| 1. |
- Söderholm, Kristina, 1973-, et al.
(author)
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Industrial Energy Transitions and the Dynamics of Innovation Systems : The Swedish Pulp and Paper Industry, 1970–2010
- 2020
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In: Environments. - : MDPI. - 2076-3298. ; 7:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article provides a sectoral innovation system perspective of the development of energy efficient and clean process technologies in the Swedish pulp and paper industry. Specifically, the analysis elaborates the importance of knowledge development, actor networks, and institutions (including policy) for progressing and diffusing novel technologies related to energy use. The empirical analysis also sheds light on how significant changes in the sectoral innovation system have influenced the relevant research, development and demonstration activities in the Swedish pulp and paper industry over the period 1970–2010. The results are based on various sources—e.g., industry magazines, reports from industrial consultants and associations, minutes from meetings—and illustrate the importance of well-functioning innovation systems for successful technological development and diffusion processes. They display, in particular, the importance of joint, industry-wide R&D activities, trust-based state—industry relationships, government R&D expenditures, and intense information sharing. One important implication is that the role of policy stretches beyond the funding of basic R&D. Policy also involves measures that strengthen existing actor networks, build competence, and secure the existence of research institutes that provide a bridge between basic knowledge generation (at the universities) on the one hand, and industrial application on the other.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Söderholm, Patrik, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Environmental Regulation in the Pulp and Paper Industry : Impacts and Challenges
- 2019
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer. - 2198-6436. ; 5, s. 185-198
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of ReviewIn this article, we review existing research addressing how environmental regulations have influenced the pulp and paper industry. These regulations appear in different forms and designs and address air and water pollution as well as climate change. The paper devotes particular attention to how various regulations have affected sustainable technological change and the prospects for inducing deep emission reductions without jeopardizing industrial competitiveness and future investments.Recent FindingsExperiences from key pulp and paper regions, not least the Nordic countries, suggest that gradually tightening performance standards have contributed to radical reductions in emissions, e.g., chlorine compounds and biological oxygen demanding agents, and without imposing excessive compliance costs. This outcome can largely be attributed to how the regulations have been designed—and implemented—in practice, as well as to the presence of efficient and legitimate institutions. Long-term emission reduction targets, in combination with extended compliance periods and trustful firm-regulator relationships, contributed to radical technological innovation and permitted radical emission reductions without excessive compliance costs. The development of alternative bleaching technologies is an apt example. In contrast, the impact of carbon pricing schemes, including the EU emissions trading scheme, on carbon dioxide emissions reductions and related technological change in the pulp and paper industry has however been modest. Self-regulation, certification, and community pressure have exerted relatively modest influences on the environmental performance of the industry.SummaryImportant avenues for future research are identified. These include the following: (a) comparative research on how policy mixes in various countries have influenced environmental compliance and innovation; processes; (b) future studies of environmental regulations, their design and implementation, in emerging pulp and paper producing countries, not least China; and (c) research on how environmental regulations can affect ongoing restructurings in the industry towards a broader palette of products in biorefineries.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Söderholm, Patrik, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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The political economy of industrial pollution control : environmental regulation in Swedish industry for five decades
- 2022
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In: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0964-0568 .- 1360-0559. ; 65:6, s. 1056-1087
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The paper analyzes the prerequisites for a regulatory-driven transition toward radically lower air and water pollution in industry. This is achieved in the empirical context of the Swedish mining and metals industry, and by investigating the environmental licensing processes during two regulatory systems. The paper derives an analytical framework that explores under what circumstances such licensing processes can result in radical emissions reductions without seriously jeopardizing the competitiveness of the industry. Archived material covering six environmental licensing processes, three during each system, is used to illustrate the various design and implementation issues. The results suggest that regulatory-driven green transitions benefit from trust-based bargaining procedures in which companies are involved in repeated interactions with regulatory authorities, and which extended probation periods permit tests of novel abatement technologies (including innovation). The findings also illustrate the importance of abstaining from simplified normative notions about policy instrument choice (e.g. taxes versus standards).
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| 6. |
- Söderholm, Patrik, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Voluntary agreements and systemic lock-in in the circular economy : The certification of sewage sludge in Sweden
- 2024
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In: Circular and Transformative Economy. - : Taylor & Francis. ; , s. 9-28
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This chapter departs from the dual objective of reusing waste while at the same time mitigating pollution; it focuses on the opportunities and challenges of managing this trade-off through voluntary agreements between various actors. The chapter aims to investigate and discuss the emergence, outcomes, and future challenges of the Swedish voluntary certification scheme REVAQ. This scheme includes efforts among wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to build trust for the application of sewage sludge on agricultural land and thus reuse the nutrients contained in it, not least by reducing the presence of metals and organic substances. Our findings suggest that the establishment of REVAQ was, in many ways, a natural response of the incumbent actors to an uncertain regulatory situation. The preventive environmental work pursued because of the certification scheme has been successful, thus resulting in decreased flows of hazardous substances to soil. However, REVAQ faces challenges, largely due to previously unattended trace elements, e.g., microplastics and pharmaceutical residues. These will make it difficult for actors to convince the key stakeholders about the future quality of the sewage sludge. There is also currently a prioritization of system optimization over system change, i.e., a bias towards incremental improvements in the existing system instead of seeking to innovate beyond this system. REVAQ likely contributes to this path dependence and technological lock-in.
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| 7. |
- Andersen, M. S., et al.
