Several waste management (WM) professionals see an ongoing shift in the focus of the industry, from that of atransport and treatment sector to that of a more integrated sustainable service provision and material productionsector. To further develop such transitional ambitions, WM organizations are increasingly looking toward interorganizationalresource network concepts (such as the circular economy and industrial symbiosis) as models ofhow they would like to create new value together with their customers and partners.This article aims to take a step in addressing uncertainties behind such transitions by analyzing barriers forinter-organizational resource management and in turn uncovering some potential opportunities and risks ofnovel offerings from the WM sector. Obstacles for developing innovative inter-organizational resource networkshave been identified based on studies of implementing industrial symbiosis networks. Subsequently, managingexecutives from Swedish private and public WM organizations were interviewed regarding the sector’s capacityto overcome such barriers – opportunities and risks of providing new resource management services – and howtheir organizations might approach the role of actively facilitating more resource efficient regions.Eco-Industrial park management and contracting out holistic resource management are some areas in whichthe respondents see WM organizations offering new services. In relation to such approaches, various risks (e.g.being cut out of investment benefits, or unstable supply) and opportunities (e.g. new markets and enhancedsustainability profiles) were identified. Additionally, it was seen that WM companies would need to makesubstantial changes to their business approach, becoming less dependent on flows of mixed materials forexample, if they are to become even more central value chain actors. To strengthen such approaches, it was seenthat the sector will need to find methods to strategically build strong, long term partnerships, expand upon andtake advantage of available knowledge resources (i.e. best practice technologies and regional material flows),and explore new business models (i.e. stockpiling, park management, or waste minimization). Additionally,working with sector representatives to argue for a more balanced market conditions next to primary productionshould assist the viability of new offerings in the wider market.

Sweden has ambitions to phase out fossil fuels and significantly increase the share of biofuels it uses. This articlefocuses on Stockholm County and biogas, with the aim to increase the knowledge about regional preconditions.Biogas-related actors have been interviewed, focusing on the demand side. Biogas solutions play an essentialrole, especially regarding bus transports and taxis. Long-term development has created well-functioning sociotechnicalsystems involving collaboration. However, uncertainties about demand and policy cause hesitation andsigns of stagnating development.Public organizations are key actors regarding renewables. For example, Stockholm Public Transport procuresbiogas matching the production at municipal wastewater treatment plants, the state-owned company Swedaviasteers via a queuing system for taxis, and the municipalities have shifted to “environmental cars”.There is a large interest in electric vehicles, which is expected to increase significantly, partially due tosuggested national policy support. The future role of biogas will be affected by how such an expansion comesabout. There might be a risk of electricity replacing biogas, making it more challenging to reach a fossil-freevehicle fleet. Policy issues strongly influence the development. The environmental car definition is of importance,but its limited focus fails to account for several different types of relevant effects. The dynamic policylandscape with uncertainties about decision makers’ views on biogas seems to be one important reason behindthe decreased pace of development. A national, long-term strategy is missing. Both the European Union andSweden have high ambitions regarding a bio-based and circular economy, which should favor biogas solutions.

Organic agriculture (OA) is increasingly viewed as an economic opportunity for farmers allover the world. This paper addresses the effects of OA in terms of income, vulnerability andpoverty alleviation in rural areas in developing countries. It is based on a literature reviewwith emphasis on two value chains: cotton and coffee, which both involve smallholders indeveloping regions, and growing organic markets, but differ in terms of value chain structuresand geographical patterns.

När avloppsvatten från sjöfarten släpps ut i havet påverkar det miljön negativt genom att bakterier sprids och näringsämnen kommer ut i havet. Utsläppen är koncentrerade till farleder och hamnar och där kan effekterna vara tydliga, även om utsläppen är små i förhållande till de totala utsläppen till havet.

‘To create the most resource-efficient region in the world’. This is the vision of Tekniska verken, the municipalityowned infrastructural company in Linköping, Sweden. It reflects the city’ s long-standing ambitions to be a ‘forerunner in climate and environmental initiatives’ and to support ‘business-driven’ environmental development, actively stimulating the development of a green economic sector. Linköping and the surrounding county of Östergötland are here used for discussing the development of the green economy in cities and regions.

For the last 15 years Västra hamnen (Western Harbor) in Malmö, and Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm have been the major flagships of Swedish international eco-city ambitions. These city development projects are presented both as leading examples of the conversion of former industrial harbor areas and of environmental adaptation of densely built urban environments. Western Harbor is a centrally located former shipyard area which, since the end of the 1990s, has developed into a mixed city area for housing, schools, offices, shops and other workplaces as well as for recreational areas with beaches, parks and yacht harbors. Since its first phase, part of a housing expo in 2001, it has attracted international interest for its dense architecture, bold energy goals based on varied local renewable energy production, household waste systems, green and blue structures, and dialogue processes. By 2031, when the area is completed, it is expected to be the home for 25,000 people and 25,000 workplaces. In 2014, there were 7,300 inhabitants and more than 12,000 work places in Western Harbor, already twice of the work force of the former shipyard at its height.

