The food industry represents one of the most promising business sectors for sustainable development comprising numerous environmental, social and economic challenges. The industry is fragmented into a multitude of organizations with particular supply chains based within a complex multi-stakeholder environment. Therefore, the organizational goal of creating a sustainable supply chain is experiencing increased attention within research. Even though previous literature has assessed the diverse drivers and barriers impacting sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), the theory of stakeholder management for SSCM has so far barely been recognized. This paper aims to fill this research gap and establishes the connection between the concepts of stakeholder management and SSCM taking into consideration the implicated drivers and barriers. The assessment of prominent drivers and barriers as well as crucial stakeholder groups functions as a basis for the evaluation of possible stakeholder strategies suitable for SSCM. This research study is situated in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the German food industry. By conducting 13 semi-structured interviews with supply chain representatives this study follows a qualitative research approach. The data analysis reveals that SMEs in the German food industry face numerous obstacles in their attempt to implement sustainability within the supply chain. Moreover, it is apparent that current stakeholder strategies are insufficient in the context of supply chain sustainability. A closer network beyond business is considered the most effective strategic objective for the engagement with crucial stakeholder groups in order to enhance the drivers and reduce the impact of existing barriers. Consequently, this thesis provides a theoretical contribution by developing a deeper understanding of stakeholder management as a tool for increasing supply chain sustainability and further advances existing theory with the formation of a new analytical framework as well as the recognition of a novel stakeholder strategy.

Due to the global nature of business, the dispersion of international geographical activities has increased and location decision-making has become a critical strategic decision for companies. Recent research, on the other hand, has begun to report on an opposite movement. Pandemics, dramatic weather disasters, political conflict, and cyber-attacks are all examples of shocks that can disrupt global value chain-based manufacturing.  The reshoring of production is a hot topic in recent EU policy debates, both because of supply shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic and because of geopolitical changes. Despite increasing attention to the manufacturing location, the lack of empirical studies on this phenomenon, especially to return activities to high-cost countries such as Sweden, is clearly visible. With a qualitative method, the purpose of this study is to create a deeper understanding of reshoring in the Swedish context. Focuses is mainly on the drivers and barriers, as well as a company's expectations of reshoring and their challenges to implementing the decision. Secondary data is in the form of literature review and related surveys to gain knowledge of the phenomenon. In addition, primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with two Swedish manufacturing firms that decided to reshore. In this research, a deductive approach is used in which existing theories, mainly in the field of international business, are used to analyze empirical data. Secondary data cited labor costs in Sweden as one of the main offshore factors and the development of technologies such as automation, quality, and flexibility as reasons for the reshoring. In the primary data of this research, some other factors such as a focus on core competencies and using another country's experience/resources, as an offshore's reason besides social matters and having a sustainable strategy as a reshore's reasons were highlighted. Regarding expectation and challenges, awareness of problems such as decreasing company flexibility and increasing the lead time before offshore decisions by both companies, besides the perception of the challenges of implementing a reshore decision with an appropriate long-term plan to address them, reflects their comprehensive view of their strategic decision.

The fashion industry, the world's third-largest manufacturing sector, is a complex network involvingcreation, production, distribution, and consumption of fashion products. Despite extensive research onsustainable transitions in supply chains, little attention has been given to the role of supply chain actorsin sustainability, especially yarn mills and manufacturers. This thesis investigates the sustainabilitytransition within fashion supply chains with a specific focus on knitwear and textile production in thePrato textile Industrial District (Italy), characterized by its interconnected small and medium-sizedenterprises, which evolved from wool production to a diverse fashion hub. This research aims tounderstand the role of knitwear and woven producers in sustainability transition, exploring drivers,barriers, and sustainability identification. To address this gap, semi-structured interviews wereconducted with members of four different companies, and company sustainability reports andcertifications were also analyzed. The theoretical foundation integrates the Triple Bottom Line (TBL)concept, organizational change, and network theory to explore economic, social, and environmental aspects, fostering a holistic approach to sustainability. Organizational change models like Lewin's three-step model and Kotter's 8-step change model inform the investigation of sustainable organizational practices. Thematic analysis uncovers key themes surrounding sustainable transition, spanninghistorical context, sustainability definitions, sustainability practices, barriers, drivers, and sustainabilitypartners. These themes are linked to organizational change and Network theory in the axial codingprocess, illustrating connections between theory and empirical findings. A conceptual framework isdesigned to link fashion companies' strategies with triple bottom line (TBL), highlightingmanufacturing processes and strategic approaches towards sustainability. Key themes includegovernance, material sourcing, transparency, partnerships, diverse practices, and categorizing driversand barriers. This study contributes to understanding how economic, social, and environmental factorsintersect in fostering sustainable fashion practices. The findings also provide valuable insights intoorganizational change theory and network theory's applicability in sustainable fashion contexts.Recommendations for future research include broader industry scopes, technology impacts, governmentpolicies, and longitudinal studies to track evolving perceptions and practices. The analysis enriches thediscourse on sustainable fashion manufacturing and guides further research endeavors in the fashionindustry's sustainability domain.

