The current study aims towards a holistic utilization of agro-waste rice straw (RS) to synthesize nanosilica (SiNPs) employing the sol–gel method. The effect of ashing temperature was evaluated for the synthesis process. X-ray diffraction demonstrated a broad spectrum at 21.22° for SiNPs obtained using RSA-600, signifying its amorphous nature, whereas crystalline SiNPs were synthesized using RSA-900. The EDX and FTIR spectra confirmed the significant peaks of Si and O for amorphous SiNPs, confirming their purity over crystalline SiNPs. FE-SEM and TEM micrographs indicated the spheroid morphology of the SiNPs with an average size of 27.47 nm (amorphous SiNPs) and 52.79 nm (crystalline SiNPs). Amorphous SiNPs possessed a high surface area of 226.11 m2/g over crystalline SiNPs (84.45 m2/g). The results obtained attest that the amorphous SiNPs possessed better attributes than crystalline SiNPs, omitting the need to incorporate high temperature. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue using SiNPs reflected that 66.26% of the dye was degraded in the first 10 min. The degradation study showed first-order kinetics with a half-life of 6.79 min. The cost-effective and environmentally friendly process offers a sustainable route to meet the increasing demand for SiNPs in industrial sectors. The study proposes a sustainable solution to stubble burning, intending towards zero waste generation, bioeconomy, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely SDG 13(Climate Action), SDG 3(Good health and well-being), SDG 7(use of crop residues in industrial sectors) and SDG 8 (employment generation).

The bioeconomy is a worldwide used strategy to cope with ecological, social, and economic sustainability challenges. However, we analyze current bioeconomy strategies and trends to point out potential sustainability conflicts and transition challenges. Our analysis shows that the bioeconomy is not sustainable per se, as mere input substitution may entail welfare losses. Instead, it requires further debates and actions to avoid exacerbation of ecological and social strains. Sustainability has to be the key concept behind the bioeconomy and predominantly requires (1) sustainability of the resource base and (2) sustainability of processes and products, especially by (3) circular processes of material fluxes, not least to gain consumer acceptance for bio-based products. Otherwise, the bioeconomy would only entail the substitution of fossil resources for bio-based resources potentially lacking the generation of additional societal and ecological benefits and contribution to climate mitigation. As markets alone will not suffice to fulfil this path transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy, we argue that innovative governance is necessary to reduce competitive drawbacks compared to fossil resources (enabling function) and to secure ecological, social, and economic sustainability requirements (limiting function).

Sustainability is a topic that gains more attention each year and new legislationforces companies around the world to follow more strict reporting. At the sametime, the United Nations (UN) has updated its Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) to the newer Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aresupposed to be marked throughout corporations, governments, and nations.These new goals are important for both emerging countries as well asdeveloped countries to strive for a better world for all. This thesis aimed toinvestigate what barriers and enablers Multinational Small and Medium-sizedEnterprises (MSMEs) in Sweden met when they incorporated the UN SDGsinto their companies' operations. The research aimed to find how the MSMEsdealt with various barriers, what enablers support SDGs implementation, andthe best practices for other (M)SMEs to follow. A qualitative multi-case studywith different MSMEs in Sweden was chosen through an abductive approachand thematic analysis. Furthermore, the SDGs4SMEs Roadmap to SDGsimplementation in (M)SMEs was created by the authors as a contribution toacademic international business studies as well for Swedish (M)SMEs. In theempirical findings chapter, several barriers and enablers were discovered, andhow MSMEs dealt with them. In the conclusion part, theoretical implicationsare given. Moreover, by comparing the empirical data retrieved, theresearchers identified best practices for (M)SMEs that further facilitate SDGsimplementation. As a result, recommendations for policymakers and managersare conveyed in a step-by-step manner to be easily applicable for most(M)SMEs around Sweden. This is the authors’ contribution, the SDGs4SMEsRoadmap followed by limitations and future research recommendations.

