This qualitative study investigates circular transition efforts in accommodation businesses through a cognitive lens. The circular economy has been proposed as a solution to the global problems of resource overuse and pollution. The tourism industries have been identified as critical contributors to a macroeconomic circular shift. However, even though literature on circularity in tourism exists, it mostly focuses on specific resources, guests’ pro-environmental behaviour, and barriers and drivers of circular transitions. Accordingly, there is a lack of research on the actors involved in circular transitions in tourism and their cognitive structures. Since past research has high- lighted the importance of stakeholders’ values for the success of sustainable transitions, this study analyses how sustainability managers in accommodation organisations frame their transition to circular plastic and other resource use. This study’s findings indicate that differences in cognitive structures were especially visible between respondents of organisations with different levels of progress in their circular transition. Particularly reduction and reuse of specific products were high- lighted by all respondents, while recycling was not as focused on as literature suggested. The respondents in organisations further along in their circular transition ex- plained that they viewed it as an economic, environmental, and social opportunity, while the other respondents viewed it mostly as an economic threat. Another point of differentiation seems to be the motivation for the organisational shift, with organisations in the beginning stages being more motivated by external pressures, while the other respondents primarily mentioned internal values. The respondents’ cognitive structures were specifically busy around the topic of collaboration, both internal and external. Overall, the cognitive maps of the respondents of organisations in successful circular transitions were more comprehensive than those of the other respondents and their underlying value system intrinsically linked with circular and sustainable issues.

The need for optimizing wind farms’ production and maximizing the profitability of projects necessitates power performance analysis. Nowadays, the use of remote sensing devices for this purpose becomes more and more popular due to many advantages this technology has over traditional met masts. The main objective of this study is to assess the performance of a wind turbine in wake and wake-free conditions through measurements performed with a nacelle mounted lidar. The analysis is based on the data obtained during a Power Curve Measurement campaign performed on an onshore wind farm in Sweden. The power production and power curves are compared for a range of wind direction sectors in order to assess turbine performance in different wake conditions. Surprisingly low power output is observed in wake-free sectors [180°, 240°) and [240°, 300°), whereas production in wake wind directions [300°, 360°) is relatively high. The main reason for this is the wind speed distribution, however the terrain complexity and roughness should also be considered as possible factors. Generally, the wind speed distribution seems to have more influence on the results than the wake conditions. Moreover, the correlation between the met mast and lidar datasets is investigated in the study. The results indicate a good agreement between the wind speed measurement from the two devices, however, a poor correlation is found for turbulence intensity and wind shear exponent. Additionally, the influence of turbulence intensity and wind shear on the power production was analyzed. Generally, the results were in line with the reviewed literature: at low and moderate wind speeds the power production was higher for higher TI values, while the opposite was observed for higher wind speeds, where the higher TI resulted in lower production. As for the wind shear, a pattern is observed for moderate wind speeds, where the higher wind shear resulted in lower power production.

Forests provide ecosystem services, whereby near-natural forests offer mainly cultural as well as regulating services, and economical forests offer mainly provisional services. Even though wind resources above forests show a strong wind shear and veer as well as high turbulence intensity, the development of tall and low-wind-speed-adapted turbines led to the feasibility of wind power development in economical forests, adding a new land use. Nonetheless, wind power in economical forests is still a new concept for Germany. So far, only eight of the 16 federal states enable this by forest law and spatial planning programs driven by land-use pressure and the goal of climate neutrality. Lower Saxony is currently amending its spatial planning program to open economical forests for wind power. The thesis aims to improve the understanding of the actors’ perspectives and federal-state-specific circumstances in Lower Saxony regarding this policy shift supported by a constellation analysis. A constellation analysis helps to perceive multiple perspectives by creating a diagram and textually describing the situation to identify, present, and elaborate relevant constellation elements and their relation to each other. The constellation analysis highlights that the development should add a local value to impacted municipalities and communities by following the principles of distributive and procedural justice. This facilitates local acceptance. However, environmental and landscape impacts are the main driver for local opposition in a forest context. Thus, the development shall strive for nature compatibility.

Due to various ongoing environmental crises, there is an urgent need for sustainable solutions and initiatives, as it has become an imperative criterion for businesses to include in their operations. Further, the hospitality sector is a multibillion-dollar industry and has a great impact on not only the economy, but the environment as well. Therefore, the industry is transitioning increasingly fast, and incorporating greater actions to operate sustainably. It should be imperative for businesses to operationalise all facets (environmental, economic, and social) of sustainability within the organisation. However, previous literature has indicated that over the last decade, one solution has been presented to achieve this goal: the creation and implementation of the Sustainable Business Model. It is a concept, which would allow for the planning and organising, delivering, and obtaining value of a business in a sustainable structure. Whilst this concept has been adopted and applied in the business sector, there are still some uncertainties about how Sustainable Business Models are practised, and what makes them successful or not. In addition, there also still appears to be a lack of application in the hotel industry, and whether the implementation of this concept is viable and efficient towards operating sustainably. Therefore, this study addresses the lack of research by investigating the processes and implementation of a Sustainable Business Model in the context of a small luxury hotel group, through the perspective of Strategy-as-Practice as the main theory. The theoretical framework is this study, includes three theories (Strategy-as-Practice, Supply Chain Management and Green Supply Chain Management), however, Strategy-as-Practice is considered the main theory that serves as a foundation, and is also a branch of Practice Theory. With this theoretical framework, studying how individuals perceive Sustainable Business Models, and the activities performed within the industry, allows for this research to reveal the significance, skills, and competencies that enable the implementation of a Sustainable Business Model. This study was conducted through a qualitative approach, and gathered empirical data from three semi-structured interviews and a non-participant observation conducted in the hotel. The findings and analysis, backed by one case study, uncovered six themes, indicating that passion and personal interest along with the involvement of the practitioners (managers), time and allocation of financial investments are all key elements towards the practices related to the implementation of Sustainable Business Models in the context of a luxury hotel.

