The ongoing energy transition in Germany foresees significant increases in the share of renewable energies in the country’s electricity mix until 2030. A share of 80% is targeted and photovoltaics should have a major contribution with a total capacity of 215 Gigawatts aimed to be installed. Since the beginning of the energy transition in Germany, the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) has played a key role with its regulations and support measures. The latest amendment of the EEG in January 2023 includes updated capacity addition targets and regulatory measures. In recent years, the solar branch in Germany has experienced growth after a period of drought from 2013 to 2017. The governmental plans are the basis to enable further growth, but challenges and uncertainties remain if the targets can be reached under the present and anticipated future constraints. This paper presents an evaluation of the feasibility of the capacity addition targets for photovoltaics and outlines the potential contribution of different photovoltaics system types within the installation plans. Through the conduction of semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders of the solar branch in Germany, a large variety of knowledge, experiences, perspectives and assessments is combined to theory which provides answers to the research questions. The results of the data analyses show, that the governmental targets are theoretically feasible but it is doubtful whether they will be reached in practice. Two of the main challenges which will need to be overcome are lacking installation capacities in form of skilled workers and hindering bureaucratic processes regarding planning, approvals, operations and accounting of photovoltaics plants. Moreover, the results indicate that the share of large-scale systems should increase, as scale-effects make them more cost-efficient and more capacity can be installed in the same amount of time. Most of these systems will be ground-mounted, but industrial roof-top systems will also contribute to a certain extent. Furthermore, integrated photovoltaic applications will increase in importance, due to the scarcity of areas and potential synergies. However, most of the stakeholders do not see a major contribution of such systems until 2030, as costs are too high, specific regulations are missing and market awareness is still low. Despite the dominance of large-scale systems, the segment of residential roof-top photovoltaic systems also has a high potential and consumers will want to produce their own electricity due to high energy prices and supply uncertainties.

The growing importance to finding workable solutions to the problem of unsustainable and inefficient resource use cannot be overstated.  In the world facing one of its critical sustainability periods, efficient resource utilization to ensure sustainable development is a problem policymakers should grapple with at a loc, regional and local levels. Because of this, the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus has seen a growing number of proponents and supporters worldwide.  This thesis examines the WEFE nexus and its relevance for sustainable resource management, focusing on South Africa’s Inkomati-Usuthu Water Management Area (IUWMA).  WEFE nexus criticizes existing sector-based approaches for their limited recognition of cross-sectoral linkages.  This thesis presents a systematic review of the WEFE nexus in the IUWMA, identifying policy gaps and making recommendations to enhance integrated resource and environmental management based on the WEFE nexus approach.  The findings highlight various factors affecting energy generation, agriculture, water quality and quantity, and ecosystem-related factors within the IUWMA.  The thesis also provides an overview of critical policies related to the WEFE nexus in the IUWMA, demonstrating coherence (or lack thereof) and environmental considerations, and international cooperation.  The implementation of the WEFE nexus policy faces opportunities in collaboration but challenges such as institutional barriers, knowledge gaps, and limited political will.  The IUWMA also presents a complicated case owing to its transboundary nature, to which special attention must be paid when considering WEFE nexus approaches.  The discussion emphasizes the need for a holistic WEFE nexus approach to avoid inefficiencies and conflicts and calls for strong governance structures and equitable resource allocation.  Implementing the WEFE nexus approach can foster collaboration, sustainable resource management, land resilience to climate change impacts with political support, regional cooperation, and stakeholder engagement.

An unprecedented situation composed by worldwide land degradation, the post pandemic era, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine is unfolding, reminding us of the impendent risks that phenomena such as these have for food security. Considering that this context presents new unforeseen challenges, and that there is a lack of knowledge production connecting food security to countries of the global north, such as is the case of Sweden, this thesis seeks to foster discussions on food security through the lens of Uppsala County, integrating notions of Local food systems. During the research process, I take on the role of practitioner of Soft Systems Methodology to address the problematic situation affecting Food Security in Uppsala County in a twofold target, which is first to understand the problem and then devise adequate steps for improving the situation, giving essential importance to stakeholders. For achieving this, I performed a quantitative review of statistical data, as well as, qualitative semi-structured interviews to consumers and producers. These were the first steps to comprehend the problem and its possible manifestations. Then for devising plausible actions, I engaged in participatory activities, which complemented the previous results. The findings reveal key vulnerabilities that are interlinked and required further scrutiny by future researchers. At the same time, local food systems, and localizing food production presents in stakeholder’s perspective and important road to explore in order to strengthen food security