(author)
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To facilitate a fair bioeconomy transition, stronger regional-level linkages are needed
- 2022
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In: Biofuels Bioproducts & Biorefining-Biofpr. - : Wiley. - 1932-104X .- 1932-1031. ; 16:4, s. 929-941
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The great hopes in Brussels that a circular bioeconomy will help bridge the growing divide between urban and rural areas and allow the hinterlands to prosper from 'green growth' are addressed in this article, which reflects on insights from three Nordic case studies of brown, green and blue biomass use at different levels of technology readiness. A closer examination of the forward, backward, fiscal and final demand linkages at regional level from increased biomass utilization, from eastern Finland and northern Sweden to Jutland and North Atlantic islands, suggests that linkages are and will remain relatively weak, predominantly dashing the expectations. As suppliers and exporters of natural resources, disadvantaged regions may all too easily get locked into a 'staples trap', where the value creation evaporates owing in part to the steep start-up costs and the associated boom-and-bust cycles, which place them in a weak position vis-a-vis the resource manufacturers and consumers. To make the prospects of development, employment and prosperity in the hinterlands materialize, measures are needed to strengthen the regional-level economic linkages. Regional-level revolving funds based on benefit-sharing instruments related to natural resources can be used to bolster economic development, as reflected in such schemes present in both China and Canada. We call for further research into whether and how such approaches can be replicated successfully by channeling revenues from biomass cultivation to regional-scale revolving funds, with mandates to strengthen long-term economic linkages and prosperity within the hinterlands. (c) 2022 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Andersson, Sara, et al.
(author)
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The mixed blessing of responsibility relief: An application to household recycling and curbside waste collection
- 2023
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In: Frontiers in Environmental Economics. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2813-2823. ; 1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper addresses the role of personal norms and warm glow in influencing households' waste recycling preferences. The purpose is to explore inter-household differences in the preferences toward the introduction of curbside recycling, which implies that households are relieved from the responsibility of transporting sorted waste to assigned drop-off stations. The main theoretical point of departure for the analysis is an existing model that integrates norm-motivated behavior into neoclassical utility theory. This builds on the assumption that the household members have preferences for upholding a self-image as responsible—norm-compliant—persons, and it also contains a warm-glow component. The empirical investigation relies on a postal survey to households in a Swedish municipality, and this asks households about their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the introduction of a curbside recycling scheme, as well as about time use and the presence of personal norms and warm glow motives. The results are based on a Heckman selection specification and show that individuals expressing a strong personal norm for recycling are more likely to be willing to pay for curbside recycling, while those with strong warm glow motives are less likely to do so. This suggests the existence of a mixed blessing of responsibility relief. Curbside recycling implies that households are relieved from a moral responsibility that takes time away from leisure activities, but they also experience a loss in warm glow as such a scheme removes the possibility to pursue something that they have learned to appreciate. There could then exist ‘motivational inertia' making it difficult for policy makers to activate personal norms for new pro-environmental household activities in replacement of existing ones.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Berglund, Christer, et al.
(author)
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Recycling, Norms and Convenience: A Bivariate Probit Analysis of Household Data from a Swedish City
- 2022
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In: Frontiers in Sustainable Cities. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2624-9634. ; 4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this article is to investigate the role of norms and convenience for households' packaging waste sorting activities. The theoretical point of departure is a simple economic model that integrates norm-motivated behavior into neoclassical utility theory by assuming that the individual has a preference for maintaining a self-image as a morally responsible (norm-compliant) person. The empirical analysis rests on survey responses from 398 households in the city of Eskilstuna, Sweden. Self-reported information on recycling contributions and personal norms is analyzed in a bivariate probit model, which estimates the probability of pursuing high-performing recycling efforts as an endogenously determined decisions to the activation of a personal norm for waste sorting. The results suggest that norm activation is an important driver for households' recycling contributions, as is convenience in the form of access to property-close collection schemes. Personal norms are in turn primarily activated by the presence of social, legal, and descriptive norms. One important implication is that policy needs to build on well-aligned policy instrument mixes that combine references to the moral significance of households' recycling contributions with various infrastructural measures that facilitate such contributions.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Bryngemark, Elina, 1987-, et al.
(author)
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Green industrial policies and domestic production of biofuels : an econometric analysis of OECD countries
- 2022
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In: Environmental Economics and Policy Studies. - : Springer. - 1432-847X .- 1867-383X. ; 24:2, s. 225-261
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between green industrial policies and domestic biofuel production among OECD countries. The analysis builds on a data set including 24 OECD countries over the time period 2000–2016. This panel is estimated using a variant of the so-called Poisson pseudo-maximum-likelihood model and includes the mix of demand-pull (biofuel blending mandates) and technology-push policies (government R&D), as well as the interaction between these two types of instruments. The results suggest a positive relationship between blending mandates and domestic biofuel production. Thus, a more stringent blending mandate does not only increase the use of biofuels, but also domestic production (as a share of total fuel use). Government R&D has not, however, induced domestic biofuel industrialization processes. The results even suggest a negative interaction effect between government R&D and blending mandates, in turn implying that these two polices target different technological fields. The blending mandates tend to primarily favor commercialized first-generation biofuels, while government support to biofuel R&D has instead been focused on advanced biofuel technology.
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| 16. |
- Bryngemark, Elina, 1987-, et al.
(author)
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The adoption of green public procurement practices: Analytical challenges and empirical illustration on Swedish municipalities
- 2023
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In: Ecological Economics. - : Elsevier. - 0921-8009 .- 1873-6106. ; 204
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objective of this paper is to investigate the determinants of the adoption of green public procurement (GPP) practices at the local authority level. A conceptual contribution of the paper is an analytical framework, which acknowledges that the adoption of green criteria in tenders should be modelled as a conditionally independent decision from the decision to rely on GPP strategies (guidelines). This approach can help provide novel insights into how various political, organizational, and individual characteristics influence GPP. The paper provides an empirical illustration by concentrating on the role of organizational size. This analysis is based on survey responses from civil servants representing 140 Swedish municipalities. The results are based on the bivariate ordered probit estimator and suggest that large municipalities are more likely to rely on GPP strategies but also less prone to adopt green criteria in tenders when controlling for the presence of such strategies. In large organizations, the centralization of the procurement implies efficiency gains, but it will often be accompanied with longer organizational distances between the procuring and the environmental departments. The paper also highlights the wider implications of the proposed framework, including how future research on GPP practices could approach the role of various political and individual factors.
