This paper presents a post-Keynesian ecological macro model that combines three strands of literature: the directed technological change mechanism developed in mainstream endogenous growth theory models, the ecological economic literature which highlights the role of green innovation and material flows, and the post-Keynesian school which provides a framework to deal with the demand side of the economy, financial flows, and inter- and intra-sectoral behavioral interactions. The model is stock-flow consistent and introduces research and development (R&D) as a component of GDP funded by private firm investment and public expenditure. The economy uses three complimentary inputs - Labor, Capital, and (non-renewable) Resources. Input productivities depend on R&D expenditures, which are determined by relative changes in their respective prices. Two policy experiments are tested; a Resource tax increase, and an increase in the share of public R&D on Resources. Model results show that policy instruments that are continually increased over a long-time horizon have better chances of achieving a "green" transition than one-of climate policy shocks to the system, that primarily have a short-run affect. / Series: Ecological Economic Papers

This thesis examines Sweden’s transition towards a 100% renewable energy system in 2040, by analyzing the expansion of wind power in particular. The study applies a theoretical framework consisting of the concepts of Social Acceptance and Ladder of Participation to analyze how these can be applied on the national and local levels. As the purpose is to acknowledge the different opportunities and problems with the ongoing expansion of wind power and to identify if the “social gap” between global and local is present in Sweden, both qualitative and quantitative methods are applied. Content analysis was used to examine the role of social acceptance and citizen participation while the Pearson Correlation Analysis was conducted to identify possible connections between the public’s attitudes towards wind power and the increasing number of wind turbines on different scaling levels. The results identified differences in quality and quantity of the approach strategies used to increase social acceptance and citizen participation on the national and local levels. Strong resistance movements were also found on the local level, while no moderate nor strong relationship could be found between the public’s attitudes and the number of turbines, instead, strong support was found on all geographical levels, hence, the “social gap” is present in the Swedish context. The thesis also concludes that if implemented wrong, wind power could be considered as a “land- grabber” while the opposite is true if done right, and thus function as a local catalyst.

This essay examines the degree to which pastors within the Uniting church of Sweden (Equmeniakyrkan) feel that they possess authority within the context of their ministries and in what way they find opportunities to influence people to green transition. The method used to study this is a combined study, comprising a survey and a couple of follow-up interviews. The results of the study show that the majority of the pastors believe that it is important to work with issues related to green transition, but that the majority at the same time show doubts about being concrete and precise about these matters. The result could indicate an uncertainty regarding one's own authority to guide individuals to concrete lifestyle changes and ethical stances. The pastor can thus be understood as a “key person” in his context; a person entrusted with authority and "keys". The survey shows that the pastors prefer to use their keys to open, but seldom to close or “lock tight”, in the sense of stipulating what a person should or should not do.

Abstract Sápmi, located in the North of Fennoscandia, including Finland, Sweden, Norway and parts of Russia, is the home of the majority of the indigenous Sámi people. With a high amount of natural resources in the shape of minerals, forests, and energy extraction, Sápmi is a place of a dispute between different actors such as the Nordic governments, corporations, locals, and Europe’s only indigenous people, the Sámis. On 22 March 2022, the Swedish Government granted a mining license to mobilize an iron ore mine in Gállok, the Swedish side of Sápmi, which has contributed to land-use conflicts and discrimination against the Sámi people. Thus, this issue continues today, making it vital to continue research on the land-use conflict in Sápmi. This qualitative study method uses an abductive approach and case study design. The interview method used is semi-structured interviews with purposive sampling to collect Sámi interviewees. Indigenous methodologies are used to conduct ethical research and apply Johan Galtung's violence triangle as a theory. The study's objective is to understand the land-use conflict in Gállok through the Sámi perspective. The study looks at the methods external actors use to access Gállok and the consequences of a mine in the area. The thesis findings showed that the three violences are visible in the land-use conflict in Gállok. The study presents that the methods used to access Gállok originates from education and media, furthers the laws and regulations by the Swedish authorities and the use of language to promote a green transition and civilization. The consequences found was the negative impact on the Sámi development through their perspective, hindering the chances to continue Sámi livelihood and an effect on Sámi well-being and identity. Additionally, the findings showed that the violences were differently dominating. However, cultural violence has shown to be the core contribution to structural and direct violence. Future research can focus on an intersectional impact on the mining establishment Sámis experience and furthering a decolonizing process.

This study aims to investigate possible consequences for rural residents and the political legitimacy for the state. In Sweden, environmental policy is widespread, and the state aims to be the first climate-neutral welfare state. Previous research and the results from our study indicate that Swedish citizens do not like carbon dioxide taxes. Many rural residents have expressed dissatisfaction in the media with the rise in fuel prices. Therefore, we were interested in what the target group has had for consequences and what they think of the measure. The results show that the consequences have not been devastating, while the rural residents do not believe that they have the right conditions to be a part of the green transition. Surprisingly many of our interviewees have considered switching to an electric gar given the rising fuel prices. For more people to be able to switch to an electric car, targeted investments from the state are required. Our results indicate that the current green transition is not possible and fair for the people in rural areas.