This master's dissertation aimed to comprehensively investigate the influence of green spaces and path connectivity on walking behavior in the context of Uppsala, Sweden. The research questions that guided this study were twofold: (1) To what extent does the presence of green spaces influence the amount of walking occurring within a city? and (2) Can path connectivity significantly affect the amount of walking taking place in a city? Two primary hypotheses were formulated: first, that areas characterized by greater path connectivity would attract more transport walkers, and second, that areas with a higher abundance of green spaces would attract more leisurely walkers. The research adopted a rigorous quantitative approach, employing a multi-faceted methodology that encompassed both spatial analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and field observations to capture real-world behavior. The initial phase of the study involved a meticulous examination of walkability attributes, focusing on the spatial characteristics of green spaces and path connectivity within Uppsala. This spatial analysis provided valuable insights into the potential relationships between these attributes and walking behavior. Subsequently, extensive field observations were conducted to gather empirical data that enabled statistical validation of the associations between the identified spatial factors and actual walking behaviors. Employing robust statistical analysis techniques, the collected data were analyzed to uncover patterns and draw meaningful conclusions. The results revealed a significant interaction between path connectivity and walking behavior, indicating that the extent and quality of path networks have a discernible impact on the walking patterns observed within the city. However, no significant interaction was found between the quantity of green spaces and walking behavior. Nonetheless, when considering the absolute number of walkers, a notable association emerged between both walkability attributes and the total count of walkers within the observed areas. The implications derived from this study indicate that the influence of walkability attributes on walking behavior is multifaceted and not entirely straightforward. While GIS analysis proved to be a valuable tool for evaluating walkability behaviors at a macro level, it became apparent that other microscale factors, including individual perceptions of the built environment, play a substantial role in shaping walking behaviors. Therefore, future studies should consider these microscale aspects to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between walkability attributes and walking behavior. Nevertheless, in general, areas exhibiting greater path connectivity and abundant green spaces showcased higher numbers of walkers in comparison to areas with fewer of these attributes. Thus, the research questions were affirmatively answered, demonstrating that both green spaces and path connectivity have a positive influence on the overall amount of walking within a city. This comprehensive study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the subject, shedding light on the intricate dynamics between urban design, green spaces, path connectivity, and walking behavior. The findings serve as a valuable resource for urban planners, policymakers, and stakeholders interested in creating sustainable, walkable environments that promote active lifestyles and enhance the overall quality of life for residents in urban settings.

The building sector contributes significantly to carbon dioxide (CO2) due to the high energy use in building material production. One of the most critical concerns the World Summit on Sustainable Development must address is saving energy. In order to reduce CO2 emissions and their impact on the climate, strategies such as reducing energy demand, increasing efficiency, and using renewable resources instead of fossil fuels need to be implemented. This study was conducted through a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the possibility of lowering energy use and emissions in columns. The main purpose is to examine the potential environmental impact and energy use using a lifecycle assessment (LCA) approach. Steel production contributes significantly to climate change because it uses a lot of energy and produces many greenhouse gases. In Sweden, the steel industry uses coal as the main fuel, as shown from the data collected. Various studies explore the potential for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving carbon sinks, such as taking measures in the building, energy supply, and forestry industries. This study concludes that buildings can be designed to be more energy-efficient, with better materials that are energy-efficient and lower carbon emissions. Material substitution can reduce energy use and carbon emissions. The replacement of steel with wood in construction can significantly reduce carbon emissions. The research findings indicate that an effective strategy to enhance the sustainability of buildings during the production phase is to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by incorporating wood as a primary building material.

Assessing food losses and waste in the tomato and carrot value chain in Sweden is essential for achieving sustainable development.  This study uses a mixed method to analyze the extent of food loss and waste along the tomato and carrot value chain and related causing factors. It identifies reduction opportunities for enhancing the food system's sustainability. The study collected primary data from household consumers and retailers using a Google questionnaire. In addition, it also gathered secondary data from academic journals and public and private organizations' reports covering agricultural production, retailers, and consumption stages. In agricultural tomato production, food loss ranges from 1% to 20-25% of the total production. Meanwhile, carrot food loss ranges from 25-28% to a maximum of 58%. It has been observed that a percentage of approximately 1-2% of the total retail sales of tomatoes and carrots result in wastage weekly. This phenomenon is observed across carrot and tomato consumers at the household level. From the primary data analysis remark, food wastage in the supply chain for tomatoes and carrots varies across stages. The top causes are expiration dates and contamination factors, followed by inadequate packaging, with both responsible for 40% of wastage at the retail stage. Many factors contribute to food waste at the consumption level, including spoilage, leftovers, poor quality, and over-purchasing. These factors were confirmed to account for 42.1%, 33.3%, 28.6%, and 27.8% of food waste, respectively. Metadata analysis identified various causes of food waste, including natural factors, product-specific issues, supply chain challenges, operational processes, infrastructure and equipment, and behavioural factors. To effectively reduce food waste, it is crucial to implement strategies that address the root causes of the problem. These include avoiding excessive purchases, changing consumption habits, educating consumers, and understanding labelling terms: management strategies, technology, and quality-related dimensions. To sustain the vegetable value chain, it is vital to prevent food waste through policies, establish effective management strategies, and invest in innovative technology.

