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This thesis studies impact, sustainability, and dependency in the nonprofit sector. Empower Playgrounds, Inc. (EPI) is a nonprofit organization working to improve educational conditions in Africa through educational recreation, lighting for education, and hands-on science labs. A social impact assessment I performed for EPI in 2008 creates the context for discussion of EPI's sustainability. Dependency results from a lack of sufficient conditions for sustainability—resources, capability, and opportunity—which I elucidate in a framework of corresponding theories of capital. Using this sufficiency framework I analyze the resources, capabilities, and opportunities required for EPI program sustainability, determine unmet conditions, and propose solutions to improve sustainability. This thesis contributes to the nonprofit sustainability literature by combining problem-driven (as opposed to solution-driven) design processes with theories of capital to assess nonprofit program sustainability. This framework is a powerful planning and assessment tool for both business model generation and program design.

Houses are unique personal spaces and individuals want flexibility and personalization in building their dream house. There is a current challenge in the prefabricated housing industry in Sweden where customers have increasing design demands and options that in essence, defeat the purpose of fixed design and prefabrication. This causes strain to both the customer and the company’s design process and sustainability efforts. The purpose of the study is to map the customer demands in customization of prefabricated houses through the innovation process of ideation, realization, and implementation. The overarching strain in customization is due to (1) the complexity of choice in designing a house, and (2) the mismatch between customer demand and manufacturing capability. A design criteria with BIM was brought forward to aid in the customization process in being more objective for decision-making. Through a case project and a design criteria, a prefabricated house model was redesigned with maximized flexibility. The findings in this study is a contribution to the house manufacturers in Sweden as an aid in architectural design and client communication strategies.

Global warming is a severe threat to the climate and the planet's environment. Climate changehas been a growing area to focus on for the entire world, including all industries andbusinesses to date. One industry being brought up to light over the last years in thesediscussions are the mining and metals industry in which they play a significant role incombating climate change. The mining and metals industry accounts for about 7% of theglobal greenhouse gas emissions while also being a key producer of raw materials necessaryto enter a low-carbon society. To realise a sustainable shift within the mining industry whilealso increasing their production, focus must rely on how mining companies could changecurrent operations towards a cleaner and more sustainable mining process. There are two major types of companies operating in the mining and metals industry. Theseare mining equipment suppliers and mining equipment customers who also own the mine siteat which the equipment operates. Those actors are essential in enabling enhancedsustainability in the mining processes. After conducting extensive literature reviews, it wasrevealed that a significant focus on sustainable operations, stakeholder pressures as well aschallenges and opportunities for the mining companies in becoming greener. However, theliterature had not yet emphasised on the possible importance the partnership between miningequipment suppliers and its customer could have in achieving enhanced environmentallyfriendly mining solutions. Therefore, the authors of this thesis have chosen to answer thefollowing research purpose: “The purpose of this study is to create a deeper understanding of the challenges,opportunities and driving forces that exist in the partnership between customer and supplierin the mining industry in the development of establishing sustainable mining processes.” This study conducted multiple case studies on mining equipment suppliers and miningequipment customers to develop a deeper understanding regarding how drivers, challengesand opportunities in the partnership affects their operations toward enhanced sustainabilityperformance. The study follows an abductive approach in which the theoretical frameworkdiscusses sustainability theories, stakeholder theory as well as three different life cycle stagesaffecting any given partnership. This is done in strict connection to the mining industry andhow previous researchers and theories have investigated the industry. Furthermore, the datacollection was done by interviewing 8 different mining companies and some of their topmanagement employees. So forth, this study has a unique and highly relevant empiricalmaterial being based on respondents facing this dilemma at the very high level of the globalmining industry. The empirical findings reveal that the most influential stakeholder pressure rises from a vastamount of governments, investors, and local communities for the mining customers. On theother hand, suppliers highlight that mining equipment customers are their most influentialstakeholders to consider. That implies an unbalanced stakeholder pressure in partnershipbetween customers and suppliers in the mining industry which require enhancedcommunication, evaluation, and implementation structures to better align visions,expectations, and common operations towards increased sustainability performances.

