| 1. |
- Ahrné, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Tillstånd och trender för arter och deras livsmiljöer – rödlistade arter i Sverige 2015
- 2015
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- 2015 års upplaga av den svenska rödlistan är den fjärde i ordningen. Den är baserad på IUCN:s rödlistningskriterier och revideras vart femte år. I rödlistan bedöms risken som enskilda arter av djur, växter och svampar löper att försvinna från Sverige. Bedömningen utförs av ArtDatabankens medarbetare i samverkan med över 100 externa experter, indelade i 14 expertkommittéer för olika organismgrupper. Under arbetet med 2015 års rödlista har tillstånd och trender bedömts för 21 600 arter och 1 318 lägre taxa (apomiktiska arter, underarter och varieteter), sammanlagt ca 22 900 taxa. Av de bedömda arterna klassificerades 2 029 som hotade (kategorierna CR, EN och VU) och 4 273 som rödlistade (inkluderar även kategorierna NT, RE och DD). Förhållandet mellan antalet rödlistade och antalet bedömda arter ar 19,8 %, vilket är ungefär samma värde som 2010 och 2005. I denna rapport jämförs antalet och andelen rödlistade arter mellan olika organismgrupper, biotoper, substrat och påverkansfaktorer. Texten ar indelad i en allmän del och åtta kapitel inriktade på olika landskapstyper. Landskapstyperna utgör en grov indelning av landets miljöer enligt följande kategorier: Skog, Jordbrukslandskap, Urbana miljöer, Fjäll, Våtmarker, Sötvatten, Havsstränder och Havsmiljöer. Skogen och jordbrukslandskapet är de artrikaste landskapstyperna med 1 800 respektive 1 400 arter som har en stark anknytning dit, och ytterligare flera hundra arter som förekommer där mer sporadiskt. De faktorer som påverkar flest rödlistade arter i Sverige är skogsavverkning och igenväxning, som båda utgör ett hot mot vardera ca 30 % av de rödlistade arterna. Avverkning minskar arealen av skog där naturliga strukturer och naturlig dynamik upprätthålls, och den orsakar därmed förlust av livsmiljöer. Igenväxning orsakas av ett antal faktorer, bland annat upphörande hävd (bete och slåtter), gödsling, trädplantering och brist på naturliga störningsregimer som t.ex. regelbundna översvämningar kring vattendrag och sjöar. Andra viktiga påverkansfaktorer är fiske, torrläggning av våtmarker, tillbakagång hos värdarter (främst alm och ask som drabbats av invasiva svampsjukdomar), klimatförändringar och konkurrens från invasiva arter. IUCN:s rödlisteindex beräknas för ett urval av de bedömda organismgrupperna. Rödlisteindex visar att skillnaderna mellan rödlistorna från 2000, 2005, 2010 och 2015 är små. Ett par undantag finns dock. Groddjur och stora däggdjur har fått en något förbättrad situation sedan 2000. Totalt förefaller det ändå som att trycket mot Sveriges artstock har förblivit relativt konstant under de senaste 15 åren.
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| 2. |
- Petersson, Jesper, 1974
(författare)
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Blurring the shoreline: De- and re-infrastructuring and the changing colors of European flood policy
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space. - : SAGE Publications. - 2514-8494 .- 2514-8494 .- 2514-8486. ; 4:2, s. 623-644
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper provides a genealogy of the emergence of a common EU flood policy, including the scope and direction of this policy. Noticing how EU policy proposes green infrastructure (associated with using nature as a buffer zone in managing floods) as an alternative to grey infrastructure (implying fixed installations of concrete and cement), this paper adopts the theoretical lens of the so-called infrastructural turn, which advocates a relational investigation of infrastructure. By engaging this approach, the paper shows how flood infrastructure can contain very different compositions of (unruly) water and (settled) land. A narrative of a historically strong focus on guarding society from the powerful forces of nature through a fixed line of defense is increasingly giving way to more muddy states—quite literally—where society is expected to learn to live with flooding and show ecological consideration. To capture the EU’s, and especially the European Commission’s efforts to establish a pan-European flood infrastructure that accommodates this turn, the concepts of de- and re-infrastructuring are developed. These concepts act as heuristic devices to capture how policy performs some combinations between water and land as constituting an attractive and functional flood infrastructure, but constitutes other infrastructural relations of the aquatic and the terrestrial as undesirable and, hence, as malfunctioning. This performative act of distinguishing between what constitutes “good and proper” versus “bad and undesirable” infrastructure is referred to as a politics of infrastructure.
