| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Nielsen, Tobias, et al.
(author)
-
Pathways to sustainable plastics – A discussion brief
- 2018
-
Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- The growing attention to the negative side-effects of our use of plastics has led to numerous calls for changing the current plastics system. However, there is lack of coherent and systematic assessments of how and in what direction the plastics system should change to become more sustainable. This discussion brief explores five potential pathways: Bio-based, Biodegradable, Recycled, Fewer types and Reduced use. Each pathway is assessed in terms of the promise it makes, what it entails and how it has been criticized. With a growing number of voices on the need for sustainable plastics, this discussion brief provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges of the pathways that can potentially take us there. The diversity and complexity of the system, as well as the lack of clear direction for what is a more sustainable plastics system, make it difficult to govern. Furthermore, there is no history of building an institutional capacity and expertise in, for example, government and research around policy and governance for plastics. Plastics is a critical material for sustainability in many areas (e.g. food, water and energy), but policies are needed to reduce the use of fossil feedstock, increase circularity and resource efficiency, and prevent leakage to the environment.
|
|
| 3. |
- Bauer, Fredric, et al.
(author)
-
Plastics and climate change breaking carbon lock-ins through three mitigation pathways
- 2022
-
In: One Earth. - : Elsevier BV. - 2590-3330 .- 2590-3322. ; 5:4, s. 361-376
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The plastic industry is dependent on fossil fuels in various ways that result in strong “carbon lock-in” throughout the value chain and large and growing CO2 emissions. The industry must decarbonize to reach global net-zero pledges. Although a few initiatives have been launched, they primarily focus on plastic waste. Current research has investigated mitigation potential on different parts of the plastic value chain but remains in silos. Here, we review carbon lock-ins throughout the plastic value chain and identify possible mitigation pathways for each stage of the plastic life cycle. We show how lock-ins are stubbornly entrenched across the domains of production, markets, waste management, industry organization, and governance. Overcoming these carbon lock-ins and achieving zero-carbon targets for the sector by 2050 will require thorough systemic change to how plastics are produced, used, and recycled, including promotion of demand reduction strategies, bio-based feedstocks, and circular economy principles. Strict governance structures, enforceable regulation, and a new proactive and inclusive vision for the low-carbon transition are equally important.
|
|
| 4. |
- Boije Af Gennäs Erre, Ellen, et al.
(author)
-
Energigemenskap – olika modeller för att äga förnybar energi gemensamt
- 2023
-
Reports (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- När medborgare vill gå samman och äga och producera energi gemensamt finns det olika sätt att organisera det på. I den här community briefen presenterar vi fem olika modeller av energigemenskaper. Modellerna baseras på en analys av 12 existerande solenergigemenskaper i Sverige. Genom att presentera de olika modellerna för delat ägande av förnybar energi hoppas vi kunna inspirera fler att etablera energigemenskaper, och sänka ribban för er som har bestämt er för att investera i förnybar energi tillsammans.
|
|
| 5. |
- Bossini-Castillo, Lara, et al.
(author)
-
A replication study confirms the association of TNFSF4 (OX40L) polymorphisms with systemic sclerosis in a large European cohort
- 2011
-
In: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 1468-2060 .- 0003-4967. ; 70:4, s. 638-641
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives The aim of this study was to confirm the influence of TNFSF4 polymorphisms on systemic sclerosis (SSc) susceptibility and phenotypic features. Methods A total of 8 European populations of Caucasian ancestry were included, comprising 3014 patients with SSc and 3125 healthy controls. Four genetic variants of TNFSF4 gene promoter (rs1234314, rs844644, rs844648 and rs12039904) were selected as genetic markers. Results A pooled analysis revealed the association of rs1234314 and rs12039904 polymorphisms with SSc (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.31; OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.29, respectively). Significant association of the four tested variants with patients with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) was revealed (rs1234314 OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38; rs844644 OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.99; rs844648 OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.20 and rs12039904 OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.33). Association of rs1234314, rs844648 and rs12039904 minor alleles with patients positive for anti-centromere antibodies (ACA) remained significant (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.37; OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.25; OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38, respectively). Haplotype analysis confirmed a protective haplotype associated with SSc, lcSSc and ACA positive subgroups (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.96; OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.96; OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.97, respectively) and revealed a new risk haplotype associated with the same groups of patients (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.26; OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.35; OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.42, respectively). Conclusions The data confirm the influence of TNFSF4 polymorphisms in SSc genetic susceptibility, especially in subsets of patients positive for lcSSc and ACA.
|
|
| 6. |
- Franzen, Oscar, et al.