Achieving the SDGs by 2030 requires transformative change and significant financial investments. Impact investing (II) is a nascent investment practice with the intention of creating positive social and environmental impact alongside financial return. In 2022, the impact investing industry was valued at $1.164 trillion. The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) positions impact investing as a tool for addressing the world’s most pressing challenges and the field is generally touted as a means to direct much-needed financial resources towards the achievement of the SDGs. This study explores whether and how impact investing contributes to the needed transformations, using qualitative content analysis of the impact reports from a sample of 13 GIIN Investors’ Council members on a framework that combines key principles of social-ecological resilience and transformative investment for equity and justice. The findings from applying the framework suggest that some impact investors are contributing to resilience, particularly by approaching social and environmental issues as long-term and systemic challenges. II actors who primarily use equity-funding and focus their activities in the Minority World appear to be contributing less to resilience and none of the actors meet the principles for transformative investment. However, existing frameworks from SES resilience seem insufficient to fully investigate the complex dynamics of impact-focused financial interventions in social- ecological systems. Despite claiming to address systemic issues, findings also indicate that impact investing takes a superficial, reductionist and instrumentalist approach to what it considers impact and does not radically redirect resource flows to benefit groups identified as vulnerable and marginalized, which has been suggested as necessary to deliver on the SDGs. Furthermore, there is little indication that impact investment addresses and seeks to change the dominant power structures and belief systems that give rise to unsustainable practices, with concerning signs that they may actually be cementing these current systems.

Yes / Drawing from 645 microfinance institutions across 56 countries, this paper examines the deposit-borrowing dynamic of microfinance institutions’ source of capital. We find that deposits and borrowings are substitutes rather than complements. We further find that the degree of substitutability is more pronounced among microfinance institutions operating in a developed financial sector where the level of information asymmetry is lower. Our findings represent novel contribution in understanding microfinance institutions’ funding behaviour that supports its quest for further growth and long-term sustainability. / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, April 2023.

The pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires a transformative approach to energy systems, focusing on cleaner, reliable, and affordable energy services. This pursuit of achieving the SDG 7 goal of universal access to affordable and clean energy, can have numerous positive and negative implications on all other SDGs and their targets. This thesis project explores and addresses these interlinkages between SDGs and energy projects, highlighting the synergies and trade-offs of energy projects to contribute to achieving the SDGs. In this project, we propose a methodology and framework to facilitate the integration of the SDGs into the energy project planning and implementation phase. This framework is implemented into a tool called SDGs-PROPEL (Sustainable Development Goals - PROject Performance Evaluationand Learnings) that is tailor-made to help energy practitioners identify potential trade-offs and synergies, and develop strategies to maximize positive impacts and minimize negative ones by prioritizing the SDGs that are relevant to their projects. The proposed methodology also takes into consideration the growing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting, ensuring that energy projects align with sustainable practices and societal expectations. Three case studies - one Wind energy projectand two district heating projects, all in France, are utilized to test the SDGs-PROPEL tool. It also incorporates feedback from technology experts working in District Heating and Cooling(DHC) and wind energy in energy companies and academia. The tool was also tested by studentsat the master’s level at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The proposed methodology in the SDGs-PROPEL tool can be used by any energy practitioner for building a robust testing process for their tools and, in turn, help address some of the challenges of integrating SDGs with energy projects by providing a structured approach to incorporating the SDGs into theplanning and implementation phase of the energy projects. In conclusion, this paper emphasizes the significance of incorporating the SDGs into energy projects as a means to drive sustainable development. By enabling companies to assess the environmental, social, and economic impacts of their energy initiatives, this integration plays a crucial role in addressing critical global issues like climate change, poverty reduction, and energy access. / Strävan efter hållbara utvecklingsmål (SDG) kräver ett transformativt förhållningssätt till energisystem, med fokus på renare, pålitliga och överkomliga energitjänster. Denna strävan efter att uppnå SDG 7-målet om universell tillgång till hållbar energi, kan ha många positiva och negativa konsekvenser för alla andra SDG och deras mål. Detta avhandlingsprojekt utforskar och tar upp dessa kopplingar mellan SDG och energiprojekt, och belyser synergierna och avvägningarna mellan energiprojekt för att bidra till att uppnå SDGs. I det här projektet föreslår vi en metod och ett ramverk för att underlätta integrationen av SDGs i energiprojektets planering och genomförandefas. Detta ramverk är implementerat i ett verktyg som kallas SDGs-PROPEL (Sustainable Development Goals - PROject Performance Evaluation and Learnings) som är skräddarsytt för att hjälpa energiutövare att identifiera potentiella avvägningar och synergier, och utveckla strategier för att maximera positiva effekter och minimera negativa. genom att prioritera de SDG som är relevanta för deras projekt. Den föreslagna metoden tar också hänsyn till den växande betydelsen av miljö-, social- och styrelserapportering (ESG), vilket säkerställer att energiprojekt överensstämmer med hållbar praxis och samhälleliga förväntningar. Tre fallstudier - ett vindenergiprojekt och två fjärrvärmeprojekt, alla i Frankrike, används för att testa SDGs-PROPEL-verktyget. Den innehåller också feedback från teknikexperter som arbetar med DHC och vindenergi i energiföretag och akademi. Verktyget testades även av studenter på masternivå vid Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan. Den föreslagna metoden i SDGs-PROPEL-verktyget kan användas av alla energiutövare för att bygga en robust testprocess för sina verktyg och i sin tur hjälpa till att hantera några av utmaningarna med att integrera SDGs med energiprojekt genom att tillhandahålla ett strukturerat tillvägagångssätt för att införliva SDGs in i planerings- och genomförandefasen av energiprojekten. Sammanfattningsvis betonar detta dokument betydelsen av att införliva SDGs i energiprojekt som ett sätt att driva hållbar utveckling. Genom att göra det möjligt för företag att bedöma de miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska effekterna av sina energiinitiativ, spelar denna integration en avgörande roll för att ta itu med kritiska globala frågor som klimatförändringar, fattigdomsminskning och tillgång till energi.

