| 1. |
- Rex, Emma, 1978, et al.
(författare)
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Energy efficiency along the value chain – ways of working for increased competitiveness
- 2015
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This report presents a project with the aim to develop methods for large companies on how to work with energy efficiency that stretches along the value chain. By studying organizational conditions and physical effects on energy and climate for six cases in three companies, recommendations are given to businesses and governments on how to work for increased life cycle energy efficiency.The results point to a range of organizational and economic challenges, but also to enablers. Four strategies for progress were identified: A) Find and share the life cycle benefits, B) Enable and encourage understanding and action, C) Get focus and priorities in line, and D) Seek or create a way forward. The study points to the need to be strategic, and to translate this strategy into priorities and operational work. Yet, it must be recognized that life cycle thinking is not the work by one company and there is a call for cross-actor arenas to discuss and develop governance of value chains beyond the act of single companies.
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| 2. |
- Rex, Emma, 1978, et al.
(författare)
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Organizational challenges and solutions for practical implementation of life cycle improvements.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Life Cycle Management LCM conference 2015.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Life cycle management is still not fully integrated as a deliberate part of most companies’ product and business strategy operations. Seemingly promising solutions never reach implementation, or potential options are not explored. Many possible reasons for this can be found in the literature. Barriers could stem from gaps in knowledge, data, and tools for identifying and evaluating alternatives, but may also (and possibly to a greater extent) relate to established mindsets, organizational structures and internal and external incentives along the value chain. Implementation of life cycle thinking may challenge existing norms e.g. regarding distribution of values and risks in the life cycle, or conceptions of what technical system to be optimized. Formal and informal management procedures may also act as barriers, such as responsibility-schemes for environmental, energy-related and economic results.While technical solutions for LCM can be found in LCA literature and managerial solutions in the management literature, this study add further insights on organizational challenges and possibilities based on organizational practices having life cycle implications. It explores promising solutions and potential options for mainstreaming life cycle improvements based on observed practices in large production companies.Data is collected through a number of historic and ongoing examples of product and process changes associated with environmental implications in a life cycle perspective. Examples include both deliberate actions of life cycle management and actions with life cycle implications originally based on other rationales. The study focuses large multinational corporations in a range of sectors such as energy, estate, automotive, chemicals and consumer goods. All studied companies have own in-house competence in life cycle thinking. Data and experiences are collected through interviews and workshops with representatives from both the life cycle metric departments and other corporate functions such as sales and marketing, product development etc.Enablers and barriers for mainstreaming life cycle management are described and categorized based on the nature and effects of observed practices. Ways to enhance promising solutions, and overcome identified barriers, are also further analyzed. It leads to a discussion about actual and perceived responsibilities for furthering life cycle improvements, among actors both internal and external to the organization.
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| 3. |
- Brunklaus, Birgit, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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Food retailing – a comparative analysis of handling organic and conventional food products
- 2015
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Ingår i: ISIE Industrial Ecology conference 2015.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The food sector is facing a number of environmental challenges in the future, e.g. waste minimizing or reducing climate change (Sonesson et al 2010, Gustavsson 2010). The food sector is also facing organisational challenges e.g. long chains between farmers and consumers (Soler et al 2010). Therefore the need to be able to describe product flows in the food sector is raising e.g. environmentally adapted production and consumption. The retailer is one the main actor handling product flows, the gatekeeper between producer and consumer (Kogg 2009, Mont et al 2013). On the one hand, retailers are taking in more and more organic products and on the other hand facing the climate labelling, and need to think about their own contribution. What is the retailer’s environmental contribution? The difference between organic and conventional products have been studied (Meier et al 2014, Organic research centre 2010, Davis et al 2011, Nilsson 2006). However, is there a difference between retailer’s handling? The question is answered with help of an actor based LCA method. The results are based on a case study on a large Swedish food retailer including interviews and document studies on routines for purchasing, storing, and transport, as well as product volume, energy and waste data. The results are complemented and compared with existing swedish LCA studies of organic and conventional food products (Sonesson et al 2011, Davis et al 2011, Nilsson 2006), such as the LCA studies on organic milk, egg, pork, and apples, complemented with studies on bananas (Stoessel et al 2010, Roibas 2014) and cod (Winther et al 2009).