(author)
-
Draft genome sequencing of Giardia intestinalis assemblage B isolate GS : is human giardiasis caused by two different species?
- 2009
-
In: PLoS Pathogens. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7366 .- 1553-7374. ; 5:8, s. e1000560-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Giardia intestinalis is a major cause of diarrheal disease worldwide and two major Giardia genotypes, assemblages A and B, infect humans. The genome of assemblage A parasite WB was recently sequenced, and the structurally compact 11.7 Mbp genome contains simplified basic cellular machineries and metabolism. We here performed 454 sequencing to 16 x coverage of the assemblage B isolate GS, the only Giardia isolate successfully used to experimentally infect animals and humans. The two genomes show 77% nucleotide and 78% amino-acid identity in protein coding regions. Comparative analysis identified 28 unique GS and 3 unique WB protein coding genes, and the variable surface protein (VSP) repertoires of the two isolates are completely different. The promoters of several enzymes involved in the synthesis of the cyst-wall lack binding sites for encystation-specific transcription factors in GS. Several synteny-breaks were detected and verified. The tetraploid GS genome shows higher levels of overall allelic sequence polymorphism (0.5 versus <0.01% in WB). The genomic differences between WB and GS may explain some of the observed biological and clinical differences between the two isolates, and it suggests that assemblage A and B Giardia can be two different species.
|
|
| 7. |
- Palm, Ellen, et al.
(author)
-
Conflicting expectations on carbon dioxide utilisation
- 2021
-
In: Technology Analysis and Strategic Management. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0953-7325 .- 1465-3990. ; 33:2, s. 217-228
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To utilise carbon dioxide as a resource rather than treating it only as a polluting greenhouse gas is gaining increased attention. Expectations on the future capabilities of technologies that could make utilisation of carbon dioxide possible are currently raised in scientific literature. These are in important ways shaping the development process by defining what is possible and desirable to develop. Building on sociology of expectations, we show how some of these expectations are in conflict. The most notable expectation of carbon dioxide utilisation is that it will contribute to mitigation of climate change, but at the same time there are conflicting expectations regarding suitable applications, requirements on feedstock and energy use, and how the concept should be framed in relation to other technologies. These conflicting expectations show how different types of actions are encouraged, and how technologies related to seemingly similar goals could result in very different levels of greenhouse gas emissions and thereby climate change impact.
|
|
| 8. |
- Palm, Ellen
(author)
-
Decarbonising plastics – On the technologies and framings of carbon capture and utilisation
- 2024
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Plastics consist of fossil fuels, from both a feedstock and energy perspective and thus need to decarbonise. This thesis maps and explores the framings and technologies that surround plastics decarbonisation and the potential mitigation pathway of carbon capture and utilisation. Here, three of the main findings are presented.By unpacking how EU policymakers understand issues concerning plastics, this thesis exposes how they are mainly conceptualised as a waste issue. This narrow framing of the issues concerning plastics neglects their complexities and systemic nature. The explicit downplaying of climate impact is especially noteworthy. If policymakers do not recognise the connection between plastics and climate change, it is not likely that they will introduce policy measures to address it.In a first-of-a-kind study, this thesis shows that, from a technological perspective, European plastics production could decarbonise via the pathway of carbon capture and utilisation. However, producing plastics from water and carbon dioxide is extremely energy-intensive and hence very costly. Even if this perspective neglects all the social, political and institutional considerations, it serves as a thought experiment that plastics production could decarbonise.How expectations of carbon capture and utilisation, and the larger imaginary of circular carbon, are articulated can shape and limit how and whether they are enacted. This thesis maps and analyses such framings in two cases: firstly, within the scientific carbon capture and utilisation community, and secondly within the plastics and petrochemical industry. The material shows that the scale of production (growth) is not discussed, and strategies to decarbonise via low-tech pathways are often neglected.If supporting the technological development surrounding plastics decarbonisation, all these aspects must be recognised. Failure to do so risks resulting in delayed decarbonisation efforts. In conclusion, this thesis advocates for a pluralistic approach to plastics decarbonisation and emphasises the importance of considering both high- and low-tech mitigation pathways, since one perspective or technology is insufficient to address the complexities of plastics decarbonisation.
|
|
| 9. |
- Palm, Ellen, et al.
