Ett stort antal förorenade områden finns idag i Sverige och tillämpning av riskreducerande åtgärder som till exempel schakt och deponi är vanligt förekommande. De möjliga hanteringsvägarna för uppschaktade massor är många, men en stor andel av massorna hamnar på deponier runt om i landet. Tidigare studier har visat att en ökad återanvändning av massor kan innebära både klimat- och resursbesparingar. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka detta vidare och att studera både riskbedömningens och åtgärdsvalets effekt på klimatpåverkan och kostnaden för åtgärderna. En hypotetisk platsspecifik riskbedömning genomfördes för PAH, bly, koppar och zink och dess effekter på massklassning och möjlig återanvändning, och i sin tur effekt på klimatpåverkan studerades. Utöver det studerades även ökad återanvändning av schaktmassor i form av återanvändning inom projektområdet efter behandling med biokol. Två olika beräkningsverktyg användes vid klimatberäkningarna, Trafikverkets Klimatkalkyl och SGF:s verktyg Carbon footprint från efterbehandling och andra markarbeten. Beräkningarna i verktygen kompletterades med egen datainventering och beräkningar i de fall verktygen inte omfattade nödvändiga moment. Resultatet i studien visade att om platsspecifik biotillgänglighet beaktades i riskbedömningen, kunde riktvärdena höjas och en ökad återanvändning möjliggöras. Klimatpåverkan vid en högre grad av återanvändning, antingen utan vidare behandling eller efter behandling med biokol, var lägre än då masshantering baserades på Naturvårdsverkets generella riktvärden. Lägst klimatpåverkan kunde tillhandahållas då massor återanvändes efter behandling med biokol, där åtgärden i ett scenario resulterade i negativa växthusgasutsläpp. Samtliga scenarier som innebar ökad återanvändning av massor, resulterade även i en lägre kostnad. / A large number of contaminated areas exist in Sweden and risk-reducing measures such as dig and dump are often applied. Excavated masses can be managed in many different ways and there are several routes for which the masses can follow, but a large share of the masses often ends up on landfills all around Sweden. Previous studies have shown that an increase in reuse of masses could lead to both climate and resource savings. The aim of this study was to investigate this matter further and to study the effect on the climate impact of both risk assessment approaches and the choice of remediation method. A hypothetical risk assessment was performed for PAH, lead, copper and zinc and its effects on the mass classification and the possible reuse, and in turn its effect on the climate impact was studied. Furthermore, the increase in reuse of excavated masses within the project was studied, when using biochar as a treatment method. Two different calculation tools were used to calculate the climate impact, i.e. Trafikverkets “Klimatkalkyl” and SGF:s tool “Carbon footprint från efterbehandling och andra markarbeten”. The calculations in the tools were supplemented with data inventory and calculations, in cases where the tools did not cover the needed processes. The results showed that site specific risk assessment, where site specific bioavailability was included, could lead to higher risk limits. Higher risk limits enable increased reuse. The climate impact was lower as a result of a higher degree of reuse of masses. This applied for both scenarios when the masses were reused without any further treatment and when the masses were treated with biochar and then reused on site. The lowest climate impact was found when masses were treated with biochar, where this measure in one scenario implied negative greenhouse gas emissions. In all scenarios, an increase in reuse of masses also resulted in a lower cost.

