More resources are being defined as critical, which can be attributed to the linear economy of ‘take, make and dispose’. An alternative is to implement the circular economy (CE) which could reduce several negative effects, among other things resource depletion. The aim of this thesis is to identify what current sustainability indicators are lacking to assess a resource with the CE concept. This is done by developing CE core indicators, which then are compared with sustainability indicators. The life cycle of rare earth elements (REE) is used as a case study to validate the CE core indicators. To achieve this literature studies and comparative analysis will be performed. Existing definitions and indicators of CE were studied to compile a complete set of core indicators. These compiled CE core indicators were then compared with adapted United Nation (UN) sustainability indicators. The UN indicators were chosen after analysing several different sustainability indicator system and their compatibility with the resource perspective. The main differences between the UN indicators and CE core indicators is that the UN indicators does not include economic aspects such as market diversity and social aspects such as consumption behaviour. However, the UN indicator system includes transportation and governance that could be beneficial to include into the CE concept. The economic viability to perform the CE analysis and non-existing CE indicators for companies and countries were identified as two barriers that could hinder development and efficient use of a CE indicator system. A way to increase the economic viability is to use already generated data for the CE indicator analysis, though the economical aspect has to be studied further. The non-existing CE indicators for companies and countries are counted as a barrier due to the risk of sub-optimisation of one resource. Additionally, the CE indicator results could be misinterpreted to blame a few for the problems of the resource instead of using the results to improve all parts of the life cycle. Further research is also needed to investigate how, or even if, social aspects such as culture and society could be indicated within a CE indicator system. In conclusion, the UN indicator system could be a good baseline to develop a CE indicator system for a resource though further research is needed.

Svenska banker har stor förbättringspotential när det gäller att säkerställa att finansieringar och investeringar inte bidrar till utrotning av växt- och djurarter och förödelse av skog, våtmarker och orörda miljöer. I en rankning utförd av Fair Finance Guide fick sju av de största svenska bankerna mycket låga betyg för sina åtaganden och handlingar inom temat ”biodiversitet”. Denna studie syftar därför till att identifiera möjliga strategier för svenska banker att minska sin negativa påverkan på biodiversitet genom att integrera en ökad hänsyn för skogs- och biodiversitetsfrågor i bankernas finansierings- och investeringsaktivititer. Genom att genomföra intervjuer med utländska banker som uppmärksammats för sina framsteg inom skogsskydd, och genom att granska det material som dessa banker publicerat på sina hemsidor, har denna studie samlat vägledande information som kan ge svenska banker en bättre förståelse för hur skogs- och biodiversitetsfrågor kan konfronteras på en inledande nivå. Ämnesfokus inom området för biodiversitet ligger på skogsskydd och studien har även ett tydligt fokus på hur banker kan arbeta för att minska den negativa biodiversitetspåverkan från sina generella finansierings- och investeringsaktiviteter. Nisch-investeringar som syftar till att öka bankers positiva biodiversitetspåverkan hamnar således utanför studiens primära områdesfokus. Studiens resultat visar att svenska banker har mycket att lära från sina internationella konkurrenter. Till att börja med finns ett antal frivilliga branschinitiativ, inklusive FN:s principer för hållbara investeringar (UN PRI), FN:s miljöprograms finansiella initiativ (UNEP FI), Ekvatorprinciperna, ”Carbon Disclosure Project” (CDP), ”Round Table on Responsible Soy” (RTRS), ”Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil” (RSPO), ”Forest Stewardship Council” (FSC) och ”Soft Commodities Compact”, som kan hjälpa banker att kommunicera, definiera och implementera en ökad hänsyn för skogs- och biodiversitetsfrågor. Dessutom erbjuder Rabobank, UBS och Credit Suisse inspirerande exempel på hur banker kan utveckla interna åtaganden, processer och metoder för att konfrontera frågor som rör avskogning och biodiversitetsförlust. En vanlig strategi bland de banker som intervjuats är att angripa skogs- och biodiversitetsfrågor genom att utveckla policyer som adresserar produktionen av några av de mest skogsintensiva handelsvarorna i världen, nämligen soja, palmolja, kött och timmer (inklusive papper och pappersmassa). Dessa policyer innehåller ofta ett åtagande att avstå från finansierings- och investeringsaffärer som bidrar till avskogning i urskogar, i områden med högt bevarandevärde, i områden som finns med på UNESCO:s världsarvslista, i våtmarker som skyddas av Ramsarkonventionen och i områden som skyddas av Internationella naturvårdunionen (IUCN). Ett vanligt tillvägagångssätt för att säkerställa att potentiella klienter lever upp till dessa policyer är att se till att klienterna i fråga är medlemmar i RTRS, RSPO och FSC och certifierade enligt de riktlinjer och principer som etablerats av dessa organisationer. De granskningar som utförs av dessa certifieringsorgan används sedan för att säkerställa kontinuerlig åtlydnad bland klienter. Trots att Rabobank, UBS och Credit Suisse alla blivit uppmärksammade för sina framsteg inom skogsskydd så har samtliga banker utsatts för mycket allvarlig kritik som antyder att bankernas åtaganden, processer och metoder inte alltid är tillräckligt omfattande eller väldefinierade för att säkerställa ett verkligt skydd av skog och biodiversitet. Således understryker studiens samlade rekommendationer till svenska banker vikten av att avancera längre än Rabobank, UBS och Credit Suisse och utforma ännu striktare och bredare åtaganden. Några av de viktigaste rekommendationerna till svenska banker innefattar uppmaningen att i) undvika svepande och otydligt språkbruk i utformandet av åtaganden, processer och metoder ii) se till att dessa åtaganden, processer och metoder täcker alla branscher förenade med skogs- och biodiversitetsrisker iii) se till att dessa åtaganden, processer och metoder appliceras såväl inom bankens finansieringsaktiviteter som inom bankens investeringsaktiviteter iv) använda de certifieringar som RTRS, RSPO och RTRS erbjuder som utgångspunkt i bankens utvärderings- och uppföljningsprocesser, men se till att komplementera dessa certifieringar med research, due diligence och stickkontroller som utförs av banken själv. Slutligen kan konstateras att behovet för banker att ta ett större ansvar för deras inverkan på den globala biodiversiteten nu är mer akut än någonsin. Vi står nu inför den sjätte massutrotningen i jordens historia och om banker inte vidtar omedelbara åtgärder för att minska sin negativa biodiversitetspåverkan så hotas inte bara den långsiktiga ekonomiska avkastningen av bankens finanseringar och investeringar, utan även den långsiktiga resiliensen hos våra ekosystem. De svenska bankernas låga betyg inom området för biodiversitet bör således tas på högsta allvar och svenska banker bör allvarligt överväga att anta de rekommendationer som presenteras i denna studie. / Swedish banks have a great improvement potential as regards ensuring that their finance and investment activities do not contribute to the extinction of plant and animal species and the destruction of forests, wetlands and pristine environments. In a ranking provided by the Fair Finance Guide, seven major Swedish banks received low scores for their policies and actions in the theme “biodiversity”. Hence, this study aimed to identify possible strategies for Swedish banks to reduce their negative impacts on biodiversity by integrating improved forest and biodiversity considerations into their finance and investment practices. By performing interviews with non-Swedish banks that have been recognised as frontrunners in the area of forest protection and by reviewing material publicly provided by these banks, a greater understanding of how Swedish banks could start approaching forest and biodiversity issues was attained. Although there are many different drivers of biodiversity loss, including pollution and the introduction of invasive species, the subject focus within the area of biodiversity loss was on deforestation issues. Moreover, this study focused on investigating how banks can reduce negative biodiversity impacts from their general finance an investment activities rather than investigating how banks can increase positive biodiversity impacts through niche investments. The results of this study prove that Swedish banks have a lot to learn from their international competitors. First of all, there are a number of voluntary industry initiatives, including the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI), the UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), the Equator Principles, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the 'Soft Commodities' Compact, which can help banks communicate, define and implement an improved commitment to protect forests and biodiversity. Moreover, the examples provided by Rabobank, UBS and Credit Suisse serve as inspiring examples for how to develop internal policies, processes and methods to confront forest and biodiversity issues. A common strategy among