The fashion industry is one of the most heavily polluting industries in the world. The industry has traditionally operated through the linear economy utilizing a take-make-waste supply chain. The appearance of the circular economy has provided the fashion industry with the opportunity to change its business models to more circular alternatives. However, focusing mainly on improving operations and forecasting models in ways for prevention, previous research has not considered the role of unsold goods (or deadstock) in a circular economy. This study contributes to the literature on the circular economy through insight into how deadstock can be reduced using circular strategies. Using an abductive approach, a case study was made on a fashion company that is investigating the possibilities to reduce deadstock using circular strategies. The study combines findings from previous research with a thematic analysis based on data collected from interviews with managers and experts working at the case company to answer the proposed research questions and fulfill its purpose. The findings of the study show that the drivers of and barriers to circular strategies at the case company seem to correspond with previous research. The drivers seem to mainly be softer powers that encourage change, such as organization and culture, while the barriers tend to be harder powers that hinder the change, such as heavy investments and the need for technological advancement. Moreover, the company lacks drivers being hard powers, such as technology and financial incentives. The authors, therefore, argue that the lack of drivers forcing change is one of the reasons why the industry has not changed more yet. Additionally, deadstock reducing initiatives seem to share many similarities in drivers and barriers with circular strategies, the main difference being an attitudinal difference towards them. This spurs a discussion of the duality of Doing Good and Doing Right in sustainability efforts where it is argued that to truly become sustainable, an organization must be able to do both. This study implies that deadstock reduction should be incorporated into the circular economy utilizing the circular strategies. More collaboration needs to happen between the individual circular strategies, for example through shared data systems, coordinated management for all circular strategies, and shared collecting and sorting systems. Furthermore, although soft powers encouraging change are in place, no significant transition towards circularity is to be expected in the fashion industry until hard powers, such as enabling technological innovations, are in place to force the change. / Modeindustrin är en av världens mest förorenande industrier. Industrin har traditionellt sett drivits av den linjära ekonomin och använt en ta-producera-släng värdekedja. Den cirkulära ekonomins uppkomst har gett modeindustrin möjligheten att ändra dess affärsmodeller till mer cirkulära alternativ. Dock, genom att fokusera mer på förbättringar av tekniker och prognosmodeller, så har tidigare forskning inte undersökt osålda varors (eller deadstock) roll i en cirkulär ekonomi. Den här studien bidrar till litteraturen inom cirkulär ekonomi genom att tillföra insikter om hur deadstock kan reduceras genom cirkulära strategier. Med en abduktivansats utfördes en fallstudie på ett företag som undersöker möjligheterna att reducera överlager genom cirkulära strategier. Studien kombinerar insikter från tidigare forskning med insikter från en tematisk analys gjort på data från intervjuer med chefer och experter på fallföretaget för att svara på de föreslagna forskningsfrågorna och uppfylla sitt syfte. Resultatet av studien visar att drivkrafterna och barriärerna för cirkulära strategier på fallföretaget överensstämmer med tidigare forskning. Drivkrafterna är huvudsakligen mjukare i karaktär och uppmuntrar till förändring, såsom organisation och kultur, medan barriärerna tenderar att vara av hårdare karaktär och stoppar förändring, så som stora investeringar och ett behov av teknologiskutveckling. Därtill saknar fallföretaget drivkrafter av hårdare karaktär, såsom teknologiska och finansiella incitament, med förmågan att kunna tvinga fram förändring. Författarna till denna studie argumenterar därför för att avsaknaden av tvingande drivkrafter är en av de starkaste anledningarna till att modeindustrin ännu inte förändrats med signifikant och blivit mer cirkulär. Vidare tycks deadstock-reducerande initiativ dela många likheter i drivkrafter och barriärer med de cirkulära strategierna medan den