IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute

This report explores the concept of social sustainability within the shipping industry, emphasizing its critical role alongside environmental and economic sustainability. The aim of the report is to develop measurable and actionable indicators to promote social sustainability in the maritime sector. The results highlight the need for a more comprehensive focus on the well-being of seafarers, who face challenges due to the nature of their work, such as extended periods away from home, physical and mental health issues, and social isolation. As the global economy relies heavily on sea transport, it is essential to prioritize social sustainability to ensure a resilient maritime workforce. Despite the environmental and economic pressures the industry faces, attention to the physical and mental health of seafarers has fallen behind.

This report seeks to bridge this gap by exploring key aspects of social sustainability and proposing ways to measure it.The report highlights the absence of clear and consistent criteria for measuring social sustainability in the shipping industry. Existing sustainability indicators, such as the Clean Shipping Index (CSI), focus primarily on environmental aspects. There is no well-established method for measuring social sustainability, particularly in terms of working conditions and welfare. This gap has hindered efforts to fully understand the challenges seafarers face and identify opportunities for improving their well-being. The report emphasizes the need for measurable, comparable, and verifiable parameters to assess social sustainability onboard ships.The study employs a combination of literature review, semi-structured interviews, workshop, and thematic analysis to gather data on social sustainability.

The report’s main data source consists of interviews with 11 stakeholders from various institutions, including research institutes, government agencies, industry organizations, and trade unions. These interviews were coded using a method called reflective thematic analysis, which helped the authors identify key themes and indicators for social sustainability. The study also incorporated feedback from a workshop attended by government agencies and industry representatives to refine the proposed indicators.Social sustainability in the maritime context covers various factors that affect seafarers' well-being. These include physical health, mental health, job satisfaction, opportunities for professional development, and the ability to maintain meaningful social connections. Despite regulatory improvements in health and safety, working conditions at sea can still be hazardous, with increasing concerns about seafarers' mental health, harassment, and workplace bullying. 

The report identifies five central themes relevant to social sustainability in the shipping industry:•    Social Sustainability in Shipping Today: Social sustainability requires more attention and resources. However, definitions of social sustainability used by the participants varied, with some referencing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while others had more subjective interpretations.•    An Old Industry with a Legacy Culture: The maritime sector’s hierarchical culture, which is often harsh and slow to change, poses challenges to improving social sustainability. The captain plays a crucial role in shaping the onboard environment, and the hierarchical structure can sometimes discourage crew members from speaking up about safety or well-being concerns.•    Living at Work: Seafarers often live in their workplace for extended periods (sometimes many months), which can lead to social isolation and mental health issues. Internet access, quality living spaces, and opportunities for social interaction were identified as important factors for improving life at sea.•    Regulatory Frameworks and Support Mechanisms: Regulations like the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) provide a framework for seafarers' rights, but their enforcement varies widely between flag states. Interviewees noted that while some ships comply with these regulations, others do not, leading to significant disparities in working conditions.•    Measuring Social Sustainability at Sea: The report stresses the importance of developing indicators to measure social sustainability. Proposed indicators fall into two categories: fundamental aspects, such as adequate pay and working conditions, and organizational aspects, such as leadership support and cohesion among the crew. These indicators need to be both qualitative and quantitative to capture the full range of social sustainability issues. The report suggests that systematic data collection and feedback loops are essential for ensuring these indicators are implemented effectively. This would enable shipping companies to track progress and make continuous improvements in seafarers' working conditions.

The report discusses the interplay between physical safety and social sustainability, arguing that both are essential for a sustainable working environment at sea. While physical safety measures focus on preventing accidents and injuries, social sustainability ensures long-term well-being, including mental health and job satisfaction. The report also highlights that the maritime industry's focus on physical safety often overshadows efforts to improve social sustainability. However, promoting social well-being could lead to safer and more engaged crews.The report concludes that there is a pressing need for improved social sustainability in the maritime industry. By developing measurable criteria and fostering greater awareness, the industry can take meaningful steps to enhance the well-being of seafarers. These actions are not only ethically important but are also critical for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the maritime workforce.

Grönska renar luften genom att fånga upp föroreningar på blad och grenar. Effekten beror på växternas bladstruktur och om de är lövfällande eller vintergröna. Samtidigt kan stora trädkronor minska luftgenomströmningen och leda till ansamling av luftföroreningar. Grönska kan också fungera som barriär, och därmed till exempel skydda gång- och cykelbanor från trafikföroreningar.

På uppdrag av Sundbybergs stad har IVL svenska miljöinstitutet undersökt möjligheter att med hjälp av grönska förbättra luftkvaliteten på Tulegatan i Sundbyberg. Studien är baserad på nuvarande utformning av gaturummet, och har tagit hänsyn till underjordiska ledningar och markens egenskaper, samt behov av parkeringsytor och tillgänglighet till entréer.