The industrialization of the global food system has drastically altered agricultural practices, transitioning from small-scale, subsistence farming to large-scale, transnational supply chains dominated by agribusinesses. While this shift has increased productivity, it has led to environmental degradation, economic inequity, and loss of traditional agricultural knowledge. This study explores the potential of public procurement of local food, particularly in school meals, to drive sustainable development, entrepreneurship, and innovation in rural Swedish communities while mitigating the negative aspects of industrialized agriculture. Using case studies, study visits, and semi-structured interviews with key informants representing school meal development and procurement from Hofors, Karlstad, and Östersund, this study aimed to identify the challenges and opportunities for municipalities to increase institutional consumption of local food within each municipality's local context. Processing these interviews using a systematic qualitative coding method and constructing thematic narratives provided insights into the barriers institutions face in procuring local food and highlighted strategies for enhancing collaboration between local producers and institutional consumers. Challenges in local food procurement include climate constraints, agricultural limitations, market dynamics, and legal and organizational barriers. Practical approaches to overcome these challenges include standardizing sustainable procurement policies, effective stakeholder communication, and collaborating with local businesses and organizations. This research highlights the pivotal role of public procurement in supporting resilient local food systems, especially in school meals. By addressing challenges and leveraging opportunities, institutions can play a significant role in promoting sustainability, supporting local entrepreneurs, and ensuring the vitality of rural communities in the face of global food system challenges.

Climate security is a subject that focuses on the relationship between climate change and security. Climate security is a subject that supports the notion that climate change is amplifying existing security threats as climate change is having negative impacts on societies, the natural environment, and development which worsen the situation, especially in regions that already experiencing major challenges. Climate security suggests that climate change causes insecurity by having the capacity to amplify and exacerbate existing tensions or creating new ones which ultimately may lead to armed conflict. This provides the importance to study the subject of climate security since most of the states that are predicted to be most affected by climate change are states that can be classified as volatile and prone to conflict. The thesis focuses on Sudan because the country is experiencing repeated armed conflicts within its borders while also being affected by climate change. This provides the main reason to study Sudan as more research is needed on how climate change is a threat amplifier. As climate change can be a source of insecurity in Sudan, the thesis also focuses on how the UN respond to climate insecurity to mitigate the negative consequences climate change imposes on Sudan. The thesis therefore aims to strengthen the research on how the UN as a multilateral organization responds to climate security. Qualitative method was used to interview four staff members from the UNDP, UNEP, and DPPA-DPO that are stationed both in New York and in Khartoum, Sudan. The results provided the conclusion that Sudan is experiencing internal armed conflicts between groups as an indirect consequence of climate change. The indirect pathways can be summarized as being connected to worsened socioeconomic standards and increased competition between different religious and ethnic groups over decreased natural resources. One main driver of the armed conflicts is also political instability and large amounts of armed groups through the country. This explains repeated and long conflicts that have affected the Sudanese people and hindered development in the country. The results from the interviews concluded that the UN acknowledge that climate change is a source of insecurity in Sudan and that the UN is prioritizing the topic of climate security. The work that the UN is implementing in Sudan have been focusing on climate adaptation to decrease the affects climate change has on Sudan. The interviews resulted in exposing the fact that the UN has experienced challenges to cohesively work with climate security in Sudan, as it has been challenging to work together with multiple UN organizations. Solutions to this challenge have among other things been the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM) which has increased cooperation internally. Other prioritized goals the UN has in Sudan is aiding in the establishment of a democratically elected government. The respondents highlighted that the work with climate security has paused since the military takeover in Sudan in 2021. This finding indicates indicates that the UN is having challenges with working in countries that are experiencing repeated political instability.

