girl; service; societal transition	0,4217
Societal Transition in Boden, Skellefteå & Luleå	boden; skellefteå; luleå; green; h2; municipality; steel; year; new; build; gällivare; work; north; northvolt; company	0,0316
Societal Transition in Luleå	luleå; new; city; architect; want; north; place; housing; build; thought; house; create; sweden; skanska; job	0,3022
Västerbotten & Norrbotten	västerbotten; region; regional; county; sweden; north; lindfors; carstedt; regional politician; norrbotten; nils-olov; rickard; crown; transition; project	0,1564
Transition in Dalarna	ludvika; dalarna; municipality; borlänge; new; company; state; hitachi; abb; industry; whole; place; energy; sweden; employee	0,2292
Urban Development & the Future – Northvolt/Skellefteå & Gällivare	skellefteå; municipality; palm; anja; year; build; northvolt’s; education; new; production; grow; battery factory; workforce; create; housing	0,3793
Transition – Norrbotten & Västerbotten	sweden; north; norrbotten; green; transition; västerbotten; investment; industry; whole; county; government; new; luleå; happen	0,0413
Center/Periphery – Rural Places, the Nation & the World	sweden; stockholm; dn; north; city; country; emma; luleå; familiy; gonzalo; article; year; news room; question; engelmark	0,2678

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_006

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Industrial Actors & International Environments	lkab; h2; company; green; steel; north; ssab; luleå; johansson; boliden; northvolt; project; karin; operation; hallstan	0,1354
Forestry, Fertilizers, Biogas & Chemicals – New Establishments	örnsköldsvik; new; production; facility; sca; factory; use; year; build; fossil-free; project; investment; ton; company; green	0,2246
Forestry	forest; holmen; north; sweden; year; forestry; forest owners; sveaskog; henrik; sjölund; swedish; diversity; million; government; industry	0,288
Electric Aviation & Corporate Leadership	development; aviation; manager; heart; stockholm; ceo; gothenburg; electric; plane; eneroth; aerospace; electric aircraft; transform; prince; fly	0,4434
Aviation	aviation; airport; fly; sweden; airport; aviation tax; traveling; electric aircraft; year; north; traveller; percent; fossil-free; bromma; government	0,3463
H2 Green Steel (Stegra)	h2; green; steel; boden; electricity; steel; build; factory; henrik; new; henriksson; north; year; sweden; ceo	0,2654
Forestry, Hunting & Grazing Damage	forest; grazing damage; elk; north; county; damage; olof; falkeström; pine; forestry industry; reduce; reach; sweden; goal; consequence	0,4554
Transition Actors	sweden; north; new; jonsson; mix; build; wind power; mattias; year; housing; south; swedish; electricity; finland; plan	0,3636
Hybrit	lkab; steel; fossil-free; ssab; hybrit; new; hydrogen; production; project; sweden; electricity; vattenfall; produce; sponge iron; use	0,094
Hybrit – UN Climate Summit	hybrit; steel; lindqvist; ssab; un; industry; fossil-free; martin; state; world; transform; lövin; stand; hydrogen; ceo	0,2609
Vattenfall	anna; borg; vattenfall; ceo; new; sweden; pace; increase; much; country; imbalance; electricty; stand; believe; project	0,2597
Northvolt	northvolt; factory; battery factory; peter; carlsson; northvolt’s; build; skellefteå; volvo; battery; europe; new; ceo; scania; billion	0,1452
Mining Industry – Metals & Minerals	mine; metal; sweden; mineral; new; deposit; cobalt; to mine; north; copper; mining industry; boliden; critical; battery; year	0,1832
New Industrial Establishments & Electricity – South & North	north; sweden; norrland; south; investment; new; electricity; green; build; battery; factory; want; country; time; forest; stockholm	0,1983
Mining Industry – Uranium Mining & Rare Earth Metals	rare earth elements; rare; uranium; uranium mining; to mine; ban; kiruna; prevent; deposit; certain; mining; sweden; bedrock; explain; want	0,375