the interviewed banks is to confront issues related to deforestation and biodiversity loss by formulating policies that address the production of some of the most forest intense commodities in the world, namely soy, palm oil, beef and timber (including pulp and paper). These policies often include the commitment to refrain from finance and/or investment deals that contribute to deforestation in primary forests, in areas that support high conservation values (HCVs), in UNESCO World Heritage Sites, in Ramsar Wetlands and in areas protected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). To ensure that prospective clients live up to these standards, a common approach is to make sure clients are members of and certified according to the RTRS, the RSPO and the FSC. The audits performed by these certification schemes are used to ensure continuous compliance among clients. However, Rabobank, UBS and Credit Suisse have all been subject to some alarming criticism which suggests that the banks’ policies, methods and processes are not always sufficiently comprehensive or well-defined. As a result, the author’s recommendations to Swedish banks have been formulated in a way that emphasises the need to go beyond the examples provided by Rabobank, UBS and Credit Suisse and establish even stricter and broader commitments. Some of the most important recommendations to Swedish banks include the call to i) avoid using vague terminology when defining commitments, processes and methods ii) make sure these commitments, processes and methods cover all sectors associated with high forest risks iii) make sure these commitments, processes and methods apply not only to finance deals but also to investment banking services iv) use the RTRS, RSPO and FSC certification schemes as a basis for screening and monitoring processes, but be sure to complement these schemes with research, due diligence and sample audits performed by the bank itself. To conclude, it can be said that the need for banks to take on a greater responsibility for the impacts of their finance and investment activities is more acute than ever. We are now facing the sixth mass extinction period in the history of Earth and if banks do not take immediate action to help foster biodiversity, they will not only risk the long-term economic profit of their own finance and/or investment deals, but they will also undermine the very life support system of Earth. Hence, the fact that Swedish banks received such low scores in the ranking provided by the Fair Finance Guide in the theme “biodiversity” should be not taken lightly and Swedish banks should sincerely consider adopting the recommendations presented in this study.

No description available.

China is a country faced by deteriorating environment and severe pollution; therefore, technology transfer from Sweden has been one of the best choices for Chinese authorities and clean technology companies. The huge Chinese market also seems to be an alluring market for Swedish clean technology SMEs. However, conflicts often occur during technology transfer (TT) process. Theoretically, the TT process mainly involves the stages of assessment, agreement, implementation, evaluation and adjustment and repetition. Based on these stages, cases are chosen, interviews are carried out and results are analyzed in details with SWOT method. The new TT solution is proposed as recommendation. The conclusion shows in order to achieve a successful TT; each stage in the process should be carefully controlled. Hence, not only the technology donor s (Swedish SMEs) and receivers (Chinese buyers) should devote their efforts, all the other stakeholders such as technology consulting companies and government institutions should cooperate together, whichever fits their mutual interests.

Phosphorus is an essential source with significance use in agriculture. Phosphorus is lost in the human intensified global cycle and it is important to remove phosphorus from water body. However, important and potential sources for phosphorus product which is suitable and effective for fertilizer use may be ignored due to over emphasize on the pollution prevention. This work aims to identify the potential of phosphorus recovery from solid organic waste in Sweden. Based on the result of Material Flow Analysis of phosphorus, solid food waste is identified the main solid waste fractions containing phosphorus substances of phosphorus in Sweden. From the case study and comparison of three alternatives, the possibility of recovery of phosphorus from household solid food waste is analyzed. A SWOT analyst is applied to provide a best solution for phosphorus recovery from food waste. The key drivers, the system boundaries for the phosphorus recovery and collection, storage, transport and use of the phosphorus are also discussed.

