IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute

Bygg - och fastighetsbranschen påverkar biologisk mångfald både direkt genom markanvändning, samt indirekt via materialval, energianvändning och utsläpp av växthusgaser. Trots detta råder det idag en betydande kunskapsbrist över huruvida olika byggnadsmaterial påverkar den biologiska mångfalden i ett livscykelperspektiv. Syftet med denna studie är att bidra till kunskapsutvecklingen och stärka möjligheterna att integrera biologisk mångfald i livscykelanalys (LCA) inom byggsektorn.

Detta görs genom att kombinera tre ansatser: (1) kvantifiering av potentiell påverkan på biologisk mångfald via LCA-metoden ReCiPe 2016, (2) separat redovisning av byggprodukters påverkan på markanvändning och markomvandling, samt (3) En kvalitativ jämförelse mellan hyggesfritt skogsbruk och trakthyggesbruk, med fokus på hur de båda metoderna påverkar biologisk mångfald och klimat. Studien omfattar livscykelanalyser (LCA) som jämför två likvärdiga hus med olika bärande stommar, en i trä och en i betong. Resultaten visar att trä har högst markanvändning per kilogram material, följt av stål och betong. På byggnadsnivå uppvisar dock betongstommen i standardutförande den största totala påverkan på biologisk mångfald, främst driven av vattenanvändning vid produktionen. Byggnaden med trästomme hade däremot en betydligt lägre potentiell påverkan, där markanvändningen vid virkesproduktionen stod för den största delen. Genom att ersätta konventionell betong med klimatförbättrad betong kan påverkan på biologisk mångfald minskas avsevärt. Flera scenarier har modellerats med olika ambitionsnivåer. I det mest ambitiösa scenariot, där både platsgjutna och prefabricerade element ersatts med ambitiösa men tekniskt möjliga alternativ, uppvisar byggnaden med betongstomme till och med den lägsta potentiella påverkan.

Detta visar att klimatförbättrad betong kan förändra jämförelsen mellan byggnader med trä- respektive betongstomme, men att resultaten i hög grad beror på ambitionsnivån för det valda betongalternativet. När olika skogsbruksmetoder jämförs visar studien att hyggesfria skogsbruksmetoder generellt har bättre förutsättningar att främja biologisk mångfald medan valet mellan hyggesfritt skogsbruk och trakthyggesbruk har begränsad inverkan på klimatnytta. Jämförelser mellan dessa skogsbruksmetoder med nyckeltal som indata till LCA-analyser är i dagsläget förenat med stor osäkerhet, då resultaten varierar beroende på marktyp och skogsförhållanden. Delstudierna pekar samstämmigt på behovet av bättre data och mer exakta mätmetoder för att nå tillförlitliga resultat. Metodutveckling är därför central, liksom tydligare vägledning och standardisering för byggsektorn. Samtidigt visar denna studie att biologisk mångfald redan idag kan inkluderas pragmatiskt i LCA-arbetet.

Konceptet klimatanpassningskontrakt är ett strukturerat verktyg för samverkan mellan fastighetsägare, kommun och andra aktörer i befintliga stadsmiljöer för att motverka översvämningar från nederbörd samt hetta. Kontrakten möjliggör överenskommelser om hur klimatanpassning av en specifik plats kan planeras och genomföras. Erfarenheter från platsbaserade tester visar att skapandet av klimatanpassningskontrakt förutsätter att någon aktör är processledare och att det ofta faller på kommunen att ta den rollen. Det krävs även att förändringar initieras vid rätt tillfälle samt att olika aktörers incitament identifieras och beaktas.

Rapporten presenterar slutligen ett förslag till process för framtagande av klimatanpassningskontrakt och redogör för frågor som bör behandlas i olika steg i en sådan process. Rapporten ger även bakgrund till de olika aktörers juridiska skyldigheter i samband med klimatförändringar samt belyser situationer i stadsmiljön där klimatanpassningskontrakt är särskilt relevanta. Det kan exempelvis avse klimatanpassningsåtgärder som genomförs på en fastighet men där nyttan tillfaller flera andra fastigheter eller inte alls den fastighet där åtgärden utförs. I rapporten identifieras fem kontraktstyper som kan bli aktuella i befintlig stadsmiljö.

