Access to adequate sanitation and renewable clean energy can improve the living standards in developing communities in informal settlements. This can also generate effects such as reduced unemployment and better health, which in turn can contribute to less violence and less segregation. This work was conducted as a pre-study within a bigger project which includes the development of a new sanitation system intended to provide renewable energy, proper toilets and create job opportunities in Jackson, an informal settlement in Gauteng, South Africa. The objectives of this study were to identify the strengths, (S), weaknesses, (W), opportunities, (O) and threats, (T) that an implementation of a new sanitation system could face from a sustainability point of view. Investigations were made to define currently used energy sources, sanitation facilities, and the socio-economic situation. To be able to reach the objectives of the research question, data were collected through a workshop with a focus group and distributions of questionnaires in the study area were made. Through the sustainability SWOT-analysis, the main advantages and disadvantages which the continuance of the project can face were identified. The results indicate that the biggest threats and weaknesses are strongly connected to the people’s acceptability of a new sanitation system, while the opportunities and strengths are linked to the possibilities to increase the present low living standards in Jackson.

In recent years the popularity of biofuels has been transformed from a sustainable option fortransportation to a questionable and criticized method. Many reports have therefore beenproduced to view biofuel production from a life cycle perspective; though results may bemisleading. In a number of the reports, biofuel production is viewed in a linear manner, i.e.crops and energy in and biofuel out. However there is a large quantity of material and energyflows associated with biofuel production and these must be accounted for.Industrial symbiosis concepts have therefore been applied in this thesis to the biofuel industryto identify possibilities to improve the material and energy flows. This has been done bymapping the exchanges and thereafter identifying possible synergies between biofuel firmsand with external industries. Examples from regional biofuel synergies and exchanges withindustrial partners have been highlighted. Many of the concepts have led to the identificationof methods for increased integration and improvements, including the use of a renewableenergy provider and the cooperation with external industries. Biofuels have therefore beenfound to profit from wastes, and instead of competition, benefit from one another, contrary tobelief. This leads to an expanded market of raw materials for biofuel production.Benefits do not only occur for the biofuel industry; from the application of biofuels, industrialsymbiosis may gain further benefits. Several new concepts have been produced in this thesisto account for the unique material handling possibilities that biofuel production firmsencompass. These include using biofuels as upcyclers of materials and the use of renewableenergy as a way to improve environmental performance. Furthermore, a classification methodhas been produced to add more detail about individual exchanges for the industrial symbiosisliterature in addition to viewing industrial symbiosis from an expanded system view toinclude exchanges beyond geographic proximity typical to the field.

Between 1950 and 2013 the total amount of Swedish travelling has increased from about 20 billion to about 140 billion passenger kilometers. This included an increase in travelling with private cars from about 3 billion to about 105 billion passenger kilometers, and in bus travelling from about 2.5 billion to about 5 billion passenger kilometers. The European commission has indicated that public transportation (if powered by clean fuels) is a suitable way to reduce environmental and health problems.   This thesis focuses on sustainable personal road transport, and aims to develop and test a new approach to examining the economic and socio-ecological sustainability effects of various road vehicles for private travelling and related business models. A special focus is set on comparing various bus systems for public transport and ways (business models) for private people to access cars. The main comparison parameters are the total cost of ownership and carbon dioxide emissions of different energy carriers for buses and cars. The Design Research Methodology is used to guide the research approach. The approach also builds on the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, which includes, for example, principles that define any sustainable future and a strategic planning process. The approach first employs Strategic Life Cycle Assessment to give a quick overview of sustainability challenges in each bus life cycle stage from raw materials to end of life. Several analysis tools such as Life Cycle Costing, Life Cycle Analysis, Product Service System, and Business Model Canvas mapping are then iteratively used to ”dig deeper” into identified prioritized challenges. Literature reviews, interviews, and simulations are used as supporting methods.   The results from a first theoretical test of the new approach suggest that a shift from diesel buses to electric buses (powered by renewable energy) could significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions, while also significantly lowering the total cost of ownership. The theoretical calculations were followed up by testing of electric buses in real operation in eight Swedish municipalities. The tests verified the theoretical results, and showed that electric buses are better than diesel buses both from a sustainability point of view and a cost point of view, and also that electric bus operation is a practically viable alternative for public transport. The new approach was tested also by comparing a variety of business models for private car travelling. The results indicate, among other things, that only people who travel more than 13.500 kilometers per year would benefit from owning a car.   In all, the thesis suggests a simultaneous shift from diesel buses to electric buses in public transport and, for the majority of the car drivers that drive less than 13.500 kilometers per year, switching from car ownership to car use services would be favourable for an affordable transition of the transport sector towards sustainability.

