| 1. |
- McCrory, Gavin, 1990, et al.
(author)
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Governing sustainability transitions: contrasting experimental arenas through the lens of Agenda 2030
- 2018
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In 2015, the necessity of fundamental societal change was outlined in a universal, transnational agreement with the headline of “transforming our world”. The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals, ranging from ending poverty and establishing gender equality to halting climate change and sustainable cities and communities. Building on UN and scholarly debates, we put forward two key principles to guide the realization of Agenda 2030: transformation (to sustainability) and integration. Transformation refers to the understanding that fundamental change is necessary to achieve sustainability; Integration recognizes that such change is dependent upon different perspectives, such as sustainability dimensions and the SDGs themselves, and different actors. At the same time, laboratories in real world contexts have emerged from various discourses, and are portrayed as settings to host potentially transformative experimentation and innovation processes and integrate various perspectives and actors. Sustainability related labs contribute a significant share to all labs existing. Despite their proliferation across the local, regional and national levels, it remains unclear how different laboratory settings might relate to processes of integration and transformation. Labs have seldom been attached explicitly to Agenda 2030 in practice, and a systematic assessment of the suitability of labs to support agenda 2030 so far is lacking. Hence, the main aim of this work-in-progress paper is to situate existing lab approaches from real world contexts in relation to the ambitions of Agenda 2030. It is guided by the following main research question: What is the capacity of labs in real world contexts in contributing to agenda 2030 by processes of transformation and integration? The paper presents the progress of an ongoing study, which intends to employ a step-based systematic review approach. Firstly, we highlight and unpack the key principles to guide the realization of Agenda 2030: transformation (to sustainability) and integration, and propose an analytical framework related to these principles. Secondly, and currently ongoing, we investigate a breadth of lab approaches building on a systematic review to draw out their capacities to contribute to transformation and integration. Results of the first stage are presented, before the paper ends by outlining the ongoing data collection process, describes the sample and provides a brief outlook.
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| 2. |
- Holmberg, John, 1963, et al.
(author)
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A Sustainability Lighthouse—Supporting Transition Leadership and Conversations on Desirable Futures
- 2018
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In: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 10:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Central in leadership for sustainability transitions is the capability to create transformative momentum in a sustainable (desirable) direction, calling for meaningful conversations on sustainable futures. The aim of this study is to develop a conceptual framework to inspire and support such conversations. A qualitative literature review of sustainability conceptualizations was conducted, followed by a thematic analysis. The resulting framework consists of an overarching question and an accompanying set of categories for four sustainability dimensions: the social, the economic, the ecological, and ‘human needs and wellbeing’. Furthermore, the framework is visualized as a lighthouse for pedagogical reasons. We foresee that the lighthouse might be of value in processes guiding socio-technical transitions towards sustainability in three different ways: (1) by attempting to bridge the issue of ‘transition’ with that of ‘sustainability’; (2) as part of a backcasting process; and (3) modes of transdisciplinary research where relevant actors take part in the conversation. The study is related to over 20 years of experience from working with a backcasting approach engaging with sustainability transitions in a variety of processes. We invite further dialogue on how one may approach the concept of sustainability to inspire and support conversations on sustainable futures.
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| 3. |
- Kraupner, Nadine, et al.
(author)
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Selective concentration for ciprofloxacin resistance in Escherichia coli grown in complex aquatic bacterial biofilms
- 2018
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In: Environment International. - : Elsevier BV. - 0160-4120 .- 1873-6750. ; 116, s. 255-268
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is concern that antibiotics in the environment can select for and enrich bacteria carrying acquired antibiotic resistance genes, thus increasing the potential of those genes to emerge in a clinical context. A critical question for understanding and managing such risks is what levels of antibiotics are needed to select for resistance in complex bacterial communities. Here, we address this question by examining the phenotypic and genotypic profiles of aquatic communities exposed to ciprofloxacin, also evaluating the within-species selection of resistant E. coli in complex communities. The taxonomic composition was significantly altered at ciprofloxacin exposure concentrations down to 1 μg/L. Shotgun metagenomic analysis indicated that mobile quinolone resistance determinants (qnrD, qnrS and qnrB) were enriched as a direct consequence of ciprofloxacin exposure from 1 μg/L or higher. Only at 5–10 μg/L resistant E.coli increased relative to their sensitive counterparts. These resistant E. coli predominantly harbored non-transferrable, chromosomal triple mutations (gyrA S83 L, D87N and parC S80I), which confer high-level resistance. In a controlled experimental setup such as this, we interpret effects on taxonomic composition and enrichment of mobile quinolone resistance genes as relevant indicators of risk. Hence, the lowest observed effect concentration for resistance selection in complex communities by ciprofloxacin was 1 μg/L and the corresponding no observed effect concentration 0.1 μg/L. These findings can be used to define and implement discharge or surface water limits to reduce risks for selection of antibiotic resistance in the environment. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd
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| 4. |
- Larsson, Johan, 1990, et al.
