Middle America is dying. The United Nations reports the average number of deaths per 1,00 population in the U.S. has steadily increased an average of 1.2 per 1,000 persons annually since 2015. Existing research offer conflicting theories regarding the factors influencing the phenomenon. the purpose of this study was to examine reliable and valid secondary data to determine if statistical evidence exists to support the prevailing theories. Statistical evidence was observed that suggests the crude death rates among U.S. non-Hispanic white (NHWs) populations was significantly higher than other U.S. population segments between 2015 and 2018. Statistical evidence was also observed that suggests U.S. NHWs sought ambulatory services for alcohol and drug use self-injuries at higher rates than other U.S. population segments. However, the evidence suggest that U.S. NHWs are not more likely to experience earlier than expected deaths from excessive alcohol or drug use than other U.S. population segments. The study's implications are that U.S. policy makers should consider long-term economic development and sustainability strategies focused on the promotion of higher education as a deterrent to self-harm among U.S. residents without college degrees or skills certifications. The study recommends future large-scale quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-use studies that examine the micro, meso, and macro factors influencing higher than expected morality rates among U.S. residents.

En hållbar utveckling består av tre dimensioner: den ekologiska, sociala och ekonomiska. Enligt lag ska en hållbarhetsrapport beskriva företagets arbete med ekologiska och sociala frågor. Ekonomin redovisas i årsrapporten. Om ett företag väljer att publicera sin hållbarhetsrapport som en del av årsredovisningen kallas detta integrerad rapportering, vilket bör innebära att information om de tre hållbarhetsdimensionerna presenteras tillsammans. Den sociala och ekologiska hållbarheten har tydligt satta definitioner. Det har inte den ekonomiska. Två olika definitioner beskrivs. Den första definitionen beskriver ekonomisk hållbarhet som en ekonomisk utveckling som inte medför negativa konsekvenser för den ekologiska eller sociala hållbarheten. Den andra definitionen likställer ekonomisk hållbarhet med ekonomisk tillväxt. Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka om ekonomisk hållbarhet inkluderas i svenska företags integrerade rapporter, analysera hur den presenteras och tolka vilken definition som presenteras. För att besvara syftet utförs en deduktiv kvalitativ innehållsanalys på 13 svenska företags integrerade rapporter. Innehållsanalysen utgår från de aspekter av ekonomisk hållbarhet som tas fram i Baumgartner och Ebner (2010). För att analysera hur aspekterna presenteras och vilken definition som går att identifiera utvecklas en matris som graderar nivån av hållbarhet inom varje aspekt.  Resultatet visar att ekonomisk hållbarhet inkluderas genom fem aspekter: innovation och teknologi, samarbete, kunskapshantering, processer och inköp. Innehållsanalysen visar att nivån av ekonomisk hållbarhet är högst i aspekten processer och lägst i aspekten kunskapshantering. Det totala resultatet visar att den ekonomiska hållbarhet som presenteras kan tolkas som likställd med en ekonomisk tillväxt. En trend kan dock identifieras där definitionen av ekonomisk hållbarhet går mot en tillväxt som inte medför negativa konsekvenser för den sociala eller ekologiska hållbarheten. / Sustainable development consists of three dimensions: the ecological, social and economic. By law, a sustainability report must describe the company's work with ecological and social issues. The finances are reported in the annual report. If a company chooses to publish its sustainability report as part of the annual report, it is called integrated reporting, which means that information about the three sustainability dimensions is presented together. Social and ecological sustainability have clearly defined definitions. Economic sustainability does not. The purpose of the thesis is to analyze whether economic sustainability is included, how it is presented and interpret which definition is presented in Swedish companies' integrated reports. To answer the purpose, a deductive qualitative content analysis is performed on thirteen Swedish companies' integrated reports. The results show that economic sustainability is included through five aspects: innovation and technology, collaboration, knowledge management, processes and purchase. The content analysis shows that the level of financial sustainability is highest in the aspects of processes and lowest in the aspect of knowledge management. The overall result shows that the economic sustainability presented can be interpreted as equated with economic growth. However, a trend can be identified where the definition of economic sustainability is heading towards a growth that does not have negative consequences for social or ecological sustainability.