Trots internationella regleringar och klimatmål går sjöfartens klimat- och miljöomställning fortfarande långsamt, delvis på grund av höga kostnader för förnybara bränslen, osäkerhet kring framtida bränsleval och begränsade påverkan från styrmedel i dagsläget. I projektet Gröna kluster för hållbar sjöfart i norra Sverige undersöks olika aktörers miljökrav och drivkrafter för varuägare, rederier och hamnar i omställningen mot hållbar sjöfart. Studien bygger på intervjuer och en workshop med 17 deltagare som representerar varuägare, rederier, hamnar och terminaloperatörer i norra Sverige, där flera företag har en stark miljöprofil och uttalat miljöengagemang.

IVL har av Energimyndigheten fått i uppdrag att kartlägga nya eller planerade aktiviteter, som tillkommit sedan år 2021, som kan underlätta för en miljömärkning av lätta fordon. Fokus har varit att kartlägga LCA-relaterade aktiviteter samt att ta fram en tidslinje för dessa aktiviteter. Detta har inkluderat att identifiera potentiella relevanta standarder, metoder, branschöverenskommelser, studier, lagstiftningsförslag och märkningar. Det kan konstateras att det hänt en hel del de senaste åren. Det finns ett antal aktiviteter och initiativ med syfte att ta fram metoder och tillvägagångssätt relaterade till fordonsbranschen med kopplingar till LCA. Det kan också konstateras att flera av dessa pågår och förväntas bli klara längre fram i tiden. En del av initiativen har också blivit försenade. I rapporten har de aktiviteter och initiativ med störst sannolikhet att kunna utgöra underlag för en framtida svensk miljömärkning för lätta fordon lyfts fram tillsammans med när i tiden de förväntas finnas tillgängliga.

Underlaget har sammanställts genom en litteraturstudie och genom att intervjua nyckelpersoner inom fordonsbranschen och akademi. I rapporten har två huvudsakliga scenarier tagits fram, vilka baseras på när i tiden en miljömärkning kan bli aktuell. Ett som belyser situationen om en miljömärkning skulle tas fram år 2025 och ett annat som utgår från år 2026 och framåt. I de olika scenarierna beskrivs potentiell metodik, förväntad arbetsinsats kopplad till metodiken, datatillgänglighet och kvalitet på data samt för- och nackdelar med föreslagen metodik. Gemensamma nackdelar för båda scenarier är att metodikerna som redan finns eller håller på att tas fram, bygger på frivillighet. Hur mycket specifika data från biltillverkare som kan samlas in blir därför helt beroende på tillverkarnas vilja att göra livscykelanalyser och kommunicera resultaten. Det finns fördelar med att avvakta tills det finns en LCA-metodik för personbilar från EU-kommissionen eftersom den bedöms kunna få större inflytande och tyngd än andra metodiker.

The goal of the project has been to investigate whether increased information about e-commerce with groceries to households leads to more shopping being done online instead of in physical stores, and whether this in turn affects households’ travel habits, transport work, and climate impact. Data has been collected from Hemköp’s customers in the Greater Stockholm area. The purpose is to provide Axfood—and, by extension, the grocery retail industry as a whole—with greater insight into how the climate impact from transport linked to e-commerce can be reduced.

The project’s results and recommendations show that: • Electrification of delivery vehicles is a key factor for increased e-commerce to result in climate benefits. • Information efforts are crucial—targeted and clear communication can increase consumers’ willingness to choose e-commerce. • Car-dependent consumers should be prioritized in e-commerce initiatives, as their transition offers the greatest potential for emission reductions. • Strategic collaborations between grocery companies, cities, property owners, and other stakeholders are needed to provide attractive alternatives to private car use. • Distribution from warehouses to stores generates relatively low emissions, especially compared with shopping trips by car-dependent households—indicating where the greatest climate gains can be achieved.

The practice of growing low-trophic level species (LTA), primarily filter feeders, has been recognized for its sustainable food production potential while achieving the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. However, LTA generally occurs in open systems where there is no control of the culture environment which leaves cultured organisms susceptible to climate change impacts. As invertebrates that cannot regulate their temperature and salt content LTA species are at the mercy of environment and climate change can impact their welfare.

To better understand climate change welfare impacts on LTA species, we performed a risk assessment for Västra Götaland. As the first step in the risk assessment, we summarized the expected climate change impacts for Västra Götaland based on model projections from the Swedish Meterological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI). Additionally, physiological tolerance and expected responses for commercially important LTA species relevant to Västra Götaland were taken from the literature. Physiological tolerances were then compared with projected climate change impacts to develop a list of risks, both positive and negative.