Access to clean drinking water is a fundamental human right, yet many urban and peri-urban areas struggle to provide this service. While rural water access has improved, urban areas face stagnation or declining access to safe water services due to rapid urbanization, environmental changes, and social disparities. With urban populations in the global South expected to double and concerns about water quality from centralized systems in high-income countries, adaptable and resilient water service solutions are urgently needed. Decentralized systems are gaining attention for their adaptability, cost-effectiveness, and resilience, offering flexible alternatives to large treatment plants and aiming to provide safe, clean water at the household or community level. These systems improve local responsiveness, reduce inequalities, and enhance resilience by utilizing alternative water sources like rainwater harvesting. Innovative service delivery models are essential to bridge gaps, increase local responsiveness, and benefit vulnerable groups. Business model innovation is crucial for adopting and sustaining decentralized water technologies, especially in urban and developing contexts. Private companies are increasingly stepping in to provide decentralized drinking water services, often in partnership with government-led projects or community-managed initiatives, filling gaps where public institutions fall short. This thesis investigates private entities as viable alternatives for decentralized drinking water service provision, considering the complex landscape of urban water provision and the challenges centralized systems face. Using a mixed-methods approach, including a systematic literature review and interviews with eight organizations, the study explores how private companies operate and engage with communities to improve water services. Findings show that private companies use innovative business models, such as Social Enterprise and Product-Service System Models, to balance profitability with social and environmental responsibilities, though this raises concerns about the commodification of water. The thesis emphasizes the importance of subsidies, innovative financing, and government support to ensure affordable and accessible water services, especially in low-income and water-stressed regions. It stresses the need for supportive policy frameworks to promote decentralized services in different income-level countries. The adaptability of private companies to diverse customer bases and their ability to secure funding from various sources are crucial for the scalability and sustainability of their services. The thesis concludes that private companies play a vital role in bridging the service provision gap, but their success depends on innovation, stakeholder engagement, and supportive policies. It highlights the importance of balancing centralized and decentralized systems to ensure sustainable and resilient water services and uphold the human right to clean drinking water. The thesis contributes to the discourse on sustainable urban water management, underlining the potential of private companies to improve the accessibility and sustainability of drinking water services while emphasizing the need for ethical considerations in commodifying essential resources.

The main objective of this study was to make an inventory of abandoned eucalyptus plantations due to remaining tree stumps in the Brazilian Pampa biome, focusing on the two counties Pedras Altas and Candiota. In the study, the term “ghost fields” was used for abandoned eucalyptus plantations – land areas that were previously planted with eucalyptus and subsequently left unproductive for a number of years, no longer used for eucalyptus and not converted into e.g. pasture or soybean plantation. After three successive rotations, typically every 21 years, eucalyptus land needs to be processed mechanically to remove remaining stumps and allow new plantation, but stump clearing is costly, and in some cases, non-industrial owners leave the fields ghosted. More than half of the native vegetation, primarily grassland, in the Pampa has been converted into agriculture and forestry, and eucalyptus species are especially popular for plantation because of speedy growth and adaptability to harsh conditions. The loss of native grasslands to continuous short-rotation eucalyptus plantation for commercial use has resulted in soil degradation and biodiversity loss. The demand for productive land, and importance of conserving native vegetation, made it relevant to investigate the extent of ghost fields and the correlation between suppressed native vegetation and ghost fields and between suppressed native vegetation and eucalyptus plantation in general. The study showed that 11 percent (2,727 out of 24,746 hectares) of eucalyptus plantation in the focus area, comprising Pedras Altas and Candiota County, was ghosted for a period of 1-11 years between 2012-2023. Based on extrapolation of the findings in the focus area, 26,323 hectares (11 percent) out of the total 239,297 hectares of eucalyptus plantation in the Pampa may have been ghosted for a number of years between 2012-2023 because of remaining tree stumps. 500 (out of 980) hectares of ghost fields in Pedras Altas County and 543 (out of 1747) hectares of ghost fields in Candiota County were connected to areas with recent suppression of native vegetation (2004-2022). 8,240 (out of 13,200) hectares of eucalyptus plantation, including ghost fields, in Pedras Altas County and 4,829 (out of 11,546) hectares of eucalyptus plantation, including ghost fields, in Candiota County were connected to areas with recent suppression of native vegetation.

As the green transition gains importance, the demand for green technologies and rare earth elements (REE)has surged. The Nordic countries are overall well-supplied with minerals and metals, however, they have a ratherunique dilemma. Knowing that the majority of Swedish mines are situated on Sápmi, a relevant question is raised:How do we extract mineral resources to benefit the green transition, whilst respecting the land of Europe's onlyIndigenous group, the Sami people? Moreover, as the CSDDD framework emerges, yet another question is raised:How might CSDDD promote Sami influence in future mining-related decision-making? To explore this matter, I haveconstructed a most likely scenario and used the recent REE findings in Kiruna as a case study. The framework seemsto promote Sami influence in numerous ways as it creates a new legal ground to demand participation and seek justice,expands the definition of Sami interests, allows for consultations with nearby Sami villages, includes the Samiperspective on negative impacts, and could result in Sami people being consulted in terms of Indigenous rights-holders.However, if the framework and the Swedish mining permitting system are not synchronized properly, it might resultin cases where mining companies receive permits that conflict the will of the Sami people. Furthermore, theframework’s mentions of stakeholder engagement and Indigenous participation leave room for interpretation. At worst,the level of Sami influence in future mining-related decision-making could lie in the hands of the member states, andhence, the mining companies.