Saab vehicles are recognised for being innovative, technically advanced, safe, with superior driving performance and with a characteristic design. Today the company has the broadest product portfolio ever. Saab has come to a point where there is a need for a strategic assessment of how to manage the environmental impacts and social concerns as well as to start earn profit to become a long term sustainable company. The Vehicle Development Process is the vital nerve when developing a new car and the Product Profile is the specification of requirements, it has today seven areas and sustainability could become the eight.    The aim of this thesis is to identify and establish the most relevant sustainability areas and indicators within the Vehicle Development Process at Saab Automobile AB. These sustainability areas and indicators will be put into context to develop the overall sustainability within Saab Automobile.   The research approach in this study is qualitative due to the fact that the information needed is difficult to quantify. To be able to obtain the needed information for this thesis a benchmarking study was made as well as interviews with experts besides the interviews within Saab Automobile. A disadvantage with the chosen method could be that the comparability with other studies decreases. It would probably be possible to use some of the findings within other companies.   Today Saab Automobile has no published Sustainability Report, even though a small chapter is included in the Spyker Cars Annual Report. The main findings in this study are the sustainability areas and indicators. The five identified and established sustainability areas are; Design for Sustainability, Sustainable Supply Chain, CSR, Sustainable Innovation and Sustainable Value Chain. Also are 23 potential sustainability indicators proposed for Saab. The ambition to include these areas in the Product Profile is one step towards sustainability. This is still a limited approach that seems to be doing things right (efficiency) more than doing the right things (effectiveness). Based on the sustainability areas, indicators and the benchmarking study is a new sustainability strategy proposed for Saab. / Saabs bilar är igenkända för att vara innovativa, tekniskt avancerade, säkra, med överlägsna köregenskaper och ha en karismatisk design. Idag har företaget det bredaste produktsortimentet någonsin. Saab har nu nått en punkt då det krävs ett strategiskt ställningstagande för hur företaget skall hantera miljöpåverkan, sociala konsekvenser och samtidigt vara lönsamt för att bli ett långsiktigt hållbart företag. Produktutvecklingsprocessen är livsnerven då en ny bil skall tas fram och produktprofilen är en kravspecifikation, vilken idag består av sju olika områden och där hållbarhet skulle kunna bli det åttonde.   Syftet med detta examensarbete är att identifiera och etablera de mest relevanta hållbarhetsområdena och indikatorerna inom produktutvecklingsprocessen vid Saab Automobile. Dessa hållbarhetsområden och indikatorer skall sättas in i sin kontext för att utveckla den övergripande hållbarheten inom Saab Automobile.   Forskningsansatsen i detta examensarbete är kvalitativ baserat på det faktum att den nödvändiga informationen är svår att kvantifiera. För att kunna inhämta relevant information till denna undersökning har en benchmarkingstudie genomförts likväl som intervjuer med experter och anställda vid Saab Automobile. En nackdel med den valda metoden kan vara att jämförbarheten med andra undersökningar minskar. Det är troligt att det är möjligt att använda resultaten inom andra organisationer.   Idag har Saab Automobile ingen publiserad hållbarhetsrapport, även om ett mindre kapitel är inkluderat i årsredovisningen för Spyker Cars. Huvudresultatet i denna undersökning är hållbarhetsområdena och indikatorerna. De fem identifierade och etablerade hållbarhetsområdena är; Design for Sustainability, Sustainable Supply Chain, CSR, Sustainable Innovation och Sustainable Value Chain. Samtidigt är 23 potentiella hållbarhetsindikatorer föreslagna till Saab. Ambitionen att inkludera hållbarhetsområdena i produktprofilen är ett steg mot hållbarhet, även om det är en begränsad ansats som verkar vara att göra saker rätt (eng. efficiency) mer än att göra rätt saker (eng. effectiveness). Baserat på hållbarhetsområdena, indikatorerna och benchmarkingresultaten är en ny hållbarhetsstrategi presenterad för Saab.

