Building envelopes are elements with a long lifetime, which provide a barrier between internal and external space and contribute to the internal environmental conditions provision. Their complex role ensures a large impact on the environmental and energy performance of a building and the occupant perception of a space. This study looks at the use of novel materials and processes to help reduce the environmental impact of buildings by improving facade and transparent roof design. There are three main strands to the work. First, novel building components, ETFE foil cushions were examined. Physical testing has shown that ETFE foil cushions compare favourably to double glazing in terms of thermal and daylighting performance which was also noted as one of the most likeable feature by occupants. Environmental impact analysis has indicated that ETFE foils can reduce the environmental impact of a building through reduced environmental burden of both the construction and operation of the building. Secondly, a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) was carried out for float glass, which considered the environmental impacts of glass manufacture. The embodied energy was calculated to be 13.4 ± 0.5 GJ per tonne while the total number of eco-points 243 ± 11 per tonne. It is shown that float glass is comparable to the use of steel, and highly preferable to the use of aluminium as a cladding panel. Finally, a concept design tool (FACADE) was developed by defining a large number of office facade models and employing dynamic thermal, daylighting and environmental impact modelling to create a database which can be accessed through a user friendly interface application. A parametric analysis has indicated that using natural ventilation where possible can reduce the environmental impact of offices by up to 16%. Improving the standard of the facade and reducing the internal heat loads from lighting and equipment can reduce environmental impact up to 22%. This study makes a significant contribution to understanding the environmental impact of building envelope individual and integrated components.

Eutrophication is a consequence of excess nutrients in the water which leads to increased algaegrowth, reduced water transparency and hypoxic bottoms. This is the biggest environmental problemfor the Baltic Sea which recently has resulted in stricter legislations and other initiatives to help theBaltic Sea to recover. However, the actions to reduce the nutrient input to the Baltic Sea have so farmainly been land-based. These actions seem to not be enough since the eutrophication continues tobe a problem for the Baltic Sea. Farming blue mussels has shown to have a mitigating effect on theeutrophication and could thus be a complementary action. Blue mussels are filter-feeding specieswhich means that they filter water for food and thus eat phytoplankton and accumulate nutrients atthe same time. When the blue mussels are removed from the sea, so is the nutrients accumulated inthe mussels, resulting in a mitigation of nutrients and thereby the eutrophication. Due to the brackishwater with the low salinity in the Baltic Sea, the blue mussels farmed there do not grow bigger thanaround 3 cm. This means that the mussels are not suitable for human food production and theharvested mussels need to be used for something else, even though the farming itself is anenvironmental action. Three possible mussel products from valorisation of the Baltic Sea blue musselshave been identified; producing mussel meal, biogas or compost.Region Östergötland is involved in a project, Baltic Blue Growth, with the main objective to study howto use mussel farming as an environmental measure and which of the three valorisation options is themost beneficial from an environmental perspective. This study is a part of their investigation to reachtheir goal and will study their mussel farm in St. Anna and the three valorisation options from anenvironmental perspective. The aim of this study is thus to investigate the net nutrient reduction froma mussel farm in the Baltic Sea in combination with the contribution to climate change. This is donefrom a life cycle perspective to include the valorisation of the mussels into the different productsmussel meal, biogas or compost. For this, an existing farm in the archipelago of St. Anna, Östergötland,Sweden is studied. The main results show that there is a nutrient reduction from the mussel farm andthis is not majorly affected regardless of which valorisation option that is chosen. However, the musselfarm does have an impact on climate change and the magnitude of the impact varies for the threevalorisation options. The results of the sensitivity analysis show that the result from the life cycle canbe improved with future improvements of the mussel farm and transportation. The nutrient reductioncan become larger and the impact on the climate change can be reduced. Outside the result from thelife cycle analysis it is discussed that there are other future improvement possibilities in the productionof the mussel products, which would impact the result. The mussel farm and the mussel products alsohave other positive impacts that is not included in the life cycle analysis but discussed in the study,such as increased water transparency, recycling of nutrients and reduction of over fishing. However,the mussel farm could also have negative impacts, such as emissions of microplastics and locallyincreased sedimentation which affect the hypoxia. Those are discussed in this study but the probabilityand possible impact of them are not fully investigated and need further research.