In this chapter we discuss the recent development of the region and analyze the relation between environmental quality in the region and policy programs to undergird the image of Øresund, Copenhagen, and Malmö as green environmental forerunners of urban sustainability. Have the latter had marked impact on the environment? Or has eco-branding primarily capitalized on previous environmental improvement—much of which was exogenously driven? Is this a place where sustainable living is in the becoming? Our aim is not to provide exhaustive answers to these  questions, but more modestly to present an analysis supporting the relevance of these questions while indicating conclusions that more thorough analyses may reach.

Handel med utsläppsrätter under ett fastställt ”tak” av totalautsläpp som efterhand sänks, har i en del regioner i världenvisat sig vara en både kostnadseffektiv och framgångsrikstrategi för att minska luftföroreningarna. Frågan är om utsläppshandelskulle kunna vara ett effektivt sätt för att minskasjöfartens utsläpp i Europa eller Östersjöregionen?

Ta med på en tur över Malmö och se staden ur ett annorlunda perspektiv. Med sitt medeltida centrum, sina kanaler, parker och boulevarder har Malmö stora strukturer som inte alltid uppfattas från gatuplanet.

Malmö har blivit en dynamisk stad som sticker ut med en ung befolkning, multikulturell atmosfär, djärva projekt och nya byggnader som Turning Torso eller stadsdelar som Hyllievång, Västra hamnen och Ön. Men också genom dess kontraster och stora utmaningar. Hit kommer tusentals besökare för att studera exempel på hållbar stadsutveckling och övergången från industristad till kunskapsstad. Här möts gammalt och nytt vilket gör Malmö till dagens spännande stad.

Hamnarna kan spela en viktig roll för att minska sjöfartensutsläpp i havet. Reglerna för fartygens avfallsdumpning harskärpts och i Östersjöområdet har det länge funnits en överenskommelseom att fartygen ska kunna lämna sitt avfall ihamn utan extra avgift. I praktiken låter dock de stora förbättringarnavänta på sig.

Kryssningssjöfarten ger växande inkomster för kuststäderna,men innebär också ökad påverkan på miljön i Östersjön och dess hamnar. Trots att branschen åtagit sig att sluta släppa utavloppsvatten till sjöss lämnar bara var tredje kryssningsfartygsitt avfallsvatten vid hamnbesök. Dessutom är delar av fartygsflottani stort behov av förbättrad miljöprestanda.

Multi-utility tunnel (MUT) have received increasing attention as an alternative method for installing subsurface infrastructure for the distribution of electricity, telecommunications, water, sewage and district heating. MUTs are described as a potentially more sustainable technology than conventional open-cut excavation (OCE), especially if the entire life cycle of these cable and pipe networks is taken into account. Based on an extensive review of the academic literature, this article aims to identify and critically examine claims made about the pros and cons of using MUT for the placement of subsurface infrastructure. Identified claims are mapped, and their validity and applicability assessed. These claims are then analyzed from a sustainability perspective, based on the three sustainability dimensions and a life cycle perspective. The results show that a variety of advantages and disadvantages of using MUTs for subsurface infrastructure are highlighted by the articles, but several of these are without any empirical support. When some form of empirical support is presented, it usually comes from case-specific analyses of MUTs, and the applicability in other MUT projects is seldom discussed. Economic performance is the sustainability dimension that has received the most attention, while environmental performance has not been analyzed in the reviewed literature, which is a major limitation of the current knowledge. In summary, the knowledge about the sustainability performance of using MUTs for subsurface infrastructure is still limited and incoherent. In order to increase the knowledge, this article points out the importance of new case studies, in which the sustainability consequences of using MUTs for subsurface infrastructure are mapped and evaluated by combining both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods.

In this article, we investigate the nexus of green city branding and municipal climate networks. In recent decades, a number of formal transnational municipal climate networks have emerged and their membership continues to increase. In parallel, city branding that is based on green policies, has gained importance. Based on quantitative and qualitative data, we assess how and to what extent German cities use their membership in transnational municipal climate networks to communicate green city brands. In contrast to our expectations, we encountered very few indications of green city branding efforts by German cities. Our analysis shows that in general, branding considerations only play a negligible role in the involvement of cities in transnational municipal climate networks or climate policies. Instead, it seems that German cities use their membership in climate networks, to genuinely improve local climate change strategies. We therefore suggest that research on green city branding should be more sensitive to the particular context of cities and efforts should be made to unveil theunderlying motives for the communication of green policies.

Contemporary environmental problems require a transition to renewable energy. Biogas is one alternative, which besides being renewable has many other benefits. For further expansion of biogas production, it seems necessary to develop new areas of biogas usage where biogas can replace fossil fuels. This article presents an analysis of the drivers for and barriers to increased biogas usage in three sectors where biogas usage is undeveloped in Sweden: manufacturing, road transport and shipping. Several of the identified drivers and barriers, such as unstable and short-term policies, lack of infrastructure, and contract requirements, have also been found in previous studies even though they may be slightly different depending on the context. A new driver observed in this study is that of intergenerational thinking in family-owned businesses. The study also reiterates the significant influence of policy in the form of subsidies, tax exemptions and regulations on the adoption and use of renewable energy in general and biogas specifically. The results suggest the need for future policymaking to be guided by long-term trajectories, which can be a relevant basis for adopters to make investments into biogas technologies.