Nowadays, Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) are more frequently acting as a main or the only device covering the building heat/cool demand. The most efficient way to extract/dissipate the low-temperature heat from/to the ground is by means of Borehole Heat Exchanger (BHE). In this Master of Science Thesis various aspects related to this technology are studied, focused on summarizing the possibilities of installing this tech-nology in Poland. Borehole drilling methods used in Poland and Sweden are analyzed and the most proper and economical ones according to Polish geological structure are proposed. Approximately for 80 % of Poland the ground should be penetrated with Mud Rotary Drilling, while for the rest 20 % DTH Air or Water driven hammer should be used. Solutions of Thermal Insulated Leg (TIL) Borehole Heat Exchanger cooperation with mechanical ventilation system are proposed and simple preliminary estimations show higher Coefficient of Performance (COP) in comparison to normal, common situation, where standard U-pipe BHE works. The possibility of using a new product (Energy Capsule - EC) in Polish conditions is surveyed, found hard to prosper at Polish market according to its high costs. Profitability of Ground Source Heat Pumps with Borehole Heat Exchanger in different geological regions of Poland is investigated. After conducted simulations it occurred that Polish lowland regions are cheaper in exploita-tion, while uplands regions are less expensive at investment level. Finally, the most ef-ficient BHE conception from those currently available at market as well as recently in-vented is suggested. Annular coaxial BHE in a form of Energy Capsule seems to be the most beneficial from all designs taken into account during performed simulations because of its low price and good thermal properties.

How do additional data of the same and/or different type contribute to reducing model parameter and predictive uncertainties? This was the question addressed with two models – the HBV hydrological water balance model and the ICBM soil carbon balance model – that were used to investigate the usefulness of the Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) method for calibrations and uncertainty analyses.  The GLUE method is based on threshold screening of Monte Carlo simulations using so-called informal likelihood measures and subjective acceptance criterion. This method is highly appropriate for model calibrations when errors are dominated by epistemic rather than stochastic uncertainties.  The informative value of data for model calibrations was investigated with numerous calibrations aimed at conditioning posterior parameter distributions and boundaries on model predictions.  The key results demonstrated examples of: 1) redundant information in daily time series of hydrological data; 2) diminishing returns in the value of continued time series data collections of the same type; 3) the potential value of additional data of a different type; 4) a means to effectively incorporate fuzzy information in model calibrations; and 5) the robustness of estimated parameter uncertainty for portability of a soil carbon model between and tropical climate zones.  The key to obtaining these insights lied in the methods of uncertainty analysis used to produce them.  A paradigm for selecting between formal and informal likelihood measures in uncertainty analysis is presented and discussed for future use within a context of climate related environmental modeling. / QC 20110414

The role of community participation in protected areas has long been debated. Sweden is in the process of establishing two new National Park, of which one is located on the island of Gotland. In order to figure out the best approach to management of the area, it is important to listen to the residents. Through a qualitative study, I have therefore investigated whether residents would like to be included in the Park implementation and management, along with how the National Park could help Gotland reach its sustainability agenda by 2040. The findings show that communities are eager to be included in the National Park project, but also that Region Gotland should revise the way they address regional development.

Sveriges avloppsreningsverk står inför ett antal utmaningar, där en av utmaningarna är minskning av växthusgaser. Lustgas är en av dessa växthusgaser, som bildas vid rening av avloppsvatten. Lustgas är 300 gånger skadligare för klimatet i jämförelse med koldioxid. Dessutom påverkar den nedbrytningen av ozonskiktet. I dagsläget är det svårt att mäta och uppskatta lustgasutsläpp, på grund av att det pågår flera samtidiga processer på stora ytor. För att driften av avloppsreningsverk ska ske på ett effektivt sätt och med en ytterst liten miljöpåverkan måste man kunna förstå hur lustgas uppstår och hur bildningsprocesserna samverkar med de andra reningsprocesserna och driftparametrarna. Utsläpp av lustgas har studerats vid avloppsreningsverket i Göteborg. Syftet har varit att tillhandahålla resultat och mätningar från Gryaab AB reningsverk och fastställa vilka processer som ger upphov till störst eller minst lustgasemissioner. Utsläpp av lustgasemissioner har mätts från rejektrening med nitrifikation och denitrifikation process. Analyser på resultaten ska förhoppningsvist kunna hjälpa Gryaab AB med fortsatt studier om lustgas. Som mätningsmetod användes EPA-huvmätning som man mätte med ovanför vattenytan på bassängerna och mobilt extraktiv FTIR som åkte runt anläggningen. Den dominerande källan för lustgas visade sig bildas allra mest i nitrifikationsprocessen. Där mätningarna med huv-mätning och stickprov visade totala utsläpp motsvarande 1,8 ton N2O/år. Den totala lustgasemissionen från biologiska reningsprocessen visade totala utsläpp motsvarande 3,5 ton N2O/ år. Som en slutsats bör fler mätningar med olika mätningsmetoder och mer studier göras för att få en bättre överblick till varför och hur lustgas bildas. Samt vilka åtgärder som kan minska lustgasemission. Det finns ett behov av fortsatta studier med mätningar med olika mätningsmetoder på Gryaab AB. / Sweden's wastewater treatment plant faces several challenges, one of them is the reduction of greenhouse gases. Nitrous oxide is one of these greenhouse gases, which is formed during the purification of wastewater. Nitrous oxide is 300 times more harmful to the climate compared to carbon dioxide. In addition, it affects the depletion of the ozone layer. At present, it is difficult to measure and estimate nitrous oxide emissions, since several simultaneous processes are taking place on large areas. For the operation of sewage treatment plants to take place in an efficient manner and with an extremely small environmental impact, it is important to understand how nitrous oxide is formed and how the formation processes interact with the other treatment processes and operating parameters. Emissions of nitrous oxide have been studied at the wastewater treatment plant in Gothenburg. The purpose has been to provide results and measurements from Gryaab AB wastewater treatment plant and to determine which processes give rise to the highest nitrous oxide emissions. Emissions of nitrous oxide emissions have been measured from reject cleaning with the nitrification and denitrification process. Analysis of the results will hopefully be able to help Gryaab AB with further research. As a measurement method, EPA hood measurement was used, which was measured above the water surface in the basins and mobile extractive FTIR was driven around the facility. The dominant source of nitrous oxide was found to be formed most in the nitrification process. Where the measurements with hood measurement and sampling showed total emissions corresponding to 1.8 tons of N2O / year. The total nitrous oxide emissions from the biological treatment process showed total emissions corresponding to 3.5 tons of N2O /year. As a conclusion, more measurements with different measurement methods and more research should be done to get a better overview of why and how nitrous oxide is formed. And what measures can reduce nitrous oxide emissions. There is a need for further studies with measurements with different measurement methods on Gryaab AB.