Tre alternativ till utformning av grönska i gaturummet har utvecklats och utvärderats med avseende på effekten på luftkvaliteten. Studien visar att det finns potential att öka grönskan i gaturummet, och genom detta förbättra luftkvaliteten. Störst potential till sänkta föroreningshalter förväntas det alternativ ge där mängden grönska maximerats genom en kombination av träd, buskar och perenner. Alternativet ger stor bladyta tillgänglig för deposition av luftföroreningar, samt agerar som en barriär som hindrar transport av trafikutsläpp till gång- och cykelbanor där människor vistas.

Samma alternativ förväntas också ge störst positiv påverkan andra nyttor som grönskan kan ge, så som biologisk mångfald, fördröjning av vatten samt reglering av mikroklimat.För att maximera nyttorna som grönskan ger är det viktigt med långsiktigt hållbar planering och skötsel, där grönskan får bästa möjliga förutsättningar att växa och frodas.

In this report, we investigate the potential for largescale reuse and extension of the lifespan of buildings in the construction and property sector in Halland County by

1) studying the current situation in Halland,

2) calculating reduced climate impact, waste volumes and reduced material consumption as well as costs compared to climate impact based on several cases and

3) identifying and summarising the potential in Halland.Through this study, we show scientifically based arguments to increase understanding of the untapped potential of reuse and circular business development. The aim is to motivate and influence key industry actors and improve understanding of the need to move from a linear to a circular construction and property sector.

The survey shows that many actors in Halland County’s construction and property sector consider that they are already, in some way, working circularly. However, their efforts mainly focus on recycling, resource minimisation and preservation of buildings. There is limited work on reusing building materials in remodelling and new construction. Our survey also shows that there are few experts in circular construction in Halland today and that the level of knowledge about circular construction varies greatly. Most experts are found among architects and consultants.

This indicates that there is potential to raise the level of expertise and increase the extent of reuse and circularity. The results also show that emission reductions, increased resource efficiency and cost savings are essential drivers for further reuse implementation. These areas are, therefore, key to realising their full potential. Those who do not work with reuse and circularity today justify it by saying that demand is limited and that reuse of building materials is hard to achieve.We have investigated the potential for preserving and reusing materials based on two schools in Halland that are facing demolition or remodelling. The results show that preserving the framework and reusing building components and interiors during a rebuild results in a 60 per cent lower climate impact and 76 per cent less waste and material consumption than demolition and new construction. In this study, we have calculated different types of remodelling scenarios.

They all show significant climate benefits and reduced waste and material consumption when reusing building materials and preserving buildings.To demonstrate the benefits of reuse, putting the climate impact in relation to costs may be relevant. We have developed a model for how this can be done in a case where we study bricks. Our calculations show that a wall built with new bricks has about six times the climate impact per SEK than a wall with reused bricks.The results also show significant differences in how the brick is handled during demolition. Today, it is possible to get money back if you return the brick for reuse, while the cost of leaving it in landfills is relatively high.If reuse were applied to the refurbishment of all schools in Halland, climate savings of up to 324 tonnes of CO2e and waste reductions of 150 tonnes could be achieved annually.

The potential from preservation is significant but more challenging to calculate. Based on rough assumptions, we estimate a potential climate saving of 5 100 tonnes CO2e/year from both preservation of buildings and reuse in construction and demolition activities in the existing school stock in Halland County. In perspective, this corresponds to approximately 7 percent of the total annual climate impact from construction activities in Halland. A circular approach for the school stock thus has the potential to have a noticeable effect on the region's total climate impact from the construction sector.Our results show that around SEK 1.1 – 3.5 billion is invested each year in projects in Halland's construction and property sector that could be relevant for reusing building materials. The calculations also show this could mean approximately 1 500 and 6 000 reuse-related services and assignments yearly.Based on this study, we see a need for further development work in the following areas

1) investigating and analysing more effects that preservation and reuse can provide

2) developing methods for economic valuation linked to environmental factors

3) developing methods and collecting data that enable transfer from individual projects to a larger scale.

The waste hierarchy prioritises reuse over recycling, energy recovery, and disposal. However, exporting textiles for reuse in developing countries has raised concerns about factors such as waste management, challenging the hierarchy’s priorities when geographical context is considered. The aim of this study is to support European stakeholders in future textile management decisions by evaluating the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of different approaches to managing textiles collected in Sweden.

I ett konstant flöde av nyheter om klimatkatastrofer, humanitära kriser, pandemier och konflikter framträder en samtid som definieras av en till synes oavbruten rad av överlappande kriser.