The single-use function of plastic packaging generates a continuously increasing input to the waste management system leading to sustainability challenges. In response, several management strategies along the plastic value chain are proposed including improvements on product design, source-separation, mechanical and optical sorting, and further downstream material recycling. However, in some countries like Sweden, these strategies are often implemented in isolation without considering their combination effects on the performance of the entire plastic value chain. Moreover, the corresponding assessments of these strategies are often limited to material efficiency (i.e., recycling rate) thus overlooking the potential trade-offs with environmental performance. Hence, this study aims to assess the combination effects of different management strategies for plastic packaging in Sweden in terms of both material and environmental dimensions. Over 700 scenarios involving different combinations of management strategies were modeled and assessed through life cycle assessment. The results show that upstream strategies such us polymer restriction especially for food packaging (i.e., limiting to polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene) lead to higher recycling rates and better environmental performance. In contrast, further downstream material recycling strategies show more apparent trade-offs, especially between recycling rates and environmental impacts related to toxicity. Recommendations for the combinations of management strategies for plastic packaging, which can increase recycling rates and reduce environmental impacts, are presented and discussed. 

About 60% of plastic packaging in Sweden ends up in mixed municipal solid waste (MSW), which is incinerated with energy recovery. This status quo presents a missed opportunity to meet ambitious recycling targets. This study aims to provide a detailed characterization of plastic packaging in mixed MSW to assess its potential for recycling and its significance in improving the overall recycling rate. A case study involving a Swedish city was conducted wherein a sample of 5500 kg of mixed MSW from 920 households was characterized. From the 31% recycling rate, improvement of up to 59% can be achieved by diverting this misplaced plastic packaging into the existing recycling system. An additional 9% increase remains challenging to achieve due to the occurrence of non-recyclable attributes like black and multilayer packaging. The highlighted key enabler is the combination of correct household waste separation behavior and the establishment of mechanical sorting facilities to recover plastic waste from mixed MSW. These recycling potentials and associated challenges are discussed in the context of Sweden's ongoing efforts across the plastic packaging value chain. Furthermore, the importance of extended waste characterization is emphasized as a tool for identifying recycling potentials and monitoring the effectiveness of measures in enhancing circularity and resource-efficiency. 

Microplastics (plastic particles < 5 mm) is a pollution of growing concern. Microplastic pollution is a complex issue that requires systematic attempts to provide an overview and avoid management solutions that have marginal effects or only move the pollution problem. Substance flow analysis (SFA) has been proposed as a useful tool to receive such an overview and has been put forward as valuable for substance management. However, as the research on microplastics has only emerged recently, detailed and reliable SFAs are difficult to perform. In this study, we use three SFA studies for three pollutants (cadmium, copper and pharmaceuticals) to compare flows and strategies to control the flows. This in order to seek guidance for microplastic management and evaluate potential strategies for controlling microplastics. The analysis shows that there has been rigorous control on different levels to abate pollution from cadmium, copper and pharmaceuticals, but where in the system the major control measures have been carried out differ. For microplastics, there are many potential solutions, both in terms of preventive actions and treatment depending on the type of source. When forming management plans for microplastics, the responsibility for each measure and the impact on the whole urban system should be taken into consideration as well as which receiving compartments are particularly valuable and should be avoided.

Upstream work is an important measure to reduce environmental pollu­tion in society and prevent pollution that has already been introduced to society from entering the water- or nutrient cycle. Although upstream work started in the 1960’s there is still little documentation on its practice. We have investigated how the upstream work is carried out in Swedish water and wastewater organisations, and potential future directions, for wastewa­ter, raw water and stormwater. The intention was also to provide munici­palities with the opportunity to express needs and contribute with success stories from their own work. The report is to be seen as a qualitative inves­tigation rather than a broad survey of the upstream work. The project was financed by Svenskt Vatten Utveckling and Sweden Water Research. The main author is Emma Fältström, PhD-candidate at Sweden Water Research and Linköping University.

A literature review identified tools that are used or have the potential to be used in upstream work. After, a survey was conducted with 44 water and wastewater organisations. Based on the survey, 12 organisations were selected for interviews.

The majority of respondents had some kind of existing upstream work today. The upstream work seem to work mostly well and the majority of respondents saw upstream work as an important part of the water and wastewater sector’s responsibilities. However, several municipalities feel a need to do more and most survey respondents have less than one full-time employment dedicated to upstream work. Several municipalities also state that upstream work needs higher priority. It was, however, experienced as difficult to allocate time and money when it is not clear what the work entails, and when the measurable positive effects are not always obvious.

How the work is practically executed in the municipalities differs. There­fore, there is no consensus about the needs for future development of upstream work. As the work largely differs, a national coordinating function could facilitate exchange of experiences between municipalities. A confer­ence or seminar focusing on upstream work could also contribute to the exchange of knowledge. Specific guidance on grease, general guidance for stormwater, as well as overarching guidance for upstream work in general was put forward as important issues by several municipalities. Amount and quality of the cooperation with e.g. the municipal environmental depart­ment and county administrative board also differ between municipalities. This issue require further attention and in-depth studies.

