This thesis investigates the influence that cultural differences have in the designing of products and services that encourage sustainable lifestyles. This was researched through a case study of dishwashing practices in Mexico and the UK, and the development of a methodological framework for supporting designers working in cross-cultural contexts. Designers can shift user behaviour to be more responsible, and by doing this, reduce a product s impact on the use phase of its lifecycle. Nevertheless, designing products that successfully drive behaviour towards a more sustainable path can only be accomplished if they are conceived to fit the user and the specific context of interaction. In order to do so, designers must truly understand the users, and take into account the complex web of factors that lay behind individual behaviour. A comprehensive review of the literature established an understanding of human behaviour and the emergence and evolution of practices and routines. This brought to light the diverse behavioural patterns in different contexts; and was further investigated with a scoping study in two different locations (Mexico and the UK), exploring general water consuming practices in the home, specifically manual dishwashing practices. The preliminary findings shaped a study that aimed to deepen the understanding of these practices in the selected sites, involving the use of Cultural Probes and videoing people in their common kitchen environment. A robust and clear image of washing-up practices emerged with rich and detailed data presented in different media, ideal to be implemented in a design process. To this end, a series of multicultural Personas were created as the direct outcome of the Cultural Probes and the scoping study, giving way to the design studies phase of the project, carried out with industrial design students in Mexico and the UK. A design brief for sustainable washing up practices was delivered. Design experiments were used to provide interesting evidence of the influence in the design process of the designers understanding of the target user. The findings indicate that designers benefit from exploration and creativity tools tailored directly from the user-research findings in the early design process. This increases the level of empathy towards the user, particularly making it easier to design for users with different needs and contexts than the designers themselves. It also helps designers to better apply design for sustainable behaviour framework to their concept designs.

O presente trabalho visa analisar o impacto da agenda de Objetivos do Milênio (ODM) definida pela Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU) na criação e no desdobramento de projetos voltados para o desenvolvimento sustentável, com foco na ótica dos pequenos agricultores brasileiros. Para que este objetivo pudesse ser alcançado, foi empenhada uma pesquisa qualitativa exploratória por meio de estudos de caso sobre os projetos \"Rede de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional\" e \"Clima da Caatinga\", promovidos pela Prefeitura de Maracanaú (CE) e pela Associação Caatinga, respectivamente. A amostra foi selecionada tendo por critério de representatividade a condecoração dos projetos na edição de 2013 do Prêmio ODM Brasil, a sua localização no estado mais premiado (Ceará), e a divisão do prêmio nas categorias \"Governos Municipais\" e \"Organizações Sociais\". A pesquisa contou com a realização de entrevistas em profundidade e entrevistas em grupo com lideranças e beneficiários dos dois projetos que, somadas às análises de documentos de fontes primárias e secundárias e observação não estruturada dentro do contexto de execução dos projetos, propiciou a elucidação dos papel e influência da ONU e das políticas públicas para o desenvolvimento e amadurecimento dos projetos estudados. Verificou-se que as iniciativas da ONU no âmbito do programa Objetivos do Milênio, apesar de produzirem baixo impacto na motivação que levou à criação dos projetos analisados, assumiram papel relevante para os seus respectivos desdobramentos, contribuindo para a sua reorientação ao planejamento de longo prazo e facilitando o estabelecimento de parcerias estratégicas. Além disso, as políticas públicas de incentivo se mostraram uma relevante ferramenta no processo de intervenção e transformação de realidades de vulnerabilidade social e degradação ambiental. Ante a isto, concluímos que os incentivos promovidos pelas organizações internacionais na esteira da definição de agendas sustentáveis, como os ODM, possuem grande potencial contributivo para a consolidação de projetos que visem a promoção do desenvolvimento sustentável. / This paper aims to analyze the impact of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) defined by the United Nations (UN) on the creation and deployment of projects focused on sustainable development, focusing on the perspective of small Brazilian farmers. In order to achieve this objective, a qualitative exploratory research was undertaken through case studies on the \"Food and Nutrition Security Network\" and \"Caatinga Climate\" projects, promoted by the City Hall of Maracanaú (CE) and the Caatinga Association , respectively. The sample was selected considering the presence of the projects in the 2013 edition of the Brazil ODM Award, its location in the most contemplated state (Ceará), and the division of the award in the categories \"Municipal Governments\" and \"Social Organizations\". The research included in-depth interviews and group interviews with leaders and beneficiaries of the two projects, which, together with the analysis of documents from primary and secondary sources and unstructured observation within the context of project execution, provided the elucidation of the roles and influence of the UN and public policies for the development and maturing of the studied projects. Following the investigation, it was found that UN initiatives under the Millennium Development Goals, although having a low impact on the motivation that led to the creation of the projects analyzed, have played a relevant role in their respective developments, contributing to their reorientation to the long-term planning and facilitating the establishment of strategic partnerships. In addition, the public policies have proved to be an important tool in the process of intervention and transformation of realities of social vulnerability and environmental degradation. It was concluded that the incentives promoted by international organizations through the definition of sustainable agendas, such as the MDGs, have great contributory potential for the consolidation of projects regarding the promotion of sustainable development.

