| 1. |
- Hagbert, Pernilla, Dr, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Futures Beyond GDP Growth : Final report from the research program 'Beyond GDP Growth: Scenarios for sustainable building and planning'
- 2019
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A future society no longer based on economic growth – what would that look like?The research program “Beyond GDP Growth: Scenarios for sustainable building and planning” (www.bortombnptillvaxt.se) is a strong research environment funded by the Swedish Research CouncilFormas, which has run between 2014 and 2018. In collaboration with societal partners, the program hasgathered researchers from diferent disciplines to explore key issues and conditions for planning for asustainable future beyond GDP growth. This is a relevant contribution to a largely under-researchedarea, where few scientific studies have explored what a sustainable society could look like, and what asustainable economy that is not based on growth might actually mean.In economic and political discussions, the notion of continuous economic growth is often taken forgranted and seen as a prerequisite for a safe and sustainable societal development. At the same time,a blind faith in and expectations surrounding growth can constitute a threat to the development of asustainable society if growth declines. Also an optimistic prognosis from the OECD indicates that it islikely that future GDP growth will be lower than what has come to be seen as the normal level duringthe second half of the 20th century. Declining economic growth could mean risks for increased socialgaps and unemployment. However, economic models show that the possibilities for handling these risksincrease if there is an awareness of them, and if this is addressed politically. Therefore, it is important tonot just assume continued economic growth, but to plan also for alternative scenarios.A starting point for the research program has been an understanding of the significant transitionsneeded to approach a safe and just operating space for humanity within planetary boundaries. Fourgoals that should be met in order to consider the societal development sustainable were specified: twoenvironmental goals related to climate and land use, and two social goals regarding power, influence andparticipation, and welfare and resource security.Four scenarios for Sweden 2050 were developed, which show the diferent directions society could taketo reach the set sustainability goals. The scenarios illustrate future societies that do not have to build onthe current economic logic, but that instead are centred around four alternative strategies:Collaborative EconomyLocal Self-SufciencyAutomation for Quality of LifeCircular Economy in the Welfare StateSo, can we reach the selected sustainability targets in the four future scenarios? A transformation ofhistorical proportions are needed – and it needs to start immediately. According to the sustainabilityassessment conducted within the project, the environmental goals of climate and land use can be reachedin all scenarios, even though it demands changing multiple parameters at the same time. Nothing pointsto it being impossible or generally difcult to achieve the social goals in the four scenarios, however theremight be diferent aspects that are particularly tricky. There are both development potentials and risks,which can be diametrically opposite for diferent social groups and parts of the country, depending onthe local prerequisites.Many diferent images of sustainable futures are needed. The scenarios should be seen as a tool fordiscussion and analysis when it comes to planning for a sustainable societal development beyondGDP growth. They challenge notions of what is possible, what changes that can and should be made,6what decisions that are needed and what should be prioritized. The scenarios all suggest a largechange compared the current development trajectory, and for example all point towards the need forredistribution of resources. It might involve economic resources, but could also relate to power andinfluence over production, or the possibility to use land for production of food, materials and energy.This redistribution could happen according to diferent principles in the diferent scenarios.In all the scenarios, the consumption of goods and of meat is reduced. Flight travel also needs to bedrastically reduced to reach the climate target. There is furthermore a need for reducing the constructionof both housing and road infrastructure, although to varying extents in the four scenarios. Other aspectssuch as working hours, the organization of welfare systems, the characteristics of the built environmentand the amount of infrastructure needed are on the other hand diferent in the diferent scenarios.The research program has explored what a development that isn't based on economic growth, in linewith the strategies that are depicted in the scenarios, would mean for rural as well as urban conditions.Three case study municipalities were selected with regards to their diferent geographical location,built form, economic development and size of the population: Övertorneå, Alingsås and Malmö. Insome sub-studies in these diferent contexts, descriptions emerged of