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| 17. |
- Bryngemark, Elina, 1987-
(author)
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The Competition for Forest Raw Materials in the Presence of Increased Bioenergy Demand : Partial Equilibrium Analysis of the Swedish Case
- 2019
-
Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Growing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions have implied an increased attention to the development of renewable energy sources. Bioenergy from forest biomass is expected to be one of the cornerstones in reaching renewable energy targets, especially in forest-rich countries such as Sweden. However, forest biomass is a limited resource, and an intensified use of bioenergy could affect roundwood and forest products’ markets in several ways. The overall purpose of this thesis is to analyze price formation and resource allocation of forest raw materials in the presence of increased bioenergy demand. The empirical focus is on the competition for wood fibres between bioenergy use and the traditional forest industries, as well as synergy effects between the various sectors using forest raw materials. The methodologic approach is partial equilibrium modeling (forest sector model), and the geographical focus is on Sweden. The thesis comprises three self-contained articles, which all address the above issues.The first paper presents an economic assessment of two different policies – both implying an increased demand for forest ecosystem services – and how these could affect the competition for forest raw materials. A forest sector trade model is updated to a new base year (2016), and used to analyze the consequences of increased bioenergy use in the heat and power (HP) sector as well as increased forest conservation in Sweden. These overall scenarios are assessed individually and in combination. The results show how various forest raw material-using sectors are affected in terms of price changes and responses in production. A particularly interesting market impact is that bioenergy promotion and forest conservation tend to have opposite effects on forest industry by-product prices. Moreover, combining the two policies mitigates the forest industry by-product price increase compared to the case where only the bioenergy-promoting policy is implemented. In other words, the HP sector is less negatively affected in terms of increased feedstock prices if bioenergy demand target are accompanied by increased forest conservation. This effect is due to increasing pulpwood prices, which reduces pulp, paper and board production, and in turn mitiges the competition for the associated by-products. Overall, the paper illustrates the great complexity of the forest raw material market, and the importance of considering demand and supply responses within and between sectors in energy and forest policy designs.The second article investigates the forest raw material market effects from introducing second-generation transport biofuel (exemplified by Bio-SNG) production in Sweden. Increases in Bio-SNG demand between 5 and 30 TWh are investigated. The simulation results illustrate increasing forest industry by-product (i.e., sawdust, wood chips and bark) prices, not least in the high-production scenarios (i.e. 20-30 TWh). This suggests that increases in second-generation biofuel productions lead to increased competition for the forest raw materials. The higher feedstock prices make the HP sector less profitable, but very meagre evidence of substitution of fossil fuels for by-products can be found. In this sector, there is instead an increased use of harvesting residues. Fiberboard and particleboard production ceases entirely due to increased input prices. There is also evidence of synergy (“by-product”) effects between the sawmill sector and the use of forest raw materials in the HP sector. Higher by-product prices spur sawmills to produce more sawnwood, something that in turn induces forest owners to increase harvest levels. Already in the 5 TWh Bio-SNG scenario, there is an increase in the harvest level, thus suggesting that the by-product effect kicks in from start.Biofuels and green chemicals are likely to play significant roles in achieving the transition towards a zero-carbon society. However, large-scale biorefineries are not yet cost-competitive with their fossil-fuel counterparts, and it is therefore important to identify biorefinery concepts with high economic performance in order to achieve widespread deployment in the future. For evaluations of early-stage biorefinery concepts, there is a need to consider not only the technical performance and the process costs, but also the performance of the full supply chain and the impact of its implementation in the feedstock and products markets. The third article presents – and argues for – a conceptual interdisciplinary framework that can form the basis for future evaluations of the full supply-chain performance of various novel biorefinery concepts. This framework considers the competition for biomass feedstocks across sectors, and assumes exogenous end-use product demand and various geographical and technical constraints. It can be used to evaluate the impacts of the introduction of various biorefinery concepts in the biomass markets in terms of feedstock allocations and prices. Policy evaluations, taking into account both engineering constraints and market mechanisms, should also be possible.Overall, the thesis illustrates the importance of considering the market effects when designing and evaluating forest policies and bioenergy policy targets. The forest industry sector and the bioenergy sector are closely interlinked and can both make or break one another depending on the policy design. The results indicate that for an increased demand of bioenergy, an industrial transformation is to be expected, as well as increased roundwood harvest.
