| 1. |
- Idahl, Annika, 1965-, et al.
(author)
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Serologic markers of Chlamydia trachomatis and other sexually transmitted infections and subsequent ovarian cancer risk : Results from the EPIC cohort
- 2020
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In: International Journal of Cancer. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 147:8, s. 2042-2052
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A substantial proportion of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) arises in the fallopian tube and other epithelia of the upper genital tract; these epithelia may incur damage and neoplastic transformation after sexually transmitted infections (STI) and pelvic inflammatory disease. We investigated the hypothesis that past STI infection, particularly Chlamydia trachomatis, is associated with higher EOC risk in a nested case‐control study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort including 791 cases and 1669 matched controls. Serum antibodies against C. trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV‐2) and human papillomavirus (HPV) 16, 18 and 45 were assessed using multiplex fluorescent bead‐based serology. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing women with positive vs. negative serology. A total of 40% of the study population was seropositive to at least one STI. Positive serology to C. trachomatis Pgp3 antibodies was not associated with EOC risk overall, but with higher risk of the mucinous histotype (RR = 2.30 [95% CI = 1.22‐4.32]). Positive serology for chlamydia heat shock protein 60 (cHSP60‐1) was associated with higher risk of EOC overall (1.36 [1.13‐1.64]) and with the serous subtype (1.44 [1.12‐1.85]). None of the other evaluated STIs were associated with EOC risk overall; however, HSV‐2 was associated with higher risk of endometrioid EOC (2.35 [1.24‐4.43]). The findings of our study suggest a potential role of C. trachomatis in the carcinogenesis of serous and mucinous EOC, while HSV‐2 might promote the development of endometrioid disease.
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| 2. |
- Aalto, Kristina, et al.
(author)
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The Nordic swan
- 2008
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Reports (other academic/artistic)
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Alveteg, Mattias, et al.
(author)
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Egen formulering, plagiat eller kopia. Hur höjer vi ribban för vad studenten anser vara fusk?
- 2004
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In: Andra Pedagogiska Inspirationskonferensen. ; , s. 43-45
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fusk och plagiat är något av en ödesfråga för den högre utbildningen. Om studenter klarar sig igenom kurser på grund av fusk hotas allmänhetens och arbetsgivarnas förtroende för den högre utbildningen. Tyvärr råder det idag en avsevärd oenighet om var gränsen för fusk går. Vi anser det därför vara hög tid att vi som lärare tar vårt ansvar och diskuterar dessa frågor ingående samt ger tips till varandra om hur fusk kan undvikas och upptäckas.
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| 5. |
- Borgström Hansson, Carina, et al.
(author)
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Urban Climate Governance : Towards 1.5° Celsius Alignment
- 2023
-
Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- At the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, nations around the world reached a landmark agreement to unify in an effort to combat climate change. The main goal of the Paris agreement is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping global temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and preferably to limit the temperature rise even further to 1.5°C. However, global commitments to the Paris Agreement goal of 1.5 degrees have proven insufficient. Most actors in our society realise the need for action, and it is cities that will play a special role. Our cities must lead in the soc-cultural, economic, and technological transformations to meet the 1.5 degree goal. Remember, the global urban population is expected to double by 2050. This report examines examples of where the transition has already begun, and analyzes the opportunities facing cities in climate change mitigation. It highlights the key concepts in supporting integration of sustainability practices in urban climate governance, the role of urban planning, energy efficiency and energy sufficiency and the influence of urban planning for e.g. urban sprawls and liveability.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Dalhammar, Carl, et al.
(author)
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Miljöanpassad upphandling och innovationsupphandling som styrmedel
- 2012
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Syftet med rapporten har varit att analysera erfarenheterna av miljöanpassad upphandling och innovationsupphandling, samt hur dessa styrmdel kan bidra till uppfyllandet av olika politiska målsättningar. Rapporten redogör bl.a. för målsättningarna för upphandling, betydelsen av en efterfrågedriven innovationspolitik, samt hur upphandling kan samverka med andra styrmedel på miljöområdet.
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| 8. |
- Emtairah, Tareq, et al.