Different environments exhibit varying temperatures, where generally areas with high amounts of vegetation, and consequently significant shading, tend to be cooler than regions dominated by dark buildings and black roofs. As a result, urban areas are generally expected to have higher temperatures in comparison to rural areas or forests. This phenomenon, known as urban heat island effect, can be visualized as a dome-shaped area of hot air that concentrates pollution and can influence the precipitation patterns of a region. This study aimed to examine the urban heat island effect in Linköping from 1984 to 2023, with a focus on analyzing the correlation between the prevalence of impermeable materials and changes in surface temperature using remote sensing and geographic information systems. The study also explored the potential for predicting surface temperatures in 2034 with spatial regression. The results indicated a close relationship between the extent of impermeable materials (indicative of urban land use) and the surface temperatures in Linköping over the study period. Both urban land use and areas with high surface temperatures increased from 1984 to 2023, independent of rising air temperatures. The geographic locations of high urban heat island values have remained largely unchanged over time, but their spatial distibution expanded from 1984 to 2023. The predictive analysis has demonstrated the possibility to predict surface temperatures in 2034, with emphasis on the pivotal role of the model and its explanatory variables. The final predictive model indicates a continuing upward trend in surface temperatures. This study has in summary added an extensive overview of the urban temperature changes in Linköping, identifying potential areas with particularly high surface temperatures historically and provided possible models for predicting trends in the future. / Olika miljöer uppvisar varierande temperaturer, där generellt områden med mycket vegetation, och därmed betydande skuggning, tenderar att vara svalare än regioner dominerade av mörka byggnader med svarta tak. Följaktligen förväntas urbana områden generellt ha högre temperaturer jämfört med landsbygdsområden eller skogsområden. Detta fenomen, känt som urban värmeöeffekt, kan förklaras som ett kupolformat område med förhöjda temperaturer som koncentrerar föroreningar, och som kan påverka regionala nederbördsmönster.  Denna studie syftade till att undersöka den urbana värmeöeffekten i Linköping från 1984 till 2023, med fokus på att analysera korrelationen mellan förekomsten av ogenomträngliga ytor och förändringar i yttemperatur med hjälp av fjärranalys och geografiska informationssystem. Landsat-satellitbilder har använts för att erhålla data för markanvändning/marktäcke, samt för markytans temperaturer under studieperioden. Studien undersökte också möjligheten att förutsäga yttemperaturer år 2034 med hjälp av två enkla prediktiva modeller i programvaran ArcGIS Pro: Multiskalig Geografiskt Viktad Regression (MGWR) och Forest-baserad Forecast.  Resultatet visade en nära relation mellan omfattningen av ogenomträngliga ytor (indikerade som urban markanvändning) och yttemperaturen i Linköping under studieperioden. Både urban markanvändning och områden med höga yttemperatur ökade från 1984 till 2023, oberoende av ökade lufttemperaturer. De geografiska positionerna för höga värmeövärden förblev i stort sett oförändrade över tid, men deras rumsliga fördelning expanderade från 1984 till 2023. Den prediktiva analysen visade att MGWR-modellen uppvisade begränsningar med de valda variablerna och dess samband till varandra. Däremot gav Forest-baserad Forecast-modellen ett mer tillförlitligt resultat, genom att utnyttja historiska yttemperaturer och data om markanvändning och marktäcke. Yttemperaturkartan för 2034 som generades av den senare modellen förutspår en ökning av områden med höga yttemperaturer (mellan 41 och 45 grader Celsius), och en bredare fördelning av temperaturer mellan 31 och 40 grader Celsius. Den prediktiva modellen indikerar en fortsatt uppåtgående trend i yttemperaturer. Sammanfattningsvis ger denna studie en omfattande översikt över urbana temperaturförändringar i Linköping, och identifierar potentiella områden med särskilt höga yttemperaturer historiskt och ger förslag för möjliga metoder för att förutsäga trender i framtiden.

