Considering the rapid increase in the ICT (Information & Communication Technology) products in use, there is a risk of an increase in GHG emissions and electronic waste accumulation in the ICT sector. Therefore, it becomes important to account for the emissions in the ICT sector in order to take steps to mitigate them. There are several methods put forward under ETSI, ITU-T, GHG protocol, etc., which can be used to measure the emissions in the ICT sector. Two such methods are Product Life Cycle Assessment (PLCA) and Spend-based, which are used in this study to account for scope 3, category 1 emissions in the ICT sector. Scope 3, category 1 emissions are released during the raw material acquisition and part production phase of the ICT product’s life cycle and account for a major portion of the overall emissions. As the ICT sector is a very huge field of study in itself, two ICT products, namely smartphones and laptops, are considered in this study to calculate their overall scope 3, category 1 emissions. A list of influential components in smartphones and laptops is defined to be included in the Excel Management Life Cycle Assessment (EMLCA) tool to calculate the scope 3, category 1 emissions. A comprehensive comparison between PLCA and Spend-based methods is also studied during the process of calculating their emissions. These observations are then used to make critical analyses and compare the two methods under results and discussions based on various parameters described under them. Both the methods were found to be suitable for calculating the emissions, with some uncertainty, although the Spend-based method was a quicker approach to do so. The PLCA method, although more complex, was found to be more suitable for ICT product eco-design. Both methods required a different set of primary data and were sensitive to various components in smartphones and laptops. This study illustrates the parameters that affect PLCA and Spend-based methods and discusses the pros and cons of them depending on the situations they are used in.

This study investigated the relationship between Sweden’s CO2e (Carbon Dioxide Equivalent) emissions and key macroeconomic factors, for the period 2008Q1- 2022Q3. The aim was to enhance the understanding of the link between macroeconomic factors and greenhouse gas emissions in a post-industrial economy, using multiple regression analysis. The study identified several significant macroeconomic factors affecting CO2e emissions and examined the extent to which these variables explain the fluctuations in Sweden’s emissions. Additionally, the study assessed the validity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve and Porter Hypothesis within Sweden’s environmental context. In the study, two multiple regression models were developed. Model 1 had an R^2 of 0.90, using the macroeconomic variables Industry Fuel Consumption, Population, Net Export, and Oil Prices. However, since the first model displayed moderate autocorrelation, a second model was also built by introducing a lagged dependent variable which yielded an R^2 of 0.92. / Denna studie undersökte förhållandet mellan Sveriges CO2e (koldioxidekvivalent) utsläpp och centrala makroekonomiska faktorer för perioden 2008K1-2022K3. Syftet var att öka förståelsen för sambandet mellan makroekonomiska faktorer och växthusgasutsläpp i en postindustriell ekonomi, med användning av multipel regressionsanalys. Studien identifierade flera betydande makroekonomiska faktorer som påverkar CO2e-utsläpp och undersökte i vilken utsträckning dessa variabler förklarar fluktuationerna i Sveriges utsläpp. Dessutom utvärderade studien giltigheten av Miljökuznetskurvan och Porters hypotes inom ramen för Sveriges miljökontext. I studien skapades två multipel regressionsmodeller. Modell 1 hade ett R^2 på 0,90, med de makroekonomiska variablerna Industriell Bränsleförbrukning, Befolkning, Nettoexport och Oljepriser. Eftersom den första modellen visade måttlig autokorrelation byggdes dock även en andra modell genom att införa en fördröjd beroende variabel, vilket resulterade i ett R^2 på 0,92.