(author)
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Fossil Fuel Free Municipalities in Sweden : Analysing Modes of Governing
- 2017
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Based on national legislations, Swedish municipal authorities have the responsibility as well as the means to shape their own transport and energy systems and lead the transformation towards fossil fuel free cities. In this report we explore how sixteen Swedish municipalities work toward fossil fuel free visions and goals with a particular emphasis on the urban transport and energy systems. We derive our findings from a broad review of municipal policy, strategy and program documents as well as from structured interviews with civil servants working within theseissues. The report presents a summary of the visions and goals adopted by municipalities in Sweden as well as the translation of these visions and goals into key targets and strategies. It also provides a summary of general patterns derived from document analysis and interviews of how municipal authorities work with and use various governing modes to facilitate the transformation towards less dependence on fossil fuels, using transport and energy as a focus area.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Leire, Charlotte
(author)
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Increasing the environmental and social sustainability in corporate purchasing: Practices and tools
- 2009
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Despite efforts to stimulate the dissemination of green purchasing practices, their uptake in business and industry has so far proven limited. Reasons for the limited progress remain largely unclear. One factor explored in this thesis, is the role of information in the operationalization and dissemination of green purchasing in organizations and supply chains. The importance of knowledge and information for the dissemination and operational possibility of green purchasing has until now remained under-examined in both academic and practitioner-based literature. The research presented in this thesis concentrates on the perspective of the purchasers. The research concludes that that green purchasing practices in private sector organizations in Sweden remain limited, and mainly focus products of strategic importance. The most common approach in applying environmental and social requirements is the supplier performance based approach. Few purchasers use, and are aware of, the range of information tools that are currently available. The obstacles among purchasing managers to use information tools in green purchasing seem to vary with the type of purchasing situation.
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| 13. |
- Leire, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
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Long-term market effects of green public procurement
- 2018
-
In: Preventing Environmental Damage from Products : An Analysis of the Policy and Regulatory Framework in Europe - An Analysis of the Policy and Regulatory Framework in Europe. - : Cambridge University Press. - 9781108422444 - 9781108500128 ; , s. 303-334
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and Policy Context: Previous chapters in this book have explored several product-oriented policies, including mandatory laws and product energy labelling, and discussed the importance of an appropriate policy mix. In this chapter, we examine the effects of demand-side policies, with a focus on green public procurement (GPP). GPP has been defined as ‘a process whereby public authorities seek to procure goods, services and works with a reduced environmental impact throughout their life-cycle when compared to goods, services and works with the same primary function that would otherwise be procured’. GPP, Bouwer et al. write, is the approach by which Public Authorities integrate environmental criteria into all stages of their procurement process, thus encouraging the spread of environmental technologies and the development of environmentally sound products, by seeking and choosing outcomes and solutions that have the least possible impact on the environment throughout their whole life-cycle. GPP can also be broken down into several actions the procuring agency can take. There are essentially two main ways to integrate environmental issues in GPP. (1) In the technical specifications that relate to the product or service. These requirements are mandatory for all bidders for a contract; failure to comply means the supplier is excluded from the process. (2) In the award criteria. Here, green criteria are ‘weighted’ - together with other criteria such as those related to price and quality - and the procuring agency weighs the bids according to a predefined scoreboard. GPP can become a very powerful policy, as governments are powerful actors in the market, not only as legislators but also as buyers. Governments also have the ability to influence markets where they represent a large share of the market (as in, e.g., office equipment, transport vehicles, electricity, health care products). The power of governmental actors is significant also because, unlike other market players, public organizations at various levels can coordinate their purchasing strategies in order to achieve policy aims. As discussed in Chapter 3 in this volume, GPP is one of the policies that can complement mandatory standards and encourage manufacturers to design greener products, by acting as ‘carrots’ rather than ‘sticks’.
