Browsing by study line "Global hållbarhet"

Aviation emissions are on the rise as a result of growing numbers of air passengers and more efficient emission reductions in other industries. There are, however, a number of different means to achieve emissions reductions in aviation as well: these include, for example, technological solutions, taxes and different emissions compensation systems. In addition to these, a change in air travel behaviour has been suggested as a means to achieve emission reductions. However, there is no agreement about which solution or solutions should be prioritized. My thesis examines attitudes related to air travel and climate change in 17 Finnish blog texts. The blog texts were analysed using a qualitative attitude approach. The texts were analysed as collections of reactions to the claim that because of climate change, individuals should fly less. Based on the differences and similarities in reactions, or arguments, I categorized them and formed four groups of attitudes which highlight different ways of thinking about reducing individual air travel. The four groups of attitudes are the following: 1) attitudes that agree that individuals should fly less, 2) attitudes that question the claim, 3) mixed attitudes, and 4) attitudes that attempt to avoid the issue. As a part of the analysis, I also examined the bloggers’ perceptions about who should bear the responsibility for reducing aviation emissions and I also examined how these perceptions differ between the four groups of attitudes. The bloggers’ understandings of air travel vary between air travel as an unnecessary luxury and a view that flying is a crucial part of modern world and giving up air travel is not realistic. To achieve emission reductions, some bloggers are willing to switch from flying to travelling by land and sea, or they are ready to reduce travel altogether. Other bloggers stress the importance of technological solutions and policy measures in reducing emissions. Among the visible themes is also a tendency to stress the importance of doing things in moderation, which also applies to air travel. Some bloggers also wonder whether there are some reasons that could justify air travel from time to time. In any case, it is typical that bloggers show varying attitudes towards air travel and consider counterarguments to their initial arguments. In the blog texts, reducing aviation emissions comes across as a complex issue. Studying attitudes can help build knowledge about which means of reducing emissions are considered fair and desirable. Studying attitudes can also help locate barriers to environmentally friendly behaviour. In Finland, there is little research on attitudes towards air travel, and the results of my thesis can be utilized, for example, in planning transport policies or campaigns that promote sustainable travel. However, it should be noted that using blogs as research material poses some questions about the validity and the generalizability of the results. The public and potentially commercial nature of blogs may affect which kinds of attitudes are expressed. Because of this, it is important to study attitudes towards air travel by using different methods and material as well.

Kaupungistumisen seurauksena arkiset luontokontaktit vähentyvät. Nykyaikaiset elämäntavat, kuten liikunnan puute, altistavat ihmiset kansanterveysongelmille. Esimerkiksi liikalihavuus ja mielenterveysongelmat ovat kasvavia huolenaiheita, joihin luontokontakti ja luonnon virkistyskäyttö voivat tarjota apua. Tutkimuksissa on osoitettu, että luonnossa oleminen rauhoittaa mieltä ja selkeyttää ajatuksia. Luontoaltistuksella on positiivinen vaikutus itsetuntoon, mielialaan, ja se vähentää stressiä. Lisäksi luontokontaktilla on myönteisiä vaikutuksia keskittymiseen ja akateemiseen suorituskykyyn. Psykologisten hyvinvointivaikutusten lisäksi luonnolla on positiivisia vaikutuksia fyysiseen ja sosiaaliseen hyvinvointiin. Luonnossa olo laskee verenpainetta, alentaa sykettä ja vähentää stressihormoni kortisolin veripitoisuutta. On tutkittu, että vuorovaikutus monipuolisen luontoympäristön kanssa edistää hyödyllisten mikrobien esiintyvyyttä ihmiskehossa ja vähentää siten allergioiden ja autoimmuunisairauksien kehittymisen riskiä. Luontoympäristö inspiroi liikkumaan useammin ja pidempiä aikoja kuin rakennettu ympäristö. Sosiaalisen hyvinvoinnin kannalta luontoympäristö edistää sosiaalista kanssakäymistä ja voi lisätä osallisuuden tunnetta. Tässä opinnäytetyössä tarkastelen nuorten aikuisten kokemuksia luonnon hyvinvointivaikutuksista. Tutkimuskysymykset ovat: 1) Miten nuoret aikuiset kokevat luonnossa oleskelun vaikuttavan heidän psyykkiseen, fyysiseen ja sosiaaliseen hyvinvointiinsa? 2) Millainen luonnonympäristö lisää heidän koettua hyvinvointia? 3) Miten he virkistäytyvät luonnossa? Tutkimusaineisto koostuu temaattisista kirjoituksista (n = 47), jotka kerättiin yliopisto-opiskelijoilta maalis- ja huhtikuun 2020 aikana. Kirjoitusten tehtävänanto oli osa ympäristötieteiden kandiohjelman Topical Issues in Urban Research -kurssia, joka pidettiin Helsingin yliopistossa keväällä 2020. Kohderyhmänä olivat 19–33-vuotiaat opiskelijat. Tutkimus toteutettiin kvalitatiivisilla menetelmillä ja aineisto analysoitiin käyttämällä teemoittelua, koodausta ja luokittelua. Tämän tutkimuksen keskeiset havainnot tukevat aiempia tuloksia osoittaen, että myös nuorille aikuisille luonto tarjoaa paikan rauhoittumiseen, rentoutumiseen ja irtautumiseen arjen paineista. Luonnossa oleminen auttaa ajatusten selkiyttämisessä ja stressin lievityksessä. Fyysisen hyvinvoinnin näkökulmasta luonto tarjoaa miellyttävän ja innostavan paikan harrastaa liikuntaa. Luonto tukee sosiaalista hyvinvointia tarjoamalla paikan olla yksin tai tavata ihmisiä. Luonnossa on helpompaa olla läsnä, mikä mahdollistaa syvällisten keskusteluiden muodostumisen. Suosituimmat luonnonympäristöt olivat metsä ja akvaattiset ympäristöt. Alueen koettu luonnollisuus oli tärkeä tekijä. Kaupunkiympäristöön sisältyvien luonnon elementtien koettiin olevan merkittävä kaupunkiympäristön houkuttelevuutta ja miellyttävyyttä lisäävä tekijä. Vastaajien keskuudessa suosituimpia luontoaktiviteetteja olivat juoksu- ja kävelylenkkeily sekä luonnon ja lajien tarkkailu. Tämä tutkielma korostaa luonnon tärkeää roolia ihmisten hyvinvoinnin tukemisessa.