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| 18. |
- Bryngemark, Elina, 1987-
(author)
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The Economics of Biofuel Development : Policy Incentives and Market Impacts
- 2021
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis examines the economics of biofuel development by studying the forest raw material market impacts of increased biofuel production, as well as the role of specific policy incentives. Paper [I] presents an economic assessment of two different developments – both implying an increased demand for forest ecosystem services – and how these could affect the competition for forest raw materials. A Swedish forest sector trade model is updated to a new base year and used to analyze the consequences of: (a) increased bioenergy use in the heat and power sector; and (b) increased forest conservation. A particularly interesting market impact is that bioenergy promotion and forest conservation tend to have opposite effects on forest industry by-product prices. Furthermore, combining the two scenarios mitigates the forest industry by-product price increase compared to the case where only the bioenergy-promoting scenario is implemented. In other words, the heat and power sector is less negatively affected in terms of increased feedstock prices if a bioenergy demand increase is accompanied by increased forest conservation. Paper [2] explores the forest product market impacts of increased domestic second-generation (2G) biofuel production in Sweden. Changes in forest raw material prices and resource allocation are assessed using a forest sector trade model, which has been extended with a 2G biofuel module to address such production. The simulation results show increasing forest industry by-product prices, e.g., displaying that increased 2G biofuel production leads to a more intense raw material competition. The higher feedstock prices make the use of forest biomass in the heat and power sector less profitable. Still, we find little evidence of substitution of fossil fuels for by-products. There is also evidence of synergy effects in that the higher by-product prices spur sawmills to produce more sawn wood, something which in turn induces forest owners to increase harvest levels. Paper [3] presents and demonstrates a conceptual interdisciplinary framework that can constitute the basis for evaluations of the full supply-chain performance of various biorefinery concepts. The framework involves soft-linking a bottom-up and a top-down model; it considers the competition for biomass across sectors, assumes exogenous end-use product demand, and incorporates various geographical and technical constraints. We demonstrate this framework empirically by modelling the case of a sawmill-integrated biorefinery, which produces liquefied biomethane from forest industry residues. This case shows, among other things, the importance of acknowledging price change responses when evaluating supply chains. Paper [4] studies the relationship between green industrial policies and domestic biofuel production among 24 OECD countries over the period 2000-2016. This panel is estimated using a variant of the so-called Poisson pseudo-maximum-likelihood model, and incorporates the mix of demand-pull (biofuel blending mandates) and technology-push policies (government R&D), as well as the interaction between these two types of instruments. The results suggest that a more stringent blending mandate tends not only to increase the use of biofuels, but also domestic production. Government R&D has not, however, induced domestic biofuel industrialization processes. The results instead imply that these two polices target different technological fields, in turn leading to no positive interaction between demand-pull and technology-push policies. Finally, Paper [5] investigates the factors that tend to influence Swedish municipalities’ uptake of green public procurement (GPP) practices in the transport sector. The analysis builds on survey responses from civil servants representing 140 Swedish municipalities, complemented by secondary data on, for instance, municipality size. The survey collected information about both individual (e.g., education) and organizational characteristics (e.g., strategies). These data were used to estimate a bivariate probit model, which addresses the endogeneity in the GPP decision-making process. The results indicate that municipality size increases the likelihood of adopting a GPP strategy but decreases the likelihood for GPP uptake. This suggests that larger municipalities benefit from more resources (e.g., staff), but suffer from a larger organizational distance between the procuring and environmental departments. Finally, the results lend meagre support to the street-level bureaucracy hypothesis, i.e., that individual characteristics influence the uptake of GPP.
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| 19. |
- Dahlqvist, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Industrial Energy Use, Management Practices and Price Signals : The Case of Swedish Process Industry
- 2019
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In: International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy. - : EconJournals. - 2146-4553. ; 9:3, s. 30-45
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objectives of the paper are to: (a) derive and discuss indicators of industrial companies’ decision-making and management practices on energy use; and (b) investigate whether these practices can help explain variations in energy intensities across these companies. The data were collected through telephone interviews with 101 large industrial firms in Sweden. The indicators display a significant overall increase in firms’ awareness of energy efficiency issues over time, including the attention devoted to these issues at the top management level. Still, our econometric results show that energy prices constitute the most important determinant of inter-firm differences in energy intensities. Higher energy prices over the time-period, have induced the implementation of energy-relevant management and practices, and led to more systematic decision-making processes. Finally, firms for which so-called ‘hidden’ costs, e.g., the costs of production disruptions, are a large concern, will be more energy intense than others.
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| 20. |
- Ejdemo, Thomas
(author)
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Entrepreneurship and the Geography of Innovation : Essays on the Role of Related Variety
- 2021
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The traditional view that large industrial corporations are the primary engines of innovation and economic progress has gradually been replaced by the notion that place is the key organizing platform for innovative activity in the modern knowledge economy. The geography of innovation has shown that innovative activities tend to cluster in space, due to the advantages of certain cities and regions. Recent literature suggests that a regional diversity of economic activities that are related in a cognitive or technological sense is advantageous, as it facilitates knowledge spillovers that foster positive economic outcomes. This re-specifies the traditional dichotomy between economic specialization and diversity and opens up new lines of inquiry. This thesis aims to contribute to the literature on the geography of innovation and related variety with studies that treat the relationships between related industry variety, innovation and entrepreneurship in explicit fashions, thus addressing important research gaps. The overall purpose of the thesis is therefore to examine and explain the relationship between regional related variety and regional economic change, in terms of: (a) entrepreneurship, and; (b) innovation. The thesis consists of an introductory text and five appended papers. Paper 1 provides a bibliometric study of the literature on related variety, while papers 2 to 5 provide empirical analyses that address the implications of related variety for regional economic outcomes in terms of growth, entrepreneurship and innovation. The main findings of the thesis work suggest that related variety facilitates knowledge spillovers that unlock entrepreneurial opportunities, and that knowledge spillover entrepreneurship underpins the external economies of scope that arise from related variety. In addition, the thesis finds that entrepreneurship is an important driver of economic diversification in related activities. Furthermore, findings presented in the thesis align with previous literature that has reported a positive influence of related variety on regional innovation, which indicates the presence of positive knowledge externalities that foster innovation. It is however argued that the thesis work extends on previous findings by emphasizing the function of entrepreneurship in realizing the knowledge spillover effects of related variety. The importance of entrepreneurship is further reinforced by the finding that unrelated variety in particular is associated with firm-level entrepreneurial innovation. Drawing on the notion of Knightian uncertainty, the thesis work concludes that the process of innovation may require business decisions under ‘true’ uncertainty about expected returns, particularly when combinations of unrelated knowledge are attempted as they are new and unprecedented, and such pursuits can be understood as acts of entrepreneurial innovation.
