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- Arnfalk, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Kartläggning av svensk FoU inom området IT och miljö
- 2009
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Swedish R&D activities in the field of IT and the environment - a mapping related to indirect environmental effects and effects at system level Feb 2009: Peter Arnfalk, Andrius Plepys, Chris van Rossem, The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics, Lund University. The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University has, in autumn 2008, been commissioned by Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA) to investigate Swedish research and development (R & D) scene in the field of IT and the environment. The survey was conducted with the help of Blekinge Institute of Technology and the company Exido, a reference group with representatives from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Linköping University (LiU), Interactive Institute, as well as the Swedish IT & Telecom Companies (a part of Almega). The purpose of the survey was to provide a current review and understanding of research activities in Sweden to assess how to best design and fund R & D efforts in the field for Swedish growth. The mission was to survey the area, analyze results and to draw conclusions. The mapping was limited to R & D projects related to indirect environmental effects and effects at system level from the use of IT, which means that research on IT’s own environmental impact along its life cycle, so-called direct effects, was not targeted. Information collection was made primarily with the help of a web-based questionnaire, through interviews, literature search and searches in various databases. The results show that there is a wide range of different projects in Sweden in this multidisciplinary field. Most R&D projects could be linked to the energy, environmental informatics, transport, process and manufacturing, buildings, as well as products and services. Many projects focused on our attitudes and behaviour surrounding the use of IT, an issue that was researched in 42 % of the projects. Furthermore, many of the reported projects are related to areas such as energy efficiency, environmental analysis, environmental monitoring, intelligent transportation systems, surveillance and control, process optimization and ‘smart houses’. Other areas of research concern are dematerialization, telework, urban planning, IT in energy production and distribution, virtual meetings, simulations, and eco-design of products. 8 We found R & D projects at many universities and institutes around the country, but a certain concentration was found mainly around Stockholm (Stockholm University, KTH, Kista), Gothenburg (Göteborg University, Business School, Chalmers), Linköping (Linköping University, including the Linköping Institute of Technology), Lund / Malmö (Lund University, Lund Institute of Technology and Malmö University College); and Karlskrona / Ronneby / Karlshamn of Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH). Around these areas a number of research institutes can be found, which also carries out projects in the IT and the environment. We found that none of the national grant organizations for R & D projects have any explicit strategy or established grants program for interdisciplinary research in the field of IT and the environment. This may partly explain the fact that relatively few researchers characterize their projects in this field. Another reason may be that the area is not clearly defined and difficult to delineate. The findings of this study highlight the fact that IT offers a range of preventive solutions to environmental problems. Hence, IT solutions should to a greater extent be considered and included in the environmental technology toolbox, and its applications promoted when considering environmental measures. The concept of Green IT is currently mainly interpreted as IT with a relatively low direct environmental impact. The concept should preferably be expanded to also include indirect and systemic effects, to stress the fact that this is where the technology’s major environmental potential is found.
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- Boks, Casper, et al.
(författare)
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Nordic Post-Graduate Sustainable Design and Engineering Research from a Supervisor Perspective
- 2008
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Ingår i: NordDesign 2008. - Tallin, Estonia. ; , s. 171-180
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The multi- and interdisciplinary field of sustainable product innovation is rapidly expanding as an arena for scientific research. Universities in Nordic countries can be considered as an exponent of this type of research, with active research groups in, among others, Göteborg, Helsinki, Lund, Lyngby, Linköping and Trondheim. In the context of a Nordforsk funded project, seven second generation PhD supervisors from these universities, who have been active in this field for many years, discuss funding, publication, research traditions, education and supervision practices related to PhD research in this field. A number of recommendations to improve current practices are made, including the mapping currently existing differences in different academic institutions, studying the cross-over learning effects between academica and non-academic partners, and the development of ‘quality indicators’ of research in the SPI domain.
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| 3. |
- Boutin, Jean Philippe, et al.
(författare)
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Alternative energy sources in transition countries. The case of bio-energy in the Ukraine
- 2006
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Ingår i: Environmental Engineering and Management Journal. - 1582-9596. ; 5:3, s. 471-486
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During the transition to a market economy, many countries with a planned economy in Central and Eastern Europe face similar challenges when the established socio-economic systems and infrastructures deemed inefficient in a market economy. Also new issues are being raised by the trends of globalization and the vision of sustainable development. In the energy sector the challenges raised by the Kyoto Protocol and its implementation mechanisms are especially interesting, because they are intertwined with other socioeconomic sectors. This paper addresses the challenges in the energy sector for transition countries, taking the case of bio-energy in the Ukraine as a prime example of a country undergoing major changes in its economic structures. Given the large potential for bio-energy development in the Ukraine, the current dependence on imported energy resources which threatens the Ukraine’s energy security, and the economic, social and environmental benefits associated with bio-energy, this paper investigates drivers and barriers to an increased use of bio-energy in the Ukraine. The paper was written by a group of MSc students of the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University during a field trip to Kiev city and the Lviv region in Ukraine. The field trip has been supported by the Swedish Institute.
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- Mont, Oksana, et al.
(författare)
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Sustainable consumption progress: should we be proud or alarmed?
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 16:4, s. 531-537
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many environmental strategies relying on a mere improvement of resource productivity and eco-efficiency of processes and products are not able to fully address the environmental impacts induced by increasing consumption. In addition to these strategies, the concept of sustainable consumption calls for changing the levels and patterns of consumption, which require complimentary approaches. However, so far, there has been a noticeable lack of strategies that conceive ways of shifting from a material-intensive consumer culture to a society with less materialistic aspirations. This paper aims to provide a critical overview of the current debate, research trends and main outcomes relating to the area of sustainable consumption. It is based on the study commissioned by the Swedish EPA and focuses on current research streams and activities of main stakeholders. It identifies and discusses the gaps in the existing range of initiatives and policy instruments towards sustainable consumption.
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