No description available.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / What factors influence the economic sustainability of local suppliers in emerging markets in the automotive value chain? The answer to this question is not only influenced by the direct and indirect customers of the automotive component suppliers, but it is also influenced by factors on the macro-, meso- and micro-levels of the supplier‟s environment. In order to investigate the research objective, the South African automotive industry is chosen as a case study in the global automotive value chain. The literature review indicates that variables that influence the economic sustainability of suppliers can be found on the global and regional levels of the automotive industry, as well as on the industry and corporate value chain levels. As the theory does not offer a holistic approach for a problem solution, the identified factors are assembled in a conceptual model that measures the economic sustainability of automotive component suppliers with respect to financial dimensions. The conceptual model is structured according to the macro-, meso- and micro-level influences, and also recognises the impact of governance structures on the government, market, industry and corporate levels. The suggested conceptual model is subsequently tested for totality and alignment with industry features using qualitative methods and is furthermore validated by using quantitative modelling data from primary research in the supplier component industry. The analysis of the quantitative data shows that the majority of factors influencing the economic sustainability of local component suppliers can be found on the micro- and meso-levels (corporate value chain and industry value chain), whereas the qualitative data implies that economic sustainability is mainly influenced by factors on the macro- and meso-levels (industrial policy and labour market). This finding shows that there is a discrepancy between the measurable influences and the automotive component suppliers‟ perception of the research problem. Nevertheless, it can be stated that the conceptual model, as supported by the stakeholder group, can be used for further research. Alongside the development of the conceptual model, the industry data is used for a discussion about the status of the South African automotive component supplier industry in order to point out strengths and issues as well as to identify factors that should change or improve to enable a viable future for suppliers.

The aim of this study was to explore consumers’ descriptions of sustainable food consumption. The concept of sustainability can be difficult to grasp, but is often defined in terms of three pillars; environment, society and economy. Prior research of sustainable food consumption have often focused on one of the pillars rather than all of them together in relation to consumers understandings of sustainable food consumption. Notwithstanding, previous research have mentioned that in order to fully comprehend sustainability it is essential to take all of the three pillars into consideration. Therefore, this study acknowledged this gap, as it focused on the three pillars of sustainability as a base, and further connected the three pillars to the four food concepts; organic, Fairtrade, sustainable diets and waste, in order to fully understand consumers descriptions of sustainable food consumption. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach, and the data was collected through semi-structured interviews with a sample of students and employees at Linnaeus University in Sweden. The interviewees gave varied and interesting answers, which later were analyzed in comparison to the theory on the subject. With the answers from the interviews it was concluded that environmental and social sustainability were prioritized to economic sustainability among participants. As the participants’ descriptions of sustainable food consumption was varied, and all of the four concepts in relation to three pillars were analyzed, a framework was developed in order to clarify how the consumers describe sustainable food consumption. The study also presents a number of implications for further research as well as managerial implications.  Keywords Sustainable food consumption, consumers description, three pillars of sustainability, economic sustainability, environmental sustainability, social sustainability, organic, Fairtrade, sustainable diets, vegetarian, locally produced, waste reduction, food waste