Purpose. Road transportation is one of the major sources of GHG emissions today. Technological improvements in fuel consumption, as well as the electrification of vehicles can reduce emissions from road transportation. This study aims to investigate the optimal time for vehicle replacement in Sweden for an ICEV to minimise GHG emissions. While many LCA studies compare the total emissions from ICEVs with BEVs and conduct a break-even analysis, little focus is dedicated to the implications of the results. Previous studies did not estimate the time of vehicle replacement at which GHG emissions are minimised. To represent the Swedish vehicle fleet, the optimal replacement time is estimated for a Volvo V70 (petrol, 2011 model), when replacing it with a Volvo V60 (petrol, 2020 model) (Scenario 1), correspondingly when replacing with a Polestar 2 (battery-electric, 2020 model) (Scenario 2). Methods. For the estimation of lifetime emissions resulting from the three vehicle models, a Life Cycle Analysis was conducted. The functional unit investigated was 200.000 km driven with the V70, the V60 and Polestar 2, assuming that the vehicles were operated in Sweden. The emission values are then used to model the vehicle replacement in each scenario and the results are analysed. Findings. The LCA study showed that the V70 emits 64,08 tCO2eq. over its total lifespan, the V60 46,48 tCO2eq., and the Polestar 2 29,05 tCO2eq. The study showed that there is not one optimal replacement time, but the optimal time for vehicle replacement, from a carbon emission point of view, is inherently linked to the total driven mileage and number of cars owned. However, the trend shows that the time of replacement in Scenario 1 should be close to the End-of-Life of the V70. For Scenario 2 it is beneficial to replace the V70 immediately.

Este trabalho apresenta a avaliação das externalidades relativas ao ciclo produtivo da cana de açúcar, dando um enfoque para a questão da geração de energia elétrica. Os objetivos principais do estudo são realizar um levantamento uma análise das externalidades sociais, ambientais e econômicas do ciclo produtivo da cana-de-açúcar desde sua fase inicial (período agrícola) até a conversão energética da biomassa em energia elétrica (objeto de ênfase nesse projeto). Repartindo os impactos, quando possível nos subsistemas elaborados a partir da análise do ciclo produtivo do setor, cujos resultados de uma forma geral eram até então conhecidos, mas nunca segregados e tratados de forma integrada sob a ótica de avaliação das externalidades relacionadas à atividade de produção. A geração de eletricidade excedente traz consigo externalidades positivas e negativas. Elas envolvem aspectos prejudiciais sob a ótica das emissões atmosféricas sobre a saúde humana e o meio biótico; positivo, mediante a utilização de fontes renováveis para geração de eletricidade provendo o deslocamento de derivados do petróleo tanto para geração de energia térmica quanto de elétrica, reduzindo assim o consumo de combustíveis fósseis que são os principais componentes fomentadores da acentuação do efeito estufa; além dos benefícios associados à geração distribuída, discutidos neste trabalho. Ambas qualificam esta forma de geração dentro dos requisitos do mecanismo de desenvolvimento limpo, que será avaliado com a visão de ser um instrumento para internalizar o benefício de gerar energia com recursos renováveis. Dos impactos avaliados correspondentes ao ciclo produtivo da cana-de-açúcar, 32,68 % estão associados com a etapa de geração de eletricidade. Os principais impactos e efeitos avaliados na etapa qualitativa e quantitativa deste trabalho nas externalidades de produção foram ratificadas como efeitos predominantes também nas externalidades avaliadas via simulação computacional (ECOSENSE LE) do projeto ExternE. / This work presents the evaluation of externalidades in production from sugarcane life cycle, with emphasis at electric power generation. The main objective of this study is to assess the health, social, environmental and economical externalities related with the production process of sugarcane industry from the start point of the productive chain (agricultural period) until the energy conversion of the biomass in electric power (main emphasis). Distributing the impacts, when possible, in subsystems that main productive cycle were divided, whose results, in general, were known but never segregated and treated by an integrated view under the optics of externalities evaluation at the production activity chain at sugarcane sector. The surplus generation of electricity brings with itself positive and negative externalities. The negative ones involve harmful aspects under the atmospheric emissions and human health and the biotic environment; as positive ones, are the use of renewable sources for electricity generation providing displacement of fossil fuels and indirectly thermal and electrical energy, reducing the consumption of this kind of fuels that are the main promoting components from the accentuation of the greenhouse effect and the benefits associated to the distributed generation, also discussed in this work. Both of these positive aspects, qualify this form of generation to participate at the clean development mechanism, that it will be treated as an instrument for incorporate the benefit of generating energy with renewable resources. From the main productive chain impacts related to the life cycle of the sugarcane, 32,68 % are associated with the stage of electricity generation. The main impacts assessed in the qualitative and quantitative way as production externalities were confirm as predominant effects also using the computational simulation tool (ECOSENSE LE) from the ExternE project.