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| 14. |
- Leire, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
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Online teaching going massive: input and outcomes
- 2016
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 123, s. 230-233
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The proliferation of massive open online courses is a recent phenomenon in higher education. At the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University in Sweden, emerging pedagogical approaches in e-learning have long been embraced, allowing for valuable experience with new educational technologies applied in education for sustainability. In 2014, the Institute was given a formal task to develop a massive open online course on “Greening the Economy: Lessons from Scandinavia”, thereby utilizing existing capacities and experiences while experiencing new challenges revealed by courses of larger scale. This article presents the background to the Institute's undertaking with massive open online courses and the range of expectations from the main stakeholders. The article discusses massive open online courses as a novel venue for e-learning in sustainability education as regards learning activities, design and content. It concludes that while the initial experience of such a course has been positive, in order to better cater to the learner groups, continued attention needs to be paid to course design, teacher capacity and in particular an examination of learner motivations.
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| 15. |
- Leire, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
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Product-related environmental information to guide consumer purchases - a review and analysis of research on perceptions, understanding and use among Nordic consumers
- 2005
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 13:10-11, s. 1061-1070
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Informed product choices are,a prerequisite for the greening of consumption. Nordic consumers are subject to an ever-growing amount of product-related environmental information that is available in a number of formats. The degree to which they use information is disputed. This paper reviews Nordic research on consumer perceptions, understanding and use of product-related environmental information. The majority of the publications point to a great number of consumers, who recognise, know. and possess sufficient confidence in the main eco-labels and should therefore, be able to use them. However, this is not always the case. How the product-related environmental information works in the market place is dependent upon many determinants related to the purchasing moment. Therefore, in contrast to the majority of research on the topic, studies of the use of product-related environmental information suggests that the focus. hould be on the purchasing decision and take into account the dynamic context of the diverse purchasing situations.
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| 16. |
- Leire, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
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Product-related environmental information to guide consumer purchases - a review and analysis of research on perceptions, understanding and use among Nordic consumers
- 2007
-
In: Labelling Strategies in Environmental Policy. - : Routledge. - 9781351154529 - 9781351154512 ; , s. 343-352
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Informed product choices are a prerequisite for the greening of consumption. Nordic consumers are subject to an ever-growing amount of product-related environmental information that is available in a number o f formats. The degree to which they use information is disputed. This paper reviews Nordic research on consumer perceptions, understanding and use of product-related environmental information. The majority o f the publications point to a great number of consumers, who recognise, know and possess sufficient confidence in the main eco-labels and should therefore, be able to use them. However, this is not always the case. How the product-related environmental information works in the market place is dependent upon many determinants related to the purchasing moment. Therefore, in contrast to the majority of research on the topic, studies o f the use of product-related environmental information suggests that the focus should be on the purchasing decision and take into account the dynamic context o f the diverse purchasing situations.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Leire, Charlotte
(author)
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The application of green purchasing tools in the corporate sector
- 2006
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In: Environmental Engineering and Management Journal. - 1582-9596. ; 5:5, s. 1159-1179
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract in UndeterminedAll types of organizations are under increasing pressure to integrate green considerations in their purchasing practices. A number of tools aimed for the practitioners have been developed in response to their new challenges. However, the application of such tools among private firms is not well known, and one important question is how well the tools correspond with practitioners’ needs. This paper discusses the many dimensions of various purchasing activities and the range of environmental requirements that are possible for practitioners to apply in the purchasing process. The paper also provides an initial overview of the current application of available green purchasing tools. The findings point to a lack of a systematic application of different tools among firms.