Each risk was evaluated in a consensus-based round-table expert workshop and prioritized based on stakeholder input in a separate workshop. Following the risk assessment, a short literature review was undertaken to identify possible adaptation actions. During our risk assessment we identified 22 climate mediated welfare risks for present day conditions that merit some form of adaptation or mitigation action. When considering future conditions, based on climate scenario RCP 8.5, the number of risks that required adaptation or mitigation actions roughly doubled, increasing by 22. Risks identified included, but were not limited to, direct effects such as extreme temperature and salinity as well as indirect effects such as changes to food availability. A risk management workshop with stakeholders and experts produced four recommended adaptation actions, prioritized based on their ease of implementation, potential impact, and number of effected risks: (1) More research to reduce uncertainties surrounding climate risks, (2) increased monitoring and modelling efforts to better predict and detect hazardous conditions as well as the development of emergency preparedness plans, (3) the capacity for submerging culture cages below the pycnocline temporarily to avoid hazardous surface conditions, and (4) more thorough and data-driven site selection to identify climate resilient culture areas.

The report summarizes the results and conclusions from environmental monitoring of coastal meadows and stranded macroalgae/seagrass following the grounding of the RORO vessel Marco Polo in Pukaviksbukten on 22 October 2023, which resulted in a major spill of approximately 150 tonnes of heavy fuel oil (HFO). The investigation was conducted by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute on behalf of the County Administrative Board of Blekinge, with the aim of assessing the remaining levels of oil contamination in coastal soils and stranded macroalgae/seagrass, as well as evaluating temporal changes in contaminant concentrations within the algal/seagrass material. Sampling was performed in both oil-exposed and reference areas during the period 2024–2025. The analyses included BTEX, PAH16, alkylated PAHs, and TPH, with a particular focus on polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) as indicators of oil pollution. Soil samples were collected at three depth intervals from the sites Rökemarken, Lörbykladd S, Spraglehall N, Spraglehall S, and Furumo (reference site), while stranded macroalgae/seagrass samples were collected from Djupekås, Töppet, Lörbykladd S, Spraglehall N, Spraglehall S, and Torhamn (reference site).

All analyses were performed by an accredited laboratory (ALS Scandinavia AB). The results demonstrate a heterogeneous distribution of oil contamination along the coastline. The highest concentrations in soil were detected at Spraglehall N, where levels of heavy PAH compounds (PAH-H) in the upper soil layer (0–15 cm) exceeded the Swedish EPA limit value for sensitive land use (KM) by up to sevenfold. Other sampling sites exhibited lower, yet elevated, concentrations. Deeper soil layers (15–25 cm) generally showed low contaminant levels. Oil residues were detected in stranded macroalgae/seagrass at all sampling sites, with the highest initial concentrations at Töppet (38.7 mg/kg wet weight). A decline in concentrations was observed over time, except at Djupekås where levels increased between 2024 and 2025, suggesting continued deposition of oil-contaminated algal/segrass material. The contaminant profiles were dominated by alkylated PAHs. Despite extensive remediation efforts, the oil spill continues to affect the coastal ecosystem in Pukaviksbukten. Contaminant levels at Spraglehall N pose a potential risk to grazing livestock and may contribute to secondary contamination of surrounding environments. Continued long-term environmental monitoring is recommended, particularly at Djupekås and Spraglehall, as well as improved integration between remediation measures and environmental follow-up to enhance understanding of pollutant persistence and ecological impacts.