huvudsakliga skillnaden tycks ligga i attityden gentemot de olika strategierna. Detta sporrade en diskussion om dualiteten i att Göra Bra och att Göra Rätt i hållbarhetsarbeten där det, för att bli helt hållbar, argumenteras för att organisationer måste kunna göra både och. Implikationerna av studier är att deadstock reducering borde tas med i den cirkulära ekonomin genom cirkulära strategier. Fler samarbeten måste dessutom ske mellan de olika cirkulära strategierna genom, till exempel, delade datasystem, ett koordinerat styrorgan församtliga cirkulära strategier och delade insamling- och sorteringssystem. Slutligen konstateras det att trots att mjukare krafter som uppmuntrar till förändring redan är verksamma så förväntas ingen signifikant omställning mot cirkularitet inom industrin ske om inte hårdare krafter, som möjliggörande teknologiska innovationer, kommer på plats för att tvinga till förändring.

The tea industry in Kenya is among the main consumers of firewood for its intensive thermal energy demand. Along with the growing concerns about firewood depletion, tea factories have begun transitioning to alternative fuels to power their boilers. Briquettes made of biomass residues are among the promising solutions; however, they are not yet widely adopted. This study was conducted to identify the factors that motivate the tea factories to use biomass briquettes instead of firewood and the factors hindering such substitution. The substitution potential was assessed, and the drivers and barriers of the substitution were examined using a combination of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis and a PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) framework. The findings suggest that even though using biomass briquettes is technically possible, it is not economically favorable for tea factories. The SWOT/PESTEL analysis identified 27 factors influencing the substitution. Among the key drivers are the depleting supply of firewood, the availability of biomass residues, and the external support from development organizations to improve the technical capacity in both tea and briquette industries. The study revealed the barriers to substitution include the cost competitiveness, insufficient supply, and varying quality of briquettes, as well as the lack of awareness and knowledge of briquettes.

Tunnelbana är ett transportsätt med mycket låg klimatpåverkan i driftsfasen. I konstruktionsfasen däremot orsakar tunnelbanan, precis som andra bygg- och anläggningsprojekt, stora växthusgasutsläpp. Utsläppen härstammar dels från produktionen av material som stål och betong men också från transporter och energianvändning. År 2013 beslutades att Stockholms tunnelbana ska byggas ut vilket beskrivs som ett sätt för Stockholm att bidra till det nationella målet om att Sverige ska vara klimatneutralt år 2045. Dock kvarstår det faktum att själva utbyggnaden står för en stor klimatpåverkan. Förvaltning för utbyggd tunnelbanan ansvarar för utbyggnaden och har beslutat om ett klimatmål som innebär att klimatbelastningen från utbyggnaden ska reduceras med 25% under projektets genomförande. För att nå målet har förvaltningen tagit fram ett arbetssätt för mätning och reduktion av klimatpåverkan som bygger på att åtgärder för att minska projektets klimatbelastning identifieras, kvantifieras och implementeras. Planeringsfasen av utbyggnaden börjar nu gå mot sitt slut och produktionsfasen är på- börjad. Inför det fortsatta arbetet och inför framtida projekt önskar man nu utvärdera det arbete som gjorts och dra lärdomar av det. Denna studie har haft som syfte att undersöka hur klimatmålet förhåller sig till andra målsättningar, att identifiera synergieffekter och målkonflikter samt att diskutera klimat- arbetets överförbarhet och möjliga lärdomar. För att uppfylla studiens syfte genomfördes en kvalitativ intervjustudie där projektörer från olika teknikområden intervjuades baserat på följande frågeställningar: Vilka drivkrafter ligger bakom de åtgärder som införts för att minska klimatpåverkan från projektet? Vilka hinder finns i arbetet med att identifiera och implementera åtgärder för att minska klimatpåverkan? Vilka lärdomar kan tas med från klimatarbetet och i vilken typ av projekt kan de användas? Resultatet visade att det finns många drivkrafter bakom de införda åtgärderna vilket leder till slutsatsen att flera synergieffekter kopplade till klimatarbetet förekommer. En tydlig synergi identifierades kopplat till drivkraften att sänka kostnaderna inom projektet. Klimatarbetet bedömdes också ha bidragit till en kunskapsspridning