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| 3. |
- Liljenström, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Scoping Report on Socio-Economic and Land Use Dynamics in the Stockholm-Mälar Region
- 2014
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This scoping report for the COMPLEX work package 4 (WP4) on Socio-Economic and Land Use Dynamics in the Stockholm-Mälar Region has several objectives. The first is to present and outline the state-of-the-art, including a literature review, with regard to complex pathways to a low carbon society, with special relevance to the Stockholm-Mälar region. It will do so in a larger context of complex socio-natural systems, with an emphasis on a green economy, bioen-ergy and land use, as well as on societal transformation and behavioural change. Another objec-tive is to inform primarily our partners in COMPLEX, but also others who might be interested, including stakeholders in our study region. Perhaps the most important objective with this re-port is to provide a basis for the collaborative work within our work package, and with our col-leagues elsewhere. In this second revised version of the report, we have extended some parts, and shortened others, depending on suggestions and interesting new information. A part of this new information has come from a stakeholder workshop held in Sigtuna in early 2014, which to a great extent could contribute to a more elaborate analysis of stakeholder and policy maker positions. In addition, there is now a more extensive description of relevant land use modelling. The illustrations included in this report are extracted from scientific articles and other material that we are referring to. Their origin is explicitly cited but no copyright authorization has been requested, while this report is intended primarily for internal spread and use within the COM-PLEX consortium and its networks.
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| 4. |
- Earon, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Groundwater Resources Potential in Hard Rock Terrain : A Multivariate Approach
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ground Water. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0017-467X .- 1745-6584.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Groundwater resources are limited and difficult to predict in crystalline bedrock due to heterogeneity and anisotropy in rock fracture systems. Municipal-level governments often lack the resources for traditional hydrogeological tests when planning for sustainable use of water resources. A new methodology for assessing groundwater resources potential (GRP) based on geological and topographical factors using principal component analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was developed and tested. ANOVA results demonstrated statistically significant differences in classed variable groups as well as in classed GRP scores with regard to hydrogeological indicators, such as specific capacity (SC) and transmissivity. Results of PCA were used to govern the weight of the variables used in the prediction maps. GRP scores were able to identify 79% of wells in a verification dataset, which had SC values less than the total dataset median. GRP values showed statistically significant correlations using both parametric (using transformed datasets) and non-parametric methods. The method shows promise for municipal or regional level planning in crystalline terrains with high levels of heterogeneity and anisotropy as a hydrogeologically and statistically based tool to assist in assessing groundwater resources. The methodology is executed in a geographic information systems environment, and uses often readily available data, such as geological maps, feature maps and topography, and thus does not require expensive and time-consuming aquifer tests.
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| 5. |
- Cullinane, Kevin
(författare)
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Targeting the Environmental Sustainability of European Shipping: The Need for Innovation in Policy and Technology
- 2014
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- At their Summit meeting in Gothenburg in June 2001, Europe’s heads of state and government reached agreement on a European strategy for sustainable development. The social and economic dimensions of the Lisbon strategy were complemented by an environmental dimension. Thus, the Gothenburg Summit represents a breakthrough for sustainable development in the European Union (EU). The University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology made a commitment to serve, through the joint Centre for Environment and Sustainability (GMV), as a hub for research and scientific follow up of the EU sustainable development strategy. In order to fulfill this commitment, the two universities have established a European Panel for Sustainable Development (EPSD), together with Lund University. In addition, individual members from other universities and research institutes contribute to the work of the Panel. The Centre for Environment and Sustainability (GMV) in Gothenburg is the lead organization in the EPSD. The first report produced by the Panel in 2004 was “From Here to Sustainability – Is the Lisbon/Gothenburg Agenda Delivering?” This was put forward as an independent contribution from academics to the mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy for growth, competitiveness and jobs. The second report “Make the Kok-report sustainable” was produced by the EPSD as a reflection on, and a response to, the mid-term review on the Lisbon strategy chaired by the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Wim Kok. The third report “Towards a Smart Growth Strategy for Sustainable Development” aimed to contribute to the re-launch of the