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| 19. |
- Leire, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
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The implementation of socially responsible purchasing in Swedish organisations
- 2010
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In: Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. - : Wiley. - 1535-3966 .- 1535-3958. ; 17:1, s. 27-39
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Social and ethical issues in the supply chain are gaining importance in all types of organizations. Therefore some public and private organizations have already started to introduce socially responsible purchasing practices. However, current practices are limited and seem unsystematic. There is also a difference between few front-running organizations and the rest. It is therefore useful at this early stage to disseminate the knowledge and experiences based on the best-performing organizations. This paper does that by developing a model of the socially responsible purchasing process that is based on the empirical and secondary data. The model reveals the five elementary steps that are necessary in the implementation of systematic socially responsible purchasing practices: developing internal policies; setting purchasing criteria that regard social issues; applying assurance practices; managing supplier relations; and building internal capacity. The model also points to the different activities in the process and their associated challenges. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Magnusson, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
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Stroke and universal design
- 2018
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In: Transforming our World Through Design, Diversity and Education - Proceedings of Universal Design and Higher Education in Transformation Congress 2018. - 1879-8365 .- 0926-9630. - 9781614999225 ; 256, s. 854-861
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Universal Design (UD) is usually stated to be “for all ages and abilities”. Given that stroke is a major source of disability, it is important that UD recommendations take stroke-specific problems into account. Within the framework of EU project STARR, we have investigated user requirements of stroke survivors. In this project we have used a mix of interviews, focus groups, design workshops and technology tests to come up with a set of design recommendations, which we present as a first step towards universal design recommendations which are inclusive for stroke survivors. Our general recommendations are: make it fun, do not make people fail, empower and encourage. The technology needs to be highly adaptable to different sets of abilities. Safety, but also aesthetics and simplicity is important, but it is pointed out that designs should not be “childish” – this can be felt to be degrading. It is important to be able to see and follow your progress and win small victories often. Consider social applications and activities –being able to connect to others in the same situation can enable discussions and provide peer support. More stroke consequence specific recommendations are to design to allow one-sided use (hemiplegia), avoid sensory and activity overload (fatigue), complement speech with images (aphasia), limit demand on memory, support learning and avoid errors (memory problems), and include multiple modalities in your design (reduced vision or hearing).
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| 22. |
- Malmgren, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
-
PBL för 100 studenter. Problem och möjligheter
- 2004
-
In: [Host publication title missing].
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract in Undetermined Särskilt när en kurs läses av många studenter är en fungerande kommunikation mellan studenter och lärare väsentlig. PBL-metoden är i sig ett sätt att etablera en tvåvägskommunikation genom att låta studenterna komma till tals. Vi diskuterar några av de problem vi mött när en kurs har utvecklats från valfri med relativ få studenter till obligatorisk kurs för ett hundratal, samt hur vi har försökt tackla dem. Bland annat används operativ utvärdering i olika former för att underlätta kommunikationen med studenterna.
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| 23. |
- Mccormick, Kes, et al.
(author)
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Cities and Consumption: Sharing cities and achieving the sustainable development goals
- 2020
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In October 2019, over 200 people from around the world gathered at the Sharing Cities Summit in Sweden for a conference in Lund and an exhibition and workshops in Malmö. The combination of people from municipalities, academia, sharing initiatives, NGOs and SMEs created a vibrant environment for critical discussions. The focus of the event was centered on the connections between the Sustainable Development Goals and sharing economy in cities. This public event was followed up by further analysis on this topic leading to the publication of this synthesis report in December 2020.
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| 24. |
- Mccormick, Kes, et al.
(author)
-
Cities and Consumption - Urban Sustainability and the Sharing Economy : Course Guide
- 2020
-
Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- How can we govern consumption and the sharing economy in our cities? This course explores cities, consumption and the sharing economy in Europe and around the world. We connect together the key themes of the sharing economy, cities, governance, consumption and urban sustainability. We explore how the sharing economy can contribute to increasing social, environmental and economic sustainability. And we argue that it is imperative that the sharing economy is shaped and designed to advance urban sustainability. This course was launched in May 2020, and it will be updated in September 2021 with new podcasts, films and publications. This course is produced by Lund University in cooperation with partners from Sharing Cities Sweden – a national program for the sharing economy in cities with a focus on governance and sustainability. It features researchers, practitioners and entrepreneurs from a range organisations.
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| 25. |
- Mccormick, Kes, et al.
(author)
-
Sharing Cities Sweden: Exploring the emerging landscape of the sharing economy in cities
- 2019
-
Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Sharing Cities Sweden aims to put Sweden on the map as a country that actively and critically works with the sharing economy in cities. We are developing world-leading test-beds for the sharing economy in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Umeå. We are developing a national node to significantly improve national and international cooperation and promote an exchange of experience on sharing cities.
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Mont, Oksana, et al.