Este trabalho apresenta a avaliação das externalidades relativas ao ciclo produtivo da cana de açúcar, dando um enfoque para a questão da geração de energia elétrica. Os objetivos principais do estudo são realizar um levantamento uma análise das externalidades sociais, ambientais e econômicas do ciclo produtivo da cana-de-açúcar desde sua fase inicial (período agrícola) até a conversão energética da biomassa em energia elétrica (objeto de ênfase nesse projeto). Repartindo os impactos, quando possível nos subsistemas elaborados a partir da análise do ciclo produtivo do setor, cujos resultados de uma forma geral eram até então conhecidos, mas nunca segregados e tratados de forma integrada sob a ótica de avaliação das externalidades relacionadas à atividade de produção. A geração de eletricidade excedente traz consigo externalidades positivas e negativas. Elas envolvem aspectos prejudiciais sob a ótica das emissões atmosféricas sobre a saúde humana e o meio biótico; positivo, mediante a utilização de fontes renováveis para geração de eletricidade provendo o deslocamento de derivados do petróleo tanto para geração de energia térmica quanto de elétrica, reduzindo assim o consumo de combustíveis fósseis que são os principais componentes fomentadores da acentuação do efeito estufa; além dos benefícios associados à geração distribuída, discutidos neste trabalho. Ambas qualificam esta forma de geração dentro dos requisitos do mecanismo de desenvolvimento limpo, que será avaliado com a visão de ser um instrumento para internalizar o benefício de gerar energia com recursos renováveis. Dos impactos avaliados correspondentes ao ciclo produtivo da cana-de-açúcar, 32,68 % estão associados com a etapa de geração de eletricidade. Os principais impactos e efeitos avaliados na etapa qualitativa e quantitativa deste trabalho nas externalidades de produção foram ratificadas como efeitos predominantes também nas externalidades avaliadas via simulação computacional (ECOSENSE LE) do projeto ExternE. / This work presents the evaluation of externalidades in production from sugarcane life cycle, with emphasis at electric power generation. The main objective of this study is to assess the health, social, environmental and economical externalities related with the production process of sugarcane industry from the start point of the productive chain (agricultural period) until the energy conversion of the biomass in electric power (main emphasis). Distributing the impacts, when possible, in subsystems that main productive cycle were divided, whose results, in general, were known but never segregated and treated by an integrated view under the optics of externalities evaluation at the production activity chain at sugarcane sector. The surplus generation of electricity brings with itself positive and negative externalities. The negative ones involve harmful aspects under the atmospheric emissions and human health and the biotic environment; as positive ones, are the use of renewable sources for electricity generation providing displacement of fossil fuels and indirectly thermal and electrical energy, reducing the consumption of this kind of fuels that are the main promoting components from the accentuation of the greenhouse effect and the benefits associated to the distributed generation, also discussed in this work. Both of these positive aspects, qualify this form of generation to participate at the clean development mechanism, that it will be treated as an instrument for incorporate the benefit of generating energy with renewable resources. From the main productive chain impacts related to the life cycle of the sugarcane, 32,68 % are associated with the stage of electricity generation. The main impacts assessed in the qualitative and quantitative way as production externalities were confirm as predominant effects also using the computational simulation tool (ECOSENSE LE) from the ExternE project.