Ecological footprints from today’s consumption exceed planetary boundaries, and Sweden has one of the world’s highest consumption footprints. Reuse can reduce climate impact, waste volumes and resource extraction only when it replaces new purchases. Although the reuse market is growing faster than new consumption, it still makes up a small share of total consumption. This study, conducted within the Usereuse project, analyses actors’ conditions for scaling reuse to the norm. It focuses on textiles, electronics, furniture and interiors, and draws on surveys, interviews and workshops with actors from four arenas: the new purchase arena, the secondhand arena, the personal arena and the waste prevention arena. The analysis considers political, economic, social and technological factors and shows the barriers and opportunities actors see. The analysis identifies internal success factors such as leadership, long-term business models and service development, staff engagement and competence, lower thresholds through attractive location and design, digitalisation for better matching of supply and demand, and well-functioning collaborations. At the external level, structural system failures appear: overproduction and overconsumption; new production that does not internalise its sustainability costs; insufficient policy and incentives; waste management being cheaper than reuse; recycling centres and extended producer responsibility designed for recycling rather than reuse; and a lack of attractive places for reuse in community planning. At the same time, opportunities arise through EU rules on ecodesign and the right to repair, developments in public procurement, rising sales of reused goods and norm shifts as more consumers view secondhand as attractive. A circular economy cannot operate alongside linear systems. For reuse to scale, a broader transition is needed in which policy instruments, business initiatives and municipal efforts interact with changing consumer behaviours. Reuse is shifting from a waste issue to a form of consumption and production—but systems, regulation and incentives lag behind. Reuse can be a key to societal resilience, strengthening our capacity to manage and develop through change by enabling local care and circulation of what we already have. It better equips us for recessions and resource scarcity and reduces dependence on global supply chains. The analysis shows that to make reuse the norm, we must reduce new consumption, prioritise reuse over new purchases, and plan for reuse in community planning.

This policy brief presents twelve concrete action proposals that together create a roadmap for scaling up reuse to the norm. The measures reinforce each other and can, in interaction, constitute keys to more sustainable consumption, which fits within the limits of the planet and basic social needs and at the same time strengthens the resilience of society. The recommendations are aimed at business and trade, legislators and decision-makers in authorities and municipalities – actors who all have a crucial role in enabling, supporting and developing reuse in Sweden. In the Usereuse project, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute has spent four years, together with Artikel2, Blocket, Citycon, Hygglo, Myrorna, Mölndals Stad, Stockholm Vatten och Avfall and SÖRAB and another 20 reuse actors, investigating how reuse systems work, can be improved and scaled up so that reuse becomes the norm and as easy as buying new. The work has focused on the reuse of everyday products such as clothing, electronics and furniture both between private individuals, at second-hand dealers, in stores that otherwise mainly sell new goods, and at municipal operators where waste is prevented. The proposed measures have been developed through a series of Reuselabs, where relevance, focus and consequences have been analyzed within three overall focus areas. Potential consequences of the proposals are reported in an appendix. • Reduce new consumption by regulating production so that products can be reused and repaired, by counteracting overproduction, by taxing resource extraction more and by target measures to those with a large consumption footprint. • Prioritize reuse before new purchases by offering used products next to new, making repair the first choice, controlling and following up through targets and statistics and letting public procurement drive market development. • Plan for reuse by reserving attractive places for reuse, offering services close to housing, designing producer responsibility and municipal facilities to stop reusable products ending up in recycling and residual waste.

Factsheet summarizing the climate change impacts for the Skagerrak region with a focus on aquaculture in Sweden.

Across the globe, water security is under threat. Climate change and watershed degradation are driving up costs and increasing the frequency of disruptions for water users—impacts that are hitting the world’s most vulnerable communities hardest. These same forces are contributing to unprecedented habitat destruction and biodiversity collapse. Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) are proven to help address these acute water challenges as they deliver resilient, lower-cost water and sanitation services, extend the service life of traditional grey infrastructure and support thriving biodiversity and communities.

The good news is that investments in NbS for water are gaining important momentum. In fact, investments doubled over the past decade, reaching USD 49 billion in 2023.3 But while some countries and regions appear to be embracing the approach, uptake remains remarkably uneven. This disparity in uptake raises a number of questions for decision makers, including: what is the role of policy in mainstreaming investments in NbS at a watershed scale? And what enabling conditions are necessary to succeed? The Power of Policy aims to answer these questions and, in doing so, help policy makers deliver targeted reforms that will accelerate NbS delivery for the benefit of people and nature.

This research distils insights from existing literature, 17 original country case studies, and over 75 expert interviews. The selection of case studies captures the wide range of political, legal, and economic contexts in which NbS for water investment are delivered today. The findings of the case studies underscore the fact that policies driving investment in water security are embedded in political, legal, financial, and social systems—each offering a unique set of opportunities and barriers for NbS deployment. As such, the study doesn’t propose a one-size-fits-all set of reforms for policy makers to adopt. Rather, for the first time, it captures a comprehensive set of enabling conditions based on real-world experience and distils these findings into an analytical framework. This framework is a tool to support policy makers in understanding where policies are enabling or inhibiting NbS adoption where they work, and with insights from case studies and broader findings, design actionable and locally targeted reforms to enable investment in NbS.