(author)
-
Electricity-based plastics and their potential demand for electricity and carbon dioxide
- 2016
-
In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 129, s. 548-555
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In a future fossil-free circular economy, the petroleum-based plastics industry must be converted to non-fossil feedstock. A known alternative is bio-based plastics, but a relatively unexplored option is deriving the key plastic building blocks, hydrogen and carbon, from electricity through electrolytic processes combined with carbon capture and utilization technology. In this paper the future demand for electricity and carbon dioxide is calculated under the assumption that all plastic production is electricity-based in the EU by 2050. The two most important input chemicals are ethylene and propylene and the key finding of this paper is that the electricity demand to produce these are estimated to 20 MWh/ton ethylene and 38 MWh/ton propylene, and that they both could require about 3 tons of carbon dioxide/ton product. With constant production levels, this implies an annual demand of about 800 TWh of electricity and 90 Mton of carbon dioxide by 2050 in the EU. If scaled to the total production of plastics, including all input hydrocarbons in the EU, the annual demand is estimated to 1600 TWh of electricity and 180 Mton of carbon dioxide. This suggests that a complete shift to electricity-based plastics is possible from a resource and technology point of view, but production costs may be 2 to 3 times higher than today. However, the long time frame of this paper creates uncertainties regarding the results and how technical, economic and social development may influence them. The conclusion of this paper is that electricity-based plastics, integrated with bio-based production, can be an important option in 2050 since biomass resources are scarce, but electricity from renewable sources is abundant.
|
|
| 10. |
- Palm, Ellen, et al.
(author)
-
Imagining circular carbon : A mitigation (deterrence) strategy for the petrochemical industry
- 2024
-
In: Environmental Science and Policy. - 1462-9011. ; 151
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Petrochemical producers both rely upon and generate some of the most problematic substances in the current age of socioecological crisis: fossil fuels and plastics. With mounting calls to cap fossil fuel extraction as well as plastics production, the industry appears to be caught between a rock and a hard place. Nonetheless, betting on continuously increasing global plastic demand, petrochemical production is expanding significantly. This predicament raises the question of how the industry attempts to square increasing petrochemical production with the need to address environmental issues. In recent years, leading actors in and around the industry have promoted notions of carbon circularity as a desirable mitigation strategy. In this paper, we examine this strategy, using discourse analysis to uncover what we refer to as the imaginary of circular carbon. We highlight how the circular carbon imaginary risks delaying climate mitigation by rendering alternative mitigation pathways undesirable. It does so by reconciling increased production, carbon neutrality, and circular economy in a vision of a circular carbon economy, framing the climate crisis as an issue of carbon management. In the circular carbon economy, carbon dioxide, petrochemicals, and plastics all fit as mere flows of carbon. The circular carbon imaginary thereby helps future-proof the petrochemical industry in legitimizing its carbon-intensive practises essential to the fossil world order and the plastic crisis.
|
|
| 11. |
- Palm, Ellen, et al.
(author)
-
Mapping the plastics system and its sustainability challenges
- 2018
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Plastics are versatile materials with environmental, technical, economical and societal benefits, however plastics also contribute negatively to the environment and climate. Put in numbers around 4% of the fossil oil and gas is used as feedstock for plastics while another 4% is used for providing energy for the manufacturing of plastics. Many initiatives on reducing the negative effects of plastics are focusing on waste management, product design and consumer behaviour, however the fact that plastics originate from crude oil is sometimes neglected. The plastics system faces major sustainability challenges. The utilization of fossil feedstock and energy in the production causes emissions of carbon dioxide. Insufficient waste management and recycling result in littering and resource inefficiency. Plastics are likely to continue to be an important material in a fossil free future, however for that a sustainability transition needs to take place. The question is how?The report describes the current value chains including production, utilization and waste management of plastics as well as the sustainability challenges related to them. This extended summary highlights the most important sustainability challenges and gives some concrete examples of the difficulties and contradictions in achieving a more sustainable plastics system. The report is part of the Mistra funded research programme STEPS – Sustainable Plastics and Transition Pathways. The vision of the programme is to “…facilitate and accelerate transition of the plastic sector to a future society with sustainable production, use and recycling in a circular plastics economy.” Based on that vision, the following questions are asked: What are sustainable plastics? What is the role of plastics in a sustainable society? And what are the key challenges?
|
|
| 12. |
- Palm, Ellen, et al.
(author)
-
Narrating plastics governance : policy narratives in the European plastics strategy
- 2022
-
In: Environmental Politics. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0964-4016 .- 1743-8934. ; 31:3, s. 365-385
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The European Union (EU) aspires to be an important global agenda-setter on how to treat and regulate the growing plastics problem. We present an analysis of the plastic policy narratives shaping European plastics governance, in particular through the European Commission’s Plastics Strategy. Our aim is to first uncover the policy narratives at play, and then examine how actors make use of those narratives through strategic construction. Based on interviews with key stakeholders and document analysis, we identify four narratives: fossil feedstock dependency, resource inefficiency, pollution, and toxicity. We find that the resource inefficiency and pollution narratives figure most prominently in European plastics governance, and that the circular economy is being advanced as a policy solution that cuts across the different narratives. However, surface agreement on the need for ‘circularity’ hides deeper-lying ideological divisions over what exactly the circular economy means and the different directions this implies for plastics governance.
|
|
| 13. |
- Palm, Jenny, et al.