In recent decades, many multinational corporations have used nature inspired innovation (NII) strategies as a mechanism of sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI). In this context, these activities are typically initiated by sustainability or innovation managers who are seeking to utilise novel tools and approaches but generally do not have specific innovation goals. For some, NII is viewed as a new product development tool and for others, it is a broad perspective that defines a larger sustainability narrative for the organisation. This analysis of six cases describes the diversity of innovation types of NII in multinational corporations aiming to apply these models to sustainability-oriented innovation at multiple levels. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews (n=45) with NII team members from both inside and outside of the organisation. Additional data included internal project documents and web-based content associated with the NII projects. Cases were then compared and contrasted to identify patterns and anomalies of factors that influence the adoption of NII. While perceptions of NII were relatively consistent across cases, several factors were identified related to sustainability perspectives, the role of management, organisational structures, and innovation culture that influenced adoption. This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge within the NII, sustainability-oriented innovation, and innovation adoption literatures by differentiating NII as an approach to SOI in MNCs, establishing an innovation typology in this context, and identifying three SOI narratives that influence the adoption of NII. Specific factors related to sustainability narratives, innovation culture and infrastructure, and management styles that support and inhibit SOI and NII in MNCs are used to distinguish three unique SOI narratives – Ambiguous, Accountable, and Aspirational. Conclusions suggest a NII readiness assessment may facilitate the adoption of NII by identifying the most effective approaches depending on the narrative of SOI within the company.

O presente trabalho visa analisar o impacto da agenda de Objetivos do Milênio (ODM) definida pela Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU) na criação e no desdobramento de projetos voltados para o desenvolvimento sustentável, com foco na ótica dos pequenos agricultores brasileiros. Para que este objetivo pudesse ser alcançado, foi empenhada uma pesquisa qualitativa exploratória por meio de estudos de caso sobre os projetos \"Rede de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional\" e \"Clima da Caatinga\", promovidos pela Prefeitura de Maracanaú (CE) e pela Associação Caatinga, respectivamente. A amostra foi selecionada tendo por critério de representatividade a condecoração dos projetos na edição de 2013 do Prêmio ODM Brasil, a sua localização no estado mais premiado (Ceará), e a divisão do prêmio nas categorias \"Governos Municipais\" e \"Organizações Sociais\". A pesquisa contou com a realização de entrevistas em profundidade e entrevistas em grupo com lideranças e beneficiários dos dois projetos que, somadas às análises de documentos de fontes primárias e secundárias e observação não estruturada dentro do contexto de execução dos projetos, propiciou a elucidação dos papel e influência da ONU e das políticas públicas para o desenvolvimento e amadurecimento dos projetos estudados. Verificou-se que as iniciativas da ONU no âmbito do programa Objetivos do Milênio, apesar de produzirem baixo impacto na motivação que levou à criação dos projetos analisados, assumiram papel relevante para os seus respectivos desdobramentos, contribuindo para a sua reorientação ao planejamento de longo prazo e facilitando o estabelecimento de parcerias estratégicas. Além disso, as políticas públicas de incentivo se mostraram uma relevante ferramenta no processo de intervenção e transformação de realidades de vulnerabilidade social e degradação ambiental. Ante a isto, concluímos que os incentivos promovidos pelas organizações internacionais na esteira da definição de agendas sustentáveis, como os ODM, possuem grande potencial contributivo para a consolidação de projetos que visem a promoção do desenvolvimento sustentável. / This paper aims to analyze the impact of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) defined by the United Nations (UN) on the creation and deployment of projects focused on sustainable development, focusing on the perspective of small Brazilian farmers. In order to achieve this objective, a qualitative exploratory research was undertaken through case studies on the \"Food and Nutrition Security Network\" and \"Caatinga Climate\" projects, promoted by the City Hall of Maracanaú (CE) and the Caatinga Association , respectively. The sample was selected considering the presence of the projects in the 2013 edition of the Brazil ODM Award, its location in the most contemplated state (Ceará), and the division of the award in the categories \"Municipal Governments\" and \"Social Organizations\". The research included in-depth interviews and group interviews with leaders and beneficiaries of the two projects, which, together with the analysis of documents from primary and secondary sources and unstructured observation within the context of project execution, provided the elucidation of the roles and influence of the UN and public policies for the development and maturing of the studied projects. Following the investigation, it was found that UN initiatives under the Millennium Development Goals, although having a low impact on the motivation that led to the creation of the projects analyzed, have played a relevant role in their respective developments, contributing to their reorientation to the long-term planning and facilitating the establishment of strategic partnerships. In addition, the public policies have proved to be an important tool in the process of intervention and transformation of realities of social vulnerability and environmental degradation. It was concluded that the incentives promoted by international organizations through the definition of sustainable agendas, such as the MDGs, have great contributory potential for the consolidation of projects regarding the promotion of sustainable development.