The aim of this study is to examine how Belgrade as a tourist destination was affected by previous political disorder during the 1990’s on the query of destination image, destination branding and destination development. The research also discussed how different actors in the public and private sectors work on the issue and how international tourists’ perspectives look like in relation to this topic. A qualitative method was applied through semi-structured and structured interviews with three actors within tourism sector, one from the public sector, and further 15 interviews with international tourists. The study's results show that Belgrade, as a tourist destination, was mainly affected by the civil war in the 1990’s. The war created a negative destination image, undefined destination branding and a non-sustainable destination development. The following led to, reduced number of incoming tourists and economic stagnation, which resulted in a lack of resources to invest in destination development. It created a negative destination image in a global aspect, and in addition to that international tourists usually associated Belgrade with insecurity and political instability. However, tourism started to increase following the new political regime approximately 10 years ago, when major efforts were made by both international and national investors. Accordingly, actors within various private and public sectors are involved in expanding tourism products, increasing marketing efforts and placing the destination on an international tourism market. / Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur Belgrad som en turistdestination påverkades av tidigare oroligheter under 1990-talet i frågan om destinationsimage, branding samt utveckling. Undersökningen berörde även hur olika aktörer inom den offentliga och privata sektorn arbetar i frågan samt hur internationella turisters perspektiv ser ut i relation till detta. En kvalitativ metod tillämpades genom semistrukturerade och strukturerade intervjuer med tre aktörer inom turismsektorn och en från den offentliga sektorn samt 15 intervjuer med internationella turister. Studiens resultat visar att Belgrad som en turistdestination påverkades i en stor utsträckning till följd av krigshändelserna under 1990-talet. Detta skapade en negativ destinationsimage, odefinierad destination branding samt att destinationsutvecklingen som var icke hållbar. Därmed minskade antal inkommande turister, ekonomin stagnerade samt att det resulterade i brist på resurser för investeringar i att återuppbygga destinationen. Detta skapade en negativ destinationsimage för omvärlden då potentiella turister associerade staden med osäkerhet och politisk instabilitet. Dock konstaterades det att turismen började öka i och med den nya politiska regimen, då ca 10 år sedan började det ske stora insatser från både internationella och nationella investerare. Därmed arbetar olika aktörer inom den privata och offentliga sektorn med att utöka sina turistprodukter och marknadsföringsinsatser samt placera Belgrad på den internationella turistmarknaden.

Submitted by Joana Azevedo (joanad@id.uff.br) on 2017-06-30T14:52:20Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERT ANDRÉ LUIZ NASCIMENTO VILELA.pdf: 1970987 bytes, checksum: 42900df50bc1be88b780a1795464ebcd (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Biblioteca da Escola de Engenharia (bee@ndc.uff.br) on 2017-07-11T17:26:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERT ANDRÉ LUIZ NASCIMENTO VILELA.pdf: 1970987 bytes, checksum: 42900df50bc1be88b780a1795464ebcd (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-11T17:27:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERT ANDRÉ LUIZ NASCIMENTO VILELA.pdf: 1970987 bytes, checksum: 42900df50bc1be88b780a1795464ebcd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-30 / A Governança Corporativa é um tema muito estudado em todo o mundo, prevalecendo, porém, os estudos referentes à área empresarial abrangendo tanto empresas privadas quanto públicas. Organizações que possuem uma melhor coordenação conseguem se diferenciar das demais, pois elas possuem melhores condições, ferramentas de análise de sua gestão e eficácia, e assim elas logram de competências diversas frente aos demais concorrentes. Parece correto afirmar que algumas organizações no Brasil necessitam de modelos de gestão que contemplem os princípios da Governança Corporativa, bem como as instituições de ensino superior, e que consequentemente, garantam os interesses de todos, da sociedade, do Estado. Neste trabalho, considerando as instituições educacionais como organizações, parte-se do princípio de que, para estas entidades, o modelo de governança corporativa, também pode ser utilizado, pois tal uso poderia provocar uma nova forma de gestão e, além disso, possibilitar a estas organizações adquirir vantagens competitivas e diferenciando-as das demais. Tal questão se revela ainda mais importante porque o mercado brasileiro de ensino superior passa por mudanças, como fusões e aquisições entre as instituições de ensino superior privadas, entrada de grupos internacionais, escassez dos recursos financeiros, diminuição pela procura por cursos superiores e o aumento da competição dentro deste mercado. Portanto, após os estudos realizados numa instituição de ensino superior privada, pode-se chegar à conclusão que, apesar dela não possuir um sistema de governança