This study explores the increasingly popular government practice of issuing green bonds. By interviewing individuals involved in the development of the Swedish green government bond issued in 2020, and examining key documents, it provides an in-depth understanding of the motivations driving a government to issue a green bond. The empirical analysis shows that the Swedish government did not issue the green bond to finance green investments, but to promote the green bond market, communicate what it was already doing in terms of environmental investments, help investors attain more sustainable portfolios and strengthen the Swedish government as a bond issuer. While the political driving force behind the green government bond was the Green Party, it was strongly supported by segments of the financial sector. The main criticism came from authorities within the government itself. Even though the proponents of the green government bond shared a concern about the environment, it was not clear how this policy would ultimately contribute to the green transition. This analysis suggest that it is more appropriate to consider it as a form of industrial policy for supporting the sustainable finance industry. This is the first in-depth case study conducted on a green government bond and thus contributes to a new research topic. It also contributes to the literature on Sustainable Finance and Investment and green bonds more generally. Furthermore, it contributes to research on government debt policy and the political economy of the green transition.

From the simplest items we use to the most complex ones, electronics are everywhere and in everything. However, the escalating demand for electronics has a serious toll on the environment. Thus, the electronics industry has been the focus of legislation for a long time. As a matter of fact, electronics are among the seven priority key value chains identified by the European Union on the way to becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. In this sense, this thesis aims to investigate the role of environmental legislation in the green transition of the electronics industry by trying to understand how companies operating in this industry evaluate the measures introduced by the legislation. This was done through both in-depth interviews with representatives from 11 different companies of all sizes (large, medium- and small-sized, and start-up companies) and 2 regulatory agencies, and also group discussions with experts and managers in the field. Although the research started from a point of evaluating the legislation either a driver or a barrier in green transition, the empirical findings indicated that environmental regulations are too complex tools to be considered only in terms of these aspects. Results showed that considering regulations as a driver or barrier is directly related to the size of the companies and the opportunities they have. However, the solution to the challenges faced by the companies is often beyond their own capabilities, and related to external factors, mostly legislators. All companies interviewed within the scope of the study agree that environmental regulations can contribute to green transformation. One thing is certain, however, that the way to ensure this effectiveness is through a transparent and inclusive communication between the lawmakers and the industry.

The Exploitation of land for economic growth has been an ongoing issue for locals’ rights to land, especially indigenous people. In Sweden, EU’s largest producer of Iron ore, the conflict between the State, indigenous Sámi, and mining industries have caused many controversies over the years, where mining projects repeatedly infringe upon land inhabited by Sámi. It is argued that exploitation is a “common good” for economic and social development, arguments which are rooted in the historical oppression and colonialist thoughts of the past. Recently, the argument has shifted, adding environmental concerns, where development projects claim to be an indispensable part of the national and global green transition. Ideas stemming from green growth narratives, such as technological solutions, are consistently put forward as the right path towards a green transition, with little consideration paid towards communities who pay the price. One such instance is the case of the proposed mine in Gállok, which was granted a processing concession in 2022. The project is asserted to be a necessity for producing green iron ore for a sustainable future, while opposing parties argue that it will cause irredeemable consequences on the environment and the Sámi village Jåhkågasska tjiellde. This Master thesis investigates these narratives through Critical Discourse Analysis and an Environmental Justice framework to elucidate misrecognition within green growth politics and how arguments contrived from ideologies and beliefs shape the mainstream narrative. It is not to impart an absolute truth but to highlight one potential contributing factor to the current situation. Documents provided by the Company, the State and Sametinget are used as a basis for the analysis, where they are analysed through themes based on perceived recognition, narratives, and power structures, Namely Language, Representation, and (De)politicisation. It is found that while some progress has been made concerning Sámi rights generally in Sweden, little of it can be observed within the discourse regarding the mine. Both company and the State still lean heavily on technical solutions to create coexistence between the mine and Sámi, something which the Sámi affirms is not a possibility. It is further concluded that a green transition which claims to be sustainable needs to consider the social repercussions against the indigenous experience, heritage, livelihood, and culture to be truly sustainable. / Exploatering av mark för ekonomisk vinning och urbefolkningars rättigheter är ett kontroversiellt ämne globalt. I Sverige, EU:s största producent av järnmalm, har konflikten mellan staten, samer och gruvindustrin orsakat många kontroverser genom åren, varav gruvprojekt kontinuerligt inkräktar på land som brukas av samer. Det hävdas att sådan exploatering genererar en "allmännytta" för ekonomisk och social utveckling, argument som har sina rötter i gamla koloniala världsbilder och historiska förtryck av samer. På senare tid har argumenten för exploatering även inkluderat miljöfrågor, varav utvecklingsprojekt hävdar att de är en väsentlig del av den nationella och globala gröna omställningen. Idéer som härrör från grön tillväxtteori, såsom tekniska lösningar, presenteras konsekvent som den rätta vägen mot en grön omställning, med lite hänsyn till dem som betalar priset. Ett sådant exempel är fallet med den föreslagna gruvan i Gállok, som beviljades en bearbetningskoncession 2022. Projektet hävdas vara en nödvändighet för att producera grön järnmalm för en hållbar framtid, medan motparter hävdar att det kommer att orsaka oåterkalleliga konsekvenser för miljön och samebyn Jåhkågasska tjiellde. Detta examensarbete syftar till att undersöka aktörers olika narrativ genom kritisk diskursanalys och ett ramverk för miljörättvisa för att belysa felerkännande av samiska rättigheter inom grön tillväxtpolitik, och hur argument formade av ideologier påverkar den breda diskussionen. Dokument som hämtats från Beowulf Mining PLC, Staten och Sametinget används som underlag för analysen, där de analyseras genom teman hämtade från upplevd igenkänning, narrativ och maktstrukturer, Nämligen Språk, Representation och (Av)politisering. Det visar sig att även om vissa framsteg har gjorts när det gäller samernas rättigheter generellt i Sverige, kan lite av detta ses i diskursen gällande gruvan. Både företaget och staten lutar sig fortfarande hårt mot tekniska lösningar för att skapa samexistens mellan gruvan och samerna, något som samerna hävdar inte är en möjlighet. Vidare dras slutsatsen att en grön omställning som gör anspråk på att vara hållbar måste ta hänsyn till de potentiella konsekvenserna för samiska erfarenheter, arv, försörjning och kultur för att verkligen kunna bedömas som hållbar.