The results from this study provide a first insight into how upstream work is carried out in the municipalities. Primary beneficiaries of these results are personnel at water and wastewater utilities and municipal environmental departments. Further, the report provides a first insight into what could be included in upstream work. This contribute to an increased understanding of the work, which should be interesting for water and wastewater managers as well as different municipal departments and other authorities.

Microplastics are omnipresent in the environment, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been highlighted as a transport pathway. The aim of this study is to contribute to increased understanding of microplastic sources in wastewater and test the possibilities of source tracking. Previous research has focused either on estimating microplastic contribution from various sources or on quantifying occurrence based on measurements. In this paper, these two approaches are compared. Microplastic types detected in the influent to a WWTP in Sweden are compared with estimations of sources in the WWTP catchment area. The total load from the identified sources was estimated to 1.9-14 tonnes/year, and the measurement-based load was 4.2 tonnes/year. In general, there was a good agreement between the two approaches; microplastic types with large shares at the inlet also had large contributions in the source estimates. An exception was cellulose acetate, which was not found at the inlet despite a large theoretical contribution. Many uncertainties remain, which lead to large intervals for the source estimates. The comparison can give an indication into which part of the intervals is most likely. Investigating more WWTPs with different characteristics and including particle morphology will further increase the understanding of sources that contribute to the presence of microplastics in wastewater.

This paper compares and analyzes the relations between the biogas development and the national policy frameworks for biogas solutions in eight European countries. The policy frameworks are compared using a biogas policy model, comprising five dimensions: type of policy; administrative area; administrative level; targeted part of the value chain; and continuity and change over time. The studied countries show examples of both increasing and stagnating biogas production, all of which can be associated with changes in national policy frameworks. Many different policy tools?particularly economic instruments?have proven successful for stimulating biogas production, but changing a well-functioning framework risks impeding the development. Therefore, predictability and relevance for targeted actors are key in policymaking. Targeting specific parts of the value chain can however be required to integrate all the benefits of biogas solutions, such as agricultural methane emissions reduction. Moreover, it can be challenging to design policies and policy instruments that are both effective and sustainable over time, without needs for modifications or adjustments. Finally, biogas policies and policy instruments that are effective in one country would not necessarily lead to the same outcome in another country, as they are dependent on the broader context and policy and economic framework.

Biogas solutions typically span across several sectors, such as waste handling, energy and transport. While this can be an advantage in comparison to other alternatives, it also creates an intricate policy structure that is challenging to overview, making it difficult to evaluate consequences of different policy changes that might not be directly related to biogas. This article presents an attempt to describe the institutional conditions for biogas solutions in the EU by defining the dimensions and characteristics of policies and policy instruments influencing biogas. A five-dimensional model of biogas policies is proposed: type of policy; administrative area; administrative level; targeted part of the value chain; and continuity and change over time. This reflects the complexity of the conditions for biogas solutions and constitutes a platform for describing, discussing and developing biogas policies. From the proposed model, it becomes clear that biogas policy is a very dispersed and incoherent policy area. Thus, there is an apparent risk that the responsibility for biogas policy is diffuse and has no obvious owner among the involved actors, making the framework of biogas policies patchy and ineffective. This model can contribute to an improved overview of biogas policies, and can be used as a tool for comparing the policy landscapes in different countries.

Sweden aims to increase biogas production from anaerobic digestion (AD) from 2 to 7 TWh/year until 2030. This paper investigates the requirements, challenges and implications of such a development through qualitative and quantitative assessment of three scenarios. Seven key elements—national policies and policy instruments, regional policies and policy instruments, mobilization of feedstock, infrastructure for feedstock and gas, mobilization of actors, new production facilities, and stable and increasing demand—were defined for the scenario construction and were also used to structure the comparative analysis. Quantitatively, increasing the biogas production from 2 to 7 TWh is estimated to require up to 5 times larger digester volume and up to 12 times more AD plants, meanwhile producing 6 – 8 times more biofertilizers. While a centralized production structure would be more efficient, a decentralized structure with small biogas plants would facilitate the logistics of agricultural substrates and biofertilizers. New production capacity could be incentivized through new and increased production subsidies, as well as an increased demand for renewable energy. Regardless of how the goal is to be achieved, it will require collective efforts from both public and private actors to overcome the many challenges on the way.

In the municipal Energy plan for 2030, Norrköping has set the goal to increase its energy efficiency by at least 30 % compared to 2005, and that 100 % of the energy sources and fuels used within the geographical area of Norrköping (not including sea and air) will be renewable. Locally produced biogas could contribute towards these goals, and the possibility to produce biogas has previously been investigated in pre-studies on individual facilities in the municipality. While the neighboring municipality of Linköping has had a continuous large-scale biogas production for many years, Norrköping has only had a small production of biogas, despite a similar number of inhabitants and several large industries with waste streams that could potentially be used as substrate for biogas.