corporativa estruturada, ela possui vários indicadores que se aproximam deste sistema, à grande maioria do corpo diretivo da instituição possui conhecimento destes indicadores e suas aplicações. Alguns membros do grupo diretivo da IESP credita que através destes indicadores, as atividades relacionadas à gestão foram impactadas positivamente, foi proporcionado assim o aperfeiçoamento dos mecanismos de gestão, a transformação no processo de ensino e na aprendizagem, através destes indicadores pode-se averiguar a melhoria na qualidade da educação desta instituição de ensino superior privada. / Corporate governance is a topic widely studied around the world, prevailing, however, the studies on the business area covering both private companies and public. Organizations that have better coordination can differentiate themselves from the others, because it has better conditions, analysis tools of their management and effectiveness, and so it manages several front skills to other competitors. It seems fair to say that some organizations in Brazil require management models that address the principles of Corporate Governance, as well as higher education institutions, and thus ensure the interests of all of society, the state. In this paper, considering the educational institutions as organizations, we assume that for these entities, the corporate governance model, can also be used, as such use could cause a new form of management and, in addition, enable these organizations acquire competitive advantages and differentiating the others. This question is revealed even more important because the Brazilian market for higher education undergoes changes, such as mergers and acquisitions among private higher education institutions, international groups entry, limited financial resources, decrease the demand for higher education and increasing competition within this market. Therefore, after the studies in a private higher education institution, one can conclude that, although it does not have a structured corporate governance system, it has several indicators that approaches this system, the vast majority of the governing body of the institution You have knowledge of these indicators and their applications. Some members of the steering group of IESP credits that through these indicators, the activities related to management were positively impacted thus was provided the improvement of management mechanisms, the transformation in the teaching and learning through these indicators can determine the improvement in the quality of education of this private higher education institution.

Motivation: Reverse Logistics is part of the concept of Sustainable Supply Chain Management, which is the supply chain consideration of the economic, environmental and social goals of all the stakeholders. These considerations should be balanced in a so-called Triple Bottom Line approach. However, literature approaching the social aspects is almost inexistent and the Triple Bottom Line approach is not common when examining the supply chain problems. The study focuses on companies operating in the Swedish market, since the country is an example in many TBL aspects. Moreover, the study is limited to the fashion apparel industry due to its high amount of returns.  Objectives: The purpose of this study is to explain how Reverse Logistics in the fashion industry can contribute to the social dimension of Triple Bottom Line, as well as to identify the tools and strategies used by the fashion companies to balance the trade-offs between the Triple Bottom Line dimensions in the context of Reverse Logistics and explain the reasons behind the decisions.  Approach: This is a multiple case study of six companies. Both primary (semi-structured interviews) and secondary (corporate reports and websites) sources were used to collect data. The empirical data was analyzed using pattern matching, first each case individually and thereafter cross-case analyses were performed.  Conclusions: The social contribution of Reverse Logistics in the fashion industry is mainly limited to donations to charity. In addition, it is not focused on the workforce, as suggested by the literature. Regarding the trade-offs in Triple Bottom Line, most of the fashion firms do not recognize them in the context of Reverse Logistics. Therefore, companies do not need to prioritize the Triple Bottom Line dimensions or use tools to balance them.