Stockholms stads översiktsplan ska uppdateras och innehålla informations och kommunikationsteknik, IKT. Syftet med denna rapport är att bidra till arbetet med översiktsplanen genom att uppmärksamma aspekter kring kopplingen mellan IKT och hållbar utveckling. För att uppfylla syftet så gjordes en litteraturstudie gällande Stockholms stads översiktliga planeringsdokument och verktyg för att påverka stadens utveckling. Litteratur om Wiens vision för en smart stad samt kopplingen mellan IKT och hållbarhetsaspekter studerades även. Två framtidsscenarier analyserades i två workshops för att identifiera möjliga utvecklingsaspekter kring IKT i Stockholm. Resultatet indikerar att IKT har stor potential att påverka den sociala och den ekologiska hållbarheten, både positivt och negativt, varför det är viktigt att IKT används som ett verktyg för att uppnå hållbarhetsmål. Fyra planeringsinriktningar och fokusområden identifierades som utgångspunkterna till en stadsbyggnadsstrategi för hur IKT kan användas i Stockholm. / The municipal comprehensive plan of Stockholm is about to be updated. The updated version will include information and communication technology, ICT. The purpose of this report is to contribute to the development of the plan by identifying aspects concerning the connection between ICT and sustainable development. To fulfill the purpose, a study of literature was conducted. The city of Stockholm’s comprehensive planning documents and its tools for influencing the development was examined together with the city of Vienna’s vision for a smart city and literature about the effects of ICT on sustainability. Two future scenarios were analyzed in two workshops in order to identify possible developments of ICT in Stockholm. The result indicates that ICT can affect social and environmental sustainability in positive, as well as negative ways. Therefore, it is important to use ICT as a tool to achieve sustainability objectives. Four planning directions and focus areas were identified as the point of departure for an urban development strategy concerning the uses of ICT in Stockholm.

In a world where the concept sustainability increasingly is becoming more relevant, stakeholders require companies to take greater responsibility. As a result, the strategic importance of sustainable development increases in the corporate world. Management systems is a strategical tool that can be used for sustainable development. A management system describes how an organization conducts its business and is a tool for the management to manage the business. A well-functioning management system can contribute to increased competitiveness, reduced costs and efficient working methods. It also exists several common challenges for management systems, for example that they do not always generate continuous improvement, that it can require a lot of resources, and that it is not used actively after implementation. For a management system to be effective and efficient, an important prerequisite is that the management system is actively used. An active management system is defined in the report as a management system that is purposefully introduced and used to contribute benefits and continuous improvements to the business and the surrounding world. This study examines how a management system can become active and how successful sustainability management can be achieved in a technical sales company. This is accomplished through a qualitative study consisting of a literature study and a case study. The literature study resulted in ten key factors that are important for an active management system for sustainability management; favorable culture, management commitment, involved employees, understanding and well-functioning communication, clearness, resources, defined areas of responsibility, business adaptation, consensus on sustainability and integration. The case study that was carried out consisted of an analysis of the current situation based on a questionnaire, a document study, interviews, and a participatory observation as well as a gap analysis that identified proposed actions. The case study was conducted at a technical sales company, Xylem Water Solution Sweden AB (Xylem WSS), that is a part of the corporate group Xylem Inc. The company works with water technology solutions and has a certified quality and environmental management system according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Xylem WSS’s management system is not active according to the definition in this report. The company's management system model has sustainability as a foundation for all activities. This is not being realized since the sustainability work is not well coordinated or prioritized. Based on this, there is a great potential for improvement. For the company to achieve an active management system for sustainability management, the company should work towards the identified key factors, for instance by implementing the proposed actions presented in this report. It is of great importance to have a committed management to create a culture of accountability where the management system and sustainability are prioritized. By improving the communication, it is possible to increase understanding, clarity, consensus, and commitment. Furthermore, increased business adaptation and integration in daily operations, as well as coordination of sustainability work, can improve the outcome of the management system. By adapting strategies and goals that exist on the corporate level to the operation of Xylem WSS, the company can achieve a structured sustainability management. In this situation, sustainability aspects that are specific to Xylem WSS should be identified and influence the outcome.

