Hållbarhet och etik är ett högst aktuellt ämne i dagens samhälle som även påverkar den finansiella sektorn. Ämnen som CSR och hållbarhetsfrågor har tidigare haft fokus på företagsvärlden men under de senaste åren har även finansvärlden uppmärksammat ämnet, i och med uppkomsten av sociala och etiska investeringar.Tidigare forskning inom området etiska fonder har framförallt handlat om avkastningen och urvalsprocessen av bolag, få studier har gjorts av fondernas etiska prestanda. Den här studien syftar till att fördjupa diskussionen kring de etiska fonderna. Detta görs genom att studera hur fondbolagen bedriver urvalsprocessen och förvaltningen av dessa fonder.I studien används en abduktiv ansats. Det har inneburit att vi har fått komplettera den ursprungliga teoridelen utifrån de svar vi fick under den empiriska insamlingen. Studien är kvalitativ och empirin samlades in genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Vi valde att kontakta de fyra storbankernas fondbolag, två AP-fonder samt ytterligare ett fondbolag. Respondenterna som intervjuades bestod av fondförvaltare eller specialister inom hållbarhetsområdet.Resultatet av studien visar att benämningen etiska fonder är på väg bort. Branschen vill inte definiera etik istället talar man om efterträdarna, hållbara och ansvarsfulla fonder. Trots förnekelsen av etiska fonder används en liknande urvalprocess för de hållbara fonderna, därmed kvarstår den problematiken som funnits för de etiska fonderna. Den stora skillnaden idag är att fondbolagen vill agera hållbart och ansvarsfullt på alla plan, både gällande sociala- och miljömässiga aspekter.Studies resultat skiljer sig från tidigare forskning genom att den fokuserar på den etiska prestandan. Undersökningen konstaterar att etikfonderna håller på att försvinna, men ur dem har hållbara fonder fötts. Den här studien har gett ökad kunskap inom ett område som är relativt outforskat. Studien kan därför lämpligtvis användas för framtida forskning. / Sustainability and ethics are discussed all over the world. Subjects as CSR and sustainability related questions were earlier only highlighted by companies. Nowadays even the financial industry has started to focus on those questions, with the emergence of social and ethical investments.Previous research have focused on return or the selection process, very few have studied the ethical performance. This study aims to deepen the discussion about ethical funds. This is done by studying how the fund companies conduct the management of ethical funds.This study is using an abductive approach, which means that we have completed the original theory with more theory after we had done the research on the field. We have used a qualitative method and collected the empirical data by semi-structured interviews. The four largest banks fund companies of Sweden, two pension funds and one additional fund company were interviewed. The respondents were either fund managers or specialists in the area of sustainability.The results of the study show that the term ethical fund is slowly disappearing. No one of the respondents were willing to define ethics, they would rather discuss the successors sustainable- and responsible funds. Despite the denial of ethical funds, similar selection processes for sustainable funds are used as for ethical funds. The problems that have existed for the ethical funds are moving to the sustainable funds. The big difference today is that fund companies have a vision of acting responsible and sustainable at all levels, both in terms of social and environmental aspects.The results differ from previous research, since it focuses on the ethical performance. The study finds that ethical funds are disappearing as time goes by, but out of them have sustainable funds developed. This research has provided increased knowledge in an area that is relatively unexplored. The study can therefore be suitable for future research.

I detta arbete undersöks attityder, motivation och tankar kring miljövänligt beteende på arbetsplatsen bland anställda inom skola och omsorg i tre Dalslandskommuner. Två av dessa har infört en arbetsprocess som låter de anställda, tillsammans i arbetslaget, sätta sina egna mål för miljövänliga arbetsrutiner på arbetsplatsen. Inspiration till studien kommer från Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci 2000) och Value-belief-norm Theory (Stern 2000). Data samlades in och analyserades med både kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder. Kvantitativa data från 169 frågeformulär som behandlade motivation och attityder användes främst som bakgrundsdata till fem stycken intervjuer. Resultaten visar att dessa offentliganställda är medvetna av konsekvenserna av sitt agerande. De är beredda att ta ansvar och har god motivation till att arbeta på ett ansvarsfullt sätt ur miljösynpunkt. Intervjuerna visade på en mer komplex situation där respondenterna gav uttryck för fem förutsättningar som främjar eller hindrar miljövänligt beteende. Dessa resultat diskuteras i relation till Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen 1991). De främsta hindren mot miljövänligt beteende upptäcktes inom faktorer som styr faktisk förmåga att utföra beteendet (Actual Behavioral Contro), och till viss mån uppfattad förmåga at utföra beteendet (Perceived Behavioral Control), som Ajzen beskriver dem i sin teori. De tydligaste var okunskap om vilka specifika ageranden man skulle företa sig, vilka ageranden som var bättre än andra, ekonomiska begränsningar och budget processer, men framför allt; fysiska faktorer som direkt hämmar beteenden.