This report presents the results of a project with the goal of mapping and quantifying the potentials for production and use of biogas in Norrköping, to elucidatehow these can  be realized, and what importance  this would have for Norrköping. The project was conducted through a workshop series with participants from BRC partners as well as Region Östergötland, Östgötautmaningen, Biogas Öst, Norrköping Water and Waste, Holmen Paper and Kolmården Zoo. The research questions were approached with a “bottom-up” methodology, departing from the local conditions, and estimates of the potential production and use of biogas were made with focus on different substrate streams and markets, respectively.

The results show a great, unexploited potential for biogas production in Norrköping, mainly in the agricultural sector and in local pulp and paper mills. There is also a large potential market for biogas in Norrköping. The estimated production potential could, if actualized, cover around 10 – 15 % of the energy demand road transport and shipping as well as the industrial energy gas demand in Norrköping.

One of the main obstacles to develop the production of biogas in Norrköping is the fact that the substrates, except for at individual industrial plants, are scattered among a large number of facilities and actors. In addition, many potential producers lack the knowledge to produce and sell biogas. Thus, cooperation between different actors is required, for example between substrate owners and biogas producers. Cooperation between different substrate owners for large-scale co-digestion and upgrading to vehicle gas could give economic advantages compared to small-scale facilities.

Norrköping municipality could be a key actor in the development towards increased local production and use of biogas through strategic infrastructure planning, procurement strategies and mediation of knowledge about biogas to potential producers and users. One way for the municipality to make the work in this area more efficient and effective can be to employ a biogas- or biofuel-coordinator.

Biogas is expected to make an important contribution to the vision of fossil-free transports in Sweden. However, estimates of the national production potential have taken a top-down perspective, without detailing where the potential exists and how to realise it. This study is made with a bottom-up perspective, investigating the potential for production and use of biogas within different sectors and individual industries in the municipality of Norrköping. Moreover, critical factors and driving actors for realising these potentials are raised and analysed.  The study was conducted with a participatory approach involving 22 representatives from the municipality, biogas producers, interest organisations and companies dealing with potential biogas substrates. The results indicate a potential biogas production of 500 GWh/year by 2030, out of which 60% would come from the agricultural sector and 30% from local pulp and paper industries. A more modest estimate indicate that the production would cover 10 – 15% of the local energy demand for road transport and shipping as well as industrial energy gas.  Substrates are distributed over a large geographical area and between several actors, requiring cooperation between substrate owners to reach an economically feasible scale. In addition, collaboration with biogas companies could provide the substrate owners with necessary specialist knowledge. In order to realise the biogas potential, Norrköping municipality has a central role to play as coordinator and knowledge hub, as well as by directing procurements towards biogas and plan for biogas fuelling stations.

The share of renewable fuels in Swedish public transport is steadily increasing, in line with European energy and climate goals as well as a national goal of a fossil-free vehicle fleet by 2030. However, the progression towards this goal is quite different among the Swedish regions, and efforts have been made on a national level to compare the public bus transport systems and provide a foundation for policymaking. This paper investigates different ways of assessing and presenting the energy performance of public bus transport systems. The analysis includes use of renewable and fossil fuels as well as energy efficiency and its underlying factors. Various energy performance indicators are presented and discussed with regards to practical implications and applicability for policy support.

A life cycle perspective on fuels (“well-to-wheel”) is found to have clear advantages when it comes to global reductions of fossil energy use and emissions. This requires detailed information about the fuel use, which is not always the case with the existing reporting system. Setting the energy use in relation to number of passengers transported rather than just the distance covered would better reflect the function of the transport system, but is also more uncertain with the current data available.

Urban Water Infrastructure systems (UWI) are central to functioning cities. For securing a continuous and efficient supply of the systems services, continuous investment, maintenance, and renewal are needed. Neglecting maintenance and renewal can lead to recurrent breakdown problems as systems age, which makes it more and more difficult to secure efficient long-term supply. Globally, many cities struggle with aging water infrastructure, often due to competing funding priorities. Investment in maintenance and renewal is not prioritized. The problem primarily stems from the challenge of reaping the benefits of investments promptly. The long-term benefits gained from investing in the renewal of water infrastructure may be achievable in the long run, resulting in the oversight of such investments. This leads to a build-up of "renewal debt" for future generations to inherit. Addressing this issue is difficult due to various contributing factors and the complex nature of the systems. The study aims to contribute to an increased understanding of the long-term management challenges UWI, the development of improved maintenance and renewal strategies through the examination of water infrastructure management, and the assessment of the adequacy of the maintenance and renewal in a case study, the city of Linköping, Sweden. Employing a mixed methods approach, this study utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews, workshops, and data analysis. The findings of the study provided insights into the current status of the water and sewerage networks in Linköping, highlighting the risks to ensuring reliable and sustainable water supply and discussing strategies for improving maintenance and renewal.

