This master’s thesis deals with international climate agreements and their legitimacy, using the Paris Agreement and the Kyoto Protocol as examples. The thesis examines sociological legitimacy as a possible reason for implementation deficiencies of international climate agreements. Sociological legitimacy of an international agreement, as defined by Bernstein (2005), is hinged on a normative consensus among the international community adopting the agreement in question. In order to determine the degree of sociological legitimacy in the illustrative cases, a critical discourse analysis is employed as a method to identify and sort the explicit and implicit norms of the agreements according to various and contrasting sustainability discourses. This analysis allows for an assessment of the internal consistency of the norms in each case, ultimately leading to conclusions about the extent to which sociological legitimacy is present or not. The results show that neither of the two cases portray an internally consistent application of norms, and therefore lack sociological legitimacy. Further research into the sustainability norms in a given nation or society is needed for determining the external sociological legitimacy of both agreements, thus providing a final conclusion.

Exploring the Solar System is an ongoing process of humanity that cannot be stopped. It requires large amounts of resources to explore space, which need to be acquired from somewhere. Resources mined on Earth cannot be diverted from vital productions on Earth as those required for energy systems transition and developing a sustainable society. With an ever-increasing demand of resources on Earth, resource extraction needs to be increased and diverted to avoid resource depletion. One such diversion is resource extraction from terrestrial bodies other than Earth, such as asteroids, meteorites, and the Moon. This thesis looks at the resources present on the Moon by compiling a chemical database which is then fed to mathematical models aimed to compare historical trends of Earth mining operations and prospected trends from lunar resources. Such approach is expected to establish if lunar mining is viable. The results are discussed in a larger context of how lunar resources can be used for in-situ resource utilization for solar system exploration, as well as questions regarding space law and possible colonialization.

Coastal areas currently face a lot of anthropogenic pressures (Erlandsson et al, 2011; Wilcox et al, 2020) which might further increase through climate change (Maltby et al, 2022). This can lead to the disappearance of crucial, habitat engineering species like blue mussels (Tummon Flynn et al, 2020). The lack of those increases the risk of eutrophication and pollution, on the long run having negative consequences not only for biodiversity and ecological factors but also social and economic factors like income through fishing and risking coastal flood protection (Tummon Flynn et al, 2020; Schotanus et al, 2020; Cooley & Doney, 2009). Blue mussels can form biogenic reefs, which are protected as important habitats under the EU Habitats Directive (Council of the European Communities, 1992) as well as the EU Water Framework Directive (European Parliament & council, 2000). Nevertheless, actual implementation of protection and conservation of those reefs is lacking (Rees et al, 2018), which is why many of them are declining drastically (EEA, 2013). One reason for that lack of protection might be the diverse definitions applied to mussel reefs all over Europe (Stounberg, 2021), while another one could be that many of them are not mapped. In the present study, an attempt was made to map a potential blue mussel reef in the Roskilde Fjord in Denmark, which was first discovered by a previous study (Dahl et al, 2019:39) but not investigated to its extend as that study focused on other goals. A ROV was employed to collect video data of the seafloor of the respective fjord area over a period of three months. The recorded video and GPS data was then processed and analysed to produce a map in QGIS, showing if and where an area of, according to the Danish definition for blue mussel reefs, more than 2500m2 with more than 30% mussel cover and 3 year classes of mussels (Miljøstyrelsen, 2018), is present. Three areas in the chosen search area of this study were confirmed to fulfil those requirements, consistent with the previous findings of Dahl et al (2019). The actual blue mussel reef might be even bigger as other areas which have not been analysed in detail contain blue mussels as well. Therefore, protection measures based on best available scientific knowledge, interdisciplinary work and the knowledge of as many stakeholders possible, including social, economic and ecological aspects, should be developed for the blue mussel reef in Roskilde Fjord. One of them could be to make the reef part of the Natura 2000 protection area already existing in the same area.