(author)
-
Policy Brief: Energigemenskaper i Sverige
- 2022
-
Other publication (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Den tredje februari 2022 anordnades en workshop vars syfte var att diskutera policy rekommendationer som skulle kunna främja utvecklingen av energigemenskaper i Sverige. Under workshopen diskuterades energigemenskapers möjlighet att äga nät, incitamentsstruktur för att utveckla energigemenskaper och huruvida energiföretag bör tillåtas vara medlemmar i energigemenskaper. Deltagarna i workshopen var enliga om att det behövdes bättre incitamentsstrukturer och att energiföretag ska tillåtas vara medlemmar. Däremot var det delade meningar om ifall energigemenskaper ska få äga elnät eller inte. Kritikerna var tveksamma till om det var en hållbar lösning på långsikt, om energigemenskaperna skulle kunna vara stabila långsiktiga ägare. Förespråkarna menade att det var möjligt med energigemenskaper som ägare om det kombinerades med tydliga regler om ansvar.
|
|
| 14. |
- Palm, Jenny, et al.
(author)
-
Policy Brief: Regeringen menar att det inte finns behov av lag om energigemenskaper
- 2022
-
Other publication (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- I proposition 2021/22:153 Genomförandet av elmarknadsdirektivet fastslår regeringen att det i nuläget inte krävs någon ny lagstiftning för att reglera energigemenskaper. Energimarknadsinspektionen, som hade ansvaret att utreda frågan, föreslog att energigemenskaper skulle vara ekonomiska föreningar med ett skyddat namn där det framgår att de är just energigemenskaper. I propositionen bedömer regeringen att det inte behövs en speciell lag för energigemenskaper eftersom det inte finns några hinder i den nuvarande lagstiftningen att bilda energigemenskaper och att det därmed inte behövs någon ny reglering för att uppfylla EU:s förnybarhetsdirektivs krav.
|
|
| 15. |
- Rechel, Bernd, et al.
(author)
-
Public reporting on quality, waiting times and patient experience in 11 high-income countries.
- 2016
-
In: Health Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-6054 .- 0168-8510. ; 120:4, s. 377-383
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article maps current approaches to public reporting on waiting times, patient experience and aggregate measures of quality and safety in 11 high-income countries (Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States). Using a questionnaire-based survey of key national informants, we found that the data most commonly made available to the public are on waiting times for hospital treatment, being reported for major hospitals in seven countries. Information on patient experience at hospital level is also made available in many countries, but it is not generally available in respect of primary care services. Only one of the 11 countries (England) publishes composite measures of overall quality and safety of care that allow the ranking of providers of hospital care. Similarly, the publication of information on outcomes of individual physicians remains rare. We conclude that public reporting of aggregate measures of quality and safety, as well as of outcomes of individual physicians, remain relatively uncommon. This is likely to be due to both unresolved methodological and ethical problems and concerns that public reporting may lead to unintended consequences.
|
|
| 16. |
|
|
| 17. |
- Tilsted, Joachim Peter, et al.
(author)
-
Corporate climate futures in the making: Why we need research on the politics of Science-Based Targets
- 2023
-
In: Energy Research & Social Science. - 2214-6326. ; 103, s. 103229-103229
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this Perspective article, we call for more scholarly attention to the politics of the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Specifically, we argue for a need to examine the emission pathways and decarbonised futures that are expressed and promoted through Science-Based Targets and what futures they render more likely in the pursuit of low-carbon transitions. We highlight how the SBTi's guidance material is characterized by a narrow and linear view of science (as input) as well as a similarly narrow portrayal of decarbonised futures (as outcome), despite the negotiated character of target-setting and the open-endedness of transitions. The SBTi thus currently tends towards obscuring the politics embedded within it and promoting an incumbent-driven transition, thereby legitimizing a transition shaped by some of the world's largest corporations and, in this sense, shielding them from democratic control. This argument illustrates the need for more scholarly engagement with the politics of knowledge that informs the SBTi and its governance framework. On a broader note, it highlights the need for continued critical engagement with corporate climate governance as it develops and takes on more ambitious forms.
|
|