In environmental impact assessment (EIA), accident risk should be considered as one impact. However, few studies have compared assessed risk levels with documented accidents. There is thus a need for assessing accuracy of risk assessment methodologies. The aim of this study was to develop and examine a risk assessment guideline based on environmental assessment. The guideline examination was carried out along the railway and the road between Kiruna and Narvik, Northern Scandinavia. The examined hazards were avalanches, debris flows, rock falls, slush flows, torrents, moose and reindeer. Documented accidents were quantified into an accident level. For each hazard type, six sections/sites were assessed. The propensities of these hazards were analysed through environmental assessments, especially by utilising geomorphology. Then, the accident densities along the sections/sites were compared with assessed accident phase indices describing risk and hazard in both spatial and temporal dimensions. The average uncertainty factors for both the risk and the hazard indices were about 5. This implies a fairly good precision. Risk and hazard indices were also rated and compared to the accident density rates. Thereafter, railway and road information was split up as different proposal alternatives in an EIA context. The total risk for each proposal was compared with the total accident density. The risk assessment guideline proved to be cost-efficient, rapid and relatively reliable in comparing accident risk.

In environmental impact assessment (EIA), accident risk should be considered as one impact. However, few studies have compared assessed risk levels with documented accidents. There is thus a need for assessing accuracy of risk assessment methodologies. The aim of this study was to develop and examine a risk assessment guideline based on environmental assessment. The guideline examination was carried out along the railway and the road between Kiruna and Narvik, Northern Scandinavia. The examined hazards were avalanches, debris flows, rock falls, slush flows, torrents, moose and reindeer. Documented accidents were quantified into an accident level. For each hazard type, six sections/sites were assessed. The propensities of these hazards were analysed through environmental assessments, especially by utilising geomorphology. Then, the accident densities along the sections/sites were compared with assessed accident phase indices describing risk and hazard in both spatial and temporal dimensions. The average uncertainty factors for both the risk and the hazard indices were about 5. This implies a fairly good precision. Risk and hazard indices were also rated and compared to the accident density rates. Thereafter, railway and road information was split up as different proposal alternatives in an EIA context. The total risk for each proposal was compared with the total accident density. The risk assessment guideline proved to be cost-efficient, rapid and relatively reliable in comparing accident risk.