Cob can serve as an alternative building material to concrete in Nicaragua. Cob is an unbaked earth-based building technique with low global warming potential that suits the humid climate in Nicaragua. It can be constructed by hand by inexperienced people using materials such as; clay, straw, sand and water. The cob technique is relatively little studied and the exact cost of cob is unclear. The purpose of this thesis was thus to provide new information that will help assessing the economic sustainability and the environmental impact of the natural building technique cob in comparison to the conventional technique concrete. The thesis was carried out by a case study of two houses in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. The results are showing that the cob technique has cheap materials that support the Nicaraguan economy of Nicaragua but takes a lot of labour force and time in comparison to concrete. The cob technique also allows the builder to make the house personal adapted, with furniture and details, fitted to the owners need. The cob has also a great potential of a long lifespan with low needs of maintenance in comparison with concrete. Concrete also has a higher local environmental impact, more CO2-emissions and higher external costs. The conclusion is thus that cob is a more sustainable technique for building residential houses in Matagalpa. / Den naturliga byggtekniken cob kan vara ett alternativ till den mer konventionella tekniken betong i Nicaragua. Cob är en jordbaserad byggnadsteknik med låg globaluppvärmningspotential som lämpar sig i det fuktiga klimatet i Nicaragua. Cob består mestadels av; lera, halm, sand och vatten, och kan byggas för hand av oerfaren arbetskraft. Cob-tekniken är relativt lite studerad och den exakta kostnaden är osäker. Syftet med denna studie var därför att tillhandahålla ny information som ska underlätta bedömningen av den ekonomiska hållbarheten och miljöpåverkan hos den naturliga byggtekniken cob i jämförelse med den konventionella tekniken betong. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av en fallstudie av två hus i Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Resultatet visar att cob-tekniken har billiga material som stöder den lokala ekonomin, men kräver mycket arbetskraft och tid jämfört med betongtekniken. Cob-tekniken låter även byggaren att göra huset personligt anpassat, med möbler och finesser efter ägarnas behov. Den potentiella livstiden hos cob är lång, med ett lågt underhållsbehov i jämförelse med betong. Betong har också en större lokal miljöpåverkan, mer CO2-utsläpp och högre externa kostnader. Slutsatsen är således att cob är en mer hållbar teknik att använda för att bygga bostadshus i Matagalpa. / Cob puede servir como un material de construcción alternativo al concreto en Nicaragua. Cob es una técnica de construcción a base de tierra sin quemar con bajo potencial de calentamiento global que se adapta al clima húmedo en Nicaragua. Puede ser construido a mano por personas sin experiencia utilizando materiales tales como; arcilla, paja, arena y agua. La técnica de cob es relativamente poco estudiada y el coste exacto no está claro. El objetivo de esta tesis ha sido por lo tanto proporcionar nueva información que ayudará a evaluar la sostenibilidad económica y el impacto ambiental de los recursos naturales de la técnica de construcción cob en comparación con la técnica convencional de concreto. La tesis fue realizada por un estudio de caso de dos casas en Matagalpa, Nicaragua.  Los resultados muestran que la técnica de cob tiene materiales baratos que apoyan la economía local de Nicaragua, pero requiere de mucha fuerza y ​​tiempo de trabajo en comparación con el concreto. La técnica de cob también permite al constructor hacer la casa de manera más personal adaptándola con muebles y detalles, ajustada a las necesidades de los propietarios. El cob tiene también un gran potencial de larga vida con pocas necesidades de mantenimiento en comparación con el concreto. Concreto también tiene un mayor impacto ambiental local, más emisiones de CO2 y el aumento de los costos externos. La conclusión es de este estudio es que la técnica de cob es más sostenible para la construcción de viviendas residenciales en Matagalpa.

Children across the globe today are continuously being exposed to and affected by various kinds of real-world complexities and challenges; however, research on their knowledge and practices in terms of sustainability is limited, in particular with regards to how preschool- and home-related factors are associated with their learning for sustainability. Since 1998, different types of eco-certification have been awarded by the Swedish National Agency for Education and Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation to promote education for sustainability (EfS) in all areas of education and learning. Despite certificates having been granted in Sweden since 1998, no studies have been conducted at the national level to investigate whether eco-certification has any role to play in children’s learning for environmental and sustainability issues. This knowledge is important to develop pedagogical activities to engage young children meaningfully in learning for sustainability at preschool. This study was undertaken so as to address this research gap in a Swedish context. The overall aim of this study was to enhance the existing knowledge about preschool children’s learning for sustainability in Sweden. The objectives of this study have been to investigate and compare the knowledge and self-reported practices of sustainability among children attending eco-certified and non-eco-certified preschools, respectively, and to explore the extent to which preschool- and home-related factors are associated with children’s knowledge and practices of sustainability. Further, this study explored children’s perceived sources of such knowledge. The term ‘knowledge’ in this text refers to the descriptions of children’s ideas and thoughts. Similarly, eco-certified preschool refers to a school that work explicitly with EfS. The study was designed from a "child’s perspective": this means that it was designed by adults to understand children’s perceptions and actions. Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory and Bruner’s (1961) iconic (image-based) modes of representation were applied in various stages of the study. A conceptual framework was developed within the three-interlocking-circles model of sustainability that illustrates how environmental, social and economic dimensions are interconnected. The concept of sustainability was operationalized in four themes: economic equality, resource sharing, recycling and transport use. With the use of illustrations and semi-structured questions, final-year preschool children (n=53), aged five to six years, and the directors (n=7) at six eco-certified and six non-eco-certified preschools were interviewed, while guardians (n=89) and teachers (n=74) filled out questionnaires. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using content analysis and Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), respectively. The quality and complexity of children’s responses were assessed and classified using the SOLO Taxonomy (Biggs & Collis, 1982). The results showed that by the time the children completed preschool, many had acquired some knowledge about how to use money, about the sorting of different recyclable items at home and at preschool, and about the impact of different modes of transport on the environment and people’s lives. They also had ideas about the lives of other children in the world and what it can mean to share resources with other people. There was a positive relationship between children’s declarative (understanding) and functional (practice) knowledge of sustainability issues and the involvement of teachers and guardians in sustainability-related discussions and activities. No statistically significant differences between eco-certified and non-eco-certified preschools in terms of children’s declarative and functional knowledge were found. Parents were reported to be the main sources of children’s knowledge along with the children themselves, teachers and media. The findings offer support for integrating environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability into the daily pedagogical activities of preschools and for giving children opportunities to participate in discussions and practical activities that concern their lives. Further studies are needed to investigate the extent to which different educational activities contribute to developing children’s understanding and behavior when it comes to a sustainable society. / Bakgrund och syfte Dagens barn växer upp i en tid med många konflikter, klimatförändringar, naturkatastrofer, sinande naturresurser, fattigdom och globala hälsohot. Barn är offer eller potentiella offer för dessa omständigheter och de kommer i framtiden att påverkas av dem både fysiskt och socialt. De förhållanden som nämns här kan kopplas samman med frågor om hållbar utveckling. I rapporten Vår gemensamma framtid (Brundtland & Hägerhäll, 1988) definieras hållbar utveckling som ’en utveckling som tillfredsställer dagens behov utan att äventyra kommande generationers möjligheter att tillfredsställa sina behov.’ Hållbar utveckling är ett komplext och omfattande begrepp som innefattar miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner. Forskare betonar vikten av att integrera lärande för hållbarhet i förskolans verksamhet (Davis, 2015; Pramling Samuelsson, 2011; Siraj-Blatchford, 2009). Studier visar att familjen och förskolan spelar en viktig roll i yngre barns utveckling av beteende och attityder (Musser & Diamond, 1999; Sigel, Stinson, & Flaugher, 1991; Sylva et al., 2004). Trots detta är forskning om föräldrars och lärares påverkan på utvecklingen av barns förståelse av och praktiserande för hållbarhet mycket begränsad. Sådan forskning är viktig för att kunna utveckla lämpliga strategier för undervisning om hållbarhetsfrågor i förskolan och för att säkerställa en hög kvalitet i utbildningen av de yngsta. Enligt den svenska läroplanen för förskolan (Skolverket, 2011) skall alla förkolor sträva efter att varje barn utvecklar respekt för alla former av liv och att de utvecklar en vilja att visa omsorg om närmiljön. För att främja hållbarhet i svensk utbildning delar Skolverket ut utmärkelsen ”Skola för hållbar utveckling” till förskolor som arbetar systematiskt med