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| 4. |
- Brunklaus, Birgit, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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Turistens klimatpåverkan – modell och beräkning för Västsverige
- 2015
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sedan år 2000 har turismkonsumtionen i Sverige nästan fördubblats och exporten, det vill säga värdet av utländska besökares konsumtion i Sverige, har under motsvarande period ökat med 160 procent. Den nationella strategin för svensk besöksnäring har som vision att öka turistomsättning till 500 miljarder SEK till år 2020. Detta kommer att leda till en ökad påverkan på miljön, klimatet och samhället i stort. Ur ett hållbarhetsperspektiv innebär visionen därför stora utmaningar. I den här studien är fokus riktad mot miljön och mer specifikt klimatpåverkan. Ett tillvägagångssätt för att öka förståelsen är att beskriva hur turistens konsumentval påverkar klimatet, och beräkna turisters klimatpåverkan och ta fram nyckeltal mer specifikt för turister i Västsverige.Modell och klimatberäkningar: För att beräkna turisters klimatpåverkan under sitt besök i Västsverige inkluderas i denna rapport följande fyra moment: transport t/r till Västsverige, kost, logi och aktiviteter. Valet av de fyra kategorierna är kopplat till vad en turist konsumerar under ett besök i Västsverige, men också ett resultat av tillgången till data (dvs. tidigare LCA-studier och klimatdata) för tjänster och produkter som påverkar klimatet. En s.k. modulbaserad ansats har valts för studien. Statistisk data från SCB (2014), IBIS (2013), Turistrådet Västsverige (f.d. Västsvenska turistrådet) och Handelns Utredningsinstitut (f.d. Turismens utredningsinstitut) har använts för varje modul (transport, logi, aktiviteter och kost). Dessa data kallas för förgrundsdata.För att beräkna klimatpåverkan för varje enskild modul krävs s.k. bakgrundsdata. Här används LCA-databaser (t.ex. ecoinvent inom transport), klimatberäkningar (framförallt för hotell), miljö- och energiredovisningar som översätts till klimatdata (framförallt för aktiviteter) eller LCA-studier som översättas till maträtter (framförallt inom kost). Modellen är utformad för att fungera på både lokal och nationell nivå eftersom den är baserad på existerande turiststatistik (som finns både på lokal och nationell nivå) kopplad till existerande LCA/Klimatdata. För framtida användning av modellen och beräkningar är dock bättre turistdata samt bättre LCA/klimatdata önskvärd.Resultat och nyckeltal: Resultaten visar att turistens klimatpåverkan i huvudsak orsakas av transport (54 %) och logi (23 %.). Dessutom visar resultaten att varje turist orsakar 110kg CO2 ekv.Utsläppen varierar emellertid kraftigt beroende på turisternas val av transportslag, typ av logi, kost och aktiviteter. Turistkronan är ett vanligt nyckeltal och visar turistisk gensomsnittlig konsumtion fördelad på olika områden. Jämförelsen ger en bild av proportionerna mellan konsumtion och miljöpåverkan, där t.ex. transport står för 11% av tursitkronan men 54% av klimatpåverkan. Följande nyckeltal har tagits fram för den årliga turistiska klimatpåverkan: •Total klimatpåverkan turism i Västsverige = 349 miljoner kg CO2 ekv•Klimatpåverkan per turist = 110 kg CO2 ekv•Klimatpåverkan per gästnatt = 39 kg CO2 ekv •Klimatpåverkan/turistomsättning = 0,01 kg CO2 ekvOvanstående klimatpåverkan är dock endast ett brutto. För att räkna ut en nettopåverkan är det viktigt att föra ett alternativskostnadsresonemang. Det innebär att vi bör ha information om vad turisten hade gjort om denne inte turistat i Västsverige. Rapporten diskuterar tre sådana alternativ: att stanna hemma, att resa till en annan destination samt att konsumera andra varor och/eller tjänster. För att räkna ut en mer detaljerad nettopåverkan krävs dock mer information om turistens alternativ till semester i Västsverige.För att vidare utveckla modellen rekommenderar vi: Att samla in mer detaljerad data om besökaren som kan kopplas till deras klimatpåverkan. För datainsamling av besöksdata krävs en modifiering av enkäter som används för att ställa frågor kring främst mat (vegetarisk, fisk, kött, vin, öl etc.) och transportslag (flyg, bil, från var, på plats etc.). En annan rekommendation är att bygga upp en detaljerad klimatdatabas tillsammans med t.ex. Swedish Welcome för hotell, restauranger, upplevelser och attraktioner. En sådan databas är också av intresse för forskning och skulle kunna genomföras tillsammans med GU och Chalmers. Forskningsintresset ligger i att allmänt vidareutveckla LCA-modeller kring tjänster, men också mer specifikt inom turismfältet.I utvecklad form är modellen ett verktyg för att paketera mer hållbara alternativ för turister i allmänhet och miljömedvetna turister i synnerhet. Den kan hjälpa aktörer att visa upp effekterna av hållbara konsumentval, vilket ligger i linje med visioner på lokal, regional och nationell nivå. Det är möjligt att synliggöra hållbara transporter, aktiviteter, boende och mat, dvs. hållbara val i turistkonsumtionens samtliga delar. ˜˜˜
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| 5. |
- Baumann, Henrikke, 1964, et al.
