IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet

Plastic has many positive material characteristics, but it is used in unsustainable ways. It is perceived as cheap and disposable, and this has led to increa¬sing amounts of plastic waste which are difficult to recycle with current societal, business and cultural structures.

To achieve a high-quality material recycling and have the possibility to use recycled plastic back into high quality products, there is a need to keep the different plastic types separate from each other and uncontaminated by other mate¬rials.

This requires, among others, a thorough separate collection of diffe¬rent plastic waste fractions, as well as business models, infrastructure and logistic solutions which enable a better control over the different plastic flows.

The report presents ten business models for managing industrial or commercial plastic packaging into closed or semi-closed loops through either material recycling or re-use.

Based on the analysis of the ten business models, six guidelines have been formulated for companies which are interested to transition from a linear to a closed loop business model for the management of industrial and commercial plastic packaging.

1) Commit long-term and invest in the future of your company,

2) Understand the customer needs and design the packaging for circular use,

3) Use Life Cycle Analysis as a tool to optimize your closed loop,

4) Communicate efficiently to engage the customer,

5) Build new strategic partnerships and 6) Educate and engage decision makers at all levels.

I Sverige är många vana att dela både på utrymmen med stora offentliga rum och allemansrätten, funktioner som vård, idrottshallar, tvättstugor och avfallshantering, mobilitet som kollektivtrafik och saker som på bibliotek, parklekar, fritidsgårdar. Att dela saker, transportmedel, ytor, tid och kunskap har potential att bidra till en mängd hållbarhetsvinster, både ekologiska, sociala och ekonomiska. 

Utifrån identifierade framgångsfaktorer och fallgropar beskrivs vad som är bra att tänka på när det gäller samverkan med boende, samverkan med aktörer, samverkan internt och samverkan med stadsdelen inom delning. En vägledning är framtagen för Stockholmshem för i första hand områdeschefer, kundansvariga och centrala stödfunktioner inom bostadsbolaget för samverkansdialoger kring delning, men som är öppen för andra bostadsbolag att använda sig av.  Vägledningen guidar till sju steg för att öka möjligheterna till delning mellan boende och verksamheter i bostadsområden: 

1.  Inventera

2.  Sätt hållbarhetsmål

3.  Skapa dialog

4.  Utforma

5.  Stöd engagemang och växande

6.  Utveckla stödsystem

7.  Stöd självständighet och fortsatt utveckling

Projektet har letts av IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet i samarbete med Stockholmshem, IIIEE Lunds Universitet och ÅWL Arkitekter. Det har genomförts som ett strategiskt projekt inom Sharing Cities Sweden, en del av det strategiska innovationsprogrammet Viable Cities för smarta och hållbara städer som får stöd i en gemensam satsning av Vinnova, Energimyndigheten och Formas.

The aim of this study is to provide a nuanced understanding of the evolving trends in hydrogen technology, focusing on innovation both globally and within Sweden, and to assess Sweden's competitive position in this landscape. The primary focus is on analysing patents to evaluate the current state-of-the-art in hydrogen technology.The study reveals a significant increase in hydrogen technology patents worldwide after 2020, paralleling the rise in national hydrogen strategies and global investments. Fuel cell patents notably dominate this sector.

The United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and France emerge as the top countries in hydrogen technology. Assessing China's position is challenging due to distinct challenges associated with analysing Chinese patents related to patent standards and national strategies.Sweden shares a patent distribution profile similar to Japan and South Korea across hydrogen production, storage & distribution, and application domains, with a strong presence in the application domain (fuel cells). While the application domain remains dominant in terms of absolute patent numbers in Sweden, there has been a relative increase in patents within the production domain. This suggests a growing focus, possibly linked to Sweden's ambitions for carbon-free steel production that is based on hydrogen. Despite holding a modest share of global hydrogen technology patents relative to its economic size compared to leading countries, Sweden exhibits a competitive edge comparable to France in fuel cell technology. To sustain and enhance this advantage in the expanding hydrogen economy, Sweden must maintain its leadership in fuel cell technology while striving to strengthen capabili-ties in electrolysis and hydrogen production from biomass.

These efforts are aligned with ambitious plans for investing in hydrogen production infrastructure.Unlike some leading countries where larger industry leaders dominate, Sweden's hydrogen technology sector has traditionally been supported by smaller, specialized actors. However, there has been a noticeable shift in recent years. This shift has to be sustained. To drive significant advancements, Sweden should engage established industry leaders to leverage their market influence and operational scale. This collaboration, coupled with strategic investments in key technological domains, can position Sweden at the forefront of the hydrogen economy.