För att nå Sveriges uppsatta klimatmål med netto noll växthusgasutsläpp år 2045 måste bygg- och fastighetssektorn som står för omkring 21% av Sveriges totala växthusgasutsläpp, arbeta för en hållbar utveckling. För att reglera utsläppen av växthusgaser i bygg- och fastighetssektorn har riksdagen infört ett krav på upprättande av klimatdeklaration vid uppförande av nya byggnader från och med januari 2022. Klimatdeklarationen ska redovisa vilken påverkan på klimatet en ny byggnad har genom en livscykelanalys. Kravet på inlämnandet av deklarationen är i slutet av ett byggprojekt. Många aktörer inom byggbranschen menar på att klimatberäkningar behöver påbörjas under tidigare skeden för att kunna påverka byggnadens hållbarhet. Detta då möjligheterna att påverka en byggnads energibehov och dess utsläpp av växthusgaser är som störst i tidigt projekteringsskede. Dock är informationen om den planerade byggnaden begränsad i tidigt skede och projektspecifik information saknas för att djupgående kunna bedöma byggnadens resultat och prestanda. Denna studie fokuserar på implementering av klimatberäkningar i tidiga skeden av projekteringsprocessen, anpassat för arkitekter och konstruktörers dagliga arbete. Detta då metodiska förenklingar och standardiserade tillvägagångssätt rörande klimatberäkningar i tidiga skeden ansetts relativt outforskat i tidigare publiceringar inom ämnet. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur genomförandet av klimatberäkningar i tidigt skede av projekteringsprocessen kan gå till. Detta för att få en förståelse över hur implementeringen av arbetet med klimatberäkningar kan leda till ökad hållbarhet och ekonomisk lönsamhet i byggprojekt. Med en ökad förståelsen för klimatberäkningsarbetet i tidigt skede, är även målet att ta fram ett förslag på en standardiserad metod som vägleder arkitekter och konstruktörer att ta hållbara beslut i tidiga skeden.  Forskningsmetoden som använts är av kvalitativ karaktär och innefattar en litteraturstudie, fallstudie, intervju- och enkätstudie. Studien har utgått från ett konsultföretag med fokus på områdena arkitektur och byggkonstruktion. Enkätstudien har haft som syfte att undersöka hur arbetet inom fallföretaget fungerar idag. Intervjustudien har fokuserat på hur arbetet kan fungera i framtiden och fallstudien har undersökt/observerat hur arbetet med klimatberäkningar kan utföras i praktiken med hjälp av programvaran One Click LCA. Litteraturstudien har bidragit till djupare förståelser inom ämnet och väglett problemformuleringen i studien. Användandet av flera forskningsmetoder kallas för triangulering och bidrar till stärkt tillförlitlighet och trovärdighet för studien.     Studien visar på att det inledningsvis i ett projekt är lämpligast att använda sig av tidigare gjorda klimatberäkningar för att spara in tid och pengar. Användandet av tidigare beräkningar bör utgå från referensprojekt som organisationen själv tagit fram för att kunna motivera hur beräkningarna gått till. När egna klimatberäkningar utförs är det viktigt att de som utför arbetet med klimatberäkningarna själva är involverade i projektet. Det är även viktigt att alla projektmedlemmar har övergripande inblick i vad som krävs i ett modelleringsverktyg för att indata ska fungera på bästa sätt i ett automatiserat klimatberäkningsverktyg. Genom implementerandet av en standardiserad metod, uppstår en struktur som medför att inga viktiga moment glöms bort samt medför att fler kan få en inblick i arbetet och introduceras till projektet på ett enkelt sätt. Ett förslag på en standardiserad metod är framtaget utifrån analys av empirin i detta arbete och innefattar viktiga punkter för uppstarten/implementeringen av arbetet med klimatberäkningar i en organisation. Det innefattar även förslag på viktiga punkter när det gäller utförandet av klimatberäkningar i specifika projekt. / To reach Sweden’s climate goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2045, the construction and property sector must act for a sustainable development. Today the sector accounts for around 21% of Sweden’s total greenhouse gas emissions. In order to regulate the emissions of greenhouse gases in the construction and property sector, the government