Trots, eller kanske just på grund av, dessa utmaningar och omvälvningar finns det värde i att kollektivt reflektera över och eventuellt omvärdera hur vi organiserar våra liv och vårt arbetsliv I projektet ”Liv och arbetsliv i industrins klimatomställning” har vi undersökt klimatomställningens utmaningar och möjligheter med särskilt fokus på två industrisektorer med stora samhällsvärden men också med stora växthusgasutsläpp: petrokemiindustrin i Västra Götaland (Stenungsund) och järn- och stålindustrin i Norrbotten (Gällivare).

Projektet kombinerar nationella och lokala perspektiv samt lyfter fram röster från civilsamhället och fackföreningsrörelsen för att analysera hur omställningen påverkar arbete, produktion och olika intressegruppers syn på alternativa utvecklingsvägar.Ambitionen har varit att lyfta berättelser från både lokal- och samhällsövergripande nivå för att bredda diskussionen om klimatomställningen. Genom att sammanställa och jämföra olika omställningsberättelser och alternativa strategier och politiska instrument har vi försökt belysa både synergier och intressekonflikter i den samhällsomställning som ligger framför oss. Vår förhoppning är att detta arbeta kan bidra till en mer utvecklad och nyanserad diskussion om den gröna omställningen, det goda livet och det goda arbetet 

Urban greenery has been identified as a potential strategy for air pollution mitigation. Greenery provides surfaces for pollutant deposition and can effectively reduce PM10 concentrations in urban environments. This report aims to provide an understanding of how to incorporate urban greenery as a measure for air pollution mitigation in air quality management. We have specifically focused on how urban greenery can be used as a measure in air quality plans.  An air quality plan is a regulatory strategy aimed at improving air quality in regions that do not meet the standards set by the European Union's air quality directives.

This work includes a review of the use of urban greenery as a strategy for air pollution mitigation in Swedish air quality plans.Five of the total twelve cities that has developed air quality plans have incorporated measures on urban greenery in their plans. The Swedish air quality plans describe urban greenery as a “long-term, strategic and knowledge intensive” measure. The main justification for including urban greenery is not its direct effect of reducing air pollutant concentrations through deposition, but rather its indirect effect of reducing emissions attributed to decreased traffic. Based on available information, it remains unclear if urban greenery has been implemented as a PM10 mitigation measure in Swedish municipalities.

Additionally, we found no evidence of municipalities having evaluated the impact of urban greenery on PM10 levels. This lack of data makes it challenging to assess the effectiveness of greenery in mitigating particulate pollution across urban areas. The air quality directive states that air quality plans should primarily include powerful measures that reduce pollutant levels as quickly as possible. Therefore, the main effort in an air quality plan needs to be on emissions reductions. While urban greenery can be used as a measure for air pollution mitigation it is best used as a long-term strategical measure. Therefore, urban greenery as a measure to reduce air pollution is better to include in the development of preventive air quality strategies, for example in air quality roadmaps. However, urban greenery barriers can be used to prevent transport of traffic pollutants to sensitive locations e.g. between a major road and a school, when a relatively quick measure to reduce school yard exposure is needed.

Aviation contributes to air pollution and significantly impacts climate change. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) offer a potential solution to reduce the CO2 emissions with possible co-benefit of reducing emissions of particles. This study evaluates emissions of a turbojet engine using conventional Jet A1 fuel, Biojet fuel (ATJ-SKA), hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), and their blends. Emissions of particulate matter, gaseous pollutants (NOx, CO, THC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes were measured across different engine loads (Taxi, Cruise and Take-Off).

The results show that SAF, particularly neat Biojet and HVO, significantly reduced particle emissions by 20 – >99% compared to Jet A1, especially in the taxi mode in case of the Biojet fuel, mixed results were obtained for VOCs and PAHs, while aldehyde emissions increased with SAF use. Biojet exhibited improved engine performance at take-off, but fuel blends showed mixed effects on efficiency. The study has shown that SAFs present a promising route to reducing aviation's environmental footprint, with co-benefit of reduced impact on air pollution from particle emissions. Further research is required especially on impact of fuel blends on engine performance and emission characterization.

Med utgångpunkt i lärdomar och insikter från arbetet i projektet "Bättreluftkvalitet och ljudmiljöer på förskolegårdar" vill vi ge en vägledning iarbetet med bättre luft och mindre buller för förskolebarnen. 

Projekt har studerat arbetsmiljöns förutsättningar i verksamheter för insamling och reparation av elektronik för återbruk, vilket omsatts i en färdplan. Genom intervjuer med deltagare från ett företag för återbruk och två återvinningscentraler, har organisatoriska processer undersökts. Även kemiska exponeringar som förekommer i respektive arbetsmiljö har kartlagts. 12 arbetsmiljöutmaningar inom 6 olika områden har identifierats och förslag ges på tillvägagångssätt för att hantera dessa.