EU recently decided to include shipping, meaning all intra-European shipping and50% of extra-European voyages, in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)beginning in 2024. This article provides an early assessment of the impacts of theEU ETS on the shipping sector’s potential reductions in greenhouse gas emissionsfor different types of ships. It further examines selected mitigation measures andthe impact on modals split and costs. The study employs a mixed-methodsapproach  combining  quantitative  estimates  (based  on  data  from  the  EUmonitoring,  reporting  and  verification  system)  with  qualitative  data  andinformation from interviews with key actors and from previous literature.

This approach aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of theEU ETS. The inclusion of shipping in the EU ETS is expected to introduce significantincentives to reduce emissions. We estimate that switching to bio-methanol at anemissions allowance price of€90–100/tCO2will be cost-effective for a minor shareof shipping segments (representing about 0.5-5% of all ships), whereas at a priceabove€150/tCO2it could be cost-effective for a considerable share (potentially75%) of ships. In the short term, the costs incurred by the EU ETS will be passed onto transport customers as a surcharge. The increased cost may, unless properlyaddressed, drive carbon leakage. Meanwhile, a modal shift away from shippingmay occur in the roll-on, roll-off(RoRo) and roll-on passenger (RoPax) segmentsdue to direct competition with road and rail transport and the relative ease ofshifting to other modes of transport.

Denna rapport är den första av två leveranser från ett forskningsprojekt som finansierats av Trä- och Möbelföretagen (TMF) och Stiftelsen IVL.

I projektet har denna vägledning skapats som syftar till att pedagogiskt beskriva EPD, hur de skapas och hur informationen i dem kan tillämpas. Vägledningen riktar sig främst till företag som planerar eller nyligen påbörjat sitt arbete med EPD. Under projektet har även två webinarium anordnats som syftat till att ge grundläggande kunskap om LCA och EPD och där innehållet i vägledningen varit i fokus.

Denna studie undersöker status och användning av över 900 000 långtidsavställda personbilar och lätta lastbilar i Sveriges vägtrafikregister.

Resultaten, baserade på statistiska analyser, intervjuer och enkäter, visar en varierad användning.

Cirka en tredjedel av fordonen betraktas som samlarobjekt och en tiondel har skrotats. En översyn av nationell reglering rekommenderas för effektivare registrering av fordon och som adresserar miljörisker samtidigt som behoven för historiska fordon beaktas.

Rapporten består av två delar. Del 1 sammanfattar de mest framståendeförändringarna av hur ekonomiska styrmedel använts i miljö- och klimatsyfte hosde nordiska länderna mellan 2018 och 2021. Det presenteras en översikt över nyaimplementeringar och de största förändringarna hos befintliga styrmedlen församtliga länder, liksom en jämförelse mellan länderna. Därtill redogörs rådata somkan användas av beslutsfattare och andra aktörer vilket inkluderarpolicyprioriteringar och exempel på goda erfarenheter. Del 2 innehåller slutligen enöversikt över styrmedel och ekonomiska instrument som de nordiska ländernaanvänder för att främja utvecklingen av ren teknik.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies have been insufficient in achieving rapidand profound reductions of energy-related greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. Consequently,energy sufficiency has gained attention as a complementary strategy over the past twodecades. Yet, most research on energy sufficiency has been theoretical and its implementationin policy limited. This study draws on the growing sufficiency literature to examine thepresence of sufficiency as a strategy for reducing energy-related GHG emissions in Sweden,a country often regarded as a “climate-progressive” country.

By conducting a keyword andcontent analysis of energy policies and parliamentary debates during four governmentalterms of office (2006–2022), this research explores the extent to which sufficiency is integratedinto Swedish energy policy, as well as potential barriers to its adoption. The analyses revealeda scarcity of sufficiency elements. Although some policies could potentially result in energysavings, they are infrequent and overshadowed by the prevailing emphasis on efficiency andrenewable energy.

Furthermore, Sweden lacks a target for sufficiency or absolute energyreductions. The main impediments to sufficiency implementation include the disregard ofscientific evidence in the policy-making process and the perceived contradiction betweensufficiency and industrial competitiveness. This study thus concludes that sufficiency at bestremains at the periphery of Swedish energy policy. Given the reinforced ambitions withinthe European Union, this raises questions regarding the validity of Sweden’s reputation asa climate-progressive country.

Although rebound effects are well-known as a phenomenon, the question of how to avoid and minimize rebound effects have largely been ignored in practical policy.

In this study, five concrete cases of measures and policies in the transport sector illustrate primary effects, rebound effects and possible strategies to avoid or minimize rebound effects.