(författare)
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Populating the life cycle perspective: methods for analyzing social and organizational dimensions of product chains for management studies
- 2015
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Ingår i: International Society for Industrial Ecology Biennial Conference, 7-10 July, Surry, United Kingdom..
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The strength of the life cycle perspective is that it takes the whole product chain into account so that the shifting of environmental problems along the chain can be avoided. A weakness with conventional life cycle analysis is that its enviro-technical analysis does not easily identify actors and their scope of action. By replacing the focus on technical processes with a focus on actors and their organization of the product flow, another understanding of the sustainability issues of the product chain becomes possible. The outcome of a decade of research is a portfolio of life cycle methods for the management sciences: actor-LCA, social issue LCA, study of product chain organization, study of a production and consumption system, and organizational study of a flow node in a product chain. The theoretical reasoning leading to this developed rests on an application of actor‐network‐theories for a constructive combination of both social and material actants. It consists in part of an analysis of the problem with 'flow' and in part, the problem with 'organization'. The different methods focus on actors and organization in a product life cycle in different ways. The positioning of the methods relative to each other is presented and their application to management and governance problems is discussed.
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| 6. |
- Brunklaus, Birgit, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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Eco-innovative measures in large Swedish companies: An inventory based on company reports
- 2012
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The project creates a detailed picture through a survey of eco-innovative measures among Sweden's 100 largest companies from 11 industries. Data from latest corporate annual reports was gathered in 2012 and analyzed using a range of criteria that show what types of measures companies pursue in order to tackle environmental issues. These criteria range from internal measures, such as developing new products and processes, to measures that include the value chain and other public/private partners that can help boost eco-innovation. The study shows that the majority of companies see themselves as proactive and that most reported are internal measures, with an emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable energy and materials. Examples for energy efficiency measures are effective lightning, insulation and lean production. Examples for renewable measures regarding energy are green electricity based on wind, biomass and solar. Examples for renewable measures regarding materials are bio and organic based products, or biomass based production. Among the interesting eco-innovation examples there are biopharmaceuticals (Astra), ZERO mission (Skanska), “one tone life” (ICA), dinner parties “rest dating”(Landmännen), smart homes and cars (Semcon), smart application of technologies (ABB and Ericsson), smart grips to link homes, vehicles and users (Toyota), regenerative braking system (SJ), “Zee-weed” technologies (ITT), biomass-based fuels of their own process (SCA), light-weight materials (SSAB). Measures including the value chain focus on procurement and measures including the consumer are rarely mentioned. Drivers for these measures are ranging from business opportunities to cost and legislation. Companies in the construction and consultancy/service sector have taken up environmental issues as their business opportunity. Companies in general mention legislation, such as REACH, as well as consumer demands as driver, while companies in the automotive and transport sector seldom mention drivers. The study also shows that annual reports are sufficient for gathering general information on product development and production processes, while information regarding R&D is not always presented and needs to be complemented with questionnaires and interviews. The project provides a starting point for further research on eco-innovation regarding the value chain, the consumers and the role of networks.