cognitive as well as structuralbarriers, a sense of powerlessness and a weak capacity for transition among diferent actors. This isconnected to expectations and general assumptions regarding growth, partly irrespective of the context.Municipalities and companies to a large extent plan for and expect a societal development that buildsupon a further expansion of infrastructure, transport and consumption. Despite visions for sustainabledevelopment, in practice this often leads to a reproduction of current unsustainable structures and waysof life.At the same time, specific empirical studies within the project point toward stories of self-sufciency,of regional upswings and that the population is more important than GDP. There is an increasedawareness and a multitude of examples of experimenting with new sustainable practices that constituteseeds for change. Critiques against planning for continuous growth is being taken more seriously andclearer political visions are demanded. New forms of organizing the economy, society and welfare arealso being developed. Some examples include working from a perspective on socio-ecological justice,integration of sustainability targets in all planning, and developing new roles for consumers andproducers. These ideas can be seen as windows of opportunity, but also show that change can happenwithin the current system.The future means change. In this research program, we point towards some possible futures that aimat reaching certain sustainability targets. The scenarios and the discussion and analysis that they havebrought about show that there is an opportunity to move towards a sustainable development withmaintained or even increased well-being – provided that the understanding of well-being is based onother values than those of our current society. For these possible future trajectories to gain support,there is a need of political instruments and measures that actively drive the development towards a justand safe operating space for humanity
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| 2. |
- Svenfelt, Åsa, PhD, Docent, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
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Goal conflicts in adaptation to climate change
- 2011
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Ingår i: Moving Toward a Sustainable Future. - : Earth Institute, Colombia University. ; , s. 238-239
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two fundamental policy approaches exist to reduce the environmental, economic, and social threats posed by climatechange: mitigation and adaptation. Adaptation has gradually received more attention in international policy discussions asscientists and decision makers have come to realise that changes in climate are unavoidable. Since emissions reductions willnot abate all negative climate change impacts, mitigation has to be combined with a process of adapting to those impacts.In decision-making processes concerning adaptation to climate change, there is often a choice between differentstrategies and measures. The choice of adaptation measure or strategy can have implications for other goals. In thecontext of climate change adaptation this means that a goal conflict arises when a measure that is taken by an agent(e.g., a local authority, county administrative board or county council) in response to actual or expected climate changeor effect, obstructs the achievement of some other goal that the agent has set. These goal conflicts constitute a majorpolicy challenge for decision makers involved in adaptation.So far, research on adaptation has dealt a lot with needed adaptation measures, but rarely analysis of what kind ofconflicts those measures could impose on other goals. The measures may even fuel climate change themselves and,hence, accelerate the need for further adaptation. To ensure the coherence of adaptation measures with other policygoals, there is a need for tools to assess and predict outcomes, but also to balance those outcomes and trade themoff in situations where they are not easily reunited. As goal conflicts (and the nature of those conflicts) are identified,strategies and tools for managing them can be developed.The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the existence of goal conflicts in the adaptation process, to provide examplesof goal conflicts related to adaptation measures concerning physical planning, and to propose and discuss strategies fordealing with these conflicts. The basis for the paper is an inventory of potential goal conflicts in Sweden’s climate changeadaptation process. We use the adaptation process in Sweden as empirical basis, but we make the assumption that theresults are sufficiently general to apply to other countries with similar socio-economic structure and climate.The paper is focused on measures and goal conflicts concerning physical planning and decisions taken at the localscale, mainly the municipal level. A desk-based review of adaptation measures were carried out, and analysed withregards to potential goal conflicts in relation to environmental goals, goals concerning human health, recreational goals,and social justice goals. Goal conflicts were identified based on literature studies combined with interviews with