in January 2022 introduced a requirement for establishing climate declaration for the construction of new buildings. The climate declaration must report the impact a new building has on the climate, through a life cycle analysis. The requirement for when the declaration must be submitted is at the end of a construction project. Many actors in the construction industry believes that climate calculations need to be started in earlier stages to be able to affect the sustainability of the building. At the same time the information about the planned building is limited in the early stages and project-specific information is missing to be able to assess the building's results and performance in depth. This study focuses on the implementation of climate calculations in the early stages of the design process, adapted to the daily work of architects and constructors. This as methodological simplifications and standardized approaches regarding climate calculations in the early stages were considered relatively unexplored in previous publications in the subject. The purpose of the study is to investigate how the implementation of climate calculations in the early stages of the design process can be done. This is to gain an understanding of how the implementation of the work with climate calculations can lead to increased sustainability and economic profitability in construction projects. With an increased understanding of the climate calculation work at an early stage, the goal is also to develop a proposal for a standardized method that guides architects and constructors to make sustainable decisions in the early stages.  The study uses a qualitative research method that includes a literature study, case study, interview- and survey study. The study is based on a consulting company with a focus on the areas of architecture and building construction. The purpose of the survey study was to examine how the work within the case company operates today. The interview study has focused on how the climate calculation work can be operated in the future and the case study has examined/observed how the work with climate calculations can be carried out in practice using the One Click LCA software. The literature study has contributed to deeper understandings within the subject and guided the research topic in the study. The use of several research methods is called triangulation and contributes to strengthened reliability and validity of the study. The study shows that initially in a project it is appropriate to use previously made climate calculations to save time and money. The use of previous calculations should be based on reference projects that the organization itself has developed to be able to justify how the calculations were made. When conducting climate calculations, it is important that those who carry out the calculations are involved in the project. It is also important that all project members have an overall insight into what is required in a modeling tool, so the input data operates in the best way in an automated climate calculation tool. Through the implementation of a standardized method, a structure emerges, no important aspects are forgotten, and more people can gain an insight into the work and easily be introduced to the project. A proposal of a standardized method is developed based on the empirical analysis in this study and includes important points for the start-up/implementation of the work with climate calculations in an organization. It also includes suggestions on important points regarding the execution of climate calculations in specific projects.