Problem: There is little amount of research focused on small and medium-sized enterprise’s (SMEs) and their work with sustainability. Most research on sustainability drivers has been developed on large organizations which makes this thesis provide a perspective on the most important sustainability drivers in SME’s and how they are embedded in SME’s. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to deepen and enrich knowledge of sustainability drivers in SME’s with the aspects internal and external drivers. Method: This thesis has a qualitative and quantitative research approach where the interview included qualitative questions and quantitative rankings of the internal and external drivers by the interviewed SMEs. Findings: The findings of the qualitative and quantitative research indicate that SMEs have embedded sustainability in their work by ranking the most important drivers. The highest ranked internal drivers are proactive leadership, company culture and moral and ethical obligations. The highest ranked external drivers are regulation and legislation, customer demands and expectations, society’s raising awareness and market demands. Conclusion: The main contribution of the thesis is presented by highlighting the most important drivers in SMEs, external stakeholders might have an idea of which driver influences SMEs to make them sustainable; if sustainability is not embedded in the SME. This thesis did not aim to generalize the findings about SMEs sustainability drivers, but to obtain a deeper insight by the interviewees experiences.

Hydraulic oils are today most often based on mineral oil and thus eventuate in environmental and climate impacts during all its life cycle phases, but there are bio-based alternatives. Hy- draulic oils are widely used in forklifts, and the use of forklifts is increasing due to logistics within e-commerce. What can be done to reduce the impacts of hydraulic oils and their applications? To answer this question a life cycle assessment was implemented where a mineral-based oil was compared with a bio-based oil. Previous life cycle assessments in this field implies that much of the impacts of hydraulic oils occur during the final life cycle phase. Therefore, to broaden the study, waste oil management in Sweden and Europe was investigated. To gain an understanding of how hydraulic oils are being used, a market analysis directed at the Swedish forklift market was also implemented. The results show that re-refining, i.e. material recycling, is absolutely necessary to reduce impacts from hydraulic oils and to cope with the phasing out of fossil fuels. Re-refining resulted in a 79 % reduction among eight analysed impact categories compared with if the waste oil is processed into fuel and used as an energy source in manufacturing industries. Additionally, the use of bio-based hydraulic oil, in comparison with mineral-based oil, resulted in a 32 % reduction of greenhouse gases. However, it entails implications regarding other environmental impact categories, mostly connected to the cultivation of oil-rich plants from which these are derived. Which must be improved to ensure more sustainable cultivation of such crops. When it comes to awareness of hydraulics oil within the material handling market, the hydraulic oil in a forklift is not something forklift buyers pay much attention to today. Although, something that is considered important is the environmental labeling of the oil because it has a symbolic value and ensures that it meets environmental requirements. The findings in this study, together with results from similar studies, emphasize that no solution solves all environmental challenges because new ones will always occur. However, it highlights essential keystones regarding how the transition towards a more sustainable hydraulic oil management should proceed and that focus must be directed at the entire life cycle, especially at re-refining of waste oils.