relevantstaff from national and local authorities and field experts.The adaptation measures that were analysed within the area of physical planning, mainly concerned protection of thebuilt environment against flooding, landslide and increased temperatures and protection against human health risks inthe built environment. There are close connections between the identified adaptation measures. Many of the adaptation measures that are taken to protect buildings and developments from the negative impacts of climate change are alsoadequate responses when it comes to mitigating harm to human health.The paper shows that, goal conflicts in adaptation are common phenomena.Sometimes, adaptation conflicts with mitigation efforts, such as when air-conditioning and other mechanical coolingsystems used to reduce heat-related mortality also increase carbon dioxide emissions. At other times, adaptation conflictswith goals concerning the preservation of natural and cultural values, such as when ski establishments are relocated to meetsnow deficits, resulting in biodiversity loss and damage to landscape integrity. Often, adaptation conflicts with some goalswhile at the same time benefits others, which makes choices concerning adaptation complex and difficult to manage.Obviously, goal conflicts in adaptation to climate change can be managed through many different types of strategies.If actions to mitigate climate change are intensified, and are successful in halting climate change, fewer adaptationmeasures will presumably need to be taken, which reduces the risk of conflict between adaptation goals and other policygoals. Another strategy is to focus adaptation policy on reducing the vulnerability in social and ecological systems bymaking them more resilience towards the effects of climate change. With resilience built into the systems, systems aremore designed and planned to withstand changes without collapsing, and the need for adaptation measures could also decrease and thereby conflicts between interests or goals.Conflicts also arise between the local authorities’ goals and the national authorities’ goals. Hence, integrating adaptation policies and measures between different agencies and sectors is an important means of identifying and avoiding or limiting potential goal conflicts between proposed adaptation measures and other policy goals. Because of the diverseinterrelationships that exist between different policy sectors today, adaptation strategies need to be developed in anintegrated fashion to be effective and sustainable.Some strategies are conflict-reducing in the sense that they reduce the need for (further) adaptation and, consequently,the risk of creating conflicts between the goal of adaptation and other policy goals. Other strategies are conflictidentifying in the sense that they help to detect actual or potential goal conflicts in present or planned adaptation work.These strategies are central to the goal conflict resolution process, since a first step in managing a goal conflict consistsin being aware that the conflict exists. Conflict-directing strategies constitute a third type of strategies; they tell thedecision maker how to act in situations where a goal conflict is present or foreseen.An important conclusion is that, by pro-actively working with goal conflicts at an early stage in the decision-makingprocess, governmental decision makers can play an important role in promoting sustainable adaptation at local andregional levels. The goal conflicts that exist in the context of climate adaptation make it clear that successful adaptationpolicy cannot be defined in terms of effectiveness, i.e., how well an adaptation measure, strategy, or policy succeeds insolving the problem that it is intended to solve. Before an adaptation measure is decided upon, the decision maker must also consider how appropriate the measure is, given her other policy goals.
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| 3. |
- Svenfelt, Åsa, PhD, Docent, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
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Miljöklassning av byggnader : Inventering av metoder och intressenters behov
- 2006
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Denna rapport innehåller resultatet av projektets inledningsfas, kapitel 2 är en genomgång av politiska och andra mål för hållbar utveckling inom området byggnader med syfte att sätta miljöklassningssystemet i ett sammanhang, kapitel 3 är en redovisning av hur inledningsfasen genomförts, kapitel 4 innehåller resultatet av intervjuer med företag inom bygg och fastighetsbranschen om deras inställning till ett miljöklassningsystem samt intervjuer med aktörer som potentiellt kan skapa incitament för att företag och fastighetsägare ska ansluta sig till miljöklassningssystemet, kapitel 5 behandlar översiktligt genomgången av befintliga metoder för miljöbedömning av byggnader, kapitel 6 redovisar utgångspunkter för det fortsatta arbetet med ett miljöklassningsystem, kapitel 7 innehåller diskussion och slutsatser. Befintliga metoder för miljöbedömning av byggnader redovisas som informationsblad i bilaga 7 (svenska) och bilaga 10 (utländska).
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Parekh, Vishal, 1991-, et al.