Background: Sustainability reporting has become more important for companies, serving as a tool to describe the company’s commitment to and promotion of sustainable development. As a result of the increasing attention to climate and human rights issues, Agenda 2030 was introduced, consisting of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This call for action from all countries, through a global partnership, has further increased the importance of sustainability reporting for companies to report on their commitment to and promotion of sustainable development. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to the unexplored area concerning changes in the content of companies sustainability reports before and after the launch of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Purpose: The purpose of the study is to increase knowledge about how the implementation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has affected car manufacturers' sustainability reporting. The focus is on identifying how sustainability reporting has changed and which SDGs are being emphasized. Finally, the study aims to contribute to the literature on institutional theory and isomorphism, to see if it can explain the similarities between the companies' sustainability reports. Method: To fulfill the purpose of the study, a qualitative research method with a deductive research approach was utilized. The study’s data collection was conducted through content analysis, where each company’s sustainability reports were mapped based on excerpts categorized according to themes related to the UN’s 17 SDGs. Conclusion: After conducting the analysis, the conclusion can be drawn that the launch of the UN’s SDGs has not led to a change in companies’ choice of focus area in their sustainability reports, which is explained by the fact that companies previously followed similar guidelines, such as the GRI, which already included similar guidelines covering both economic, social, and environmental aspects. Despite increased expectations for sustainability reporting after the SDG launch, the scope of content and actions in the reports has increased for companies, without necessarily changing focus. They tend to prioritize goals where they have the greatest impact and which interest their stakeholders the most, to maintain legitimacy and credibility. Furthermore, the compilation of the empirical data shows that there are similarities in the themes companies choose to report on. These similarities are explained by the institutional theory, which suggests that companies are driven by institutional pressures from external actors. / Bakgrund: Hållbarhetsrapportering har blivit viktigare för företag och fungerar som ett verktyg för att beskriva företagets engagemang och främjande av hållbar utveckling. Som resultat av den stigande uppmärksamheten kring klimatet och mänskliga rättigheter introducerades Agenda 2030, som utgörs av de 17 globala målen (SDGs). Denna uppmaning till handling från alla länder, genom ett globalt partnerskap, har ytterligare ökat betydelsen av hållbarhetsrapportering för företag för att rapportera om deras engagemang och främjande av hållbar utveckling. Denna studie har därför som avsikt att bidra till det utforskade området kring förändring av innehållet i företags hållbarhetsrapporter före respektive efter lanseringen av FN:s globala mål (SDGs).  Syfte: Syftet med studien är att öka kunskapen om hur införandet av FN:s globala mål (SDGs) har påverkat biltillverkares hållbarhetsrapportering. Fokus ligger på att identifiera hur hållbarhetsrapporteringen har förändrats samt vilka SDGs som ligger i fokus. Slutligen avser studien att bidra till litteraturen kring institutionell teori och isomorfism, ifall det kan förklara likheterna mellan företagens hållbarhetsrapporter.  Metod: För att uppfylla syftet med studien användes en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med en deduktiv forskningsansats. Studiens datainsamling utfördes genom innehållsanalys där respektive företags hållbarhetsrapports kartlades baserat på utdrag som kategoriserades utifrån teman kopplat till FN:s 17 SDGs.  Slutsats: Efter en genomförd analys kan slutsatsen dras att lanseringen av FN:s SDGs inte har lett till en förändring i företagens val av fokusområde i sina hållbarhetsrapporter, vilket förklaras av att företag tidigare följt liknande riktlinjer, som GRI, som redan innehöll liknande riktlinjer som berör både ekonomiska, sociala och miljömässiga aspekter. Trots ökade förväntningar på hållbarhetsrapporteringen efter SDG-lanseringen har företagens omfattning av innehåll och initiativ i rapporterna ökat, utan att nödvändigtvis ändra fokus. De tenderar att prioritera mål där de har störst påverkan och som intresserar deras intressenter mest, för att bevara legitimitet och trovärdighet. Vidare visar sammanställningen av empirin att det finns likheter i de teman företagen väljer att rapportera om. Likheterna förklaras med hjälp av den institutionella teorin, som menar på att företagen drivs av institutionella påtryckningar från externa aktörer.