<p>The Table Mountain Group (TMG) Formation is the lowest member of the Cape Supergroup which consists of sediments deposited from early Ordovician to early Carboniferous times, approximately between 500 and 340 million years ago. The Table Mountain Group (TMG) aquifer system is&nbsp / exposed along the west and south coasts of South Africa. It is a regional fractured rock aquifer that has become a major source of bulk water supply to&nbsp / meet the agricultural and urban water requirements of the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa. The TMG aquifer system comprises of an approximately 4000 m thick sequence of quartz arenite and minor shale layers deposited in a shallow, but extensive, predominantly eastwest striking&nbsp / asin, changing to a northwest orientation at the west coast. The medium to coarse grain size and relative purity of some of the quartz arenites,&nbsp / together with their well indurated nature and fracturing due to folding and faulting in the fold belt, enhance both the quality of the groundwater and its&nbsp / exploitation potential for agricultural and domestic water supply purposes and its hot springs for recreation. The region is also home to some unique&nbsp / and indigenous floral species (fynbos) of worldwide importance. These and other groundwater dependent vegetation are found on the series of&nbsp / mountains, mountain slopes and valleys in the Cape Peninsula. The hydrogeology of the TMG consists of intermontane and coastal domains which&nbsp / have different properties but are interconnected. The former is characterized by direct recharge from rain and snow melt, deep groundwater circulation with hot springs and low conductivity groundwater. The coastal domain is characterized by shallow groundwater occurrence usually with moderate to&nbsp / poor quality, indirect recharge from rainfall of shallow circulation and where springs occur they are usually cold. The sustainable utilization of the TMG&nbsp / aquifer addressed the issues of the groundwater flow dynamics, recharge and discharge to and from the aquifer / challenges of climate change and climate variability and their potential impact on the aquifer system. The concept of safe yield, recharge and the capture principle and the integration of&nbsp / sustainable yield provided the basis for sustainable utilization with the adaptive management approach. Methodology used included the evaluation of&nbsp / recharge methods and estimates in the TMG aquifer and a GIS based water balance recharge estimation. The evaluation of natural discharges and&nbsp / artificial abstractions from the TMG aquifer system as well as its potential for future development. The Mann-Kendal trend analysis was used to test historical and present records of temperature and rainfall for significant trends as indication for climate variability and change. The determination of&nbsp / variability index of rainfall and standard precipitation index were additional analyses to investigate variability. The use of a case study from the Klein&nbsp / (Little) Karoo Rural Water Supply Scheme (KKRWSS) within the TMG study area was a test case to assess the sustainable utilization of TMG aquifers.&nbsp / Results show that recharge varies in time and space between 1% and 55% of MAP as a result of different hydrostratigraphic units of the TMG based on&nbsp / geology, hydrology, climate, soil, vegetation and landuse patterns however, the average recharge is from 1% to 5% of MAP. The TMG receives recharge&nbsp / mainly through its 37,000 km2 of outcrop largely exposed on mountainous terrain. Natural discharges from the TMG include 11 thermal and numerous&nbsp / cold spring discharges, baseflow to streams and reservoirs, and seepage to the ocean. Results from this study also show increasing temperature&nbsp / trend over the years while rainfall trend generally&nbsp / remain unchanged in the study area. Rainfall variability persists hence the potential for floodsand droughts in the region remain. Global and Regional Models predict about 10% to 25% reduction in rainfall and increase in variability in future. Impacts of&nbsp / his change in climate will affect the different types of aquifers in various ways. Increase in temperature and reduction in rainfall will increase&nbsp / evapotranspiration, reduce surface flows and eventually reduce shallow aquifer resources. Coastal aquifers risk upsurge in salinisation from sea level&nbsp / rise and increase in abstractions from dwindling surface water resources. While floods increase the risk of contamination to shallow aquifers droughts&nbsp / put pressure on all aquifers especially deep aquifers which are considered to be more reliable due to the fact that they are far removed from surface conditions. Future population growth and increase in freshwater demand will put more pressure on groundwater. Recharge to groundwater have been&nbsp / over-estimated in certain areas in the past leading to high abstraction rates from boreholes causing extensive groundwater storage depletion evident by high decline in groundwater levels in these areas and hampering sustainable management of the aquifer resources. Over-abstraction have resulted in&nbsp / loss of stream flow and baseflow reduction to streams during summer, complete loss of springs and reduction of flow to others. Flow to wetlands,&nbsp / riparian vegetation, and sometimes loss and shifts in dependent ecosystems have also resulted from over-abstraction. Sustainability has spatial and&nbsp / temporal implications due to changing climate and demand. The study recommends adaptive management practices in which several factors are&nbsp / considered in managing groundwater together with surface water resources in order to maintain ecological and environmental integrity. The KKRWSS&nbsp / and other groundwater supply schemes in the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces demonstrate the huge potential of the TMG to provide freshwatersupply for domestic and irrigation water needs however, the huge decline in groundwater levels due to over-abstraction in the KKRWSS and&nbsp / other groundwater schemes underscores the need for sustainable utilization of the TMG groundwater resources for present and future generations with&nbsp / minimal impacts on the quality, dependent hydrological and ecosystems as well as the environment.</p>