The city's wire-based infrastructure systems (WBIS) are responsible for the delivery of electricity,telecommunications, sanitation, drainage, and district heating and are a necessity for sustainable modern urban life.Maintaining the functionality of these structures involves high costs and, brings disturbance to the local community and effectson the environment. One key reason for this is that the cables and pipes are placed under streets, making system parts easilyworn and their service lifetime reduced, and all maintenance and renewal rely on recurrent needs for excavation. In Sweden, asignificant part of wire-based infrastructure is already outdated and will need to be replaced in the coming decades. Thereplacement of these systems will entail massive costs as well as important traffic disruption and environmental disturbance.However, this challenge may also open a unique opportunity to introduce new, more sustainable technologies and managementpractices. The transformation of WBIS management for long-term sustainability and meeting maintenance and renewal needsdoes not have a comprehensive approach. However, a systemic approach may inform WBIS management. This approachconsiders both technical and non-technical aspects, as well as time-related factors. Nevertheless, there is limited systemicknowledge of how different factors influence current management practices. The aim of this study is to address this knowledgegap and contribute to the understanding of what factors influence the current practice of WBIS management. A case studyapproach is used to identify current management practices, the underlying factors that influence them, and their implicationsfor sustainability outcomes. The case study is based on both quantitative data on the local system and data from interviews andworkshops with local practitioners and other stakeholders. Linköping was selected as a case since it provided goodaccessibility to the water administration and relevant data for analyzing water infrastructure management strategies. It is asufficiently important city in Sweden to be able to identify challenges, which, to some extent, are common to all Swedish cities.By uncovering current practices and what is influencing Linköping, knowledge gaps and uncertainties related to sustainabilityconsequences were highlighted. The findings show that goals, priorities, and policies controlling management are shorttermed, and decisions on maintenance and renewal are often restricted to finding solutions to the most urgent issues.Sustainability transformation in the infrastructure area will not be possible through individual efforts without coordinatedtechnical, organizational, business, and regulatory changes.

Biogas systems are often multi-functional and involve  several actors in different sectors, requiring these actors to collaborate closely in order to implement such systems. In this paper, a study is presented where the theory of institutional capacity building is used to guide interventions with public and private actors to facilitate the development of local biogas systems in Norrköping, Sweden. The interventions were performed in the form of a workshop series, where local actors with potential to influence biogas developments actively took part. The workshop series generated knowledge on Norrköping’s significant potential for both producing and using biogas, which was traced, in part, to its high concentration of bio-based industries and its good position as a hub for transports. The interventions also created a shared understanding that cooperation and coordination to distribute resources and knowledge about biogas, both geographically and across sectors, was critical for realizing this potential. The municipal organization was identified as an important actor for coordinating these efforts. Observations during the workshops and survey responses indicate that the interventions contributed to building institutional capacity and initiation of efforts to develop local biogas solutions. Ideas put forth in this study enable interventions to target the intangible internal capacities of emerging industrial symbiosis networks. In addition, institutional capacity building serves as a useful analytical framework capable of capturing progress within emerging networks in the short-term even when material, water or energy synergies are yet to be realized.

Biogas systems are often multi-functional and involve several actors in different sectors, requiring these actors to collaborate closely in order to implement such systems. In this paper, a study is presented where the theory of institutional capacity building is used to guide interventions with public and private actors to facilitate the development of local biogas systems in Norrköping, Sweden. The interventions were performed in the form of a workshop series, where local actors with potential to influence biogas developments actively took part. The workshop series generated knowledge on Norrköping’s significant potential for both producing and using biogas, which was traced, in part, to its high concentration of bio-based industries and its good position as a hub for transports. The interventions also created a shared understanding that cooperation and coordination to distribute resources and knowledge about biogas, both geographically and across sectors, was critical for realizing this potential. The municipal organization was identified as an important actor for coordinating these efforts. Observations during the workshops and survey responses indicate that the interventions contributed to building institutional capacity and initiation of efforts to develop local biogas solutions. Ideas put forth in this study enable interventions to target the intangible internal capacities of emerging industrial symbiosis networks. In addition, institutional capacity building serves as a useful analytical framework capable of capturing progress within emerging networks in the short-term even when material, water or energy synergies are yet to be realized.

This article addresses incentives and barriers for the development of biogas production and use in transport. It is based on statistics, interviews with biogas actors in a Swedish region, as well as a literature study. These actors perceive that the stagnating vehicle gas demand is the major barrier for biogas development. Policy support could stimulate the vehicle gas demand to strengthen incentives for investments along the entire biogas value chain. There are opportunities on the supply side to increase biogas production based on waste and residues, to improve digestate handling, and to expand the gas distribution infrastructure. However, the sector perceives a high risk in biogas investments partially due to the low predictability of Swedish policy instruments and this, together with the stagnated demand for vehicle gas, are identified as the main barriers for biogas development. Thus, policy makers should focus on these barriers if the intention is to develop the use of biogas in transport.

This article presents results from a project involving local practitioners in the construction of scenarios for a regional energy and transport system. The purpose is to demonstrate how sustainability transitions research can interact with local practice by means of socio-technical scenarios. Combining quantitative data with qualitative storylines, the article presents four scenarios, which describe different ways of using biogas, biodiesel and electricity in four different applications: city buses, inter-city buses, heavy-duty trucks and industrial processes. The article compares the four scenarios in terms of realization possibilities, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction. Focusing on nearterm realization on a commercial basis, the research findings suggest that collaborative scenario construction can be a useful strategy to manage conflicting agendas and engage key stakeholders in dialogues on transition pathways. The article concludes by presenting policy lessons for practice-oriented transition management. The lessons point to the importance of flexibility in system delineations, the critical timing of near-term scenarios, and the use of scenarios to outline local practitioners' agency.

