Masters of Art / There is a great demand for human beings all over the world to live in a more green way, due to the earth’s natural resource scarcity and other environmental issues such as climate change, pollution, emission of greenhouse gases, global warming and depletion of the ozone layer. Librarians, especially public librarians, are seen as the facilitators of access to information. Public librarians are thus in a position to create awareness of the importance of green living and to educate the general public on how to live green.

This diploma thesis aims to classify the uses of as in the text of the Middle English romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from a formal and functional perspective. As has acquired a great number of functions through the process of grammaticalization. The theoretical part of the thesis firstly deals with the historical development of as from the Old English swā and ealswā. It then describes the uses of as in Middle English. In this period, as was found to function as an adverb, conjunction, preposition and a relative pronoun. Each of these uses can be further divided into a number of subtypes. The thesis subsequently summarizes the functions as can have in Present-Day English. The final sections of the theoretical overview briefly present the processes of grammaticalization and constructionalization, as these two processes have been instrumental in the development of as. The practical section is concerned with the analysis of all the instances of as in the chosen text. It classifies them and defines each type of use in more detail. The analysis also considers competing means of expressing the same function and comments on possible ambiguities. Furthermore, this section deals with the uses of as in the text from the perspective of their grammaticalization and also points out uses which are only...

Ce manuscrit s’intéresse principalement à l'influence de la répulsion entre électrons libres sur la réponse optique des métaux. Les modèles de matériaux classiques considèrent que la réponse d'un métal est locale -- c'est à dire que la réponse en un point dépend exclusivement des champs en ce point. La prise en compte de la répulsion entre électrons conduit à adopter une description dite non locale de la réponse métallique. Cette thèse explore de façon théorique et numérique les effets de la non-localité sur les propriétés optiques de nanostructures métallo-diélectriques dans le visible et le proche infra-rouge. A l'aide d'un modèle hydrodynamique il est montré que, de façon surprenante, les modes d'interstices plasmoniques peuvent être sensible à la non-localité pour des épaisseurs de plusieurs dizaines de nanomètres. Il est également montré que le plasmon de surface lui même peut être sensible à la non-localité à condition de considérer une interface entre le métal et un diélectrique d'indice suffisamment élevé. Nous proposons et étudions (théoriquement) ici plusieurs configurations simples et réalistes (coupleurs à prisme et à réseaux) pour la mise en évidence expérimentale de la non-localité sur des structures dont les échelles caractéristiques sont de l'ordre de plusieurs dizaines ou centaines de nanomètres. Enfin, dans une seconde partie du manuscrit, le formalisme et les considérations numériques nécessaires à l'étude du rayonnement d'un dipôle dans une structure multi-couche sont présentés en détail puis validés grâce à des comparaisons de dyadiques de Green, diagrammes de rayonnement, et taux d'émission avec des cas disponibles dans la littérature. / This manuscript is mainly focused on the influence of repulsion between free electrons on the optical response of metals. Classical material models consider that the metallic response is local -- i.e. that the response at a given point only depends on the fields at this point. Taking into account the repulsion between electrons leads to a so-called non-local description of the metalic response. This thesis explores in a theoritical and numerical way the effects of non-locality on the optical properties of metallo-dielectric nanostructures in the visible and near infrared. Using a hydrodynamical model it is shown that, suprisingly, the modes of plasmonic gaps can be sensitive to non-locality for thicknesses of several tens of nanometers. It is also shown that the surface plasmon itself can be sensitive to non-locality provided that an interface between a metal and a sufficiently high refractive index dielectric is considered. We propose and study here several simple and realictic setups (prism and grating couplers) which would allow to experimentally observe the impact of non-locality and which have characteristic scales of tens or even hundreds of nanometers. Finally, in a second part of the manuscript, the formalism and numerical considerations necessary for the study of a dipole radiation in a multi-layered structure are presented in detail and then validated thanks to comparisons of Green dyadics, radiation diagrams, and emission rates with cases avaible in the literature.