(författare)
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Taking sustainable eating practices from niche to mainstream : the perspectives of Swedish food-provisioning actors on barriers and potentials
- 2022
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1548-7733. ; 18:1, s. 292-308
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The food system is a major driver of anthropogenic environmental impacts and in Sweden a sizeable proportion of the country’s relatively large per capita ecological footprint is attributable to food. In short, sustainable eating practices need to become mainstream. Actors within the food-provisioning system likely have valuable insights into how such a transition could be enabled. This article presents the results of a qualitative study that aimed to examine the perspectives of these individuals on such a transition in Sweden using a social practice framework to identify framings of barriers and potentials for mainstreaming sustainable eating practices. We found that conventional framings and models for explaining change and transitions dominate. These approaches center on providing alternative food products, with some attention devoted to normalizing sustainable eating through product design, communication, and marketing. However, exceptions to these strategies include calls for redefining business profitability in terms of human and planetary health and notions of a decentralized food-provisioning system consisting of small-scale actors and limited by the regional and seasonal supply of food. Our analysis suggests that interventions for mainstreaming sustainable eating practices need to move beyond a constrained recrafting of mainstream eating practices and toward systematic practice substitution that favors considerations regarding how eating practices connect to other practices that constitute people’s everyday lives. We conclude by discussing implications for the food-provisioning system and suggest directions for further research that could lead to the development of strategies for mainstreaming sustainable eating practices in Sweden and elsewhere.
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| 6. |
- Reinholdsson, Tommy, et al.
(författare)
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Nudging green food: The effects of a hedonic cue, menu position, a warm-glow cue, and a descriptive norm
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Consumer Behaviour. - : Wiley. - 1472-0817 .- 1479-1838. ; 22:3, s. 557-568
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Meat consumption is associated with both public health risks and substantial CO2 emissions. In a large-scale field-experiment, we applied four nudges to the digital menus in 136 hamburger restaurants. The nudges promoted vegetarian food purchases by either (1) changing the menu position of vegetarian food, or aligning vegetarian food with (2) a hedonic, taste-focused nudge, (3) the warm-glow effect, or (4) a descriptive social norm. These nudges were thus aimed to shift salience toward a certain goal or the salience of a specific alternative. Vegetarian food purchases were measured in two datasets analyzing if nudges affected customers' "route " to ordering vegetarian food (29,640 observations), and the total number of vegetarian food sold during the intervention (346,081 observations). Results showed that the position nudge affected customers route to buying vegetarian food. More specifically, making the "green category " more accessible made more customers order through that category. Interestingly, this did not affect the total number of vegetarian sales. However, results indicate that nudges that utilize the salience of goals, in particular hedonic goals, may have an overall positive effect on total vegetarian sales.
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| 7. |
- Skånberg, Kristian, et al.
(författare)
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Expanding the IPAT identity to quantify backcasting sustainability scenarios
- 2021
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Ingår i: Futures & Foresight Science. - : Wiley. - 2573-5152 .- 2573-5152. ; 4:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper builds on four qualitative backcasting scenarios that illustrate sustainable futures in a Swedish setting. The paper complements the originally qualitative scenarios by developing an eight‐step modified and expanded IPAT model—originally describing environmental impact as a product of population, affluence, and technology—that also enables quantitative descriptions of the scenarios. The modified and expanded IPAT model is used to show how the scenarios can stay within the climate aspect of sustainability. The result is quantified descriptions of the development paths of energyrelated carbon dioxide emissions, working hours, man‐made capital stocks, recycled and nonrecycled materials used, and different types of energy used in the four scenarios. The four main findings are (a) the back‐bone instrument in making the energy system fossilfree will, in all scenarios, substitute fossil energy with renewable energy; (b) however, to succeed with that it is necessary to use different mixes of many complementary climate policy instruments; (c) IPAT models can be modified and expanded in many different ways to act as quantitative descriptions of different technological developments and social changes in scenario exercises; (d) by disregarding gross domestic product as a proxy for affluence, and replacing it with labor and capital, behavioral concepts like sharing and prolonged product lifetimes can more easily be introduced as climate policy options in a modified and expanded IPAT model.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Svenfelt, Åsa, PhD, Docent, 1968-
(författare)
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Envisioning sustainable consumption futures : a guide for workshop facilitators