Measurements on coccolith abundance and mass can be used as a signal of primary productivity and pelagic calcification in response to environmental change. The Leeuwin Current (LC) is known to transport warm and low-salinity waters from the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP) southwards along the coast of West Australia. Along with the onset of continental aridity during late Neogene, increased strength of the LC may have played a role in reef expansion on the Northwest Shelf. In this study the morphological variation in size and mass of reticulofenestrid coccoliths was assessed in material from IODP Site U1461 in the eastern Indian Ocean spanning the past 500 ka. Both the absolute abundance of all reticulofenstrid coccoliths (Emiliania huxleyi, Reticulofenestra spp., Gephyrocapsa spp. and Pseudoemiliania spp.) was determined, as well as the relative abundance of large versus small coccoliths. Coccolith size and mass were measured quantitatively under circularly polarized light. The data was compared to variations in sea surface temperatures (SST) of the LC, and to continental aridity of Australia. SST fluctuations could influence coccolithophore productivity by affecting their metabolic rate, whereas continental aridity may influence the influx of terrestrial matter by wind. The investigated interval is dominated by small species of Gephyrocapsa. Peak values of absolute abundance and mass were observed during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11, an interglacial period of extended warmth and humidity. These results coupled with high densities of aragonite needles in the same samples indicate the sediments were diluted by material overflowing from the adjacent shallow- water carbonate platform, analogous to the whiting events observed in the modern-day Bahamas. A decrease in abundance of Gephyrocapsa caribbeanica at 240 ka can be linked to the timing of their last common occurrence (LCO), within MIS 7. The subsequent shift to Gephyrocapsa oceanica as the dominant large species may indicate an ecological replacement of G. caribbeanica, or signify warm and low-salinity waters. / Mätningar av abundans och massa hos coccoliter kan användas som en signal för primärproduktion och pelagisk förkalkning som resultat av miljöförändringar. Leeuwin Current (LC) är känd för att transportera varmt vatten och vatten med låg salthalt från Indo-Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP) söderut längs kusten i västra Australien. Tillsammans med början av kontinental torka under sen Neogen kan ökad styrka hos LC ha spelat en roll i expansionen av rev på nordvästsockeln. I denna studie bedömdes den morfologiska variationen i storlek och massa hos coccoliter i material från IODP plats U1461 i östra Indiska oceanen från de senaste 500 000 åren. Både den absoluta abundansen av alla reticulofenstridcoccoliter (Emiliania huxleyi, Reticulofenestra spp., Gephyrocapsa spp. och Pseudoemiliania spp.) bestämdes, liksom den relativa abundansen av stora jämfört med små coccoliter. Storlek och massa av coccoliter mättes kvantitativt under cirkulärt polariserat ljus. Uppgifterna jämfördes med variationer i havsytans temperatur (SST) hos LC, och med kontinental torrhet i Australien. SST-fluktuationer kan påverka produktiviteten hos coccolitoforider genom att påverka deras metabolism, medan kontinental torrhet kan påverka inflödet av markmaterial med vind. Det undersökta intervallet domineras av små arter av Gephyrocapsa. Toppvärden av absolut abundans och massa observerades under marinisotopsteget (MIS) 11, en interglacial period med förlängd värme och fuktighet. Dessa resultat kombinerat med hög densitet av aragonitnålar i samma prover indikerar att sedimenten späddes ut med material som svämmade över från den intilliggande grunda karbonatplattformen, vilket är jämförligt med de vitningshändelser som har observerats i dagens Bahamas. En minskning i abundans av Gephyrocapsa caribbeanica vid 240 ka kan kopplas till tidpunkten för deras senaste gemensamma förekomst (LCO) inom MIS 7. Den efterföljande övergången till Gephyrocapsa oceanica som den dominerande stora arten kan indikera en ekologisk ersättning av G. caribbeanica, eller indikera varmt vatten med låg salthalt.

There is an urgent need to have leaders who are able to strategically transition society towards sustainability. Evidence shows that challenges are mounting up and become increasingly complex. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) aims to educate leaders to become competent to lead within the sustainability challenge we are facing. This thesis explores how leadership education can prepare teachers to become leaders to enable Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD). Based on interviews with ESD experts, the research team identified eight key competencies for leaders to enable Strategic Sustainable Development and eight pedagogical approaches to train such competencies. In addition to that, the research team analyzed how the case study organization Teach for Austria (TFA) integrates the identified key competencies and pedagogical approaches. Recommendations are provided indicating TFA’s opportunities regarding a more thorough integration of the key competencies and pedagogical approaches into their leadership education. These recommendations were then made relevant to the broader leadership education context to prepare teachers to lead. The main outcomes of this thesis intend to serve as a guidance to enable leadership the world needs.

Environmental art is increasingly becoming a medium to address environmental challenges and studies have shown that the art form offers many opportunities when included within work of sustainable development. This study has investigated artists motivations to pursue environmental art and asked whether artists believe that art can contribute to sustainable development. This project was achieved using a qualitative approach and cross-sectional design, through semi-structured interviews with ten artists working with environmental art in different parts of the world. The theoretical framework consisted of theories describing artists’ motivations to pursue art and environmental art, as well as motivations of environmental activists. Results showed that artists are motivated to pursue environmental art for several reasons, some of these reasons relates to the same motivational factors among environmental activists. The artists also lined that their own connection to nature was a big motivation for pursuing environmental art. Nine out of ten artists agreed that art can contribute to sustainable development, and one artist questioned whether any development can be sustainable.  The conclusion of this study is that artists’ main motivation to pursue environmental art derives from a response to environmental concerns in society and the world of today, out of a belief that art offers other kinds of opportunities to reflect on environmental concerns than normally communicated environmental information.