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| 7. |
- Brunklaus, Birgit, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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Eco-innovative measures in large Swedish Companies - An inventory based on company reports
- 2013
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The project examines eco-innovative measures among 100 large companies from 11industries in Sweden. Data from corporate annual reports was gathered and analysedusing a range of criteria that show what types of measures companies pursue in order totackle environmental issues. These criteria range from internal measures, such asdeveloping new products and processes, to measures that include the value chain andpublic/private partners that can help boost eco-innovation.The study shows that the majority of companies see themselves as proactive and thattheir main focus vis-à-vis eco-innovation is on internal measures, with an emphasis onenergy efficiency and renewable energy and materials. Examples of measures that focuson energy efficiency include effective lighting, insulation and lean production. Examplesof measures that focus on renewable energy measures include sourcing electricitybased on wind, biomass and solar power. Examples of measures that focus on renewablematerials include bio- and organic-based products, or biomass-based production.The study highlights various eco-innovation measures that have the potential to bringabout meaningful change, including “ZERO mission” (Skanska), the “One tonne life”project to create a climate smart household (ICA as partner), launch of a “left overdating” matchmaker service to find “dinner partners” with supplementary ingredients(Lantmännen), smart homes and cars (Semcon), smart application of technologies (ABBand Ericsson), smart grids to link homes, vehicles and users (Toyota), regenerativebraking systems (SJ), “Zee-weed” membrane techniques for water treatment (ITT),biomass-based fuels of their own process (SCA), and light-weight materials (SSAB).The study finds some evidence that drivers of eco-innovation range from businessopportunities to costs and legislation. Companies in the construction and consultancy/service groups, for instance, see environmental issues as a business opportunity. Generally,companies note the importance of legislation such as REACH, and consumerdemands as drivers of eco-innovation. However other companies in our sample rarelymention drivers. The study also shows that annual reports are sufficient for gatheringgeneral information on product development and production processes, while informationregarding R&D is not always presented and needs to be supplemented withquestionnaires and interviews. The project provides a starting point for further researchon eco-innovation regarding the value chain, the consumers and the role of networks.
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| 8. |
- Brunklaus, Birgit, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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Green products need green actor chains – The assessment of passive housing and organic food
- 2011
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Ingår i: The Adlerbert Research Foundation Jubilee Conference 2011. ; , s. 19-
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sustainable development is interpreted in many ways by business and industry as over 30 definitions of corporatesocial responsibility shows, all including social, economic and environmental aspects. At the same time business unitsand products supply chains become multinational and environmental concerns are rising in industry, such as energy,climate change or waste reduction. The presented research here involves environmental aspects and business aspects inform of product chains and the overall research question is: How do organising product chains effect the environment?In other words: How green are product chains, especially of green products, such as passive housing or organic food.The question is answered within a concept and methods based on an interdisciplinary approach, combining LCA(engineering/natural science tool) and environmental management/organisation theory (social science) – Environmentalassessment of organising (EAO).A number of qualitative pre-studies and complete quantitative case studies based on this method have been usedin close contact to industrial actors in different sectors, including the building sector, the food sector, as well as themanufacturing sector, service sector, transport sector, and leisure.The study of food reveals the importance of industry and consumers, especially on reducing waste. The study ofgreen buildings reveal that passive housing are only green product when consumer choosing eco-labeled electricity. Theongoing study of green food chains indicates so far that the organising of short and local chains might not only reducetransport, but also reduce waste within the chain due to the caring handling of the product.The main conclusion of this interdisciplinary research shows that green products need green actor chains. Thestudies show that including actors in LCA helps to describe these green actor chains.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Sarasini, Steven, 1979, et al.
(författare)
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Eco-innovation measures in large Swedish companies - an inventory based on company reports
- 2013
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Ingår i: Eco-innovation: Lessons from experience and new frontiers theory and practice - Suggestions and Guidelines.
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The term ‘eco-innovation’ is of interest to policymakers and industrial practitioners that seek to marry environmental protection with economic development. Sweden has made some headway in that it has an international reputation for leadership on environmental issues and for creating policies that seek to boost eco-innovation in key industries. Sweden is also regarded to be one of the most innovative countries in the world, frequently scoring highly in the EU innovation scoreboard. In other words, Sweden appears to have all the right ingredients to succeed as a hub for industrial eco-innovations. However, examining industrial efforts to eco-innovate is complicated by the fact that eco-innovation is poorly defined. The varying definitions and typologies currently in circulation pose risks to the field of eco-innovation research. In this chapter we aim to consolidate existing conceptualisations by adapting an existing typology of eco-innovation. We then apply this typology to examine eco-innovation in large Swedish companies, aiming to provide useful inputs to policymakers and practitioners, and to the field of eco-innovation research.
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