För att uppnå en hållbar utveckling krävs en omställning från den linjära ekonomin med sin avfallsgenerering till en mer cirkulär sådan där resurser inte utarmas utan används i en takt där de hinner förnyas och återskapas. En konsekvens av den ohållbara resursförbrukningen är att avfallsmängderna i världen ökar vilket bidrar till den ohållbara utvecklingen och bör således undvikas. För att lösa detta problem kan man arbeta avfallsförebyggande, det vill säga minska avfallsmängderna och dess negativamiljöeffekter innan avfallet uppkommer. Enligt avfallshierarkin som anger en prioriteringsordning utifrån vad som är bäst sett ur ett miljöperspektiv ska avfall i första hand förebyggas, därefter återanvändas, återvinnas, energiutvinnas och om inget av ovanstående alternativ är möjliga, deponeras. Rapporten har som syfte att sammanställa incitament, hinder, avfallsförebyggande metoder och utvärderande mätmetoder kopplade till avfallsförebyggande åtgärder och är en förstudie till ett större projekt som genomförs av IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet. För att uppnå syftet har en litteraturstudie gjorts för insamling av material. Utöver litteraturstudien har intervjuer som IVL genomfört med aktörer som redan påbörjat ett avfallsförebyggande arbete använts som material. De intervjuade aktörerna är Ikea, JM, Avfall Sverige, Kretslopp och vatten samt Uppsala kommun. Resultatet sammanställer fyra olika typer av incitament: institutionella, ekonomiska, uppsatta mål och övriga incitament. Identifierade hinder grupperas också in i fyra olika typer: mål- och intressekonflikter, ekonomiska hinder, organisatoriska hinder och informativa hinder. Mätmetoder som lyfts för att utvärdera avfallsförebyggande åtgärder är direkt kvantifiering, kostnadsanalys, användande av indikatorer samt resursproduktivitetsförhållanden. Avfallsförebyggande metoder inkluderar i denna rapport product-service system (PSS), återanvändning, ekodesign och beteendeförändringar. Olika aktörer som arbetar avfallsförebyggande lyfts i ett exempelkapitel. I analysen kopplas metoderna samman med de utvalda aktörernas avfallsförebyggande arbete. Direkt kvantifiering visade sig vara en vanligt förekommande mätmetod och en vanligt förekommande avfallsförebyggande metod är beteendeförändringar. Ekonomiska incitament lyfts som särskilt viktiga och behovet av uppskalning och spridning av det avfallsförebyggande arbetet bedöms vara ett viktigt hinder att överbrygga. / To reach a sustainable development there is a need to convert from the linear economy with its waste generation to a more circular economy where natural resources are not depleted but are consumed in a sustainable rate so that the resources are given time to be renewed. One of the consequences of the unsustainable consumption of natural resources is that the amounts of waste is increasing in the world which contributes to the unsustainable development and should therefore be avoided. A solution to this problem is to work with waste prevention, which means to reduce the amounts of waste and its negative environmental effects before the waste is generated. According to the waste hierarchy, which is an order of priority decided by what is best in an environmental point of view, waste should primary be prevented, thereafter it should be reused, recycled, used for energy recovery and, if none of the other options are possible, be disposed. The objective of this report is to compile incentives, obstacles, methods and measuring methods for waste prevention. The report is a pilot study/pre-study for a bigger project by the Swedish environment institution (IVL). To reach the aim material has been collected from a literature study. Besides the literature study, the report also uses material from interviews held by IVL. The interviewees are actors who have already started preventing their waste and these are Ikea, JM, Avfall Sverige, Kretslopp och vatten and Uppsala kommun. In the result the incentives have been divided into four parts: institutional incentives, economic incentives, goals and other incentives. The obstacles are also divided into four parts: conflicts of interests and aims, economic obstacles, organisatory obstacles and informative obstacles. The measuring methods found in the material are direct quantification, cost analysis, indicators and resource productivity ratios. Waste prevention methods in this report includes PSS, reuse, ecodesign and behavioural changes. Also, some examples of actors who are preventing waste are presented. In the analysis the methods are connected to the chosen actors’ waste prevention. The most common method to prevent waste is, according to the result of the report, behavioural changes. The most common method for measuring waste prevention in the result is direct quantification. Economic incentives seem to be of significant importance and the need of spreading and upscaling of waste prevention is an important obstacle to tackle.