(author)
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Guiding Systemic Change: A cross-case analysis of ‘transition labs’ in Canada and Sweden
- 2018
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Agenda 2030 presents a global ambition to transform our world into sustainability. In this study we seek to advance knowledge on how sustainable systemic change can be guided in practice, and how the keywords of Agenda 2030 can provide value in such work. We argue that the conception of sustainability and desire for positive change may form strong coalitions and motivators for realizing transitions challenging the status quo. This study seeks to make a practical contribution into some of the methodologies, processes, tools and techniques that may be useful in guiding systemic change: with an emphasis on backcasting and a multi-level model for transitions. The study is exploratory in its approach, building on a description, comparison and cross-case analysis of two lab methodologies and insights from their application in concrete cases: the Energy Futures Lab in Alberta, Canada and the Challenge Lab in West Sweden. The analysis is guided by a novel analytical framework operationalizing keywords of Agenda 2030 to shed light on how sustainability transition processes (including transition labs) may contribute to sustainability transitions. The framework itself, and the explorative comparison and analysis pose some questions that may inspire further development of transition lab methodologies to have a transformative impact across systems.
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| 5. |
- Larsson, Johan, 1990, et al.
(author)
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Learning while creating value for sustainability transitions: The case of Challenge Lab at Chalmers University of Technology
- 2018
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 172, s. 4411-4420
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To achieve a sustainable future, a variety of societal systems need to be transformed and new ways of social collaboration created. Higher education institutions play an important role in guiding these changes, through education, research, and outreach. In this paper, we study a lab-based learning environment, the Challenge Lab, where master’s degree students engage in, and create value in support of, the transition to a sustainable society. Three student cases are analyzed in-depth to understand how the Lab functions as an expansive learning process and provides space for transformative and integrative value creation. The Lab’s guiding methodology is based on backcasting from principles, combined with clarifying the students’ core values and drivers. The role of the teacher in such a learning environment is to provide the basis for the process by facilitating and guiding. Provided with the right conditions, these students have the ability to challenge underlying assumptions about how systems work and to build trust by facilitating dialogue among actors in society. The students perceived the opportunity to engage in real-world challenges as meaningful, drew valuable lessons for their future, and got to know themselves better. In this transitional period of achieving ambitious sustainability goals and targets, students’ ability to be a source of change – maybe the most important source inside higher education institutions – deserves much more attention.
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| 6. |
- Ling, Gustav, et al.
(author)
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Fuel-efficient Model Predictive Control for Heavy Duty Vehicle Platooning using Neural Networks
- 2018
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In: 2018 American Control Conference (ACC). - : IEEE. - 9781538654286 - 9781538654279 - 9781538654293 ; , s. 3994-4001
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The demand for fuel-efficient transport solutions are steadily increasing with the goal of reducing environmental impact and increasing efficiency. Heavy-Duty Vehicle (HDV) platooning is a promising concept where multiple HDVs drive together in a convoy with small intervehicular spacing. By doing this, the aerodynamic drag is reduced which in turn lowers fuel consumption. We propose a novel Model Predictive Control (MPC) framework for longitudinal control of the follower vehicle in a platoon consisting of two HDVs when no vehicle-to-vehicle communication is available. In the framework, the preceding vehicle's velocity profile is predicted using artificial neural networks which uses a topographic map of the road as input and is trained offline using synthetic data. The gear shifting and mass of consumed fuel for the controlled follower vehicle is modeled and used within the MPC controller. The efficiency of the proposed framework is verified in simulation examples and is benchmarked with a currently available control solution.
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