Cities in the Global South are undergoing rapid urbanization, where a high percentage of the urban poor live in informal settlements that lack basic services, are associated with unemployment, low-income levels, and insecurity. The impacts of climate change, intensive agricultural practices, and highly globalized food systems pose challenges to food security. Urban farming is one of the alternative practices to tackle food insecurity and urban poverty. In this study, urban farming was examined through grassroots innovation theory, which focuses on creating innovative sustainable development solutions from the bottom up. However, insufficient research has been done on urban farming initiatives in highly deprived areas. A qualitative approach was adopted, where semi-structured interviews were conducted, that were triangulated with observation and documentation data, providing multiple sources of support. The data was analysed through the Resources-Rationales-Relations Framework, which has been also used by other researchers to analyse grassroots initiatives. The results demonstrate that water is a crucial resource in urban farming grassroots initiatives, as water availability is limited due to droughts and climate change. Furthermore, resource-scarce environments experience limited access to water due to the unequal distribution of resources. Another identified resource that urban farming grassroots initiatives imply is climate-smart innovative technologies, such as the hydroponic system, that gives farmers good exposure. Sustainable livelihood creation was the main rationale to be involved in urban farming grassroots initiatives, by creating employment, giving back to the community, and influencing youth’s food and lifestyle choices. Relations were found to be crucial between farmers and organizational intermediaries, as they have increased their visibility and enabled them to engage with a wider context. The study concludes that the urban sustainability transition in Global South’s informal settlements is achieved when it cuts through all three levels of knowledge production, which was done by the climate-smart innovative farming technologies that raise attention and interest beyond the local context up to the political arena.

The world is simultaneously facing social and environmental sustainability issues. There is a decreasing window of opportunity to limit global warming in accordance with the Paris Agreement, significant biodiversity loss, and mounting inequality. This raises questions about our current economic systems’ ability to tackle the problems, which has given rise to new economic approaches. One such approach is Doughnut Economics which functions as a compass for a safe and just space for humanity and prescribes seven shifts in economic thinking for getting there. Given the urgency to identify and implement solutions to current sustainability issues, it is paramount to gain an understanding of Doughnut Economics' transformative potential by engaging with examples where the approach is used. To build on the knowledge of Doughnut Economics' transformative potential, this thesis investigates the case of Bannau Brycheiniog in Wales through the lens of the three spheres of transformation: the practical, political, and personal. The methods employed were semistructured interviews with a purposive and snowball sampling method. Additionally, one workshop with stakeholders was attended and the park’s Management Plan was analyzed. The results show that there are several factors in the practical, political, and personal spheres enabling the use of Doughnut Economics. These include data availability, favorable national legislation, and values that resonate with the Doughnut. Challenges include using proxies and indicators, resistance from some parts of the political sphere, and other priorities stemming from shortfalls in the social foundation. Furthermore, the results indicate that the Doughnut has impacted, and has the potential to further impact the three spheres in numerous ways. For example, by expanding the BB National Park’s horizons and contributing to a holistic understanding of the park, legitimizing existing ideas, and inspiring other actors to follow suit. The study concludes that the use of Doughnut Economics shows potential for change in a sustainable direction in all three spheres and their interconnections. However, the use of the Doughnut without explicitly implementing its wider theoretical background as described in the seven shifts mitigates the transformative potential. Thus, the study recommends an explicit use of all the seven shifts.

Circular Economy is an increasingly popular concept, which could be implemented to decrease our environmental impacts and promote sustainable development. Within Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement, the city of Stockholm has the goal to become climate neutral by 2030 and wants to explore the effects ofcircularity measures. The city has decided to introduce a flow of second-hand materials in a school as a pilotstudy to redirect waste, in alignment with the waste management hierarchy. This thesis' objective is to researchthe impacts of this measure on textile waste management at the scale of a school's use, in the context ofsustainable development. First, interviews were conducted with the stakeholders and the system was analysed from a systems thinking perspective. Second, a Life Cycle Assessment on implementing second-hand textile flows in the school was used to quantify the environmental impacts of the measure. Finally, a survey filled by students gave the perspective they had on using second-hand inside and outside of the school. Results show that the system gathers the required characteristics to support a CE. Introducing this new flow of textiles has benefits compared to business-as-usual scenarios, and decreases carbon emissions. Pupils are showing interest in second-hand, but an economic incentive might be needed for them to change behaviours outside of the school. Findings underline the circular economy is connected to the three pillars of sustainable development at the local scale of the pilot study. The challenge of scaling up this measure and expanding the results at the level of the city is arduous but would support the city of Stockholm in its climate neutrality goal while helping to change the mindsets of its citizens for the future.

This master's thesis explores the impact of agribusiness on food security in the Kalunga community of Engenho II, located in the Brazilian Cerrado. Agribusiness is a significant cause of water withdrawal and climate change in the region, with extensive lands converted into monocultures to export commodities. Secondary data were analyzed data to generate a picture of Brazilian industrial agriculture and establish interconnections between industrial agriculture and food security. In addition, semi-structured interviews were carried out to explore whether and how the connections between agribusiness and food security and possible threats apply to a particular community in the Cerrado. The study finds that the Kalunga community is not experiencing a threat to their food security, as they maintain agricultural production with no water-stressful situations, as well as their habit of eating local food. However, government policies and financial programs to support agricultural activities in the community come with agribusiness’ logic of farm mechanization, threatening the knowledge systems and practices of family farming. This can jeopardize food security in the future. The study suggests that continued research and action are necessary to address the challenges faced by traditional communities in Cerrado and ensure the preservation of their food security and overall well-being. The study also highlights the need for sustainable land use policies prioritizing communities' traditions. These findings have implications for policies and interventions to improve food security among Kalunga communities and other similar communities globally.