Dams are man-made structures that in order to keep functioning and to be considered structurally healthy need constant monitoring. Assessing the deformation of dams can be time consuming and economically costly. Recently, the technique of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) has proved its potential to measure ground and structural deformation. This geodetic method represents a cost-effective way to monitor millimetre-level displacements and can be used as supplemental analysis to detect movements in the structure and its surroundings. The objective of this work is to assess the practicality of the method through the analysis of the surface deformation of the Ajaure dam located in northern Sweden, in the period 2014-2017, using the freely available Sentinel-1A images. The scenes, 51 in ascending and 47 in descending mode, were processed exploiting the Persistent Scatterer (PS) technique and deformation trends, and time series were produced. Built in the 60’s, the Ajaure embankment dam is considered as high consequence, meaning that a failure would cause socio-economic damages to the communities involved and, for this reason, the dam needs constant attention. So far, a program of automatic measurements in situ has been collecting data, which have been used partly to compare with InSAR results. Results of the multi temporal analysis of the limited PS points on/around the dam show that the dam has been subsiding more intensely toward the centre, where maximum values are of approximately 5 ± 1.25 mm/year (descending) and 2 ± 1.27 mm/year (ascending) at different locations (separated of approximately 70 m). Outermost points instead show values within -0.7 and 0.9 mm/year, describing a stable behaviour. The decomposition of the rate has furthermore revealed that the crest in the observation period has laterally moved toward the reservoir. It has been observed that the operation of loading and unloading the reservoir influence the dam behaviour. The movements recorded by the PS points on the dam also correlate with the air temperature (i.e. seasonal cycle). The research revealed that the snow cover and the vegetation could have interfered with the signal, that resulted in a relative low correlation. Therefore, the number of PS points on and around the dam is limited, and comparison with the geodetic data is only based on a few points. The comparison shows general agreement, showing the capacities of the InSAR method. The study constitutes a starting point for further improvements, for example observation in longer period when more Sentinel1 images of the study area are collected. Installation of corner reflectors at the dam site and/or by use of high resolution SAR data is also suggested.

Globally sustained observations of the marine ecosystem and biodiversity are crucial to understand changes in the ocean environment, manage ocean resources and assess progress towards internationally agreed targets such as the SDGs. Efforts in the observing community are growing to close the current gap in the collection of ecosystem and biological data through harmonizing and coordinating monitoring activities around the Biological and Ecosystem Essential Ocean Variables (BioEco EOVs). This thesis looks into the challenges the implementation of a sustainable and coordinated BioEco ocean observation system could meet through conducting a systematic literature review and key informant interviews. It identified a number of key areas of challenges for BioEco ocean observation and corresponding challenges within these areas. The discussion and analysis of the results led to the identification of 11 priority recommendations to implement successful and sustained observations of life in the sea globally: (1) Clear communication of the BioEco EOV concept to the global observing community and international agreement on standards and best practices for data collection; (2) Create an overview of the various scattered databases for BioEco ocean data to realize a “world wide web of oceanographic data”; (3) Promotion and widespread adoption of the FAIR data principles coupled with the development of strong and adaptive data infrastructures and architectures to enable data and database interoperability; (4) Increased capacity in marine science to increase the understanding of large-scale ecological processes and interactions and thereby the quality of data analysis, which can enable better data products catering to the needs of society and decision-makers; (5) Implement mechanisms for better coordination, communication and collaboration across disciplines, institutes, monitoring programs and geographical scales to promote knowledge exchange, resource and capacity sharing; (6) Unification of the fragmented ocean governance framework, implementation of clear governance structures for glocal BioEco ocean observation and harmonization of ocean data integration into policies and decision-making; (7) Unification of the scattered ocean observation efforts under one transparent system that is adaptive to its user needs and has strong links between its components; (8) Implementation of standards and best practices within the system while still encouraging innovation; (9) Implementation of sustainable long-term funding mechanisms at all scales while making the observing system more cost-effective and -efficient; (10) Implementation of continuous capacity development activities for all system components; (11) Improved participation of developing nations through targeted capacity development and strong collaboration processes including capacity and resource sharing as well as knowledge and technology transfer.

This study investigates how Greenfluencers, a subgroup of social media influencers specializing in promoting sustainable lifestyles and raising environmental awareness among their followers, represent sustainability on Instagram. With the assumption of their influence going beyond the commercial sphere, potentially shaping public attitudes and behaviors toward sustainable development, Greenfluencers are considered relevant actors in sustainability communication. This research examines how sustainability is depicted through a qualitative content analysis of posts from ten German-speaking Greenfluencers during August 2023. Drawing on Raworth's "safe and just space for humanity" concept, the study evaluates the content of Greenfluencers' sustainability communication. Results revealed diverse portrayals of sustainability, focusing on environmental issues and individual responsibility. Greenfluencers often overlook the complexity of sustainability, the interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental aspects, and the systemic causes of sustainability issues. Their content (partly) promotes ‘green’ consumerism through product recommendations and advertisements, overshadowing systemic solutions. Despite these limitations, Greenfluencers have the potential to serve as role models by promoting impactful, sustainable behaviors, such as adopting a plant-based diet. The exploratory nature of the study, its small sample size, and the limited timeframe of the content analysis limit the generalizability of the findings. The study highlights limitations within influencer-driven sustainability communication and underscores the importance of further investigation into the conditions under which social media influencers’ influence can promote sustainable development.