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Finnveden, Göran, et al.
(author)
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Policy Instruments towards a sustainable waste management
- 2016
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In: Solid waste management: Policy and planning for a sustainable society. - : Apple Academic Press. - 9781771883740 - 9780429091650 ; , s. 185-246, s. 185-246
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 24. |
- Frishammar, Johan, et al.
(author)
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A knowledge-based perspective on system weaknesses in technological innovation systems
- 2019
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In: Science and Public Policy. - Oxford : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1471-5430 .- 0302-3427. ; 46:1, s. 55-70
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The literature on technological innovation systems (TIS) provides policymakers and other actors with a scheme of analysis to identify system weaknesses. In doing so, TIS analysis centres on which system weaknesses policy interventions should target to promote further development of a particular system. However, prior TIS literature has not sufficiently elaborated on what may constitute the conceptual roots of a 'weakness'. We apply a knowledge-based perspective and propose that many-albeit not all-system weaknesses may root in four types of knowledge problems: uncertainty, complexity, equivocality, and ambiguity. Employing these as sensitizing concepts, we study system weaknesses by analysing data from a biorefinery TIS in Sweden. This analysis results in novel implications for the TIS literature and for achieving a better match between system weaknesses and the design of innovation policies.
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| 25. |
- Gawel, Erik, et al.
(author)
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Security of supply as a political bargaining issue : Why Germany opted against capacity markets
- 2022
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In: Energy Research & Social Science. - : Elsevier. - 2214-6296 .- 2214-6326. ; 86
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The large-scale deployment of intermittent renewable energy sources for electricity generation has raised concerns regarding the future security of supply. Previous research has studied efficient reforms of electricity markets to address these concerns. In contrast, our paper aims to explain actual policy choices made to provide security of supply. For this purpose, we develop a Public Choice framework, which looks at three interacting decision variables: the timing of regulatory intervention, the decision-making process and the market design. We apply this framework to study the policy debates and decisions related to Germany’s 2016 electricity market reform. The analysis builds on the rich empirical material made available through a consultation process preceding the German parliamentary decision. The electricity market reform eventually combined measures to strengthen the energy-only market and the implementation of only limited new capacity payments through a strategic reserve. This was despite the fact that conventional electricity producers strongly lobbied for a fully-fledged capacity market by which they would have benefited from new broad-band capacity payments. Our analysis suggests that the eventual market design decision was strongly affected by the timing of regulatory intervention (existing oversupply of generation capacity) and the decision-making process (an open consultation process revealing broad opposition against capacity markets).
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| 26. |
- Hage, Olle, et al.
(author)
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The regional heterogeneity of household recycling : a spatial-econometric analysis of Swedish plastic packing waste
- 2018
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In: Letters in spatial and resource sciences. - : Springer. - 1864-4031 .- 1864-404X. ; 11:3, s. 245-267
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Environmental policy is often formulated at the national level, but the primary responsibilities for policy implementation, monitoring and compliance are often assigned to local actors (e.g., municipalities). This paper investigates the regional heterogeneity of household plastic waste collection among Swedish municipalities, and how collection rates have been influenced by local waste management policies, geographical conditions and socio-economic characteristics. This is achieved by employing spatial econometric methods and cross-sectional data for 282 Swedish municipalities. The results confirm the presence of spatial correlation. Furthermore, municipalities that employ weight-based waste management fees generally experience higher collection rates. The presence of curbside recycling and a high intensity of recycling drop-off stations, i.e., policy measures that help improve the infrastructural conditions for household recycling, also help explain why some municipalities perform better than others. However, the correlations between packaging waste collection and a number of important regional cost variables, such as the distance to the recycling industry, urbanization rate and population density, turn out both statistically and economically insignificant. An important explanation for this could be that the Swedish producer responsibility scheme has offered regionally differentiated (and fixed) monetary compensations to local collection entrepreneurs, and these have typically been higher in high-cost regions. This implies that plastic packaging waste collection in Sweden has been performed in a spatially cost-ineffective manner.
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| 27. |
- Hedeler, Barbara, 1991, et al.
(author)
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Policy mixes and policy feedback: Implications for green industrial growth in the Swedish biofuels industry
- 2023
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In: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews. - : Elsevier. - 1364-0321 .- 1879-0690. ; 173
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In recent years, innovation systems scholars have advanced the understanding of the evolution of industries around renewable energy technologies as well as the role of policy feedback (and indeed politics) surrounding the development of domestic green industrial development policies. To take a step towards combining these literature streams, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of policy mixes and policy feedback in the emergence of domestic green industries. This is achieved in the empirical case of biofuels in Sweden, and the findings show that policy feedback dynamics created difficulties in aligning the national policy mix with the technology and industrial developments in the country. The resulting political uncertainty predominantly hampered the scaling up of domestic production capacity, while R&D and import of biofuels instead could grow strong. Based on this empirical case, a process model is developed to explain the role of policy feedback in the development of domestic industries, thus demonstrating how the growth of domestic industries is driven by the interplay of policy effects and various feedback processes. The findings suggest that future research into the role of policies in “green” domestic industry growth should devote more attention to the dynamics driving the co-evolution of policy, technology and industry structures.
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| 28. |
- Hedeler, Barbara, et al.