<p>The Table Mountain Group (TMG) Formation is the lowest member of the Cape Supergroup which consists of sediments deposited from early Ordovician to early Carboniferous times, approximately between 500 and 340 million years ago. The Table Mountain Group (TMG) aquifer system is&nbsp / exposed along the west and south coasts of South Africa. It is a regional fractured rock aquifer that has become a major source of bulk water supply to&nbsp / meet the agricultural and urban water requirements of the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa. The TMG aquifer system comprises of an approximately 4000 m thick sequence of quartz arenite and minor shale layers deposited in a shallow, but extensive, predominantly eastwest striking&nbsp / asin, changing to a northwest orientation at the west coast. The medium to coarse grain size and relative purity of some of the quartz arenites,&nbsp / together with their well indurated nature and fracturing due to folding and faulting in the fold belt, enhance both the quality of the groundwater and its&nbsp / exploitation potential for agricultural and domestic water supply purposes and its hot springs for recreation. The region is also home to some unique&nbsp / and indigenous floral species (fynbos) of worldwide importance. These and other groundwater dependent vegetation are found on the series of&nbsp / mountains, mountain slopes and valleys in the Cape Peninsula. The hydrogeology of the TMG consists of intermontane and coastal domains which&nbsp / have different properties but are interconnected. The former is characterized by direct recharge from rain and snow melt, deep groundwater circulation with hot springs and low conductivity groundwater. The coastal domain is characterized by shallow groundwater occurrence usually with moderate to&nbsp / poor quality, indirect recharge from rainfall of shallow circulation and where springs occur they are usually cold. The sustainable utilization of the TMG&nbsp / aquifer addressed the issues of the groundwater flow dynamics, recharge and discharge to and from the aquifer / challenges of climate change and climate variability and their potential impact on the aquifer system. The concept of safe yield, recharge and the capture principle and the integration of&nbsp / sustainable yield provided the basis for sustainable utilization with the adaptive management approach. Methodology used included the evaluation of&nbsp / recharge methods and estimates in the TMG aquifer and a GIS based water balance recharge estimation. The evaluation of natural discharges and&nbsp / artificial abstractions from the TMG aquifer system as well as its potential for future development. The Mann-Kendal trend analysis was used to test historical and present records of temperature and rainfall for significant trends as indication for climate variability and change. The determination of&nbsp / variability index of rainfall and standard precipitation index were additional analyses to investigate variability. The use of a case study from the Klein&nbsp / (Little) Karoo Rural Water Supply Scheme (KKRWSS) within the TMG study area was a test case to assess the sustainable utilization of TMG aquifers.&nbsp / Results show that recharge varies in time and space between 1% and 55% of MAP as a result of different hydrostratigraphic units of the TMG based on&nbsp / geology, hydrology, climate, soil, vegetation and landuse patterns however, the average recharge is from 1% to 5% of MAP. The TMG receives recharge&nbsp / mainly through its 37,000 km2 of outcrop largely exposed on mountainous terrain. Natural discharges from the TMG include 11 thermal and numerous&nbsp / cold spring discharges, baseflow to streams and reservoirs, and seepage to the ocean. Results from this study also show increasing temperature&nbsp / trend over the years while rainfall trend generally&nbsp / remain unchanged in the study area. Rainfall variability persists hence the potential for floodsand droughts in the region remain. Global and Regional Models predict about 10% to 25% reduction in rainfall and increase in variability in future. Impacts of&nbsp / his change in climate will affect the different types of aquifers in various ways. Increase in temperature and reduction in rainfall will increase&nbsp / evapotranspiration, reduce surface flows and eventually reduce shallow aquifer resources. Coastal aquifers risk upsurge in salinisation from sea level&nbsp / rise and increase in abstractions from dwindling surface water resources. While floods increase the risk of contamination to shallow aquifers droughts&nbsp / put pressure on all aquifers especially deep aquifers which are considered to be more reliable due to the fact that they are far removed from surface conditions. Future population growth and increase in freshwater demand will put more pressure on groundwater. Recharge to groundwater have been&nbsp / over-estimated in certain areas in the past leading to high abstraction rates from boreholes causing extensive groundwater storage depletion evident by high decline in groundwater levels in these areas and hampering sustainable management of the aquifer resources. Over-abstraction have resulted in&nbsp / loss of stream flow and baseflow reduction to streams during summer, complete loss of springs and reduction of flow to others. Flow to wetlands,&nbsp / riparian vegetation, and sometimes loss and shifts in dependent ecosystems have also resulted from over-abstraction. Sustainability has spatial and&nbsp / temporal implications due to changing climate and demand. The study recommends adaptive management practices in which several factors are&nbsp / considered in managing groundwater together with surface water resources in order to maintain ecological and environmental integrity. The KKRWSS&nbsp / and other groundwater supply schemes in the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces demonstrate the huge potential of the TMG to provide freshwatersupply for domestic and irrigation water needs however, the huge decline in groundwater levels due to over-abstraction in the KKRWSS and&nbsp / other groundwater schemes underscores the need for sustainable utilization of the TMG groundwater resources for present and future generations with&nbsp / minimal impacts on the quality, dependent hydrological and ecosystems as well as the environment.</p>

The complexity of sustainable building maintenance environment requires managers to define and implement appropriate quality benchmark system suitable for this function. Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is one of the most effective process improvement and optimization philosophy that maintenance organisations can implement in their environment. However, literature review has shown that 90% of failures in LSS implementations are due to lack of readiness to change, the unawareness of the required benchmark organisation capabilities, and improper control of priorities. The contribution of the current research approach is in developing a hybrid Knowledge-Based (KB)/GAP/AHP System, consisting of three stages (Planning, Designing and Implementation) and containing over 2500 KB rules. The KB System can assist the decision-makers in identifying the obstacles behind the organisation readiness to change into a benchmark LSS maintenance environment. Thus the KB System will be used to achieve benchmark standards by determining the gap existing between the current environment and the benchmark goal, and then suggest a detailed plan to overcome these hurdles in a prioritised and structured manner, thus achieving cost benefits. To ensure its consistency and reliability, the KB System was validated in three Oman-based maintenance organisations, and one published case study for a UK-based organisation. The results from the validation were positive with the System output suggesting list of top priorities and action plans for achieving benchmark LSS standards for these organisations. The research concludes that the developed KB System is a consistent and reliable methodology for assisting decision-makers in designing, planning, and implementing LSS for benchmark sustainable building maintenance.