(author)
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Socially responsible purchasing in the supply chain drivers and barriers in Sweden
- 2009
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In: Social Responsibility Journal. - : Emerald. - 1747-1117. ; 5:2, s. 388-407
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of the paper is to explore the factors that drive or hinder organisations to implement socially responsible purchasing.Design/methodology/approachA literature analysis is complemented with empirical data from interviews with 20 private and public Swedish organisations.FindingsThe findings from the literature analysis are compared with findings from Swedish organisations. The study finds that in Swedish organisations, the main drivers for socially responsible purchasing include stakeholder influence and organisational values, media and NGOs' attention and employees' concern. The main barriers are a lack of resources for supplier audits, difficulties to ensure that all suppliers fulfil the code of conduct, differences in culture and management style, low levels of social standards and high levels of corruption in some countries of supply, all of which makes assurance practices a very costly enterprise.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research could compare socially responsible purchasing (SRP) practices of focal organisations from different countries and deepen the understanding of contextual factors that shape responses of suppliers situated in different regions.Practical implicationsAlthough exploratory in nature, this study assists managers and public procurers with a greater understanding of the drivers and barriers of socially responsible purchasing, as well as of success factors for integrating social aspects into purchasing practices.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the limited body of literature on the drivers and barriers for organisations to initiate and maintain the work on socially responsible purchasing.
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| 30. |
- Mont, Oksana, et al.
(author)
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Sustainable businesses practices in supply chains: learning from Swedish companies
- 2010
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Businesses play a vital role in building a more sustainable society by practicing and promoting more socially and environmentally responsible practices along supply chains. The social and environmental conduct of Western companies in their respective countries is usually rather strong due to the existing strong legislation on human rights, working conditions, freedom of trade unions, etc. In developing countries however the situation is quite different. There is often no strong local legislation that promotes high environmental and social standards at work place or it is not implemented efficiently. Western companies often become an important driver for initiating and strengthening the work on sustainability issues. However, assuming the role of change facilitator is associated with many challenges and companies often need help with defining strategies and specific steps for improving sustainability of their supply chain. In this study we explore challenges faced by companies working with sustainability issues in the supply chain, based on studies of the practices of Swedish companies.
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
- Ortiz Fernandez, Leire, et al.
(author)
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Exploring attitudes towards use of technology to support stroke survivors living at home: A quantitative and qualitative content analysis study in Spain
- 2021
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In: Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering. - : SAGE Publications. - 2055-6683. ; 8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PurposeThe aim of this study was to better understand the attitudes towards the use of technology to support chronic stroke survivors in a home-based setting.MethodsA quantitative study was used on the data obtained from a face to face survey with the sample group, incorporating quantitative statistical analysis.ResultsParticipants reported positive attitudes towards using technology for their own independent health management. The purpose of the home-based technology was different: source of information, supporting self-management, pharmacological treatment reminders… and differed according to age, educational level and survivor disability. Installing devices and sharing information remains a challenge.Conclusions100% of stroke survivors living in the community with any type of disability, reported that they would like to use technology as a tool to help improve their health status.
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| 33. |
- Richter, Jessika Luth, et al.
(author)
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Greening the global classroom: experiences using MOOCs to advance sustainability education
- 2015
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In: Global Cleaner Production and Sustainable Consumption Conference Proceedings.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The proliferation of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has been a phenomenon in higher education but only recently the subject of academic literature. MOOCs combine the traditional ideas of cohort and guided learning with open access and a truly global classroom. With over twenty thousand learners attracted to such courses, we argue that they can be a powerful tool in advancing sustainability education in terms of global reach. Like traditional education, the quality of the education delivered by MOOCs is influenced by their design and this is also integral to their success in promoting deeper learning of sustainability topics. However, designing a quality course and ensuring genuine learning experiences in this open and massive context is not without challenges. We describe our practical experience with curriculum design, production and delivery of a MOOC with a wide sustainability focus of "Greening the Economy: Lessons from Scandinavia". The background of students taking the MOOC, motivations and reasons for seeking this type of sustainability education and perceived benefits from this MOOC and other MOOCs with topics related to sustainability are discussed. Combining pedagogical approaches in the form of teacher-led lectures and quizzes for basic understanding with more constructivist forum discussions and peer assessment created the opportunity for the MOOC to not only disseminate knowledge about sustainability issues, but also encourage discussion, peer interaction, and deeper engagement with these issues. An interesting aspect of this reciprocal learning was the collected insights from learners in the form of case studies and survey responses. The promise, as well as potential issues, of MOOCs in contributing to the goals of sustainability education and lifelong learning are discussed and reflected upon.