Abstract Background   The furniture industry is depending on natural resources, which are threatened by both consumption and climate change. Therefore, companies need to understand their responsibility for sustainable development and preserving the resources to operate in the future. Moreover, the consumption behaviour within the furniture industry has changed drastically over the last decade. For this reason, companies could utilize ‘Green Marketing’ as a marketing tool to promote and provide consumers with the environmental benefits of products and services. However, companies need to be careful since they are at risk of being accused of greenwashing and lose consumer trust.   Purpose                      To examine how furniture companies in Sweden are using green marketing to make an impact on consumer behaviour. The research seeks to create a deeper understanding of how furniture companies are attempting to influence consumers towards a sustainable behaviour.   Method A qualitative approach was implemented by conducting five semi-structured interviews with marketing managers at furniture companies in Sweden.   Conclusion The authors have found that furniture companies aim to influence consumers towards making more sustainable choices. Furthermore, the respondents aimed to do this by applying sustainable marketing practices with an environmental focus. However, considering the theory of green marketing provided in this study, it is possible to confirm that the companies’ sustainable marketing practices cannot be defined as green marketing.

Poland is known for its hesitant attitude towards the Green New Deal. Such approach is often expressed in the political discourse of the governing party, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość. Despite approval of the European Green Deal, Polish action plans for energy transition are not ambitious. A significant part of Polish society, characterized by low environmental awareness, opposes decarbonization. This paper examines factors limiting and enabling a Green New Deal in Poland as seen through the perspective of Polish media discourse. Content analysis was applied to identify the frequency of aspects mentioned in national newspapers supporting or hindering the agenda of a Polish Green New Deal. The study is focused on media coverage of the ecological crisis, the European Union effect, neo-pluralist mobilization, or green conversion prospects, as factors potentially enabling a Green New Deal in Poland. It concentrates on media coverage related to the Soviet legacy, dependency on dirty energy, and the domestic power of energy firms and corporatist links between the ruling party and state- owned companies, and Euroscepticism, as prospective factors disenabling a Green New Deal in Poland. The findings raise a question if the promotion of universal environmental and energy standards is possible given countries’ differences in economic profile and level of development.

Miljömedvetenheten hos hyresgäster, såväl som hos andra intressenter inom fastighetsbranschen, har ökat markant de senaste åren. Allt fler företag och intresseorganisationer tänker allt mer på vad just de kan göra för att minska de negativa effekterna på miljön och inte minst vilka affärsmöjligheter det finns att hitta. På den internationella fastighetsmarknaden har "green buildings" kommit att bli ett välkänt begrepp, men vad menas egentligen med "green buildings" och vad är orsakerna till den låga utvecklingen på den svenska fastighetsmarknaden? Arbetet syftar till att studera den mer utvecklade internationella marknaden och med kunskap därifrån definiera begreppet "green buildings" samt resonera om vilka faktorer och framförallt vilka intressenter det är som styr utvecklingen. Arbetet syftar även till att från mer utvecklade marknader dra lärdomar av olika intressenter, och framförallt från ett fastighetsägarperspektiv, i syfte att vara vägledande för AP Fastigheter som en av Sveriges största fastighetsägare. Studien är genomförd 2008 med avslutande reflektioner gjorda under 2014. / The environmental awareness among tenants, as well as with other stakeholders in the real estate industry, has increased significantly in recent years. More and more companies and interest groups think more and more about what they can do to reduce the negative effects on the environment and not least what business opportunities there are to find. On the international real estate market Green Buildings have become a familiar concept, but what is meant by Green Buildings and what are the reasons for the low performance of the Swedish real estate market? The thesis aims to study the more developed international market and with the knowledge from there define the concept of Green Buildings. The thesis also discusses the factors and above all which stakeholders drive the market for Green Buildings on the international market. The work is also aimed at from the more developed markets learn lessons from various stakeholders, and especially from a property owner perspective, in order to guide one of Sweden’s largest commercial real estate company AP Real Estate how to be an industry leader in Sweden. The study was conducted in 2008 with concluding reflections made during 2014.

In recent years, the aspects of sustainability and environmental friendliness have taken on an increasingly large role in our society and due to climate change and scarcity of resources, green technologies are growing. As the consequence, this ongoing trend has affected the business environment. Companies need to adapt their strategies to a sustainable manner and take advantage of the potential opportunities generated by this change. Considering the impact and importance of Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the global business environment and economic development, this paper has therefore addressed the question of how SMEs can gain a competitive advantage by implementing a green marketing strategy and how far possible advantages can be used for the internationalization of these companies. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five German and Swedish case companies to investigate to what extent they are implementing a green marketing strategy, if they have reached any competitive advantages generated by this strategy, and whether these competitive advantages have contributed to a smoother internationalization process. To answer these questions, the case companies are positioned on the green marketing matrix proposed by Ginsberg and Bloom (2004) which is the basic concept for analyzing the respective strategy, then case studies’ attitudes regarding the aspect of sustainability, competitive advantages raised from implementing a green marketing strategy and their potential impacts on internationalization process are analyzed. According to the empirical findings, the case studies have registered a tremendous change in customers' behavior regarding green behaviors in society, which emphasizes the need to implement a green business strategy. Particularly, applying a green marketing strategy enables companies to achieve several competitive advantages which help them develop an optimal position against competitors and even exploit them in their internationalization process.