Both garden ontology and tourists influence garden tourism, and while many countries around the world have researched garden tourism, China's garden tourism market lacks development. This study aims to find a sustainable and distinctive development path for garden tourism development in complementary developed China. This study uses primarily qualitative research to interview visitors to Chinese garden tourism sites, using visitor experience factors and international case studies to explore the development of Chinese garden tourism. The study results show that Chinese gardens are characterized by developing essential elements: discovering tourism values, increasing infrastructure development, innovative management, and creating a and connotation of sustainable development. Thus, the study project will fill the gap in the development of garden tourism in China and provide a creative direction for the development of garden tourism in China.

Biogas solutions offer many benefits for the environment and society, including organic waste treatment as well as being an enabler for energy and nutrient recovery. The products of anaerobic digestion are a biogas, which contains a share of 30 to 50% carbon dioxide (CO2) and 50 to 70% methane, and a liquid remanent, rich in nutrients. The biogas can be upgraded by removing the CO2 to increase the energy content, producing biomethane. At present, CO2 is considered a waste in biomethane production systems, and hence it is emitted into the atmosphere. Nevertheless, biogas upgrading technologies separate a pure-grade CO2 and, likewise, carbon capture processes, providing a pure CO2 flow that can be stored or utilized. Compared to storage, carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies deliver valuable carbon-based products required to sustain human activities. The valorization of green CO2 could aid the transition towards defossilization of the economy. Indeed, several CO2 utilization technologies could be incorporated into biomethane production systems, but there is still a limited understanding of the available alternatives and their potential impacts on biomethane systems. This thesis aims to investigate the integration of CO2 utilization technologies in biomethane production systems by revealing its potential, identifying alternatives, and assessing the impacts of the integration. Using Sweden as an example, scenarios of future biomethane production were employed to estimate the potential CO2 available for utilization. To complement the analysis, a qualitative approach made possible the identification of aspects that could affect CO2 utilization in biomethane production. Moreover, a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) framework was developed to identify relevant indicators for assessment and available alternatives for CO2 utilization. The research also includes a life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the climate performance of relevant CCU alternatives in the biomethane production system. Results show that 160 kt of CO2 could be obtained from biomethane production in Sweden, which could potentially increase threefold from 2020 to 2030. The evaluation of alternatives for CO2 utilization includes environmental, technical, economic, and social criteria with sound indicators within an MCA framework. Indicators to evaluate each criterion provide valuable information to identify feasible and sustainable alternatives that can be integrated into biomethane plants. The identified alternatives with a high readiness level are additional methane through methanation, horticulture, mineral carbonates, fuels, pH control, bulk chemicals, and liquefied CO2 for direct use. The results provide information to decision-makers in relation to considerations to take before implementation, like energy requirements, the existence of regulations and standards, and uncertainty. In terms of the climate performance of biomethane with the inclusion of CCU alternatives, the results show a possible reduction of CO2 emissions that depends on the possibility of substituting fossil-based products. The investigated alternatives all result in lower emissions, but concrete curing and methanation using renewable hydrogen produce the best results. To conclude, the potential future increase of green CO2 from biomethane in Sweden creates opportunities to substitute