inom projektorganisationen. Ett flertal målkonflikter identifierades också mellan klimatmålet och andra mål och drivkrafter. Utöver detta urskildes också andra hinder, exempelvis att det finns en brist på kunskap om klimatpåverkan hos många projektörer och att många inte är vana vid arbetet med att minska den. Studien fann att många av de åtgärder som implementerats i nya tunnelbanan är överförbara till andra framtida projekt. Studien identifierade flera erfarenheter och lärdomar som kan användas för att förbättra klimatarbetet i framtida projekt. Bland annat rekommenderas att kunskapen om synergieffekter och målkonflikter används i utformningen av klimatarbete och klimatmål i framtida projekt. Studien rekommenderar också att det tas hänsyn till vilka åtgärder som inte medför några synergieffekter då dessa annars riskerar att förkastas i ett tidigt stadie. Att arbeta för att höja kunskapsnivån om utbyggnadens klimatpåverkan bedömdes ha haft en positiv effekt på klimatmålets uppfyllelse i arbetet med nya tunnelbanan och ytterligare satsningar på detta föreslås. / Metro as a way of transport has a very low climate impact during its operation phase. However, during the construction phase the metro, like other infrastructure projects, causes large greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions originate partly from the production of materials such as steel and concrete but also from transports and energy use. In 2013 it was decided that the Stockholm metro will be expanded as a way for the city to contribute to the national goal of Sweden becoming climate neutral in 2045. The fact remains however that the expansion itself will result in considerable emissions. The Extended Metro Administration is responsible for the expansion and has decided on a climate goal implicating that the climate impact from the metro expansion shall be reduced by 25% during the realization of the project. To reach its goal the administration has developed a method for measuring and reducing the climate impact by identifying, quantifying and implementing measures to lower the emissions from the project. The planning phase of the project is now coming to an end and the production phase has started. The administration now wishes to evaluate the work that has been done and to learn from it when continuing the work and when planning new projects. This study aims to investigate the relations between the climate goal and other goals, to identify synergies and goal conflicts and to discuss whether the climate impact mitigation strategy and the implemented measures can be transferred to future projects. To reach the aim a qualitative interview study was conducted where consultants from different fields within the organization where interviewed based on the following research questions: What are the driving forces behind the climate impact mitigation measures implemented in the project? What barriers exist in the climate impact mitigation process? What can be learned from the work with the climate impact mitigation process and in what type of projects can the learnings be used? The result showed that several driving forces can lead to the implementation of climate impact mitigation measures which brings about the conclusion that there are several synergy effects connected to the climate impact mitigation process. One distinct synergy was identified with the goal of lowering the costs within the project. Several goal conflicts were also identified between the climate goal and other goals and drivers. In addition, other barriers were also discovered such as a lack of knowledge about climate impact among the planners and designers and a lack of experience in how to work with these issues. The study also found that a large share of the mitigation measures that have been implemented in the expansion of the Stockholm metro can be used also in other projects. The study identified a number of learnings and experiences that can be used to improve the climate impact mitigation strategies in future project. Among other things, the study recommends that the knowledge about synergies and goal conflicts is used when creating mitigation strategies and in adopting climate goals. It is also recommended that attention is given to the mitigation measures that do not entail synergies to lower the risk of them being discarded at an early stage. To put effort into raising the level of knowledge about the climate impact caused by the project is assessed to have had a positive effect in reaching the climate goal and additional efforts to do this is suggested.