(author)
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The dynamic between policy mixes and the emergence of sustainable value chains: Comparative perspectives from biofuel development in Finland and Sweden
- 2020
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In: IST 2020. - : IST 2020. ; , s. 283-283
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper explores how the design of a policy mix and its characteristics affect the emergence and localization of industrialization processes over the lifecycle, from technology development to deployment of commercially established technologies. Combining insights from the literature on policy mixes for sustainability transitions, innovation systems, and technology lifecycles, a general framework is developed to explore the link between policy mixes and clean industry growth. The framework is applied to the empirical context of biofuels in two countries in a comparative case study setting over an extended period. The results reveal that there are great differences in which kinds of actors enter a new industry, the ways actors structure their activities over the lifecycle, and the policy incentives needed to spur emergence and functioning. Given the multi-actor and multi-technology complexity of clean industries, this paper concludes that policy needs to be aware of the fact that one specific policy mix may promote some actors and technologies more than others. The paper offers implications for innovation system scholars and policymakers.
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| 29. |
- Kuylenstierna, Johan, et al.
(author)
-
Klimatpolitiska rådets rapport 2021
- 2021
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Denna rapport utgör Klimatpolitiska rådets utvärdering av regeringens samlade politik under år 2020 i förhållande till de klimatmål som riksdagen och regeringen har beslutat. Den innehåller också en övergripande bild av utsläppsutvecklingen och en uppföljning av regeringensklimatpolitiska handlingsplan liksom av regeringens klimatredovisning till riksdagen.Den förda politiken har under det senaste året starkt präglats av den pågående pandemin. Hur samhället förmår möta coronakrisen och dess långsiktiga ekonomiska och sociala effekter påverkar på flera sätt förutsättningarna för att hantera klimatomställningen. Klimatpolitiska rådet har därförvalt att i årets rapport ha ett särskilt fokus på regeringens politik under coronakrisen och hur kris och återhämtningspolitiken påverkar möjligheterna att uppnå de klimatpolitiska målen.När slutsatserna och rekommendationerna i denna rapport presenteras pågår pandeminfortfarande. Ännu finns ingen slutgiltig bild av de många skeenden, samband och följder som är relevanta i sammanhanget, men många viktiga politiska beslut kopplade till coronakrisen och dess följdverkningar behöver fattas nu och under den närmaste tiden. Att Klimatpolitiska rådetpresenterar denna rapport om krisen redan nu är i linje med rådets ambition att bidra medrelevanta och användbara beslutsunderlag för regering och riksdag.Rapporten innehåller både slutsatser om de förda politiken och ett antal rekommendationer till regeringen för att bättre tillvarata det möjlighetsfönster som Coronakrisen skapat.
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| 30. |
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
- Lauf, Thomas, et al.
(author)
-
The Regional Heterogeneity of Wind Power Deployment : An Empirical Investigation of Land-use Policies in Germany and Sweden
- 2020
-
In: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0964-0568 .- 1360-0559. ; 63:4, s. 751-778
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare the impacts of land-use policies on wind power deployment at the regional levels in Germany and Sweden. We use data for the period 2008–2012, and an econometric approach in which the probability of having any wind power capacity additions and the actual level of increased capacity, given that it is positive, are permitted to be determined by different processes. The results confirm the importance of land-use policies, e.g., priority and exclusion areas, and interesting differences across the two countries are found. The impact of priority areas has been more profound in Germany, while the assignment of protected areas instead has constituted a more binding policy tool in Sweden. Cross-country differences in the relevance of various explanatory variables are linked to factors such as geographical patterns, design of wind power support schemes, and the allocation of decision-making power in planning processes.
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| 33. |
- Lauf, Thomas, et al.
(author)
-
Wind Power Deployment as a Stressor for Ecosystem Services : A Comparative Case Study from Germany and Sweden
- 2019
-
In: Atlats of Ecosystem Services. - Cham : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 9783319962283 ; , s. 125-128
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This book aims to identify, present and discuss key driving forces and pressures on ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are the contributions that ecosystems provide to human well-being. The scope of this atlas is on identifying solutions and lessons to be applied across science, policy and practice. The atlas will address different components of ecosystem services, assess risks and vulnerabilities, and outline governance and management opportunities. The atlas will therefore attract a wide audience, both from policy and practice and from different scientific disciplines. The emphasis will be on ecosystems in Europe, as the available data on service provision is best developed for this region and recognizes the strengths of the contributing authors. Ecosystems of regions outside Europe will be covered where possible.
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| 34. |
- Lundmark, Robert, et al.
(author)
-
Establishing local biogas transport systems : Policy incentives and actor networks in Swedish regions
- 2021
-
In: Biomass and Bioenergy. - : Elsevier. - 0961-9534 .- 1873-2909. ; 145
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Biogas from waste and residues is a renewable transportation fuel, which can contribute directly to the fulfillment of several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this paper, we address the question of how biogas value chains, and the respective actor networks, emerge at the local level. The purpose of the paper is to empirically assess the development of local biogas transport systems in three Swedish regions, and how policy – including so-called network management – can support this development. The analysis draws on an analytical framework describing how emerging actor networks can be strengthened, and multiple data collection methods (personal interviews, workshop, and secondary sources). The results indicate that four factors explain the success of developing effective local biogas systems: (i) a clear political vision and an adequate basis for decision-making; (ii) a reliance on green public procurement giving priority to biogas vehicles (including follow-up); (iii) integrated actor networks, facilitating knowledge development and sharing of information; and (iv) strategies to deal with an uneven system growth.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
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| 37. |
- Mossberg, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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Challenges of sustainable industrial transformation : Swedish biorefinery development and incumbents in the emerging biofuels industry
- 2021
-
In: Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. - : John Wiley and Sons Ltd. - 1932-104X .- 1932-1031. ; 15:5, s. 1264-1280
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper investigates the transformation challenges related to incumbent industries caused by technology development and industry convergence in the transition to a bioeconomy in the context of Swedish biorefinery development. It involves the emergence of new value chains and several incumbent industries such as the pulp and paper industry, the oil refinery sector, the chemical process industry, and the heat and power sector. In 2019, Sweden had Europe's largest share of biofuels in the transport sector, roughly 20% on an energy basis, and this share has increased by around 300% during the last decade. At the same time, domestic production has stalled, and even though Sweden has beneficial conditions for biofuel production, the share of biofuel that is imported or based on imported feedstock has recently ranged between 85% and 90%. We discuss three transformation challenges: (i) inertia and lack of absorptive capacity creating lock-in effects at the organizational level; (ii) weak and inefficient actor networks at the industry level; and (iii) contradictory policy instrument mixes and lack of coordination at the government level. The findings underscore the need for policy integration and alignment across various policy domains, and an increased focus on policy mixes that can stimulate the emergence of more disruptive innovations and value chains. There is also a need for industrial initiatives, such as improving absorptive capacity and strengthening actor networks, to help build the value chains needed to realize a sustainable bioeconomy.