The cases were explored and analyzed in a series of workshops involving in total 15 researchers and societal actors. In addition to the net impact of primary and rebound effects, factors such as the time horizon and the reversibility of the effect may also be important for the evaluation of measures and policies.

To detect and avoid rebound effects – and to assess the effectiveness of a policy – a system perspective is needed rather than a narrow sector focus. When designing measures, broad system-wide strategies or specific measures addressing particularly emission-intensive activities tend to be most effective for avoiding rebound.

o secure sustainable and resilient food systems, new approaches, innovations, techniques, and processes are needed. In recent years, urban farming firms have been developing and experimenting with innovative approaches to expand their offerings and connect with consumers in new ways. New business models are being developed to provide functions and services instead of traditional products to meet demands from consumers, retailers, and users. As such, modular growing systems are increasing in popularity to provide fresh produce, visual appeal, transparency, and other tailor-made functions and services in so-called “growing-service systems” (GSS).

Using GSS approaches, firms are developing and providing modular and small-scale farms in restaurants, residential spaces, supermarkets, and other commercial spaces, often including a large degree of automation and optimization of digital solutions to remotely control their operation. Using qualitative methods, the aim of this study is to explore and analyze the development of these novel GSS systems, highlighting different strategies, business models, motivations, and challenges. The results illustrate the divergence in approaches to GSSs for vertical farming. This includes different scales of modular units and varying business models for capturing value from the combination of products and services.

All of the systems include varying degrees of automation and digitalized solutions to ensure the services are monitored, which is done to improve growing conditions and improve the experience for the users. Business-to-business systems are being developed as both market expansion and awareness-building strategies, where modular units are provided as a rental or subscription model that includes a number of services. Business-to-consumer systems are being introduced as an alternative for consumers, particularly in urban areas, to have greater control and access over growing their own fresh produce. The modules are purchased by consumers, which includes a number of ongoing services from the GSS firms. By categorizing and exploring these systems, this article offers novel insights and a first endeavor to distinguish these new GSS systems in the growing segment of urban agriculture, controlled-environment agriculture, and product-service system literature.

In an increasingly complex and interdependent world, it has become increasingly difficult and costly to identify and protect systems, communities or organizations against all possible threats. Resilience approaches, however, provide capacities or abilities to respond to hazards and threats beyond existing scenarios and associated response plans, as well as learn from these disturbances and improve performance.

Thus, resilience approaches provides increased capabilities for strengthening beyond traditional risk, crisis and business continuity approaches. However, there are inherent challenges of contextualizing resilience indicators for specific uses for specific critical infrastructures while also designing a comprehensive and multidimensional approach as well as for comparison across various infrastructures. Based upon the development and application of an indicator-based decision-support system for resilience in a Horizon 2020 project, we describe and analyse how we addressed such challenges, providing opportunities for improving resilience for drinking water supply and distribution in Sweden.

The findings show the value of a modular approach, iterative indicator design processes with relevant stakeholders, the necessity to attend to their organizational processes, to the regulatory context as well as to the assignments, evaluation criteria and cognitive regimes among various target audiences. The approach is a useful methodology to achieve policy objectives for critical infrastructures from a systemic perspective, such as identifying and evaluating resilience, development of measures to increase resilience and the development of performance metric as well as facilitating information-sharing and training.

Harvesting beach-cast can help mitigate marine eutrophication by closing land-marine nutrient loops and provide a blue biomass raw material for the bioeconomy. Cost–benefit analysis was applied to harvest activities during 2009–2018 on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, highlighting benefits such as nutrient removal from the marine system and improved recreational opportunities as well as costs of using inputs necessary for harvest.

The results indicate that the activities entailed a net gain to society, lending substance to continued funding for harvests on Gotland and assessments of upscaling of harvest activities to other areas in Sweden and elsewhere. The lessons learnt from the considerable harvest experience on Gotland should be utilized for developing concrete guidelines for carrying out sustainable harvest practice, paying due attention to local conditions but also to what can be generalized to a wider national and international context.

The stakeholder analysis was done to identify which stakeholders would be important in the process to Increase coordination of Arctic black carbon policies and to some extent to Facilitate early emission reductions of black carbon affecting the Arctic. The analysis included 95 Arctic-relevant stakeholders, categorised in six groups: Intergovernmental organisations, National authorities, Indigenous people’s organisations, Expert and working groups, Non-governmental organisations, and Industry. 

 The analysis supporting the results above was made by quantitatively ranking each stakeholder over three dimensions: Power, Interest, and Network capacity. The stakeholder analysis indicates that there are some stakeholders that appear more important to include in the process to increase coordination of Arctic black carbon policies and to facilitate early emission reduction of black carbon affecting the Arctic.