lärande för hållbar utveckling (Skolverket, 2014). Förskolor kan också certifieras med "Grön Flagg” av Håll Sverige Rent, som är en del av ett program för miljöskolor inom Foundation for Environmental Education’s (FEE) (Håll Sverige Rent, 2016). Eftersom den här typen av certifierade förskolor uttryckligen arbetar med hållbar utveckling skulle man kunna förvänta sig att arbetet också påverkar barns kunskaper och beteenden vad gäller hållbarhet. Trots att certifikat har beviljats i Sverige sedan 1998 har inga studier genomförts för att undersöka om ekocertifiering spelar någon roll för barns lärande om miljö- och hållbarhetsfrågor. Av de få tidigare studier som undersöker denna fråga har ingen fokus på förskolan. Med tanke på att hållbar utveckling också lyfts fram i den svenska läroplanen för förskolan är frågan särskilt angelägen. Det övergripande syftet med denna studie har varit att öka kunskapen om förskolebarns lärande för hållbarhet i Sverige. Studien har undersökt förskolebarns egenrapporterade kunskaper och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska aspekter av hållbar utveckling. Studien har också undersökt samband mellan förskole- och hemrelaterade faktorer och barns kunskaper och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller hållbarhet. Bland annat har relationen till ekocertifiering studerats samt vilka källor till den egna kunskapen barnen uppger. Denna studie definierar inte termen "kunskap"; snarare används termen för att beskriva barns egenrapporterade kunskap genom verbala svar och praktiska handlingar. Begreppet "kunskap" i denna text ska förstås som barnens egna beskrivningar av sina föreställningar och tankar. Egenrapporterade handlingar avser barns egna beskrivningar av vad de gör och hur de utför olika aktiviteter på förskolan, i hemmet eller när de är med vänner och ska hållas isär från observationer av barns agerande. I denna studie kategoriseras förskolor som har fått utmärkelsen Skola för hållbar utveckling eller har Grön flagg-certfikat som ekocertifierade förskolor. Metoder Studiens syn på hållbar utveckling utgår från miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner. Dessa tre överlappande dimensioner har operationaliserats genom fyra teman: ekonomisk jämlikhet, dela med sig, återvinning och transportanvändning. Banduras (1977) sociala inlärningsteori och Bruners (1961) kognitiva utvecklingsteori, i synnerhet det bildbaserade sättet att förstå omvärlden, användes i olika steg i studien. Både kvalitativa och kvantitativa data samlades in under perioden februari till september 2015. Data samlades in från tolv olika förskolor varav sex var ekocertifierade. Förskolorna fanns i sex kommuner i två län i Sverige. Data om förskolebarnens kunskaper om och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller hållbar utveckling samlades in genom intervjuer och observationer av 53 barn som gick sitt sista år på förskola. Vidare besvarade 74 förskolepedagoger och 89 vårdnadshavare enkäter, och sju förskolechefer som var ansvariga för de inkluderade förskolorna intervjuades. Den regionala etikprövningsnämnden i Umeå hade inte några invändningar mot studiens upplägg som följde Vetenskapsrådets etiska riktlinjer. Data samlades in efter informerat samtycke från förskolechefer, deltagande pedagoger samt deltagande barn och deras föräldrar. Resultat och slutsatser Resultaten visar att många barn i förskolans sista år hade förvärvat viss kunskap om hur man använder pengar, om sortering av olika återvinningsartiklar hemma och i förskolan och om påverkan av olika transportsätt på miljön samt om människors hälsa och välfärd. De hade också viss uppfattning om hur livet ser ut för andra barn i världen och vad det kan innebära att dela med sig av resurser till andra människor. Det fanns ett positivt samband mellan barns deklarativa kunskaper (förståelse) och funktionella kunskaper (praktik) om hållbarhetsfrågor, samt lärarnas och vårdnadshavarnas deltagande i hållbarhetsrelaterade diskussioner och aktiviteter. Inga statistiskt signifikanta skillnader kunde påvisas mellan ekocertifierade och icke-ekocertifierade förskolor i form av barns deklarativa och funktionella kunskaper. Föräldrar rapporterades vara de viktigaste källorna till barnens kunskap tillsammans med lärare och TV. Flera barn uppgav också att deras kunskap kom från dem själva. Resultaten ger stöd för att integrera miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner av hållbar utveckling i förskolans dagliga pedagogiska verksamhet. I studien framträdde betydelsen av att barn ges möjlighet att delta inte bara i diskussioner utan också i praktiska aktiviteter som berör deras liv för vilken kunskap de utvecklar om hållbarhetsfrågor. Ytterligare studier behövs för att undersöka i vilken utsträckning olika utbildningsaktiviteter bidrar till att utveckla barns förståelse och beteende när det gäller ett hållbart samhälle samt hur man kan engagera dem på ett meningsfullt sätt i deras lärande för hållbarhet.