Klimatförändringar är resultatet av decenniers handlande som saknat konsekvenstänk. Behovet av en klimatomställning har länge varit känt, men vidtagna åtgärder och traditionella arbetssätt har hittills inte ansenligt bidragit till att förbättra klimatet. I klimatkontraktet 2030, en förstärkning av befintliga styrdokument, framhålls governance som det rätta verktyget för att uppnå klimatneutralitet. Studien syftar till att undersöka hur implementeringen av klimatkontraktet har påverkat Linköping kommuns förmåga att genomföra klimatomställningen och uppnå klimatmål i en snabbare takt. Syftet har uppfyllts genom en dokumentstudie av Linköping kommuns styrdokument och deras klimatkontrakt, kompletterat med en kvalitativ intervju. Studien visar hur Linköping kommuns förmåga att hantera klimatomställningen har förbättrats, men att det samtidigt finns ett behov att ytterligare utveckla governancestrukturen om klimatneutralitet inte ska vara en allt för avlägsen framtid. / Climate change is the result of decades of actions lacking foresight. The need for climate transition has long been recognized, but our efforts and traditional approaches have so far been insufficient to secure a sustainable future. As a response to this inadequacy, klimatkontraktet 2030, a reinforcement of Linköpings current policy documents, puts forward a new way of looking at climate governance. This essay aims to investigate how the implementation of the contract has affected Linköping municipality’s ability to carry through the transition and reach climate goals at a faster pace. The aim has been achieved through a document study and a supplementary qualitative interview. The study demonstrates how Linköping municipality has enhanced its capacity and ability to undergo a climate transition. Furthermore, we have identified certain aspects of the governance structure that could and should be developed to ensure climate neutrality is achieved in the near future.

Environmental Impact Assessment stands as a crucial tool in the realm of sustainable development, serving to evaluate the potential environmental implications of proposed projects. While Environmental Impact Assessment processes are widely adopted across nations, their efficacy continually evolves in response to contemporary challenges. This study delves into the effectiveness of EIA procedures, focusing on the Environmental Impact Assessment report of the Mullikulam on-shore wind farm project in Sri Lanka. Initially, the research scrutinizes the criteria for assessing the effectiveness of EIA through desk review and content analysis. Subsequently, it employs a comprehensive checklist to evaluate the effectiveness of the Environmental Impact Assessment report of the said wind farm project, analyzing its adherence to key effectiveness criteria. This evaluation extends to comparative analysis, encompassing two additional Environmental Impact Assessment reports concerning on-shore wind farms in other countries. While the study's objective is to critically evaluate the effectiveness of the Environmental Impact Assessment report of the Mullikulam wind farm project, findings indicate notable deficiencies, particularly concerning site selection, mitigation strategies, and stakeholder engagement. By highlighting these shortcomings, the research underscores the imperative for improvements in EIA practices to enhance effectiveness. The study contributes valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders involved in EIA processes, advocating for enhancements to ensure stronger environmental assessments in future projects.

Mining is at the base of green technologies for a more sustainable future; however, responsible mining is not often achieved. This exploratory case study focuses on the case of the agreement between the US American mining company Albemarle and the local Indigenous communities that formed the Council of the Atacameño People, in Northern Chile. This agreement is part of Albemarle’s Corporate Social Responsibility approach and is seen as one of the positive examples of practices working towards mining that benefits the local community and limits the effects on the local environment. This case is explored through a deductive thematic analysis to explore and define the nature of the agreement: whether it can be classified as a cooperation or collaboration, after which the experiences of the Indigenous communities will be studied in a summative content analysis of social media posts which is visualized in a word cloud. The analysis shows that the agreement can be classified as a collaboration, however with important elements that are cooperative. Although this means that the agreement aims to include the Indigenous communities in several ways, it also highlights the fact that the Indigenous communities are not equal in the agreement and their goals are considered less in the process. The studied social media posts show that the Indigenous communities have shifted their perspective of Albemarle seemingly positively, notwithstanding that there are increasing expressions of worry about the future existence as communities. This thesis concludes that even though the agreement sounds promising on paper, the experiences of the Indigenous communities in the area are still that they are risking losing their culture and ecosystem. The local communities have formally consented to the mining practices by signing the agreements, but there is dissent among community members regarding their true attitudes. This is extremely worrisome as this thesis is focused on one of the most positive examples of CSR efforts within mining companies.

Rural areas in Sweden are often pointed out as key areas for development when it comes to industries such as forestry, agriculture, mining, energy, food security, tourism, leisure, and outdoor activities. However, these areas have seen a negative population trend for decades and, simultaneously, public service provision has declined. This development is not unique to Sweden and can be seen in rural areas across the world. Within scientific literature several approaches have been studied to find potential solutions and bring back prosperity to rural communities. Once such solution is Community Wealth Building (CWB), which is an economic framework designed to help circulate local resource within the local society. To date, CWB has primarily been implemented in urban contexts. This study has therefore investigated the potential for implementing the CWB framework in a rural context in Sweden, and what possibilities or barriers there are for such implementation. The study has been conducted as explorative case study in the municipality of Åre. Empirical data has been collected through a thematic analysis of municipal steering documents and through semi-structured interviews with actors from local public institutions, local third sector and local business. The findings suggest that there is potential to implement the CWB framework in a rural, Swedish context, taking into consideration the various possibilities and barriers that exist for doing so in practice.