EU sustainable development strategy. It contained a critical assessment of “A Platform for Action”, the proposal for an updated strategy put forward by the European Commission. The fourth report “TAKING CHILDREN SERIOUSLY – How the EU can Invest in Early Childhood Education for a Sustainable Future” presented research on children’s interest and ability to understand questions on the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The present report “Targeting the Environmental Sustainability of European Shipping: The Need for Innovation in Policy and Technology” has emerged from a background survey with the aim of mapping what is being done on sustainable shipping within the European Union. A wide scope of strategic EU policy sectors and documents, including existing directives, legislation and regulations on shipping were scrutinized to describe the actual knowledge framework. The background study defines areas where new research could contribute in closing knowledge gaps, and gives a compilation of directives and policy documents concerning sustainable shipping in a European perspective. Based on a definition of sustainable shipping that include all three pillars of sustainable development, the present report presents a holistic view and strategies for achieving a sustainable shipping industry. The report provides scientifically based knowledge of various aspects that affect sustainability at sea, such as particles, greenhouse gases, ship wrecks, ship recycling, and intermodality, as well as a comprehensive overview and updates on regulations. These various areas are presented as separate chapters and solid recommendations are presented on future actions (on EU and international level) to make the shipping industry in Europe a sustainable business. The main author of the report was Prof. Kevin Cullinane, Edinburgh Napier University, UK. The separate chapters in the report were written by Lars Barregård, University of Gothenburg, Erik Fridell, Hulda Winnes, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute (Particle emission from ships); Hannes Johnson 1 , Chalmers University of Technology (GHG Emissions and the Energy Efficiency Gap in Shipping); Peter Domini, Stena Metall (Ship Recycling: A Global Issue); Lars Barregård, University of Gothenburg (The Health Risks Associated with the Ship Breaking Industry); Ida-Maja Hassellöv, Chalmers University of Technology (Potentially Polluting Shipwrecks); Abhinayan Basu Bal, University of Gothenburg (Sustainable Intermodal Transport with Short Sea Shipping in the EU); A number of researchers and knowledgeable persons have constituted a reference group and further contributed to the report: Katarina Gårdfeldt, Maria Svane, Dan Strömberg, and Jonas Norrman, GMV, Gothenburg; Karin Andersson, Björn Södahl, Josefin Borg, and Oliver Lindqvist, Chalmers University of Technology; Lars Göran Malmberg, Johan Boman, Johan Woxenius, and Mattias Hallquist, University of Gothenburg, Christer Forsgren, Stena Metall; Anders Carlberg, Vgregion; Carl Carlsson, Swedish Shipowners Association, and Axel Wenblad, Former GD National Board of Fisheries. Dan Strömberg, and Maria Svane, University of Gothenburg, have been invaluable during the course of the project and as editors of the publication. The report has been endorsed by the EPSD. Bo Samuelsson Chairman of EPSD
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| 6. |
- Englund, Oskar, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Large-scale deployment of grass in crop rotations as a multifunctional climate mitigation strategy
- 2023
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Ingår i: GCB Bioenergy. - : Wiley. - 1757-1707 .- 1757-1693. ; 15:2, s. 166-184
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The agriculture sector can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, sequestering carbon in vegetation and soils, and providing biomass to substitute for fossil fuels and other GHG-intensive products. The sector also needs to address water, soil, and biodiversity impacts caused by historic and current practices. Emerging EU policies create incentives for cultivation of perennial plants that provide biomass along with environmental benefits. One such option, common in northern Europe, is to include grass in rotations with annual crops to provide biomass while remediating soil organic carbon (SOC) losses and other environmental impacts. Here, we apply a spatially explicit model on >81,000 sub-watersheds in EU27 + UK (Europe) to explore the effects of widespread deployment of such systems. Based on current accumulated SOC losses in individual sub-watersheds, the model identifies and quantifies suitable areas for increased grass cultivation and corresponding biomass- and protein supply, SOC sequestration, and reductions in nitrogen emissions to water as well as wind and water erosion. The model also provides information about possible flood mitigation. The results indicate a substantial climate mitigation potential, with combined annual GHG savings from soil-carbon sequestration and displacement of natural gas with biogas from grass-based biorefineries, equivalent to 13%–48% of current GHG emissions from agriculture in Europe. The environmental co-benefits are also notable, in some cases exceeding the estimated mitigation needs. Yield increases for annual crops in modified rotations mitigate the displacement effect of increasing grass cultivation. If the grass is used as feedstock in lieu of annual crops, the displacement effect can even be negative, that is, a reduced need for annual crop production elsewhere. Incentivizing widespread deployment will require supportive policy measures as well as new uses of grass biomass, for example, as feedstock for green biorefineries producing protein concentrate, biofuels, and other bio-based products.