In Sweden over 60 % of the population live in a city with a population over 5000 inhabitants (Statistiska centralbyrån). The city life is in many ways considered to be a more sustainable lifestyle with shorter transportation routes and possibilities to co-use various systems. The life in the city consists (like anywhere) of eating food, drinking beverages, usage of hygiene products and clothes, usage of energy for laptops, phones and lights, transportation to work, schools and various appointments. Together all of it somehow fulfil our basic needs. These basic needs are generally not supplied by the cities we live in. We depend on the hinterlands either within Sweden or outside of Sweden. The hinterlands consist of all sorts of resources from water to fertile soil to minerals. Today and through history these resources and the value of them are put into the cities. Often done so at the cost of the environment and the people living there. At the cost of the environment and people, the lack of providing resources for the nation in general and cities in particular is the reason this thesis focus on "How could we review what a sustainable lifestyle is and instead create a more metabolic system between cities and the hinterland?". The question is studied within the setting of the island Oaxen and througout the thesis the author explores different perspectives and themes of it.

This study explores the response of five large Swedish companies to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG12, that aims to achieve responsible consumption and production. The SDGs were launched in 2015.  We set out to explore two questions: 1. Before and after 2015, to what extent have these companies talked about sustainability and the SDGs (ambition). And 2. Before and after 2015, to what extent these companies responded to the SDGs in the form of more responsible consumption and production patterns (action). As indicators of more responsible consumption and production we assessed data about emissions, waste, as well as energy consumption and energy sources. Covering the period 2013–2021, we analysed the companies’ annual reports biennially specifically the years 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. We found that, since the launch of the SDGs, the company reports showed an increase in references to sustainability as well as to the SDGs (more ambition). The reports also indicated more responsible production with respect to emissions (more action). The assessment of energy consumption and the use of renewable energy sources showed that energy consumption has been stable over time for most companies while most companies have seen an increase in use of renewable energy. The assessment of more responsible waste management was inconclusive due to varying indicators and incomplete reporting by the researched companies. Our conclusion is that, in large Swedish companies, the SDGs inspired more attention to sustainability and possibly changed consumption and production patterns, especially with regard to emissions. Our main recommendation is that further research should advance more standardised reporting on the SDGs. We also recommend researching full supply chains rather than individual companies only.

Buildings have significant and complex impacts both in their construction and in their use. Green building rating systems have been developed and promoted in more economically-advanced countries to offer guidelines to reduce negative impacts and to promote sustainable practices of building construction and operations. The green building rating system called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), established in 1995 by the U.S. Green Building Council, is increasingly accepted as a meaningful measure for sustainability in building design and construction in the U.S. The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating system in the U.K. and the Green Star rating system in Australia serve similar roles in their respective areas. How applicable are these green building rating systems to countries with different building cultures, climates and economic parameters? The research is based on my work as an architect and participant observer using case study analysis of several buildings that I have designed in Madagascar and Tanzania. The research indicates that several important aspects particular to the developing country contexts of Madagascar and Tanzania — such as labor and security - are not addressed by existing green building rating systems that have been developed in the context of more economically-advanced countries. Such rating systems typically give prominence to aspects such as mechanical systems and indoor air quality that are of limited relevance to the contexts of Madagascar and Tanzania. The results have implications for the development of green building rating systems that address the particular contexts of developing countries. By taking into account parameters such as those found in Madagascar and Tanzania and similar developing countries, the benefits of using an accepted measure of sustainability can be more effectively extended to the developing country sector. / Ph. D.