Il lavoro di ricerca ha a oggetto l’analisi del modello europeo (UE) di regolamentazione delle nanotecnologie nel settore agroalimentare, con riferimento agli aspetti etico-giuridici e sociali, ai fini della definizione del quadro normativo di riferimento nella sua relazione con la dimensione di complessità e incertezza intrinseca nel sapere scientifico-tecnologico. La prospettiva teorica da cui muove l’analisi è la co-produzione tra i linguaggi della scienza e del diritto proposta dagli STS (Science & Technologies Studies). Partendo dalla descrizione degli aspetti scientifici dei nanomateriali e delle applicazioni nanotecnologiche nel settore alimentare, il lavoro analizza, in primo luogo, le problematiche correlate alle procedure di gestione del rischio – dalle prospettive più riduzionistiche della cd. “scienza del rischio” nell'innovazione alle più complesse modalità di valutazione integrata del rischio. L’indagine s’incentra, quindi, sulle forme che la normazione sta assumendo nell'intreccio con i saperi delle nanotecnologie, attraverso un approccio comparatistico delle esperienze normative europea e statunitense. L’ultima parte del lavoro s’indirizza, infine, all’analisi delle esigenze di democraticità sottese alle suddette scelte scientifico-giuridiche, problematizzando il concetto di governance anticipatoria e responsabile delle nanotecnologie (concetto correlato all’idea di riuscire a guidare i processi di innovazione attivamente), alla luce del rapporto tra conoscenze scientifiche, politiche agroalimentari e diritto. / In recent decades technoscientific innovation has pushed the food boundaries to a new frontier of nanofood. Such a term refers to an array of food products, whose processes of growing, production and packaging involve nanoscale (nanotechnology and nanosciences) knowledges and applications. This research focuses on the analysis of the European (EU) regulatory framework in the field of agrofood nanotechnology. The analysis considers the salient features of emerging applications of nanotechnologies in the agrofood sector and compares the legal framework on nanofood in the EU with the USA’s regulatory approach. It also develops an interpretation of the normative evolution in the EU, by trying to understand what is the role of science in governing technological risks in nanofood safety, and assessing how adequate the regulatory instruments are in achieving the goal of responsible research and innovation as proposed within the process of rethinking European governance.

Problem: Do ethical investments perform better than conventional investments? Purpose: To evaluate whether Shariah-compliant indexes and/or socially responsible indexes can improve financial performance of an investment portfolio. Sub-problem: What kind of relationship exists between socially responsible investments and faith-based investments, represented by Shariah-compliant investments? Sub-purpose: To discover how two types of ethical investments, socially-responsible and Shariah-compliant, are related. Method: Quantitative study, covering three types of investment styles of four index families during the period from 2000 until 2011. Financial performance evaluation through the Sharpe ratio, Treynor ratio and Jensen’s alpha. Conclusions: Conventional, socially responsible, and Shariah-compliant indexes do not have any significant differences in financial performance on a global basis. However, Shariah-compliant indexes could slightly over-perform conventional and socially responsible indexes during financial downturns. In the same time socially responsible indexes were noticed to be the most volatile during the whole period of study, to compare with conventional and Shariah-compliant. Regarding relationships, high correlations were found between ethical indexes, as well as between ethical and conventional indexes.