Fast fashion is an industry that is closely linked to the cause of climate change, and it is the second largest industry to contribute to pollution. In Sweden, one of the largest groups to consume fast fashion is young consumers, i.e., Generation Z. The same generation is also the information generation, meaning that they are the ones to solve the climate crisis. Social practice theory (SPT) is used to understand the reason behind different practices in society. But is lacking in research on fast fashion. This study, therefore, aims to understand the reasons, values, and practices through the lenses of SPT for why young consumers (Generation Z) in Sweden consume fast fashion despite knowing its effects on the environment. To understand the phenomenon, data has been collected on young consumers in Sweden (age 17-21) in two different cities. The analysis and data show that price is a big factor, the availability of secondhand stores also affects the possibility to choose another option. Climate change is something that was less important for most of the respondents and can be understood as a dying trend. It can be understood that Generation Z is not a homogenous group in Sweden. The findings also suggest that the SPT model should ideally be implemented with a study on external factors to describe possible reasons for understanding a practice as well to enable other practices which can be more sustainable

In 2021, the European Union (EU) released the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030 to improve the welfare of forests within the EU. This caused a conflict between the EU and some of its Member States. The Swedish Government criticised the strategy for being too intrusive to countries' national affairs and their right to autonomy over their forest resources. In addition, Sweden has been criticised by the EU for its clear-cutting forest management strategies to be unsustainable. At the same time, the deadline to align with national agreements like the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda and the European Green Deal is approaching. By 2050, the EU should be a carbon-neutral continent. Forests play an important role in climate change mitigation and in the sustainability agenda of both the EU and Sweden, although both parties seem to disagree on the other’s forest politics. This thesis investigates how sustainability in forests is formulated by the European Union (EU) and Sweden. Through quantitative content analysis and qualitative content analysis, the forest policy and strategy documents of the EU and Sweden are analysed to identify the sustainability content, its differences, and its similarities. The analysed documents that are selected to illustrate the sustainability content in the EU are the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030, Staff Working Document on the 3 Billion Tree Planting Pledge for 2030 and Guidelines for Defining, Mapping, Monitoring and Strictly Protecting EU Primary and Old -Growth Forests. The analysed documents that are selected to illustrate Swedish Forest Policy are Skogsvårdslagstiftningen and Sveriges Nationella Skogsprogram. The findings showed that both the EU and Sweden strive to reach international commitments on climate change and sustainability in their forest politics. However, the sustainability content in the EU emphasises protecting, restoring, and increasing the forest areas within the EU to achieve the goals. The sustainability content in Sweden views forests as an economic resource that can contribute to the sustainability transition of Swedish society. The conclusion is that bo th approaches of the EU and Sweden align with previous research on forest and climate change but strive for sustainability from different perspectives.

River restoration is something that is often used to help restore watercourses that were historically used for timber floating. In these restorations, instream wood (IW) plays a big role in increasing biodiversity and habitat heterogeneity in watercourses. Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have proven to be useful when monitoring changes following river restoration but there is a need for less time-consuming methods to detect IW. This study’s objective was to investigate IW following a river restoration in an alluvial reach in Vargån, Northern Sweden and how well UAVs can be used to do this. Manual digitizing of IW was done in GIS from orthomosaics of three different flight occasions: pre-restoration, directly after and one year after restoration. An object- and color-based automated image thresholding was done to investigate if it could be used to automatically detect IW. The results showed that there were differences in number of IW, volume, width, and length between the different flight occasions. There was also indication that there had been movement of IW as well as changes in cluster composition, with more clusters with a higher number of wood pieces in the latest flight occasion. The automated image thresholding was able to accurately detect IW with an accuracy of 47,4 %, but it had limitations due to natural conditions. However, it showed the possibility of using automated methods to detect IW and with improvements it could become a faster and more accessible way of detecting IW in river monitoring.

Ongoing urbanization and the demand for food, water and recreation influence the sustainability of blue urban spaces. Fishery is a prominent use of urban blue space and can cause pressure on urban nature, its water bodies and fish. This growing pressure requires more attention to how urban dwellers use and value this space and requests smart fishing management for urban areas. To improve knowledge on how to realise sustainable urban fishing, this thesis used an interview study in the city of Hamburg in Germany. Six fishers, two representatives of fishing clubs and one representative of the fishing club association, were interviewed, and the results were combined with observations during one and a half weeks of field study and literature review. The study shows that Germany uses a distinctive approach regarding fishing management with a general ban on catch-and-release and strict regulations. Since fishing law is a state law, the federal state of Hamburg is responsible for its fishing management. The main managing tool is the new fishing law from 2019, developed with scientists and stakeholders to improve fishing in an ethical and sustainable way. The stakeholder’s different impacts on and interests in the rivers of Hamburg have to be respected and are shown in this thesis. The study concludes that management practices have to be managed adaptive to consider changing environmental conditions. Generic fishing management practices (e.g., education of fishers) are limited, while most have to be individually adapted for the environment and fishing culture (e.g., fish protection).