Johannesburg, South Africa has stated ambitions of becoming a “sustainable city” and a “world-class African city.” Many factors may contribute to the realization of these aims. One is a “sustainable” water supply, since water is fundamental to life and to economic activity. But South Africa (SA) is a “water-stressed” country, indeed, globally, it is one of the twenty most water-deficient countries and Gauteng province (where Johannesburg is located) may run out of water by 2015. Many demand and supply factors conspire to affect adversely the “sustainability” of water and any “sustainable development” trajectory in SA. Accordingly, I survey the literature on “sustainability” and “sustainable development” (S/SD) to see if it might offer some way out of SA's water dilemma. This is a vast, complex and contested body of literature, but overall, S/SD appears to be “common cause.“ But this does not necessarily mean that S/SD concepts are either well understood or integrated, especially as applied to the water sector in SA. I suggest that a comprehensive understanding of what might be contemplated by S/SD concepts as regards the water sector is lacking, so I seek to determine how the concepts of S/SD “play out,“ how they can be translated and understood, and what import selected S/SD concepts may have in terms of the water sector in Johannesburg. This is accomplished by means of a broad literature review and by conducting interviews with mostly senior personnel in Johannesburg who are responsible for water and sustainability public policy and issues in Johannesburg and in SA. This research describes several major ramifications of water and sustainability in Johannesburg and contributes empirically, by examining the intersection of S/SD, water and Johannesburg and theoretically, by developing a heuristic model (HM), so that understanding of S/SD (especially as it relates to water in SA) can be crystallized and provide a platform for further debate, contestation, interpretation and implementation. The lexicon emerging from the HM will help leaders to balance the competing claims and tensions during conception and implementation of relevant water policies. The model depicts the interplay of sustainability premises with actual conditions in an important developing nation. / Ph. D.

Växthuset är en idrottshall kombinerad med en hydroponisk odling i centrala Järna. Det stora idrottshallsrummet är 46x32 meter och tillräckligt stort för att hålla i internationella tävlingar i flera sporter. På idrottshallens takbjälkar vilar den hydroponiska odlingen där olika grödor gror i inerta material genom tillförsel av näringsberikat vatten som cirkuleras genom odlingen. Förutom sportutrymme och odlingsgolv så innehåller byggnaden utrymmen för utbildning, kontor och fröodling samt en restaurang som tillagar grödorna från odlingen. I Järna bor över 9000 invånare som ska samsas om två idrottshallar under kvällstid, resultatet blir att många tvingas avstå från sport eller köra bil till en annan tätort och ingen av dessa alternativ är hållbara ur en social, ekonomisk eller ekologisk synpunkt. Jag vill öka tillgängligheten till idrott och möjligheten att anordna evenemang för sport i staden samt skapa en mötesplats för befolkningen. Genom att ta in en liten del av jordbruket i Järnas tätort skapas en koppling mellan det urbana och det rurala på platsen. Att förstå mattillverkningen skapar respekt för jordbruket och en ökad medvetenhet om matens värde. / Greenhouse is a sport shall combined with a hydroponic greenhouse in central Järna. The sports floor is 46x32 m which is big enough to host international contests in multiple sports. The hydroponics rests on the sports halls ceiling beams and grows different types of crops in inert material by supply of nutritionally enriched water. In addition to the sports hall and the cultivation floor the building also contains lecture halls and a study kitchen, office and a restaurant that uses the crops from the greenhouse in their menu. The population of Järna is over 9000 people and there are only two sports halls in the area and they are both only available after the school day is over. Therefore, many are forced to refrain from sports all together or drive to another area and non of these options are sustainable in a social, economical or ecological point of view. I want to increase availability to sports and sport events in Järna and create a public space for the people of Järna. By adding a small part of agriculture in central Järna a link is created between the urban and the rural on the site. Understanding the food production and its process builds a respect for the hard work put in and an increased awareness of the value of food.

The purpose of the present qualitative multiple case study was to identify and describe sustainability efforts and the perceptions of sustainability managers of selected higher education institutions (HEIs) in Texas. Through a Qualtrics survey and semi-structured interviews, sustainability managers shared their experiences regarding the implementation of sustainable initiatives on their campuses. The present study identified four broad themes including Organizational and Leadership Challenges and the Impact They Can Have on Sustainability, Facilities Challenges and Their Impact on Sustainability, Issues with Full Buy-In on the Part of Stakeholders, and Sustainability Personnel Knowledge and Experience. The results of the present study are considered, and recommendations are provided to help researchers identify challenges to implementing sustainability initiatives on HEI campuses.