Energiförbrukningen i Sveriges fastigheter uppgår till närmare 40% av totalprimärenergin för Sverige. Denna siffra förväntas öka ytterligare under den kommande 20-årsperioden. Av denna energimängd motsvarar 67% byggnadens operativa fas. I denna studie undersöks hur energiförbrukning kan minskas genom att införa mera byggnadsautomation och högre automationsgrad. Detta för att få fastigheter i ökad grad att anpassa sina energibehov efter faktiska rådande behov i stället för mer statiska driftfall.  En litteraturgranskning inom forskningsfältet utfördes mot forskningsfråga 1, Finns det en korrelation mellan energibesparing och automationsgrad i inneklimat och ventilationsstyrning? Här har tekniker som building management system (BMS) och building energy management system (BEMS) påvisat besparingar runt 30% vid införande. Vidare har tekniker som digitala tvillingar påvisat besparingar mellan 6,2%- 21,5% samt lägre påverkan på fastighetens brukare. Detta genom ett mer prediktivt underhåll och bättre förhandsanalyser av energieffektiva utfall innan implementering. Även artificiell intelligens (AI) påvisade goda energibesparingar vid införande med energibesparingar mellan 14% - 44%. Här indikerar studien att det finns problem med implementeringen. Detta har sin härkomst i, dels felaktigt konstruerat metadata och för få sensorer som ger AI för litet beslutsfattande underlag att arbete mot. Här har studier funnit att AI införd på en för dålig dataplattform kan bli direkt kontraproduktivt och öka energiförbrukningen i stället för att sänka denna. Dock framkommer det att det finns en positiv koppling mellan energibesparing och automationsgrad. Detta då besparingen ligger i fastighetens förmåga att adaptera sig till rådande omständigheter.  Forskningsfråga 2 avser: Vad föreligger det för hinder och drivkrafter för ökad implementering av automationsgrad i inneklimat och ventilationsstyrning? Gällande barriärer och hinder påvisar svaren från enkätundersökningen utförd i denna studie att det förkommer främst kunskapshinder och ekonomiska hinder för vidare implementering av automation inom fastigheterna. Vidare kan det utrönas att förvaltare och drifttekniker arbetar mer aktivt med energiledningsfrågor än de övriga skråna som undersöks i denna undersökning. Här visar svaren på att framför allt styrentreprenörerna och konsulterna behöver informera i högre grad om den nytta deras lösningar kan erbjuda för energikonservering. Detta på ett sätt som mottagaren förstår och kan relatera till för att motivera prisskillnader initialt i byggprocessen och med detta försöka överbrygga energiparadoxen, där kostnadseffektiva och energieffektiva lösningar uteblir som en konsekvens. / Energy consumption in Sweden, which originates from buildings and facilities, amounts to almost 40% of the total primary energy in Sweden. This figure is expected to increase further over the next 20 years. From this, 67% corresponds to the operational phase of the building. This study examines how this energy consumption can be reduced by increasingly adding a higher degree of building automation into the buildings, to get properties to increasingly adapt their energy needs to the actual prevailing needs instead of a more static operation. A literature review in the research field was performed against research question 1, Is there a correlation between energy saving and degree of automation in indoor climate and ventilation control? Here, technologies such as building management systems (BMS) and building energy management systems (BEMS) had demonstrated savings around 30% upon introduction. By adding technologies such as digital twins have demonstrated savings between 6.2%-21.5% and lower the effect on the occupants’ residences comfort through better predictive maintenance and preliminary analysis of energy and comfort outcomes before real life implementation. AI also showed good energy saving potential with energy reduction between 14.4%-44.36%. However, there are problems that could occur with the implementation, as this study stats. This has its origin in partly incorrectly constructed metadata and a lack of sensors and actuators. This in turn gives the AI insufficient data for training basis and incorrect bases to build their forecasts on. This study also found that AI, or other analysis tools, on an insufficient databased platform can be directly counterproductive and increase energy consumption instead. However, it appears that there is a positive connection between energy saving and degree of automation. This is because the savings lie in the property's ability to adapt to prevailing circumstances. Research question 2 refers to what are the obstacles and driving forces for increased implementation of the degree of automation in indoor climate and ventilation control? The answers from the questionnaire show that there are mainly knowledge barriers and financial obstacles for further implementation of automation within the properties. Furthermore, it can be ascertained that facility managers and technicians are more actively engaged with energy management issues than the other guilds in this survey. Here, the answers show that, above all, the automation-contractors and consultants need to provide better information about the benefits if their automation solutions and how it could reduce energy waste and thereby try to bridge the energy paradox, where cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions are overlooked due to hinders and barriers.