This paper analyzes Swedish steel company’s SSAB commitment to the green transition focusing on how and why aspects. The how part of this problem relates to topical conjunctures, which emerge independently of a company. The why part of this problem relates to institutional commitments carried on within a company and how a company potentially can differ vis-à-vis other companies. Formally the research question for this dissertation is: "To what extent did policy windows, policy entrepreneurs, proactive development pair and networks, and resources contribute to SSAB’s commitment to green transition for steel production in the 2020s?". Due to the explorative nature of my research question, the case study method is used where secondary data is gathered from Swedish newspapers (Dagens Nyheter, Dagens Industri and Svenska Dagbladet), SSAB press releases, annual reports, and other relevant publications. The study uses a deductive approach, where the theory provides a framework through which gathered findings are analyzed. The main theories and concepts used in this study are Kingdon’s “Policy Windows” or Agenda-Setting Theory and Policy Entrepreneurs, Fridlund’s concept of Development Pair and Networks, and Penrose’s Resource Theory.

This conflict study in Theology investigates reconciliation possibilities in indigenous lands in northern Sweden to be discussed through the Sámi Trail of Tears Walking Trail – a real-life innovation project. The historical material is based on the depiction of forcefully dislocated Sámis and the now polarized situation where local indigenous groups risk new conflicts partly with each other, partly with extractive industries, motorized tourism, and the majority’s society. Six public media sources were used for a brief thematization to detect discourse ethics used in communicative action. Further, two conferences were visited through participatory observation, revealing the importance of inclusion and visualized sovereignty. Five relevant sites were observed by asking how a walking trail could add value to reconciliation processes, and twenty interviews, or reasonings, were done mainly in Sápmi and Torne River valley, with one additional in Northern Finland to compare the situation of Forest Sámis in both countries. While site observations revealed ongoing slow violence in environments, they also showed how individuals become activated by their existing or absent relationships to a place. The interviews depicted cultural and existential views on place-bodies, reindeer keeping, natural elements, and material and immaterial values connected to them. The research also focused on the indigenous value-based Verdi system, recognized, and remembered by interviewees belonging indigenous communities. Further, the investigation asked about the role of leadership in truth- and reconciliation processes. The material was collected through qualitative indigenous research methods, and completed with perspectives of inclusion, wilderness spirituality, slow violence, and slow tourism. The material was analytically discussed through Jürgen Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action. The findings points toward importance of continuing truth commissioning, a potential role of the Church in future negotiations, and also criticism against the failings of national leadership participation in truth-telling and reconciliation processes. Lastly, a briefly discussed model of Habitus-Based Reconciliation suggests focusing on long-term existential aspects of shared places and negating natural resources needed for communities and local cultures.