fossil carbon in current applications and mature conversion pathways. Moreover, the inclusion of CCU in biomethane production contributes to reducing biomethane system emissions and diversifying its products. Possible alternatives of CCU that can be integrated into biomethane production systems in the short term include methanation and concrete curing. Other alternatives could be possible but present lower performance and higher uncertainties at the moment. / Biogaslösningar kan ge en mängd positiva miljömässiga och samhällsviktiga effekter, inklusive behandling av organiskt avfall och framställning av energi och näringsämnen. Produkterna från anaerob rötning är dels biogas, som består från 30 till 50% av koldioxid (CO2) och 50 till 70% av metan, dels en flytande rötrest med högt näringsinnehåll. Biogasen kan uppgraderas genom att ta bort CO2 för att öka energiinnehållet, och på så vis framställs biometan. CO2 ses för närvarande som en restprodukt i produktionssystemet och släpps därför vanligtvis ut i atmosfären. Tekniker för uppgradering av biogas liknar dock processer för infångning av CO2, där högkoncentrerade flöden av CO2 lagras (CCS) eller används (CCU). Till skillnad från lagring bidrar tekniken för CCU till att skapa produkter som behövs för att upprätthålla samhällsviktiga funktioner. Dessa valoriseringar av grön CO2 skulle kunna stödja övergången mot ett fossilfritt ekonomiskt system. Faktum är att det finns ett flertal tekniker som skulle kunna integreras i produktionssystem för biometan, men kunskapen om dessa tekniker och deras inverkan på biometansystemet är begränsad. Denna avhandling syftar till att undersöka integrationen av tekniska lösningar för nyttiggörande av CO2 vid framställning av biometan genom att påvisa dess potential, identifiera alternativa tekniska lösningar, och utvärdera integrationens följder. Med Sverige som exempel skapades scenarier för framtida biometanproduktion för att uppskatta mängden CO2 som skulle kunna tas om hand. Som ett komplement till dessa uppskattningar tillämpades ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt som identifierade aspekter som skulle kunna påverka CO2-användningen vid biometanproduktion. Dessutom utvecklades ett multikriterieanalytiskt (MCA) ramverk för att identifiera relevanta indikatorer för utvärdering och möjliga alternativ för CO2-användning. En livscykelanalys (LCA) tillämpades även för att utvärdera klimatprestandan för relevanta CCU-alternativ inom produktionssystem för biometan. Forskningsresultaten visar att 160 kt skulle kunna erhållas från biometanproduktion i Sverige. För Sveriges del finns det en potential att öka den insamlade mängden CO2 från biometan upp till tre gånger under perioden 2020 till 2030. I utvärderingen av de tekniska lösningarna inkluderas miljömässiga, tekniska, ekonomiska och regulatoriska kriterier för indikatorer inom ett MCA-ramverk. Dessa indikatorer användes för att utvärdera hur respektive kriterium bidrar till att identifiera realiserbara tekniska lösningar som kan integreras i biometananläggningar. De identifierade teknikerna med hög mognadsgrad är framställning av ytterligare metan genom metanisering, biomassa, karbonatmineral, bränslen, pH-värdesreglering, baskemikalier och flytande CO2 för direkt användning. Varje alternativ har dock faktorer som skulle kunna hindra implementering, såsom höga energikrav, lagstiftningar och standarder samt hög osäkerhet. När det gäller klimatprestandan för biometan med olika CCU-alternativ visar resultaten på en möjlig minskning av CO2-utsläpp som beror på möjligheten att substituera fossilbaserade produkter. Alla de undersökta alternativen resulterar i lägre utsläpp, men härdning av betong och metanisering med förnybar vätgas ger bäst resultat. Slutsatsen som dras är att det finns en stor potential i Sverige att framställa grön CO2 från biometan vilken skulle skapa flera möjligheter att byta fossilbaserade produkter i nuvarande tillämpningar. Införandet av CCU i biometanproduktion kan dessutom bidra till att minska biogassystemets utsläpp och diversifiera produktutbudet. Möjliga alternativ för CCU som kan integreras med biometanproduktionssystem på kort sikt inkluderar metanisering och betonghärdning. Andra alternativ kan också vara aktuella, men uppvisar för närvarande lägre prestanda och högre osäkerhet. / <p>Funding agency: The Kamprad Family Foundation</p>