In Kenya, the government is promoting high-value and drought resistant crop varieties in an effort to reduce poverty in rural areas. Sugar beet is one such crop. This study was conducted with two objectives: 1) to assess the opportunities and challenges for sugar beet cultivation and adoption in the Nyandarua district of Kenya and 2) to assess whether sugar beet adoption can offer an opportunity for escaping poverty for smallholder farmers in the district. The factors favoring sugar beet cultivation and adoption in the district include: adequate land area suitable for sugar beet cultivation and the high sugar beet yield that can be attained per unit suitable land area, farmers' awareness of the positive aspects of sugar beet cultivation, and the willingness of many farmers to grow the sugar beet crop. Notwithstanding these favorable conditions, some socio-economic factors-mainly the affordability of sugar beet production and possible lack of appropriate farming technologies, will present challenges to widespread sugar beet adoption, particularly to those farmers in the low-and medium-income categories. The sugar beet profit analysis showed that depending on the market price, sugar beet can potentially increase household net income. However, since the majority of households are in the low-and medium-income categories, for sugar beet to pull the smallholder farmers out of poverty, interventions from government and other stakeholders is of vital necessity. The impact of sugar beet adoption and cultivation will vary from household to household. Those households within the high-income category who can raise the required start up capital are likely to benefit, while the low-and medium-income households may not, which is true for any new crop with high start up costs. Alternative agriculture alone is therefore not a sufficient strategy to address the problems of poverty and unemployment. Any successful strategy to address these issues must be broad-based, and include alternative agriculture and other growth and development strategies. Provision for the entire necessary infrastructure should precede or accompany all of these strategies in order to optimize implementation benefits.

Peri-urban development has attracted increased attention in recent years particularly due to conflict/competition between new (urban) and traditional (rural) land uses as a result of peri-urban expansion. Much of the research in peri-urban development is concentrated in peri-urban concepts and definitions, environmental impacts and also impact on agriculture. Little attention is put in the assessment of the peri-urban development on household livelihood and income. This study was therefore conducted with the objective of assessing the impact of the peri-urban development dynamics to household income using the case study of peri-urban Nyahururu, Kenya. The analysis shows a decline in full time farming households from 90% in the 1960s to 49%; an indication of the declining economic significance of agriculture. The decline in significance of agriculture was mainly due to rapidly shrinking household agricultural land as well as low and fluctuating agricultural output prices which reduced the profitability from agricultural production. The decrease in agricultural land was due to the sale of land for residence/business premises and also land bequests to children. In return, households have adopted diverse non-farm activities whose earnings proved to be of varying importance to the annual household income. However most of the households engage in low income productive non-farm activities – nevertheless, the number of households engaged in high income productive non-farm activities was comparatively higher (10% more) compared to the most rural parts of the district. The infrastructural developments coupled with emerging business enterprises were found to be the main factors that enhanced the opportunities for household engagement in high income productive activities. However most of these developments are limited to the financially constrained informal sector and hence can not provide sufficient high income opportunities to lift majority of the population from poverty. Therefore, the possibility for peri-urban development to accomplish a reduction in poverty for the households will not only depend on the infrastructural developments but also on the socio-economic opportunities that arise from the developments – which will be dependent on the developers involved and the government policy. In addition, despite the declining economic significance of agriculture in the study area, we emphasize the importance of government intervention to enhance agricultural productivity and control agricultural land conversion for food security reasons

In Kenya the government is promoting diversification of crops to embrace high value crops and drought resistant crop varieties in efforts to reduce poverty in rural areas. Sugar beet is one of the crops considered as an option in this context and it is therefore important to increase knowledge about the potentials in the country for cultivating this crop. Sugar beet trials conducted in Nyandarua and Butere Mumias Districts of Kenya have shown that the crop yields are comparable to those obtained in traditional sugar-beet cultivation regions of Europe. Since sugar beet yield is affected by climate and soils, the results of Nyandarua and Butere Mumias sugar beet trials are not adequate to propose that comparable yields can be obtained elsewhere in the country and other tropical regions. Physical land evaluations assessing the potentials and constraints for sugar beet production are therefore essential. The objectives of this study was to develop a Tropical Sugar Beet Land Evaluation Scheme (TSBLES) that can aid assessment of the suitability of different areas in the tropics for sugar beet cultivation; and to test this scheme for an assessment of suitable sugar beet zones and land areas in Kenya. The development of the scheme was based on various literature sources and expert judgment on sugar beet requirements, and a Tropical Sugar Beet yield prediction Model. The TSBLES accounts for physical conditions of land i.e. climatic, edaphic and topographic conditions. According to the assessment results 27% of the land area in Kenya is suitable for sugar beet cultivation. Of this area, 5% is highly suitable, another 5% is moderately suitable and 17% is marginally suitable. Most of the highly suitable land area is concentrated in Rift Valley, Central and Nyanza provinces. The Rift Valley has the highest share of the suitable land area.