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_007

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Guest Workers, Migration, Population & Housing	want; company; worker; jokkmokk; sweden; foreign; pettersson; municipality; guest worker; jörn; building; union; increase; västerbotten; life	0,2045
New Jobs, Population & Migration	jobs; steel; new; h2; green; north; steel; company; want; sweden; fossil-free; employment agency; northward; lkab; turn	0,2803
Labor Migration & Wage Requirements	pehrson; wage requirement; sd; want; government; sector; exception; johan; di; manager; impose; public; industry; source; point	0,5161
New Jobs, Population & Migration	new; jobs; person; north; skellefteå; build; factory; norrbotten; year; green; steel; h2; boden; housing; industry	0,4621
Jobs & Competence Provision	year; skellefteå; jobs; northvolt; work; markus; sweden; lkab; municipality; want; svensson; person; gustafsson; minddig; chana	0,3103
New Jobs, Population & Migration	jobs; north; move; sweden; new; workforce; employment agency; norrbotten; västerbotten; skellefteå; percent; attract; unemployment; create; human	0,2105
Population Statistics, Development & Migration	year; municipality; skellefteå; inhabitant; person; eriksson; sweden; scb; move; umeå; north; population; rikard; university; new	0,2194
Job Listings & Investments in the North	assignment; stimo; piteå; different; work; position; company; management consultant; north; team; green; competence; consultant; sweden; project management	0,5978
Population, Immigration & Living Environments in the North	municipality; north; jonas; lundström; sweden; inhabitant; skellefteå; västerbotten; year; move; luleå; green; county; piteå; enterprise and industry sector	0,2095
Job Listings in Skellefteå	skellefteå; museum; ceo; ltd; develop; sweden; apply; operation; role; and; create; assignment; anna; lead; culture	0,2471
New Industrial Establishments, Living Conditions, Family & Housing	family; life; child; live; house; move; municipality; jobs; new; want; friend; north; tell; place; sweden	0,1393
Employment Agency - Demand	prognosis; employment agency; jobs; require; ingrid; viklund; ros; carpenter; healthcare; education; doctor; need; year; profession; assess	0,3874
Labor Migration & Wage Requirements	swedish; labour migration; government; sweden; proposal; requirement; wage; workforce; stricter; labour market; think; new; country; enterprise and industry sector; ceo	0,311
Job Listings, Positions & Business Development	work; company; employee; skellefteå; office; almi; and; sustianable; operation; experience; new; region; boliden; develop; work	0,1818

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_011

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Infrastructure, Railways & Norrbotniabanan	norrbotniabana; swedish transport administration; government; railway; build; billion; north; sweden; crown; luleå; skellefteå; infrastructure; route; new; umeå	0,2833
Infrastructure, Railways & Inlandsbanan	inlandsbana; road; sweden; railway; north; billion; track; transport; infrastructure; restoration; investment; swedish transport administration; county; inland; maintenance	0,2816
Infrastructure – Government Decisions, Investments & Fees	sweden; north; eneroth; swedish transport administration; advance in time; tomas; investigate; assignment; government; industry; västerbotten; industrial investment; norrbotten; fossil-free; green	0,4396
Infrastructure, Railways & Ostkustbanan	new; swedish transport administration; ostkustbana; sweden; railway; government; double track; north; investment; gävle; whole; train; region; plan; proposal	0,2603

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_012

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Climate Change & Extreme Weather in the Mountains	degree; 1,5; time; animal; arnbom; extreme; snow; warming; food; climate change; land; tom; world; bad; snow crust	0,4034
Climate Transitions & Fossil-free Futures	sweden; emissions; reduce; fossil-free; percent; eu; transition; climate; green; fossil; year; sustainable; at the same time; increase; require	0,0728
Climate Change & Climate Politics	year; climate; emissions; future; sweden; degree; politics; world; global; earth; warming; warm; country; party; climate issue	0,2564
Animals, Health & Nature	animal; human; pandemic; diversity; biological; predator; infection; wild; environment; at; risk; slu; sweden; different; virus	0,1867

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_013

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Culture, Gender Equality & Sports	culture; north; society; build; municipality; human; sweden; work; enterprise and industry sector; girl; quartey; boliden; act; want; fransesca	0,3281
Arctic Art	north; anders; artist; iceland; jansson; umeå; start; art; usa; canada; sweden; investment; arctic; world; identity	0,6327
Gender Equality, Family & Activism	for; is; on; sweden; anshu; chavhan; future; women; amanda; aìr; india; siddharth; want; kashvi; paì	0,4848
Literature & Authors – Norrland	book; sörlin; sverker; write; karin; sweden; land of the future; author; north; polarbröd; norrland; smirnoff; society; story; new	0,335
Meetings & Meeting Places	sweden; meeting; tell; municipality; luleå; participate; north; place; preeschool; linda; norrbotten; arrange; transition; green; open	0,177

