Purpose: The paper aims to identify the ecological orientations of the Swedish start-ups and explore the opportunities and challenges to determine their environmental sustainability actions. Methods: The study used a qualitative method for conducting this exploratory type of research. This paper focused mainly on primary data; semi-structured interviews were conducted on ten Swedish start-ups to explore their sustainable environmental practices. Finally, the collected data were analyzed through cross-case analyses. Findings: Firstly, the findings of the paper posit that the ten Swedish start-ups belong to eco-dedicated, eco-open and eco-reluctant orientations according to their business practices. Secondly, the study explores that saving cost for long run, reusability of components, and the best use of available resources are major opportunities whereas the prime challenges are the additional cost of eco-friendly solutions, customers' price sensitiveness and market competition. And thirdly, the study determines sustainability actions of three categories of start-ups that are self-motivated, hybrid and government support driven.  Contribution: This study contributes to the knowledge of environmental sustainability practices of Swedish start-ups through the lens of ecological orientation. The sole focus on environmental sustainability dimension enhances the theoretical understanding of the start-ups’ actions according to their ecological orientations. Further, this paper equips academic researchers with valuable information of Swedish start-ups’ environmental sustainability actions and help to determine the contribution of the start-ups in environmental sustainability continuum. Moreover, the findings inform about the benefits of environmentally sustainable practices for new businesses. The paper also provides multifaceted information to the business managers about the sustainability actions of start-ups as per their ecological orientations. Conclusions: The result of the study shows that eco-dedicated start-ups are proactive in case of pursuing the environmental sustainability actions while eco-open businesses incorporate both self-driven and regulatory actions. And the sustainability actions of eco-reluctant startups are dependent on the government supports and regulations.

Two phenomena form the basis for this thesis; bad lighting for children and our connection to nature. The former has somehow largely stayed unchanged through the years, the second one is rapidly changing for the worse. Lighting in spaces designed for children in Sweden often seem like an afterthought focusing on the quantitative aspects, ignoring the qualitative; following standards but often forgetting who the space is meant for. At the same time, cities are becoming denser, making nature something many people actively have to seek out to experience - children’s definition of nature is slowly changing.How can outdoor lighting for children become better? Using the Ringmuren preschool in Uppsala, Sweden, as a case study, this thesis proposes an alternative way of thinking when designing light for children and how it can encourage a connection to nature. The design proposal was made using interviews, site analysis, research and experiments inside a digital twin custom made for RIngmuren preschool. The direct result of this project is a digital twin and a lighting concept, but it also argues that the practicalities of analysing and designing lighting is one thing; getting the people in power to understand why good lighting is important is the first, and largest, hurdle. Producing good, affordable examples of good lighting design that can be applied to varying situations is a good place to start to at the least initiate a discussion.

Title: EU-Taxonomy, beneficial or detrimental: the Taxonomy impact among Swedish forest industries. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to create a better understanding and describe how the EU-taxonomy may affect the Swedish forest industry sustainability report. The purpose is to also to examinate how the industry prepares and handles the implementation of the new EU regulation. In this thesis we also describe how the taxonomy may affect companies’ legitimacy and their relationship between different internal and external stakeholders to the company. Methodology: The methodology is based on qualitative research to gather data. The data consists of interviews with representatives for selected companies within the forest industry. Purpose sampling was used in order to select the respondents. The interviews have then been analyzed thru a qualitative content analysis. Findings: Overall the EU-taxonomy was received with positivity. The respondents confirmed the need of a classification system for sustainability development. Which is the intention of the regulation. The outcome of the taxonomy correlates to how external stakeholders, such as the financial institution and banks, interpreters and acts regarding the new EU-regulation. The impact the regulation will have on the relationship with stakeholders and companies’ legitimacy is still early to answer but it may have an effect due to its new standard for what is considers sustainable. The regulation has given companies an increased administrative burden, partly due to the ambiguity of what is to be reported in the regulation, but also its richness of detail. How the regulation will affect companies’ sustainability report is still early to answer. Many of the companies believe it won ́t have a major effect and will be a separate report on their websites. All companies report that the regulation does not consider the benefits of the products of wood materials, nor the entire value chain in the forest industry, which can lead to political greenwashing.

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