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| 7. |
- Thomas, Jean-Baptiste, et al.
(författare)
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A comparative environmental life cycle assessment of hatchery, cultivation, and preservation of the kelp Saccharina latissima
- 2021
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Ingår i: Ices Journal of Marine Science. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1054-3139 .- 1095-9289. ; 78:1, s. 451-467
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seaweed cultivation and processing industries could contribute to sustainable blue growth and the European bioeconomy. This article contributes a case study evaluation of environmental sustainability of preserved brown seaweed Saccharina latissima by means of environmental life cycle assessment of a pilot facility in Sweden. The study accounts for nutrient bioremediation and carbon capture and includes two alternative hatchery processes, a 2-ha longline cultivation, and four alternative preservation methods (hang-drying outdoors, heated air-cabinet drying, ensiling, and freezing). The study found that as a result of carbon capture and nitrogen and phosphorus uptake (bioremediation) by seaweed, more CO2 and PO4 equivalents are (temporarily) absorbed than emitted by the supply chain. The extent of emissions is most affected by preservation methods undertaken. Impact profiles of the supply chain show that the greatest impact shares result from freezing and air-cabinet drying, both the two most energy-intensive processes, followed by the cultivation infrastructure, highlighting strategic optimization opportunities. Hatchery processes, harvesting, and the low-energy ensilage and hang-drying outdoors were found to have relatively small impact shares. These findings presage the environmentally friendliness of seaweed-based products by documenting their potential to mitigate eutrophication and climate change, even when taking a life cycle perspective.
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| 8. |
- Ekener, Elisabeth, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Developing Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment methodology by applying values-based sustainability weighting - Tested on biomass based and fossil transportation fuels
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 181, s. 337-351
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The production and use of transportation fuels can lead to sustainability impacts. Assessing them simultaneously in a holistic way is a challenge. This paper examines methodology for assessing the sustainability performance of products in a more integrated way, including a broad range of social impacts. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) methodology is applied for this assessment. LSCA often constitutes of the integration of results from social LCA (S-LCA), environmental life cycle assessment (E-LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC). In this study, an S-LCA from an earlier project is extended with a positive social aspect, as well as refined and detailed. E-LCA and LCC results are built from LCA database and literature. Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology is applied to integrate the results from the three different assessments into an LCSA. The weighting of key sustainability dimensions in the MCDA is performed in different ways, where the sustainability dimensions are prioritized differently priority based on the assumed values of different stakeholder profiles (Egalitarian, Hierarchist, and Individualist). The developed methodology is tested on selected biomass based and fossil transportation fuels - ethanol produced from Brazilian sugarcane and US corn/maize, and petrol produced from Russian and Nigerian crude oils, where it delineates differences in sustainability performance between products assessed. The outcome in terms of relative ranking of the transportation fuel chains based on sustain ability performance differs when applying different decision-maker profiles. This result highlights and supports views that there is no one single answer regarding which of the alternatives that is most sustainable. Rather, it depends strongly upon the worldview and values held by the decision maker. A key conclusion is that sustainability assessments should pay more attention to potential differences in underlying values held by key stakeholders in relevant societal contexts. The LCSA methodology still faces challenges regarding results integration but MCDA in combination with stakeholder profiles appears to be a useful approach to build on further.
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| 9. |
- Hörteborn, Axel, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Economic incentives and technological limitations govern environmental impact of LNG feeder vessels
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 429
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the transition to sustainable shipping, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), is proposed to play a role, reducing emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. However, LNG is a fossil fuel and there is an ongoing discussion regarding the extent of methane slip from ships operating on LNG, challenging the assumptions of LNG as a sustainable solution. Here we show another aspect to consider in the environmental assessment of shipping; LNG feeder vessels may spend as much as 25% of their time at sea just running the ship to ensure the pressure in the tanks are not exceeded, i.e., run time not directly attributed to the shipment of gas from one port or ship, to another. In other words, the economic incentives are currently allowing for roughly 32% increase of the ships’ operational emissions and discharges and increased navigational risks. Most coastal areas are heavily affected by anthropogenic activities and e.g., in the Baltic Sea there is consensus among the HELCOM member states that the input of nutrient and hazardous substances must be reduced. Even if the LNG feeder vessels are currently few, the possibility to reduce their environmental impact by 32% should be an attractive opportunity for future policy measures and investigation of technological solutions of the problem.
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| 10. |
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