South Africa is a water - scarce country and will be facing a serious water shortage by approximately 2020. The study, that aims to establish attitudes towards the use of water and to examine the role of education in ensuring responsible use of water, focuses on Moruleng village which was selected as representational of the 28 villages of Saulspoort region. The outcomes of the literature review which examined water consumption patterns in rural areas prompted the conducting of focus group interview with four categories of villagers from the Moruleng village. Personal observations supported by photographs and follow-up interviews with individuals featured in the photographs supplemented the interview data. The study evidenced that water consumption patterns in rural communities are indicative of attitudes. Villagers' attitudes towards water and its use are ambiguous. The study purposes to examine the possible options to inculcate positive attitudes towards water and its use through the recommendations contained in the study. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.(Environmental Education))

Children across the globe today are continuously being exposed to and affected by various kinds of real-world complexities and challenges; however, research on their knowledge and practices in terms of sustainability is limited, in particular with regards to how preschool- and home-related factors are associated with their learning for sustainability. Since 1998, different types of eco-certification have been awarded by the Swedish National Agency for Education and Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation to promote education for sustainability (EfS) in all areas of education and learning. Despite certificates having been granted in Sweden since 1998, no studies have been conducted at the national level to investigate whether eco-certification has any role to play in children’s learning for environmental and sustainability issues. This knowledge is important to develop pedagogical activities to engage young children meaningfully in learning for sustainability at preschool. This study was undertaken so as to address this research gap in a Swedish context. The overall aim of this study was to enhance the existing knowledge about preschool children’s learning for sustainability in Sweden. The objectives of this study have been to investigate and compare the knowledge and self-reported practices of sustainability among children attending eco-certified and non-eco-certified preschools, respectively, and to explore the extent to which preschool- and home-related factors are associated with children’s knowledge and practices of sustainability. Further, this study explored children’s perceived sources of such knowledge. The term ‘knowledge’ in this text refers to the descriptions of children’s ideas and thoughts. Similarly, eco-certified preschool refers to a school that work explicitly with EfS. The study was designed from a "child’s perspective": this means that it was designed by adults to understand children’s perceptions and actions. Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory and Bruner’s (1961) iconic (image-based) modes of representation were applied in various stages of the study. A conceptual framework was developed within the three-interlocking-circles model of sustainability that illustrates how environmental, social and economic dimensions are interconnected. The concept of sustainability was operationalized in four themes: economic equality, resource sharing, recycling and transport use. With the use of illustrations and semi-structured questions, final-year preschool children (n=53), aged five to six years, and the directors (n=7) at six eco-certified and six non-eco-certified preschools were interviewed, while guardians (n=89) and teachers (n=74) filled out questionnaires. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using content analysis and Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), respectively. The quality and complexity of children’s responses were assessed and classified using the SOLO Taxonomy (Biggs &amp; Collis, 1982). The results showed that by the time the children completed preschool, many had acquired some knowledge about how to use money, about the sorting of different recyclable items at home and at preschool, and about the impact of different modes of transport on the environment and people’s lives. They also had ideas about the lives of other children in the world and what it can mean to share resources with other people. There was a positive relationship between children’s declarative (understanding) and functional (practice) knowledge of sustainability issues and the involvement of teachers and guardians in sustainability-related discussions and activities. No statistically significant differences between eco-certified and non-eco-certified preschools in terms of children’s declarative and functional knowledge were found. Parents were reported to be the main sources of children’s knowledge along with the children themselves, teachers and media. The findings offer support for integrating environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability into the daily pedagogical activities of preschools and for giving children opportunities to participate in discussions and practical activities that concern their lives. Further studies are needed to investigate the extent to which different educational activities contribute to developing children’s understanding and behavior when it comes to a sustainable society. / Bakgrund och syfte Dagens barn växer upp i en tid med många konflikter, klimatförändringar, naturkatastrofer, sinande naturresurser, fattigdom och globala hälsohot. Barn är offer eller potentiella offer för dessa omständigheter och de kommer i framtiden att påverkas av dem både fysiskt och socialt. De förhållanden som nämns här kan kopplas samman med frågor om hållbar utveckling. I rapporten Vår gemensamma framtid (Brundtland &amp; Hägerhäll, 1988) definieras hållbar utveckling som ’en utveckling som tillfredsställer dagens behov utan att äventyra kommande generationers möjligheter att tillfredsställa sina behov.’ Hållbar utveckling är ett komplext och omfattande begrepp som innefattar miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner. Forskare betonar vikten av att integrera lärande för hållbarhet i förskolans verksamhet (Davis, 2015; Pramling Samuelsson, 2011; Siraj-Blatchford, 2009). Studier visar att familjen och förskolan spelar en viktig roll i yngre barns utveckling av beteende och attityder (Musser &amp; Diamond, 1999; Sigel, Stinson, &amp; Flaugher, 1991; Sylva et al., 2004). Trots detta är forskning om föräldrars och lärares påverkan på utvecklingen av barns förståelse av och praktiserande för hållbarhet mycket begränsad. Sådan forskning är viktig för att kunna utveckla lämpliga strategier för undervisning om hållbarhetsfrågor i förskolan och för att säkerställa en hög kvalitet i utbildningen av de yngsta. Enligt den svenska läroplanen för förskolan (Skolverket, 2011) skall alla förkolor sträva efter att varje barn utvecklar respekt för alla former av liv och att de utvecklar en vilja att visa omsorg om närmiljön. För att främja hållbarhet i svensk utbildning delar Skolverket ut utmärkelsen ”Skola för hållbar utveckling” till förskolor som arbetar systematiskt med lärande för hållbar utveckling (Skolverket, 2014). Förskolor kan också certifieras med "Grön Flagg” av Håll Sverige Rent, som är en del av ett program för miljöskolor inom Foundation for Environmental Education’s (FEE) (Håll Sverige Rent, 2016). Eftersom den här typen av certifierade förskolor uttryckligen arbetar med hållbar utveckling skulle man kunna förvänta sig att arbetet också påverkar barns kunskaper och beteenden vad gäller hållbarhet. Trots att certifikat har beviljats i Sverige sedan 1998 har inga studier genomförts för att undersöka om ekocertifiering spelar någon roll för barns lärande om miljö- och hållbarhetsfrågor. Av de få tidigare studier som undersöker denna fråga har ingen fokus på förskolan. Med tanke på att hållbar utveckling också lyfts fram i den svenska läroplanen för förskolan är frågan särskilt angelägen. Det övergripande syftet med denna studie har varit att öka kunskapen om förskolebarns lärande för hållbarhet i Sverige. Studien har undersökt förskolebarns egenrapporterade kunskaper och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska aspekter av hållbar utveckling. Studien har också undersökt samband mellan förskole- och hemrelaterade faktorer och barns kunskaper och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller hållbarhet. Bland annat har relationen till ekocertifiering studerats samt vilka källor till den egna kunskapen barnen uppger. Denna studie definierar inte termen "kunskap"; snarare används termen för att beskriva barns egenrapporterade kunskap genom verbala svar och praktiska handlingar. Begreppet "kunskap" i denna text ska förstås som barnens egna beskrivningar av sina föreställningar och tankar. Egenrapporterade handlingar avser barns egna beskrivningar av vad de gör och hur de utför olika aktiviteter på förskolan, i hemmet eller när de är med vänner och ska hållas isär från observationer av barns agerande. I denna studie kategoriseras förskolor som har fått utmärkelsen Skola för hållbar utveckling eller har Grön flagg-certfikat som ekocertifierade förskolor. Metoder Studiens syn på hållbar utveckling utgår från miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner. Dessa tre överlappande dimensioner har operationaliserats genom fyra teman: ekonomisk jämlikhet, dela med sig, återvinning och transportanvändning. Banduras (1977) sociala inlärningsteori och Bruners (1961) kognitiva utvecklingsteori, i synnerhet det bildbaserade sättet att förstå omvärlden, användes i olika steg i studien. Både kvalitativa och kvantitativa data samlades in under perioden februari till september 2015. Data samlades in från tolv olika förskolor varav sex var ekocertifierade. Förskolorna fanns i sex kommuner i två län i Sverige. Data om förskolebarnens kunskaper om och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller hållbar utveckling samlades in genom intervjuer och observationer av 53 barn som gick sitt sista år på förskola. Vidare besvarade 74 förskolepedagoger och 89 vårdnadshavare enkäter, och sju förskolechefer som var ansvariga för de inkluderade förskolorna intervjuades. Den regionala etikprövningsnämnden i Umeå hade inte några invändningar mot studiens upplägg som följde Vetenskapsrådets etiska riktlinjer. Data samlades in efter informerat samtycke från förskolechefer, deltagande pedagoger samt deltagande barn och deras föräldrar. Resultat och slutsatser Resultaten visar att många barn i förskolans sista år hade förvärvat viss kunskap om hur man använder pengar, om sortering av olika återvinningsartiklar hemma och i förskolan och om påverkan av olika transportsätt på miljön samt om människors hälsa och välfärd. De hade också viss uppfattning om hur livet ser ut för andra barn i världen och vad det kan innebära att dela med sig av resurser till andra människor. Det fanns ett positivt samband mellan barns deklarativa kunskaper (förståelse) och funktionella kunskaper (praktik) om hållbarhetsfrågor, samt lärarnas och vårdnadshavarnas deltagande i hållbarhetsrelaterade diskussioner och aktiviteter. Inga statistiskt signifikanta skillnader kunde påvisas mellan ekocertifierade och icke-ekocertifierade förskolor i form av barns deklarativa och funktionella kunskaper. Föräldrar rapporterades vara de viktigaste källorna till barnens kunskap tillsammans med lärare och TV. Flera barn uppgav också att deras kunskap kom från dem själva. Resultaten ger stöd för att integrera miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner av hållbar utveckling i förskolans dagliga pedagogiska verksamhet. I studien framträdde betydelsen av att barn ges möjlighet att delta inte bara i diskussioner utan också i praktiska aktiviteter som berör deras liv för vilken kunskap de utvecklar om hållbarhetsfrågor. Ytterligare studier behövs för att undersöka i vilken utsträckning olika utbildningsaktiviteter bidrar till att utveckla barns förståelse och beteende när det gäller ett hållbart samhälle samt hur man kan engagera dem på ett meningsfullt sätt i deras lärande för hållbarhet.