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| 34. |
-
Sharing Cities : Exploring the Emerging Landscape of the Sharing Economy in Cities
- 2019
-
Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Sharing Cities Sweden aims to put Sweden on the map as a country that actively and critically works with the sharing economy in cities. The objectives of the program are to develop world-leading test-beds for the sharing economy in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Umeå as well as develop a national node to significantly improve national and international cooperation and promote an exchange of experience on sharing cities.
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| 35. |
-
Sharing Cities Sweden: Key Findings and Amplifying Impacts
- 2021
-
Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Sharing Cities Sweden was a national program to help establish Sweden as a country that actively and critically works with the sharing economy in cities. Between 2017- 2021, it was a key initiative of Viable Cities - the strategic innovation program for smart and sustainable cities in Sweden.Sharing Cities Sweden developed and published a diversity of reports and outputs that synthesize the activities and findings from different initiatives in the overall program, the test-beds and strategic projects. This report outlines key findings and lessons to take forwards in cities and communities in Sweden, Europe and around the world.
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| 36. |
-
The Future of Sharing? A Roundtable for Horizon Scanning on Sharing Cities
- 2021
-
Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Organised on the 16 November 2020, the roundtable on “Sharing Cities – Shaping Tomorrow” focused on sharing insights and ideas on the future of sharing in our cities and communities. The roundtable gathered over 40 people from around world and formed part of the Smart City Live Conference. This report pulls together the conversations at the roundtable and distils the key findings.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
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| 39. |
- Thidell, Åke, et al.
(author)
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T h e Nordic Swan 2015 – Performance indicators for ecolabelling
- 2015
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The Nordic Swan is a voluntary environmental and consumer policy instrument that was launched in the Nordic countries in 1989. Ever since, the scheme has grown with increasing numbers of product groups and licence holders. Similarly, the number of ecolabelled products in the market place has also grown, resulting in a growing financial turnover. The Nordic Swan has furthermore also been joined by additional parallel ecolabelling schemes. Just like other policy instruments, the Nordic Swan is subject to evaluations. As of yet, the scheme has been evaluated three times and questions regarding quantitative information on performance and efficiency of the Nordic scheme and comparability with other schemes have been recurrent issues in connection to these evaluations. Beside policy-makers and people in charge of the scheme, market actors are also interested in the question, to decide to what extent they should consider the ecolabel when acting on the market. These market actors could be consumers who seek for guidance, producers in need for trustworthy market communication channels, consumer and environmental NGOs needing to know if they should promote the ecolabel among their members, etc. These and other reasons call for appropriate information systems that bring forward the requested information in, for instance, suitable systematically selected and standardised indicators. Such indicators could be used for various purposes, for example documenting trends in performance and efficiency of the scheme, making comparisons of different schemes, benchmarking studies for mutual learning and continual improvements, to name a few. We propose that the Nordic Swan scheme prioritises developing indicators to track changes in internal performance and efficiency. Pilot studies could be developed on comparisons of differences between the national competent bodies of the Nordic Swan, as well as the EU Ecolabel. Pushing joint development of indicator sets for comparisons as collaborative projects with other schemes, for instance the EU Ecolabel, is on one hand desirable but can also become time-consuming. We therefore suggest that such projects are given lower priority
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| 40. |
- Thidell, Åke, et al.
(author)
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The Nordic Swan: Possibilities and limitations for synergies with Green Public Procurement before 2014
- 2015
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This report was initiated and conducted as input to the discussions based on the “Vision 2015” document for the Nordic Swan that explicitly states a wish to find ways to make use of ecolabelling in the green public procurement (GPP) setting. In 2014, the Directive (2004/18/EG) on public procurement was revised and replaced by Directive (2014/24/EU). Some of the restrictions in using ecolabelling in GPP mentioned in this report may thus not be valid while the discussion on the relation between the two policy instruments as such still is considered relevant.
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| 41. |
- Voytenko Palgan, Yuliya, et al.