Elektrifizierte Lastenfahrräder werden als ein Lösungsansatz für die wachsenden Herausforderungen des städtischen Wirtschaftsverkehrs gesehen. Fokus dieser Arbeit ist eine Abschätzung des Einsatzpotenzials dieses Fahrzeugkonzepts unter Betrachtung von konzeptionellen, verkehrlichen und wirtschaftlichen Aspekten. Als kumulative Dissertation enthält sie fünf Fachartikel, gruppiert zu drei Forschungsbeiträgen. Im ersten Forschungsbeitrag wird erörtert, wie erfolgversprechend das E-Lastenrad, eine Neuauflage des alten Konzepts Lastenfahrrad, in einem Markt mit ersten Anwendern (Kurierdienstleistung) ist. Die Auftragsstruktur im Stadtkuriergeschäft bietet ein substanzielles Marktpotenzial für E-Lastenräder, allerdings erschwert die Positionierung zwischen zwei etablierten Modi (Pkw und Fahrrad) den Markteintritt. Der zweite Teil der Analyse weitet den Blick auf alle Branchen und bietet eine strukturierte Beschreibung der verschiedenartigen Einflussfaktoren (Treiber und Hemmnisse), die auf die Lastenradnutzung im städtischen Wirtschaftsverkehr wirken. Als relevante Entscheidungskriterien konnten identifiziert werden: fahrzeugseitige Aspekte, Strukturen und Prozesse des adoptierenden Unternehmens, Einstellungen der Entscheider*innen, weiche Faktoren sowie regulative und räumliche Rahmenbedingungen. Der dritte Beitrag thematisiert die operative Eignung des E-Lastenrads, indem seine Fahrtzeiten einem Pkw gegenübergestellt werden. Bei Strecken bis zu 3 km sind beide Modi nahezu gleich schnell. Die Hälfte aller Fahrten bis 20 km Distanz würde bei einem Wechsel vom Pkw zum Lastenrad höchstens 2–10 min länger dauern (ohne Berücksichtigung der Parksuchzeit). Bereits kleine Änderungen an den Verkehrsbedingungen könnten noch bestehende Vorteile des Pkw spürbar verringern. Insgesamt erweitert die Arbeit maßgeblich das Wissen zu einem „neuen alten“ Fahrzeugkonzept, dem ein Potenzial zur Auflösung von bislang auf das Automobil hin ausgerichteten Systemen beigemessen wird. / Shifting trips to electric cargo bikes is one possible solution to deal with the growing challenges of urban commercial transport. This thesis combines conceptual, transport-related, and economic aspects as a foundation to assess the feasibility of this vehicle concept for freight and service trips. It contains five scientific papers, which provide three research contributions. The first contribution identifies the potentials of electric cargo bikes among first users (i.e., courier logistics services). Electric cargo bikes are an updated and re-envisioned version of freight bicycles. The features of point-to-point courier logistics assignments offer a substantial market opportunity for electric cargo bikes. However, being positioned between two established modes (i.e., car and bicycle) handicaps the market entry of cargo bikes. For the second contribution, the scope was widened to include all business sectors. A structured description is presented of the various determinants (i.e., drivers and barriers) affecting commercial cargo bike use. Among these were vehicle-specific factors, structures and practices of the company, attitudes of decision-makers, soft factors, regulatory frameworks, and spatial conditions. The third contribution explores the travel time differences between electric cargo bikes and cars for commercial trips. For trip distances of up to 3 kilometers, the travel times of both modes largely overlap. Half of all trips up to 20 kilometers would take only a maximum of 2 to 10 minutes longer by electric cargo bike (excluding the additional time for finding a parking spot). Small modifications in traffic could have considerable effects in reducing the current travel time advantages of cars. Consequently, this dissertation contributes towards the state-of-research by expanding the scientific knowledge of a type of vehicle that has the potential to disrupt car-dependent transportation systems.