Syftet med detta examensarbete var att utveckla ett hållbart ersättningsmaterial till akrylnitrilbutadienstyren plast (ABS), genom att applicera principerna för grön kemi och teknik. ABS är en icke-nedbrytbar plast som till exempel används i slagtåliga produkter för hyttinteriörer. Att utveckla ett nytt material baserat på en kravspecifikation med en specifik produkt i åtanke är av stor betydelse då en initial teoretiska utvärdering kan ge resultat som driver ytterligare innovation och säkerställer en god överensstämmelse med förväntningarna på produkten. Baserat på den genomförda litteraturutvärderingen och kravspecifikationen för produkten valdes polylaktid (PLA) som matrismaterial och blandades med nanofibrer av lignocellulosa (LCNF) och naturgummi (NR), där maleinsyraanhydrid (MA) användes som kompatibilisator. Denna modifieringsstrategi syftade till att förbättra PLAs styrka och minska dess sprödhet. Flera olika parametrar undersöktes, vilka inkluderar olika torkningsmetoder för LCNF:en och olika metoder för MA tillsats före bearbetningen av blandningen. Termisk analys av blandningarna visade att tillsatsen av LCHF och NR inte påverkar nedbrytningstemperaturen för PLA-matrisen i någon större utsträckning, men att kristalliniteten påverkades av dem och de olika behandlingsmetoderna. Styvheten hos de PLA-baserade materialen var likvärdig ABS, medan elasticitet var generellt likvärdig PLA och där tillsatsen av naturgummi förbättrade materialens deformationskapacitet. SEM bilder indikerade att de tre komponenterna var kompatibiliserade, då fibrösa strukturer och sammanflätade nätverk av LCNF och NR i PLA-matrisen kunde observeras. SEM bilderna visade också att NR agglomererade då stora agglomerat och porösa strukturer uppstod, vilket understryker vikten av att optimera framtida blandningsstrategier. En livscykelbedömning (LCA), enligt en vagga-till-graven metod, förväntas visa lägre koldioxidutsläpp för det föreslagna alternativet jämfört med ABS tack vare tillämpningen av principerna för grön kemi vid produktutformningen. Detta bekräftar den ursprungliga hypotesen om en ökad miljövänligheten hos PLA-baserade ersättningsmaterial jämfört med ABS. / This thesis aims to develop sustainable replacement for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) in high-impact applications within construction equipment’s Cab interior. Adhering to the principles of Green Chemistry and Engineering, the study focused on developing and accessing an environmentally friendly substitute for ABS, a commonly used non-biodegradable plastic. Investigating novel materials with a tailored requirements list is vital in materials science and engineering. Theoretical approaches can yield results which drive further innovation, ensuring comprehensive alignment with application expectations through a holistic approach to address critical factors. Following this guideline, the chosen alternative was Polylactide (PLA), fortified with a blend of lignocellulose nanofibers (LCNFs) and natural rubber (NR) at a 10 wt.% concentration, with the addition of Maleic Anhydride (MA) as a compatibilizer. This modification strategy aimed to enhance PLA's strength and reduce its brittleness. The investigation encompassed various parameters, including different LCNF drying methods and variations in additive treatment before melt-mixing with PLA. The outcomes from thermal analysis indicated that the inclusion of reinforcements does not significantly affect the degradation temperature of the PLA matrix. Crystallinity, on the other hand, was found to be influenced by the presence of lignocellulose reinforcements and natural rubber, with intriguing nuances emerging from the interplay of these components and different treatment methods. PLA-based alternatives performed similarly to low grade ABS and had similar stiffness levels. In terms of elasticity, most materials behaved similarly to neat PLA, but the addition of natural rubber enhanced their deformation capacity. Successful compatibilization between lignocellulose reinforcements, natural rubber, and PLA was assumed from the observed fibrous structures and interwoven networks within the PLA matrix. Additionally, the presence of aggregates and porous structures highlighted the challenges posed by rubber agglomeration. Finally, the observation of larger agglomerates beyond typical interphase sizes raised concerns about brittle behavior, emphasizing the need for optimizing blend toughening strategies. The input for a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), following a cradle-to-gate approach, is anticipated to show lower carbon emissions for the proposed alternative in comparison to ABS due to the principles of Green Engineering applied in the product design, denoting the environmental viability of the PLA-based substitute.