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| 38. |
- Mossberg, Johanna, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Crossing the biorefinery valley of death? : A role-based typology for understanding actor networks ability to overcome barriers in sustainability transitions
- 2018
-
In: Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. - : Elsevier. - 2210-4224 .- 2210-4232. ; 27, s. 83-101
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pilot and demonstration plants (PDPs) play important roles in technological development; they represent bridges between basic knowledge generation and technological breakthroughs, on the one hand, and industrial application and commercial adoption, on the other. This paper addresses the importance of the actor networks around the PDPs at which different biorefinery technologies have been demonstrated and verified. The aim of the paper is to propose a role-based typology that can be used as an illustrative tool to facilitate a more generic analysis – and enhanced understanding – of PDP actor networks and their dynamics. For this purpose the paper investigates the barriers experienced by the actors in their joint efforts to further utilise and transform the PDPs into permanent test facilities after the initial technology verification and demonstration. To aid the analysis the actor networks surrounding four Swedish biorefinery PDPs are investigated.
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| 39. |
- Mossberg, Johanna, et al.
(author)
-
Managerial and organizational challenges encountered in the development of sustainable technology : Analysis of Swedish biorefinery pilot and demonstration plants
- 2020
-
In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 276
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pilot and demonstration plants (PDPs) perform critical tasks in the development of new sustainable technology by bridging basic knowledge generation and large-scale commercialization. Significant private and public funding has therefore been allocated to PDPs addressing climate change, pollution abatement technology and/or increased resource efficiency. After technology verification, PDPs typically struggle with evolving objectives, and reports of stalled or delayed development are common. Key problems may center on technical difficulties, but challenges of a non-technical nature are equally important, not least for the development of clean technology. This paper draws on a longitudinal case study of four PDPs used for advanced biorefinery technology development in Sweden and delineates the key managerial and organizational challenges that arise in and around such plants. By taking the actor networks around PDPs as the main unit of analysis, this paper gives a detailed description of various challenges, such as the division of responsibility for the operation and ownership of the PDPs, unclear roles and objectives, and the lack of specific competences and resources in the actor networks. One important conclusion is that improved knowledge about such challenges should increase the resilience of actor networks in and around PDPs, and also help shorten the formative phase of developing sustainable technology. © 2020 The Authors
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| 40. |
- Mousavi, Seyedesmaeil, 1983, et al.
(author)
-
How can pilot and demonstration plants drive market formation? Lessons from advanced biofuel development in Europe
- 2023
-
In: Technological forecasting & social change. - : Elsevier. - 0040-1625 .- 1873-5509. ; 194
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper analyzes through what enabling mechanisms pilot and demonstration plants (PDPs) reduce supply and demand uncertainties, and thereby contributing to the market formation for novel sustainable technologies. The analysis builds on three case studies within the advanced biofuel development in Europe. For each case, we construct a narrative of the technology development and derive detailed insights into how technology actors use PDPs to drive market formation. We develop a comprehensive analytical framework, which highlights how PDPs contribute to supply uncertainty reduction through three main enabling mechanisms: building credibility for the technology, business ecosystem orchestration, and technology learning. The corresponding enabling mechanisms behind demand uncertainty reduction include technology standardization, constructing the narrative, and the creation of legitimacy for the technology. The paper also unfolds the composite activities of each mechanism, and outlines implications for technology developers, policymakers, as well as for the research community.
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| 41. |
- Palage, Kristoffer, et al.
(author)
-
The impact of pilot and demonstration plants on innovation : The case of advanced biofuel patenting in the European Union
- 2019
-
In: International Journal of Production Economics. - : Elsevier. - 0925-5273 .- 1873-7579. ; 210, s. 42-55
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objective of this paper is to investigate how pilot and demonstration plants affect innovation in the empirical context of advanced biofuel technology. Patent counts are used as a proxy for innovation; we employ data for eight EU Member States over the time-period 1980–2011, and negative binomial regression techniques. The focus is on plant investments that have received public co-funding. The results are overall robust to alternative model specifications, and show that the knowledge generated through past investments in pilot and demonstration plants has had positive effects on advanced biofuel patenting activities. This result is particularly valid for so-called experimental plants, i.e., aiming at testing the technical viability of new technology. The empirical analysis does not indicate the presence of any positive interaction between investments in experimental plants and biofuel blending policies, i.e., in the sense that more stringent blending requirements can raise the rate-of-return on additional pilot tests. Moreover, advanced biofuel innovation is also affected through knowledge spillovers across the selected EU Member States. The paper ends by outlining avenues for future research on the role of pilot and demonstration plants in technology development.