This thesis aims to explore the new concept of green populism and to explore if Extinction Rebellion can be seen as a new social movement. The concept of green populism is based on Cas Mudde’s ideational approach to populism and Dobson’s approach to green ideology. The theories will form a categorization of green populism to see if any of these elements are visible in Extinction Rebellion’s discourse. The combination of the two theories helps to define the elements or categories of green populism: Ecological Crisis of Cosmic Proportion, Victimizing “the People”, Identifying and/or blame the antagonist, Green Action, Scientific Evidencing, and Intergenerational Justice. The theories on new social movements is based on theories from scholars such as Alberto Melucci, Alain Touraine and Manuel Castells to help us understand what characterizes a new social movement. The four following characteristics of new social movements was highlighted: They focus on non-material issues, they tend to emphasize different protest tactics, they often have a horizontal organization, and they often use symbolic action. To answer the research questions in this thesis, a qualitative text analysis will be conducted. A qualitative text analysis focuses on certain selected aspects of the material which are determined by the aim and research questions. The qualitative text analysis is applied to the captions of eight selected Instagram-posts from Extinction Rebellion’s official account. The analysis leads to the conclusion that Extinction Rebellion can be seen as a new social movement, with a few exceptions regarding their focus on non-material issues. Another conclusion is that we were able to find elements of green populism in Extinction Rebellion’s discourse. The final conclusion is that green populism should be seen as a theoretical and analytical tool for analyzing communication rather than a label of environmental actors.

Background:  Entering a new geological epoch where humans are the main force shaping of the biosphere, have forced an immense stress onto society and the Planet with regards to sustainability. The United Nations and the Paris Agreement have strongly emphasized the urgent need to allocate finance onto urgently mitigating climate change. The financial sector has confronted this challenge through providing sources of finance to meet sustainability requirements. Thus, green bonds emerge as an instrument aimed to cooperate in the transition towards advancing sustainability.    Purpose: Given the ambiguity of green bonds impacts on environmental sustainability, this study explores the contributions of green bonds towards a fruitful transition towards sustainability. Being crucial stakeholders in the transition towards sustainability, these contributions have been examined in the context of Swedish municipalities    Method: To examine the contributions of green bonds in the given context, an exploratory research was conducted using a multiple case study design. Five municipalities, two investors and a municipal funding agency were interviewed though semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis was performed on the empirical data. First, a within-in case analysis was conducted following a cross-case analysis allowing to find emergent and common patterns.   Conclusion: The green financial instrument does not appear to be a main driver of sustainability, nor does it have a significant influence on the environmental impact of the municipalities’ investment projects. Nevertheless, the study finds that green bonds contribute to advancing sustainability in municipalities through three main areas: Financial impetus, organizational effects and structure and requirements. Thus, the municipalities studied provide evidence that green bonds grant a small reduction in the cost of capital, produce organizational effects like increasing collaboration between the environmental and financial department and enhances transparency through its structure and requirements.

This thesis examined the effect of non-financial motives, namely pro-environmental or sustainability preference, in bond pricing on the European secondary market before and during the COVID-19 crisis over the period 02.01.2019-26.02.2021. To estimate the potential yield spread between green bonds and matched conventional bonds, we applied a stringent matching method and fixed-effect regression to explore the green bond premium. The result indicated a small positive premium of 0.46 bps before the COVID-19 (01.2019-02.2020) and a small negative premium of 0.2 bps during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis (03.2020-02.2021), and the premiums have significantly changed between the two study periods, implying that the COVID-19 had a significant effect on the GB premium. Thus, before the pandemic, investors demanded compensation in the form of a higher yield return on investing in green bonds; however, during the pandemic, investors are willing to accept a lower yield on the GBs in comparison to the equivalent CB to finance environmentally-friendly projects. Additionally, the paper investigated bond volatility by analyzing the standard deviation of the daily yield. Although green bonds tended to have a higher volatility, no robust conclusion could be drawn due to a lack of statistical significance.