(author)
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Mobile Lab on Sharing in Gothenburg
- 2020
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Cities are seen as one of the leading forces in making our societies sustainable and resource efficient. The latest trends of sharing homes, cars, bicycles, tools and other goods are fast entering our urban lives. The sharing economy is a consumption-production mode in a city, in which value is generated through transactions between peers or organisations that offer access to their idling or underutilised rivalrous physical assets. These assets are made available to individuals in processes often mediated by online platforms (Mont, Voytenko Palgan, and Zvolska, 2019). Examples of sharing economy organisations (SEOs) include bicycle and car sharing initiatives, tool and clothes libraries, and short-term accommodation rentals between peers. Activities of SEOs are often cited as solutions to urban sustainability challenges, but their contribution to sustainability, resource efficiency and the circular economy has not been systematically evaluated. The role of municipalities in advancing more sustainable forms of sharing is not yet fully understood. A systematic and comparative analysis of the role of municipalities in sharing is therefore needed, to build an evidence base and to support sustainable sharing. This report presents the outcomes of a one-day mobile lab on urban sharing in Gothenburg, which was arranged on 16 October 2018 within the framework of the Sharing and the City project, with support from the Sharing Cities Sweden programme. A mobile lab is a collaborative process of conducting insitu analysis by a research team that allows analysis of the study object, the sharing economy, in its context. Sharing in cities becomes institutionalised through two principal sets of dynamic processes. The first is a top-down institutionalisation dynamic when a municipal government employs its agency to promote or inhibit certain SEOs. It does so by employing one or several of the following governance mechanisms: regulating, providing, enabling, self-governing and collaborating (Voytenko Palgan et al., forthcoming). The second set of institutionalisation processes of sharing in cities is bottom-up, resulting from institutional work by SEOs. SEOs engage in the institutional work by creating or disrupting regulatory, normative and cultural-cognitive institutions by employing 11 mechanisms as discussed in the work by Zvolska et al. (2019). These two sets of institutionalisation processes provided input to research themes and related interview questions explored during the mobile lab in Gothenburg. The mobile lab included planning meetings, development of research themes and questions to investigate, preparation of interview guides, one day of empirical data collection, written post-lab reflections of 500-1000 words and photos by each team member, processing the collected material, post-lab meetings to discuss reflections, and writing a mobile lab report. The mobile lab team comprised seven persons representing academia (5) and the City of Gothenburg (2). During the mobile lab in Gothenburg, the team visited the Consumer and Citizen Service Mobile Lab on Sharing in Gothenburg | 4 Administration at the City of Gothenburg and the City Hall, and went on a guided tour in the newly developed area, Södra Älvstranden. The team interviewed a founder of a bicycle repair workshop, the Bike Kitchen (Cykelköket), a civil servant and a leader of the Circular Gothenburg (Cirkulära Göteborg) project, a deputy-mayor of Gothenburg, and a founder of the platform for sharing of urban land for gardening (Grow Gothenburg). After the mobile lab, all participants documented and shared their reflections of the day, which formed the basis for this report. The mobile lab in Gothenburg followed a similar innovative methodological approach to that used in earlier mobile labs, as it brought together a multi- and transdisciplinary group of participants consisting of academic and non-academic actors, which turned out to be beneficial for the data collection and reflection process. Several conclusions can be drawn from the mobile lab in Gothenburg: 1. Sharing in Gothenburg is generally perceived as positive, with a potential to address urban sustainability challenges. Sharing and collaborative economy initiatives are well anchored, both locally and in relation to the international understanding of the movement. 2. The City of Gothenburg provides a welcoming ground for non-profit or community-based sharing initiatives to emerge and develop, and supports them by providing funding and premises, by spreading information about their activities, and by attracting and connecting the users of sharing services. 3. Motivations both for SEOs and for civil servants and politicians to engage with the sharing economy in Gothenburg are primarily of a social nature. The main social benefits include strengthening social cohesion, offering opportunities for people to meet, building trust between strangers, and developing new knowledge and skills in the community. Resource efficiency, self-sufficiency and access to assets for all population groups are experienced as positive co-benefits. 4. All interviewees showed openness and willingness to collaborate, albeit on different grounds and for different reasons. The interviewed representatives of the sharing initiatives and the municipality seem to trust each other, which is something that has been built up over several years. 5. Evaluating the impacts of sharing services in Gothenburg, although important, may not be the key priority for advancing more sustainable forms of sharing. Instead, a focus on forging new collaborations with effective organisational models based on robust arguments to underline the benefits of sharing services may be crucial. Shifting mind-sets of people away from the norms prevalent in consumerist societies (e.g. ownership, throwaway culture) is perhaps the most tangible environmental contribution that the sharing services offer.