- 2024
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This guide contains instructions for carrying out workshops for envisioning sustainable consumption. The aim of the workshops is to explore what sustainable consumption can be in the future, through working with visioning and thereby capture the many ways in which people envision the future of consumption. The step by stepinstruction includes a background to the workshop format, preparations before carrying out a workshop and a detailed workshop schedule. You are free to use this guide for carrying out workshops, but we ask you to refer to this report as a source when doing so.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Svenfelt, Åsa, PhD, Docent, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
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Stakeholder needs study on indicators for IPP (Integrated Product Policy)
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 15:4, s. 323-326
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Integrated Product Policy, or IPP, is an approach that seeks to reduce environmental impacts through the life cycle of products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the need for indicators to monitor the IPP approach, with the focus on national indicators for Sweden. This was achieved by interviewing different stakeholders. Government/authority stakeholders identified a need for IPP indicators in order to monitor the process and show politicians the use and effectiveness of the policy. However, they also identified obstacles to construct meaningful indicators that would be able to show a cause and effect relationship between the policy and e.g. decreased environmental impact. Non-government stakeholders did not express a need for IPP indicators to monitor the IPP process to the same extent and most were more critical towards IPP as a concept. Several governmental and non-governmental stakeholders saw indicators for environmental performance of products as relevant from a general/public interest. However, since different stakeholders have different needs, indicators for IPP should be tailored to suit different user groups.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Svenfelt, Åsa, PhD, Docent, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
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Sustainable food systems with ICT?
- 2016
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Ingår i: 4th International Conference on ICT for Sustainability (ICT4S 2016). - : Atlantis Press. - 9789462522244 ; , s. 194-201, s. 194-201
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The food system is burdened by many and severe negative environmental and social impacts. Two of the reasons for the impacts are the increasing scale and globalisation of the food system. ICT has been put forward as a means to enhance sustainability in society, yet the potential for food systems is underexplored. In this paper we review ICT solutions for improved sustainability of food systems, which are used in practice or are discussed as potential solutions. The aim is to identify ICT solutions that can potentially enhance sustainability in the food system. We review mostly scientific literature. The ICT solutions are categorized according to four main purposes of the approach, to 1) efficiency through monitoring and assessment of environmental impact, 2) enhance transparency and traceability in the food system, 3) creating network between actors in the food chains, 4)influence and change food practices. We conclude that there is no coherent research field covering ICT in food systems. The papers reviewed are scattered over several disciplines and scientific journals. We also conclude that there is a predominance of research on monitoring of food production and ransparency and traceability in the food chain. More research is needed that take on holistic approaches and include several parts of the food system.Furthermore, we would also like to see more research onwhat sustainable food systems could be like and how ICT couldsupport and perhaps sometimes hinder such developments.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- van der Voorn, Tom, et al.
(författare)
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Advancing participatory backcasting for climate change adaptation planning using 10 cases from 3 continents
- 2023
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Ingår i: Climate Risk Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0963. ; 42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the face of climate change, a major challenge is to inform and guide long-term climate change adaptation planning under deep uncertainty, while aiming at transformative change. Normative futures studies approaches, such as participatory backcasting, visioning and transition management, are increasingly applied, but their potential for climate change adaptation research and practice remains undervalued. This paper aims to advance the potential of backcasting in climate adaptation, by comparing various climate change adaptation studies that have used backcasting or visioning approaches. A framework has been further developed and applied to evaluate 10 cases in Africa, Europe and North America, using four dimensions: (i) inputs and settings; (ii) process and methods (iii) results, and (iv), impact. Our evaluation provides key insights into the use and further development of backcasting for climate adaptation. Key elements to add are advanced system modeling, robust elements, pathway switching and hybrid pathways, enhancing participation of marginal groups, and contributing to impact by facilitating the utilization of results and knowledge in practice and decision making.
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