The geographical area Eastern Vätterbranterna has since its initiation as a biosphere reserve according to UNESCO's appointment in 2012 worked towards being a model area in which sustainable development can evolve. This has been done from five sustainability perspectives: the ecological, social, economic, the perspective with broad cooperation and the learning perspective. In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted Agenda 2030 with its seventeen global sustainability goals and associated 169 sub-goals, which the biosphere association Eastern Vätterbranterna then woven into its work. This qualitative interview study has, with the focus on the biosphere association's seven active focus areas, investigated the biosphere association of Östra Vätterbranternas work with Agenda 2030 in collaboration with the Municipality of Jönköpings and its County Government, within the association, and other community actors. Cooperation has stood as a constant point through both interviews and through one of the questions of issue, conclusions can be established that the Östra Vätterbranterna had served to perform better cooperation within themselves. The Municipality of Jönköping and its County Government looks up to the biosphere association's work with Agenda 2030 and raises collaboration between them as a major success factor, but cooperation between the focus areas in the biosphere association has not achieved its full potential. Furthermore, not all of Agenda 2030's global sustainability goals have been included, but it is something that the biosphere association is constantly working on, which continues to develop all the time, and which can be achieved with the help of other community actors. Cooperation is the concept Agenda 2030 advocates for to achieve the goals and the concept that permeates the biosphere association Eastern Vätterbranterna. / Det geografiska området Östra Vätterbranterna har sedan uppstarten som ett biosfärområde enligt UNESCOs utseende 2012 arbetat mot att vara ett modellområde där hållbar utveckling kan rota sig. Detta har de gjort utifrån fem hållbarhetsperspektiv: det ekologiska, sociala, ekonomiska, perspektivet med bred samverkan och det lärande perspektivet. 2015 antog FNs generalförsamling Agenda 2030 med dess sjutton globala hållbarhetsmål och tillhörande 169 delmål, som biosfärföreningen Östra Vätterbranterna därefter har vävt in i sitt arbete. Denna kvalitativa intervjustudie har, med inriktning på biosfärföreningens sju verksamma fokusområden undersökt biosfärföreningen Östra Vätterbranternas arbete med Agenda 2030 i samverkan med Jönköpings kommun och länsstyrelse, inom föreningen, samt andra samhällsaktörer. Samverkan har stått som en stadig punkt genom både intervjustudien och genom frågeställningar har slutsatser kunnat etableras som att Östra Vätterbranterna hade tjänat på att utföra bättre samverkan inom sig själva. Jönköpings kommun och länsstyrelse ser upp till biosfärföreningens arbete med Agenda 2030 och lyfter samverkan som sker mellan dem som en stor framgångsfaktor, men samverkan mellan fokusområdena i biosfärföreningen har inte uppnått dess fulla potential. Sedan har inte alla av Agenda 2030 globala hållbarhetsmål inkluderats, men det är någonting biosfärföreningen ständigt arbetar med, som fortsätter att utvecklas hela tiden och som med hjälp av andra samhällsaktörer kommer kunna uppnås. Samverkan är det koncept Agenda 2030 förespråkar för att kunna nå målen och det koncept som genomsyrar biosfärföreningen Östra Vätterbranterna.