Kraven på företag idag att ställa om till en hållbar verksamhet är höga vilket innebär att de måste se till alla stegen i produktionen, från fiber till färdig produkt. Denna hållbarhetsomställning är ett producentansvar som bland annat har som högsta prioritet att minska utsläppen av växthusgaser som uppstår vid tillverkning av textilier. Den växthusgas som har störst negativ påverkan är koldioxid, vilket den textila industrin bidrar rejält med, och det är därför av stor vikt att hitta substitut för många redan befintliga material som har lägre koldioxidavtryck. Arbetet innefattar en del av en livscykelanalys med beräkningar på produktionen och transporten av en textil produkt från ett svenskt outdoorföretag för att se mängden koldioxidutsläpp den avger samt vilka förändringar som kan och måste göras för att minska dessa. Studien är empirisk och kvantitativ med enkätundersökning som metod för datainsamling. Bearbetning och analys av kvantitativ data kommer att användas under arbetets gång med komplettering av kvalitativa intervjuer. Datainsamlingen sammanställs i verktyget Higg Index som omvandlar siffrorna och faktan till koldioxidekvivalenter. Resultatet visar att störst utsläpp av växthusgasen koldioxid sker under materialtillverkningen följt av transporten. Med bland annat hjälp av ett antal begränsningsstrategier inom material och tillverkningsfasen, renare energianvändning och effektivitetsförbättringar samt kortare transportsträckor kan utsläppen av koldioxid minskas. / The requirements for companies today to switch to a sustainable business are high, which means that they must ensure all stages of production, from fiber to finished product. This sustainability adjustment is a producer responsibility which, among other things, has the highest priority to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that occur during the manufacture of textiles. The greenhouse gas that has the greatest negative impact is carbon dioxide, which the textile industry contributes enormously to, and it is therefore of great importance to find substitutes for many already existing materials that have lower carbon footprints. The work includes part of a life cycle analysis with calculations of the production and transport of a textile product from a Swedish outdoor company to see the amount of carbon dioxide emissions it emits and what changes can and must be made to reduce these. The study is empirical and quantitative with a questionnaire survey as a method for data collection. Processing and analysis of quantitative data will be used during the work with the supplementation of qualitative interviews. The data collection is compiled in the tool Higg Index, which converts the figures and facts into carbon dioxide equivalents. The results show that the largest emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide occur during material production, followed by transport. With the help of a number of limitation strategies in the materials and manufacturing phase, cleaner energy use and efficiency improvements as well as shorter transport distances, carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced.

Energy efficiency of the building sector is a key strategy to achieve national climate goals in Sweden and other European countries. In this thesis, several renovation scenarios for a case study office building in Sweden are analysed and compared based on their energy performance, environmental impacts, and economic costs from a life cycle perspective. As a baseline, the case study building was simulated in IDA ICE and compared with the simulated renovation scenarios. For the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and the Life Cycle Costs (LCC), the commercially available software OneClickLCA was used. The renovation scenarios were carried out over three rounds: (i) material type scenarios where five insulation materials (glass wool, rock wool, hemp fiber, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), and Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)) and two frame materials (wood and steel) are compared; (ii) insulation thickness optimization from economic and environmental performance perspectives (iii) comparison of combination with other typical renovation measures such as changing of windows, improving specific fan power, heat exchanger efficiencies, and lightings. The results show that glass wool gives the most economical and environmental performance, followed by rock wool and EPS. When considering other environmental indicators, hemp fiber presents the best environmental option. However, it is not competitive with traditional insulation materials from an economic perspective. The insulation thickness scenarios show different optimal economic and environmental performance points, giving total energy savings of 5 % and 9,5 %, respectively. When considering other typical energy efficiency measures, the highest impact on the energy performance was found when improving the specific fan power (SFP) and switching to LED lights with total electricity reductions (including user-based electricity consumption) of 4 % and 14 %, respectively. Conclusively, the case study showed how the electricity and heating demand of the studied office building could be reduced, and the environmental and economic consequences of the different energy-efficiency measures.

Eco-design is relatively new and fast growing field of research due to its vital importance to the manufacturing industry and its related environmental issues such as reducing waste, and CO2 emission. A major EU programme relating to the environment is the waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. The (WEEE) directive specifies ten categories and a voltage range which is up to 1.000 volts AC or 1.500volts DC. The developed framework came for the implementation of Eco-design principles that helps to take into account the adaption of the (WEEE) directive and the restriction of hazard substances (RoHS) used in electrical and electronic equipments. As a result of identify gaps and needs such as a lack of a comprehensive Eco-design framework and the need to integrate it to the normal business operation. In this research the PDCA framework for Eco-design and WEEE directive will be discussed. The framework will encompass all of the Eco-design¿s implementation and integration factors and activities such as WEEE and RoHS directives, Eco-design management, Environmental legislations, Eco-design tools and considerations. The literature review covers the topic of Eco-design¿s related issues, and WEEE and RoHS directives rules. Based on comprehensive questionnaire survey of Eco-design, WEEE and RoHS issues and activities among a sample of environmentally aware companies, statistical analysis is carried out using SPSS software. Then the findings of the survey triangulated with the findings of the literature review formed the basis of the design and implementation plan of the proposed framework