Children across the globe today are continuously being exposed to and affected by various kinds of real-world complexities and challenges; however, research on their knowledge and practices in terms of sustainability is limited, in particular with regards to how preschool- and home-related factors are associated with their learning for sustainability. Since 1998, different types of eco-certification have been awarded by the Swedish National Agency for Education and Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation to promote education for sustainability (EfS) in all areas of education and learning. Despite certificates having been granted in Sweden since 1998, no studies have been conducted at the national level to investigate whether eco-certification has any role to play in children’s learning for environmental and sustainability issues. This knowledge is important to develop pedagogical activities to engage young children meaningfully in learning for sustainability at preschool. This study was undertaken so as to address this research gap in a Swedish context. The overall aim of this study was to enhance the existing knowledge about preschool children’s learning for sustainability in Sweden. The objectives of this study have been to investigate and compare the knowledge and self-reported practices of sustainability among children attending eco-certified and non-eco-certified preschools, respectively, and to explore the extent to which preschool- and home-related factors are associated with children’s knowledge and practices of sustainability. Further, this study explored children’s perceived sources of such knowledge. The term ‘knowledge’ in this text refers to the descriptions of children’s ideas and thoughts. Similarly, eco-certified preschool refers to a school that work explicitly with EfS. The study was designed from a "child’s perspective": this means that it was designed by adults to understand children’s perceptions and actions. Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory and Bruner’s (1961) iconic (image-based) modes of representation were applied in various stages of the study. A conceptual framework was developed within the three-interlocking-circles model of sustainability that illustrates how environmental, social and economic dimensions are interconnected. The concept of sustainability was operationalized in four themes: economic equality, resource sharing, recycling and transport use. With the use of illustrations and semi-structured questions, final-year preschool children (n=53), aged five to six years, and the directors (n=7) at six eco-certified and six non-eco-certified preschools were interviewed, while guardians (n=89) and teachers (n=74) filled out questionnaires. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using content analysis and Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), respectively. The quality and complexity of children’s responses were assessed and classified using the SOLO Taxonomy (Biggs &amp; Collis, 1982). The results showed that by the time the children completed preschool, many had acquired some knowledge about how to use money, about the sorting of different recyclable items at home and at preschool, and about the impact of different modes of transport on the environment and people’s lives. They also had ideas about the lives of other children in the world and what it can mean to share resources with other people. There was a positive relationship between children’s declarative (understanding) and functional (practice) knowledge of sustainability issues and the involvement of teachers and guardians in sustainability-related discussions and activities. No statistically significant differences between eco-certified and non-eco-certified preschools in terms of children’s declarative and functional knowledge were found. Parents were reported to be the main sources of children’s knowledge along with the children themselves, teachers and media. The findings offer support for integrating environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability into the daily pedagogical activities of preschools and for giving children opportunities to participate in discussions and practical activities that concern their lives. Further studies are needed to investigate the extent to which different educational activities contribute to developing children’s understanding and behavior when it comes to a sustainable society. / Bakgrund och syfte Dagens barn växer upp i en tid med många konflikter, klimatförändringar, naturkatastrofer, sinande naturresurser, fattigdom och globala hälsohot. Barn är offer eller potentiella offer för dessa omständigheter och de kommer i framtiden att påverkas av dem både fysiskt och socialt. De förhållanden som nämns här kan kopplas samman med frågor om hållbar utveckling. I rapporten Vår gemensamma framtid (Brundtland &amp; Hägerhäll, 1988) definieras hållbar utveckling som ’en utveckling som tillfredsställer dagens behov utan att äventyra kommande generationers möjligheter att tillfredsställa sina behov.’ Hållbar utveckling är ett komplext och omfattande begrepp som innefattar miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner. Forskare betonar vikten av att integrera lärande för hållbarhet i förskolans verksamhet (Davis, 2015; Pramling Samuelsson, 2011; Siraj-Blatchford, 2009). Studier visar att familjen och förskolan spelar en viktig roll i yngre barns utveckling av beteende och attityder (Musser &amp; Diamond, 1999; Sigel, Stinson, &amp; Flaugher, 1991; Sylva et al., 2004). Trots detta är forskning om föräldrars och lärares påverkan på utvecklingen av barns förståelse av och praktiserande för hållbarhet mycket begränsad. Sådan forskning är viktig för att kunna utveckla lämpliga strategier för undervisning om hållbarhetsfrågor i förskolan och för att säkerställa en hög kvalitet i utbildningen av de yngsta. Enligt den svenska läroplanen för förskolan (Skolverket, 2011) skall alla förkolor sträva efter att varje barn utvecklar respekt för alla former av liv och att de utvecklar en vilja att visa omsorg om närmiljön. För att främja hållbarhet i svensk utbildning delar Skolverket ut utmärkelsen ”Skola för hållbar utveckling” till förskolor som arbetar systematiskt med lärande för hållbar utveckling (Skolverket, 2014). Förskolor kan också certifieras med "Grön Flagg” av Håll Sverige Rent, som är en del av ett program för miljöskolor inom Foundation for Environmental Education’s (FEE) (Håll Sverige Rent, 2016). Eftersom den här typen av certifierade förskolor uttryckligen arbetar med hållbar utveckling skulle man kunna förvänta sig att arbetet också påverkar barns kunskaper och beteenden vad gäller hållbarhet. Trots att certifikat har beviljats i Sverige sedan 1998 har inga studier genomförts för att undersöka om ekocertifiering spelar någon roll för barns lärande om miljö- och hållbarhetsfrågor. Av de få tidigare studier som undersöker denna fråga har ingen fokus på förskolan. Med tanke på att hållbar utveckling också lyfts fram i den svenska läroplanen för förskolan är frågan särskilt angelägen. Det övergripande syftet med denna studie har varit att öka kunskapen om förskolebarns lärande för hållbarhet i Sverige. Studien har undersökt förskolebarns egenrapporterade kunskaper och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska aspekter av hållbar utveckling. Studien har också undersökt samband mellan förskole- och hemrelaterade faktorer och barns kunskaper och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller hållbarhet. Bland annat har relationen till ekocertifiering studerats samt vilka källor till den egna kunskapen barnen uppger. Denna studie definierar inte termen "kunskap"; snarare används termen för att beskriva barns egenrapporterade kunskap genom verbala svar och praktiska handlingar. Begreppet "kunskap" i denna text ska förstås som barnens egna beskrivningar av sina föreställningar och tankar. Egenrapporterade handlingar avser barns egna beskrivningar av vad de gör och hur de utför olika aktiviteter på förskolan, i hemmet eller när de är med vänner och ska hållas isär från observationer av barns agerande. I denna studie kategoriseras förskolor som har fått utmärkelsen Skola för hållbar utveckling eller har Grön flagg-certfikat som ekocertifierade förskolor. Metoder Studiens syn på hållbar utveckling utgår från miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner. Dessa tre överlappande dimensioner har operationaliserats genom fyra teman: ekonomisk jämlikhet, dela med sig, återvinning och transportanvändning. Banduras (1977) sociala inlärningsteori och Bruners (1961) kognitiva utvecklingsteori, i synnerhet det bildbaserade sättet att förstå omvärlden, användes i olika steg i studien. Både kvalitativa och kvantitativa data samlades in under perioden februari till september 2015. Data samlades in från tolv olika förskolor varav sex var ekocertifierade. Förskolorna fanns i sex kommuner i två län i Sverige. Data om förskolebarnens kunskaper om och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller hållbar utveckling samlades in genom intervjuer och observationer av 53 barn som gick sitt sista år på förskola. Vidare besvarade 74 förskolepedagoger och 89 vårdnadshavare enkäter, och sju förskolechefer som var ansvariga för de inkluderade förskolorna intervjuades. Den regionala etikprövningsnämnden i Umeå hade inte några invändningar mot studiens upplägg som följde Vetenskapsrådets etiska riktlinjer. Data samlades in efter informerat samtycke från förskolechefer, deltagande pedagoger samt deltagande barn och deras föräldrar. Resultat och slutsatser Resultaten visar att många barn i förskolans sista år hade förvärvat viss kunskap om hur man använder pengar, om sortering av olika återvinningsartiklar hemma och i förskolan och om påverkan av olika transportsätt på miljön samt om människors hälsa och välfärd. De hade också viss uppfattning om hur livet ser ut för andra barn i världen och vad det kan innebära att dela med sig av resurser till andra människor. Det fanns ett positivt samband mellan barns deklarativa kunskaper (förståelse) och funktionella kunskaper (praktik) om hållbarhetsfrågor, samt lärarnas och vårdnadshavarnas deltagande i hållbarhetsrelaterade diskussioner och aktiviteter. Inga statistiskt signifikanta skillnader kunde påvisas mellan ekocertifierade och icke-ekocertifierade förskolor i form av barns deklarativa och funktionella kunskaper. Föräldrar rapporterades vara de viktigaste källorna till barnens kunskap tillsammans med lärare och TV. Flera barn uppgav också att deras kunskap kom från dem själva. Resultaten ger stöd för att integrera miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner av hållbar utveckling i förskolans dagliga pedagogiska verksamhet. I studien framträdde betydelsen av att barn ges möjlighet att delta inte bara i diskussioner utan också i praktiska aktiviteter som berör deras liv för vilken kunskap de utvecklar om hållbarhetsfrågor. Ytterligare studier behövs för att undersöka i vilken utsträckning olika utbildningsaktiviteter bidrar till att utveckla barns förståelse och beteende när det gäller ett hållbart samhälle samt hur man kan engagera dem på ett meningsfullt sätt i deras lärande för hållbarhet.