Abstract Sustainability has been one of the most discussed topics among the business world and society for the last decade. The globally growing concern about sustainability related issues has led to businesses and non-businesses meet the demand of their stakeholders by producing a sustainability report to demonstrate their work and development in sustainability and how they have measured it. There has been a fast-growing trend of sustainability reporting in few years and there are a number of different initiatives and requirements that define what kind of sustainability reports are produced. From the different sustainability initiatives, the largest principle-based initiative is the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) with almost 13 000 signatories and the largest reporting-based initiative is the Global reporting initiative (GRI). These two initiatives entered in to a partnership in 2010 with the aim of the GRI providing guidance for the signatories on how to disclose information from different areas in sustainability in their sustainability reports. There has been previous research that criticized the UNGC to be too broad and the principles difficult to translate in to sustainability reporting despite the existing partnership with the GRI. These previous studies expressed the lack of qualitative studies about the subject especially from the signatories’ perspective and the importance of approaching the topic from a practical point of view. The purpose of our research study was to create an understanding of the practicalities in UNGC signatories’ sustainability reporting, the challenges they face in the progress and how are they approaching those challenges. The thesis focuses on the Nordic region and the two research questions are:   How are the UNGC signatories practically translating the 10 principles into their sustainability reporting? What challenges do UNGC signatories find in sustainability reporting in general and how have they approached these challenges?   To answer these research questions the authors conducted a qualitative study by semi-structured interviews with company representatives from different Nordic UNGC signatories. The research study identified how do they practically identify what to report about the principles which is determined by materiality assessment provided by the GRI framework. This determines what is material for the company and its industry and focus on those areas in their sustainability report. Legal requirements, internal regulations and other commitments were also identified guiding sustainability reporting. The main challenges related to the sustainability reporting were mainly about data related issues, satisfying the stakeholders and the high number of different frameworks and regulations that are not necessarily interrelated. Majority of the participants approached these challenges by carrying out the materiality assessment as accurate and clear as possible in order to avoid data related difficulties. Some participants offer their different stakeholders with sustainability related information by different forms in order to make the sustainability reporting easier to read and understand. For the high number of frameworks and regulations, the participants have expectations for alignment among them in the future in order to make the reporting easier for everyone involved with sustainability reporting. The results of our findings were supported by theories and concepts such as the stakeholder’s theory, signalling theory and the CSR concept. Previous studies about sustainability reporting and UNGC were also compared to our findings in the analysis.

Small Island Developing States are known to be extra sensitive to environmental changes due to their geographical location and characteristics, and many are known as luxurious tourist destinations. This study explores how Mauritius and the Seychelles are affected by and deal with climate change and the negative impacts of tourism. The study connects to globalisation and sustainable tourism frameworks while analysing vulnerability and resilience in both countries, as well as how the countries work towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The method used is a mixed qualitative method with interviews and a text analysis of websites and official documents. The result indicates that both Mauritius and the Seychelles are highly vulnerable to climate change, especially in their coastal zones, which is further increased by tourism practices and development of tourism facilities. The study also highlights that both countries lack resilience to environmental changes. Both Mauritius and the Seychelles strive to work towards the 2030 Agenda, through policymaking on state level and through non-governmental organisations aligning their projects to the Sustainable Development Goals. The result also shows that there is a need to create a more sustainable tourism sector in each country to protect both the environment and the countries’ economies. This study aims to be a contribution to the research field of Small Island Developing States and to increase the understanding of Mauritius and the Seychelles’ particular characteristics and vulnerabilities.