Many designers today are creating communication materials that encourage individuals to change their behavior related to environmental issues. The problem is that people are often unaware of existing research on effective methods for these communications. For example, environmental psychologists have studied best practices for creating persuasive communications for several decades. During this yearlong master’s thesis project, I conducted my own research studies, exploring how the emotional tone and medium of a communication piece affect a person’s decision to change his or her behavior. My second goal was to connect designers to existing research in the fields of psychology, decision sciences, and persuasive technology. In the end, I created a roadmap to behavior change: a compilation of research from my own studies and existing literature. The roadmap includes observations and practical tips people can use when designing for environmental issues, as well as a set of ethical principles that should be followed when designing for behavior change. I believe that my work will help designers use communication to empower individuals with knowledge, encouraging them to begin and sustain a journey toward positive behavior change.

Thesis (M.J.) - Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-218). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.) - Simon Fraser University, 2005. / Theses (School of Criminology) / Simon Fraser University.

Thesis (M.A.) - Simon Fraser University, 2005. / Theses (School of Criminology) / Simon Fraser University.

Orientador: Ana Tereza Caceres Cortez / Banca: Darlene Aparecida de Oliveira Ferreira / Banca: Odaléia Telles Marcondes Machado Queiroz / Banca: Silvia Aparecida Guarnieri Ortigoza / Banca: Tânia Maria Campos Leite / Resumo: A presente pesquisa teve como objeto de estudo os municípios de Presidente Epitácio e Rosana, localizados a sudoeste do Estado de São Paulo, às margens do rio Paraná. A opção por esses municípios ocorreu por estarem localizados numa área paulista denominada Pontal do Paranapanema, sendo parte de uma região denominada de Alta Sorocabana, extremo sudoeste de São Paulo, no triângulo formado pelos rios Paraná e Paranapanema, localização que traz a possibilidade de se desenvolver o turismo. O objetivo geral da pesquisa foi analisar os principais pontos turísticos e debater sobre a necessidade de se desenvolver um plano estratégico participativo para a realização de um turismo responsável/sustentável, a fim de que os impactos negativos da atividade sejam mitigados e os positivos maximizados. Como objetivos específicos foram verificados os impactos e analisados o papel do poder público, o perfil dos turistas e a opinião dos moradores sobre o desenvolvimento do turismo. A atividade turística, em sua complexidade, expressa relações sociais que são materializadas no espaço, por isso para se entender o fenômeno do turismo no enfoque geográfico foram escolhidas as categorias de análise: forma função, estrutura e processo / Abstract: The present research has as object of study the cities of President Epitácio and Rosana, located at the southwest of the São Paulo State, to the edges of the Paraná River. The option for these cities occurred for being located in a São Paulo State area called Pontal of the Paranapanema, being part of a called region of High Sorocabana, southwestern extremity of São Paulo, in the triangle formed for the rivers Paraná and Paranapanema, localization that brings the possibility of developing the tourism. The general objective of the research was to analyze the main tourist points and to debate on the necessity of developing a participative strategically plan for the accomplishment of sustainable a responsible tourism, so that the negative impacts of the activity are mitigated and the positives maximized. As specific objective it was verified the impacts and analyzed the paper of the public power, the profile of the tourists and the opinion of the inhabitants on the development of the tourism. The tourist activity, in its complexity, express social relations that are materialized in the space, therefore to understand the phenomenon of the tourism, in the geographic approach had been chosen the categories of analysis: form function, structure and process / Doutor

The aim of this study is to analyze whether creating an own category for Socially Responsible Investment Funds (FISR) in Brazil generates time series changes in heritage and cash flow of these funds. We studied all FISR Brazilians during the period 2001 to 2009. The methodology used was the Box & Jenkins (1970) and interventions. The results reveal interventions in the two variables; however, the interventions take place before the change of category. Another important conclusion is that the category change does not cause alterations in the time series of the two variables considered. / El objetivo de este estudio es analizar si la creación de una categoría propia para los Fondos de Inversión Socialmente Responsables (FISR) de Brasil generó cambios en las series temporales de patrimonio y flujo de dinero de estos fondos. Para ello se han analizado todos los FISR brasileños existentes durante el periodo comprendido entre los años 2001 y 2009, aplicando las metodologías de Box y Jenkins (1970) y de intervenciones. Los resultados revelan intervenciones en las dos variables, sin embargo las intervenciones tuvieron lugar antes del cambio de categoría. Otra importante conclusión es que el cambio de categoría no provocó alteraciones en las series temporales de las dos variables consideradas.