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| 42. |
- Palage, Kristoffer, et al.
(author)
-
The innovation effects of renewable energy policies and their interaction : the case of solar photovoltaics
- 2019
-
In: Environmental Economics and Policy Studies. - : Springer. - 1432-847X .- 1867-383X. ; 21:2, s. 217-254
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objective of this paper is to examine the innovation impacts of renewable energy support policies, and their interaction in the empirical context of solar photovoltaics (PV) technology. This is achieved using data on patent applications for 13 countries over the period 1978–2008, and unconditional negative binomial estimators. The analysis addresses one technology-push instrument, public R&D support, and two demand-pull instruments, feed-in tariffs (FIT), and renewable energy certificate (REC) schemes. The results indicate that: (a) both FIT and REC schemes induce solar PV patenting activity, but the impact of the former policy appears to be more profound; (b) public R&D support has overall been more influential than FIT and REC schemes in encouraging solar PV innovation; (c) policy interaction exists in that the impact of public R&D support on innovation is greater at the margin if it is accompanied by the use of FIT schemes for solar PV. A corresponding interaction effect is harder to detect for public R&D support and REC schemes, possibly due to the stronger technology selection pressure under the latter policy. The results following several robustness tests support the existence of a positive interaction effect between public R&D and FIT schemes.
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| 43. |
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| 44. |
- Pettersson, Maria, 1971-, et al.
(author)
-
Breddad miljöprövning fel väg att gå
- 2022
-
In: Aktuell Hållbarhet Lag & rätt. - : Bonnier. - 2002-3200 .- 2003-4253. ; :2, s. 9-9
-
Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)
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| 45. |
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| 46. |
- Pettersson, Maria, 1971-, et al.
(author)
-
Miljölagstiftningens betydelse för stora kunskapsintensiva investeringar
- 2019
-
Reports (peer-reviewed)abstract
- I den här studien analyserar vi hur miljöprövningen kan utformas för att driva på miljöarbetet vid etableringen av stora kunskapsintensiva investeringar (SKI), utan att äventyra konkurrenskraften. Frågan är central eftersom miljöprövningen ofta är ett viktigt ramvillkor vid SKI. Studien visar att en planerad lokalisering, tydliga riktlinjer för miljöprövning av nya verksamheter och bättre förutsättningar för en kontinuerlig miljöanpassning är viktiga faktorer. Studien utgår från tidigare forskning och egna fallstudier av tre SKI-relaterade verksamheter: Facebooks datacenter i Luleå, Northvolts batterifabrik i Skellefteå och Preems raffinaderi i Lysekil.
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| 47. |
- Stage, Jesper, et al.
(author)
-
Projekt : Utvärdering av åtgärder i havs- och vattenmiljöförvaltningen
- 2016
-
Other publication (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Forskargruppen ska genom analyser och synteser identifiera styrkor och brister i de utvärderingar som görs av styrmedel i fiskeri- och havsmiljöförvaltningen, samt utifrån detta föreslå åtgärder som skulle kunna förbättra framtida utvärderingar. Arbetet kommer att resultera i övergripande syntes av hur olika typer av samhällsekonomiska analyser kan användas för att utvärdera styrmedel inom området (med hänvisning till tidigare utvärderingar), samt en fördjupad analys av tidigare utvärderingar av styrmedlet överförbara kvoter inom det pelagiska området.
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| 48. |
- Söderholm, Patrik, 1968-
(author)
-
Climate and the Environment : Managing the Transition
- 2018
-
In: Addressing Societal Challenges. - Luleå : Luleå University of Technology. - 9789177900610 - 9789177900733 ; , s. 7-22
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The transition to a green economy likely requires a re-assessmentof the roles of the private industry and the state, respectively. Theadvent of so-called green capitalism and sustainability entrepreneurshipcan be catalysts to this process. Still, the extent of the contributionof green capitalism is uncertain; there is likely to be key roles forthe state. Policy instrument mixes, including direct support to greentechnology, will be required to address the challenges associatedwith diffuse emissions and green innovation. This is, though, in itselfa challenge to policy-making at different levels, e.g., understandinghow various policies interact and how the institutional contexts canaffect the effectiveness of various instruments. For LTU the abovesuggests that efforts aimed at green technical innovation must acknowledgethe subsequent need for new and complementing organizationaland societal innovations.
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| 49. |
- Söderholm, Patrik, 1968-, et al.
(author)
-
Metal markets and recycling policies : impacts and challenges
- 2020
-
In: Mineral Economics. - : Springer. - 2191-2203 .- 2191-2211. ; 33:1-2, s. 257-272
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An increased understanding of the existing markets for recycled (secondary) metals, including interactions with virgin material production, is essential for public decision-making processes concerning the implementation and evaluation of different categories of recycling policies. In this paper, we review the existing literature with the purpose of discussing (1) the impacts of various recycling policies on metal markets in which aggregate demand can be met by both primary and secondary production, and (2) a number of challenges that policy-makers need to confront in choosing between various types of recycling policies and policy designs. A simple partial equilibrium model is used as a pedagogical tool for shedding light on the impacts of tradable recycling credits, virgin material taxes, and recycling subsidies. In a second step, the paper identifies and discusses a few key challenges that policy-makers will need to address in recycling policy-making. These challenges include improving the functioning of secondary material markets by addressing various non-environmental market inefficiencies; identifying and designing (second-best) policy mixes due to the presence of incomplete monitoring and enforcement of waste disposal behavior, and regulating environmental impacts through price- or quantity-based policies. Throughout the analysis, we consult the empirical literature on the functioning of scrap metal markets (e.g., steel, copper, and aluminum).
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| 50. |
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