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- Voytenko Palgan, Yuliya, et al.
(author)
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Mobile Lab on Sharing in Malmö
- 2019
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Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Cities are seen as one of the leading forces in making our societies sustainable and resource efficient. The latest trends of sharing homes, cars, bikes, tools and other goods are fast entering our urban lives. The sharing economy is a consumption-production mode in a city, in which value is generated through transactions between peers or organisations that offer access to their idling or underutilised rivalrous physical assets. These assets are made available to individuals in processes often mediated by online platforms (Mont, Voytenko Palgan, and Zvolska 2019).Examples of sharing economy organisations (SEOs) include bicycle and car sharing initiatives, tool and clothes libraries, and short-term accommodation rentals between peers. The activities of SEOs are often cited as solutions to urban sustainability challenges, but their contribution to sustainability, resource efficiency and the circular economy has not been systematically evaluated. To build up an evidence base, and support sustainable sharing, a systematic and comparative analysis of the role of cities in sharing is needed. This report presents the outcomes of a one-day mobile lab on urban sharing in Malmö, which was arranged on 7 March 2018 within the framework of the Sharing and the City project, with support from the Sharing Cities Sweden programme and the Urban Reconomy project. A mobile lab is a collaborative process of conducting in-situ analysis by a research team that allows analysis of the study object, the sharing economy, in its context. Sharing in cities becomes institutionalised through two principal sets of dynamic processes. The first is a top-down institutionalisation dynamic when a city government employs its agency to promote or inhibit certain SEOs. To do so, it undertakes one or several of the following roles: regulator, provider, enabler and self-governor. The second set of institutionalisation processes of sharing in cities is bottom-up, resulting from institutional work by SEOs. These two sets of institutionalisation processes provided input to research themes and related interview questions explored during the mobile lab in Malmö.The mobile lab included planning meetings, development of research themes and questions to investigate, preparation of interview guides, one day of empirical data collection, written post-lab reflections of 500-1000 words and photos by each team member, processing the collected material, post-lab meetings to discuss reflections, and writing a mobile lab report. The mobile lab team comprised seven persons representing academia, the City of Malmö and an NGO (Bike Kitchen). During the mobile lab in Malmö, the team visited and interviewed an organisation for swapping clothes (Swop Shop), a tool library (Garaget), and the Streets and Parks Department at the City of Malmö, and held a meeting with an expert on the sharing and collaborative economy from a think tank (Drivhuset) based at Malmö University. After the mobile lab, all its participants documented and shared their reflections of the day, which formed the basis for this report.The mobile lab in Malmö was innovative in terms of methodology, as it included a heterogeneous group of participants consisting of academic and non-academic actors, which turned out to be beneficial for the data collection and reflection process. Several conclusions can be drawn from the mobile lab in Malmö in terms of content:1. The City of Malmö sees sharing practices as a way to achieve sustainability goals or tackle its urban sustainability challenges, such as environmental pollution, congestion, lack of space, social integration, equity and justice, and unemployment. 2. The sharing practices with which the mobile lab group engaged are targeted at altering normative institutions of ownership and consumption patterns. 3. National taxation systems and regulations appear to play a significant role in creating barriers to the sharing economy in cities in general, and in Malmö in particular. Our current accounting systems in society need to be changed to accommodate the new forms of consumption activities.4. The potential for positive economic and social impacts from the sharing services seems evident, but the positive environmental benefits are difficult to assess. 5. Collaborations between city governments and business-oriented sharing organisations are problematic, as these may contradict free market competition rules. One way to address this challenge is through the development of experimental projects where various actors, including city governments, sharing organisations, academia and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), collaborate on testing new sharing solutions.
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