Despite increased awareness of the urgency to respond to climate change and to promote sustainable development, there are few powerful initiatives that are decisively shifting urban development in a sustainable, resilient and low-carbon direction. This Special Volume of the Journal of Cleaner Production explores sustainable urban transformation focusing on structural transformation processes – multi-dimensional and radical change – that can effectively direct urban development towards ambitious sustainability goals. The 20 articles are based on 35 cases and over 130 surveyed examples of urban initiatives on sustainability in many countries. While cities in Europe dominate, there are also examples from North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. The combined articles in this Special Volume contribute to knowledge and understanding on sustainable urban transformation across a range of areas, including governance and planning, innovation and competitiveness, lifestyle and consumption, resource management and climate mitigation and adaptation, transport and accessibility, buildings, and the spatial environment and public space. Overall, this Special Volume documents and analyses real-life action in cities and communities around the world to respond to sustainability challenges and it provides critical insights into how to catalyse, intensify and accelerate sustainable urban transformation globally. A main finding of the articles is that governance and planning are the key leverage points for transformative change.

Sustainability science needs approaches that allow for the integration of knowledge across disciplines and scales. This paper suggests an approach to conceptualize problems of unsustainability by embedding the Drivers–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) scheme within a multi-level institutional framework represented by Hägerstrand’s system of nested domains. The proposed taxonomy helps to decipher and to better understand key casual chains and societal responses at the appropriate spatial levels for particular sustainability problem areas. To illustrate the scheme more concretely the example of recent problem-solving efforts for Baltic Sea eutrophication driven by Swedish agriculture is examined. The discussion focuses on how the scheme fulfills the four research strategy requirements within the field of sustainability science and how the scheme is distinct from alternative approaches.

In Chapter 10, Shabb, McCormick, Anderberg and Mujkic investigate how Climate City Contracts (CCCs) are being developed in Europe and what it means for other parts of the world. CCCs are intended to be different from current strategies to tackle climate change because they are designed as part of a larger mission with many stakeholders, funding and growing momentum. CCCs are a mechanism to ensure that city-level work is not occurring in a vacuum but rather facilitates multi-level integration between cities, national agencies, and the European Union, but also collaboration across all stakeholders. The current focus of CCCs is mostly on the process rather than outcomes. Ambitious Climate Investment Plans, which encompass private sector efforts, are necessary to underpin the goals and activities outlined in CCCs.

The purpose of this perspective article is to critically explore the launch of the mission for 100 climate neutral cities in Europe. An overview of the mission approach in general is first presented, where key aspects and emerging critiques are identified. Second, key elements of the mission for 100 climate neutral cities in Europe are introduced along with some of its challenges and ambiguities. This perspective article ends with highlighting key emerging questions from the report “100 Climate Neutral Cities by 2030 – by and for the citizens” where research and practice need to engage to support municipalities and urban actors in efforts on climate neutrality and help to better navigate toward radical social and technical transformation. This perspective article also proposes two approaches for inclusive participation of citizens and stakeholders that can contribute to the local implementation of the mission for 100 climate neutral cities.

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is growing dramatically all over the world. The fast growth and diffusion of ICTs, their early obsolescence and short life have made electronic waste (e-waste) to the fastest growing waste stream in the world. This waste stream is valuable and highly toxic at the same time, and therefore it requires proper handling. Most e-waste currently ends up in developing countries, like Pakistan, where it is usually recycled informally. Informal recycling involves crude processes, which harm the environment and have severe impacts on the health of recycling workers. This paper analyses the e-waste flows and the informal recycling system in Pakistan, and related governance challenges. Based on field studies in three major cities in Pakistan, we investigate why the e-waste flows keep entering the country, the routes through which they end up in the informal recycling, the actual recycling processes, and identify the various stakeholders and their roles. The analysis illustrates the poor governance that results from weak enforcement of legislation, the complexities emerging with numerous stakeholders, the profitability of informal recycling, little concern for the health damaging exposure for workers from poorest and most vulnerable people in society, and the lack of awareness of the hazards involved. The paper highlights how this business is a market driven entity without priority for proper e-waste handling, which is also hampered by lacking characteristics of good governance, which make it a challenge to control this business.

In 2019, the special area requirements under MARPOL 73/78 Annex IV will come into effect in the Baltic Sea.This puts pressure on ports to develop reception facilities for sewage from passenger ships. This paper is built ona review of published information about the ports´ work to update sewage reception facilities and the results ofan e-mail questionnaire that was sent to a number of ports in the region, and interviews with environmentalmanagers from two major ports in the region. During the last 15 years, major investments have been made inport reception facilities in many passenger ports. However, there are still diverging views on the question if theport waste reception capacity in the region is sufficient. A few ports have for a long time been dominant asregards the reception of sewage in the Baltic Sea region, but recent increases in the ports´ waste receptioncapacity have predominantly occurred in smaller ports. This has been brought about by a replacement of mobilemeans for sewage collection with fixed connection systems or an increase of capacity of existing fixed connectionsystems. Following HELCOM recommendation, the majority of the ports have introduced a no-special-fee systembut there are differences in how this is applied.