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_003

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Electricity – South & North	sweden; electricity; electricity production; south; swedish; electricity supply; electricity shortage; north; situation; year; electricity price; fossil-free; country; company; industry	0,1822
Electricity – Supply & Distribution	aurora; line; new; finland; north; sweden; swedish; build; powerline; industry; construction; data center; node; freelance; electricity intensive	0,3071
Electricity Price	sweden; electricity price; electricity; price; south; north; swedish; year; percent; electricity area; low; penny; winter; country; household	0,1973
Electricity Shortage in Skåne	skåne; swedish; mw; sweden; new; south-west link; year; electricity shortage; malmö; power grid; facility; barsebäck; build; electricity; operation	0,2435
Electricity – South & North	electricity; south; sweden; north; skåne; country; electricity supply; electricity shortage; year; electricity production; produce; new; transmission capacity; percent; increase	0,1947
Electricity Supply	energy company; twh; year; pettersson; electricity; electricity demand; industry; åsa; sweden; nuclear power; increase; society; new; want; north	0,4862
Electricity Distribution	swedish; new; power grid; need; green; industry; electricity; electricity network; sweden; gustafsson; succeed; megawatt; signify; want; explain	0,3726
Investments in the North – Industry & Power Grid	swedish; power grid; new; north; billion; electricity network; government; electrical line; 8,4; invest; lotta; farmanbar; station; investment; build	0,4157
Development Needs of Fossil-free Electricity	electricity; wind power; sweden; build; electricity production; north; year; new; industry; twh; fossil-free; expansion; require; energy; nuclear power	0,1137
Electricity & Electricity Distribution – Development Needs	new; gustafsson; swedish; hydrogen; power grid; year; electricity; billion; power generation; ten-year plan; production; place; sweden; approximately; expensive	0,3600
Industries Electricity Demands (Allocation & Distribution)	swedish; power grid; vattenfall; north; luleå; output; mw; sweden; new; steel; project; h2; green; year; electricity	0,3639
Increasing Electricity Demand	sweden; new; transition; build; increase; electricity demand; electricity; need; energy company; electricity network; twh; electricity production; political; time; to welcome	0,2909
Nuclear Power	nuclear power; new; build; sweden; electricity; reactor; wind power; want; conservative; nuclear power plant; electricity production; energy policy; electricity system; south; party	0,2225
Solar & Wind Power	electricity; energy; sweden; produce; build; wind power; renewable; solar panel; want; use; fossil-free; nuclear power; country; whole; swedish	0,1651
Wind Power Debates	eriksson; wind power; kaxås; peter; hotel; sweden; build; green; verdict; nature; jämtland; petter; maria; stordalen; feeling	0,2913
Transition Prerequisites – Wind Power & Export	wind power; municipality; sweden; new; year; lkab; company; strategy; require; at the same time; whole; create; transition; fossil-free; emissions	0,4565
Wind Power – Establishment Difficulties	new; wind power; year; swedish; twh; wind farm; sweden; build; difficult; electricity production; nuclear power; badman; daniel; act; show	0,3583
Wind Power – Local Perspectives	municipality; wind power; government; sweden; inquiry; country; municipal; veto; proposal; local; north; whole; new; incentive; expansion	0,1921
Hydro Power	hydro power; vattenfall; build; water; river; sweden; power station; mw; power plant; pumped storage power station; operation; lake; electricity; year; place	0,3967
Wind Power – Electricity Prices	wind power; year; new; electricity production; stop; electricity price; municipality; kwh; electricity; sweden; crown; build; push; penny; electricity cost	0,413
Wind Power – Criticism & Debate	wind power; wind turbine; sweden; wind farm; build; north; year; swedish; markbygd; area; company; electricity; own; agreement; twh	0,2456
Wind Power – Offshore	project; wind power; offshore; build; skyborn; sweden; sea; west; government; meter; wind turbine; swedish; electricity; wind farm; offshore	0,33
Hydrogen	hydrogen; energy; luleå; want; sweden; north; university; green; build; technical; plan; ltu; new; different; company	0,3189

j_nor-2025-0017_tab_014

Topic label	Top words (15)	Rank-1
Regional Effects of the Economic Recession	sweden; region; percent; wait; nordea; norrland; north; småland; development; most; very; weak; susanne; spector; county	0,2899
Companies, Economy & Investments	ldt; company; year; ceo; crown; company; million; billion; sweden; percent; ceo; founder; operation; own; daniel	0,1831
Economy – Recession	recession; year; believe; unemployment; percent; household; robert; interest rate; tough; sector; sure; different; people; chief economist: the national institute of economic research	0,2928
Economy, the Market & USA	usa; bolund; sweden; meeting; year; kerry; handelsbanken; fossil-free; john; economist; green; transition; anna; swedish; politician	0,4262