Computing complex phenomena into models providing information of the causalities and future scenarios is a very topical way to present scientific information. Many claim models to be the best available tool to provide decision making with information about near-future scenarios and the action needed (Meah, 2019; Schirpke et al., 2020). This thesis studies global climate models based on objective data compared to local ecosystem services models combining ecological and societal data offer an extensive overview of modern environmental modelling. In addition to modelling, the science-policy boundary is important when analyzing the societal usefulness of models. Useful and societally-relevant modelling is analyzed with an integrative literature review (Whittemore & Knafl, 2005) on the topics of climate change, ecosystem services, modelling and science-policy boundary, n=58. Literature from various disciplines and viewpoints is included in the material. Since the aim is to create a comprehensive understanding of the multidisciplinary phenomenon of modelling, the focus is not on the technical aspects of it. Based on the literature, types of uncertainty in models and strategies to manage them are identified (e.g. van der Sluijs, 2005). Characteristics of useful models and other forms of scientific information are recognized (e.g. Saltelli et al., 2020). Usefulness can be achieved when models are fit for purpose, accessible and solution-oriented, and sufficient interaction and trust is established between the model users and developers. Climate change and ecosystem services are analyzed as case studies throughout the thesis. The relationship of science and policy is an important discussion especially important when solving the sustainability crisis. Because modelling is a boundary object (Duncan et al., 2020), the role of boundary work in managing and communicating the uncertainties and ensuring the usefulness of models is at the center of the analysis.

The Arctic is home to many Indigenous peoples, including the Sámi. It is also an economically attractive area for governments and companies. Arctic Railway has been planned by the Finnish government and private parties to span over Sápmi, the Sámi homeland. Sámi youth association Suoma Sámi Nuorat, Sámi art collective Suohpanterror, and environmental NGO Greenpeace Finland have collaborated to fight against the railway and organized demonstrations and other campaigning. The goals of this thesis are to find out what kind of themes have been present in these Sámi organizations and Greenpeace’s protests and communication related to the Arctic Railway. Shared priorities and differences in their priorities are also determined. Moreover, this thesis explores how the Sámi are portrayed in the protests against the Arctic Railway. The data of this thesis is derived from public media sources, including news articles, social media content, and press releases. Case study is used as a research approach, and qualitative content analysis is used as a method. A middle ground concept functions as an analytical tool. It refers to a creative process where groups from different cultures find ways to work together. Indigenous peoples and environmentalists have often built strategic alliances, although also having differences in their priorities. In the middle ground, Indigenous peoples are recognized as active, creative agents, but also the use of stereotypes of Indigenous peoples have been present in these kinds of alliances. The results of this thesis show that the Sámi organizations have discussed the railway´s impacts on the Sámi livelihoods, lands, and culture, affecting their future as a people. They have also brought up that the railway has been planned without their consent, and the project has violated both Finnish law and international Indigenous rights. Greenpeace has focused on protecting the northern forests while raising awareness of Sámi issues and appearing as a supporter of Sámi people. They have had their unique middle ground where both priority differences and convergences have been present. In the protests against the Arctic Railway, the Sámi are portrayed as active agents. They have taken action in different ways: through demonstrations, participation in international events, art, and social media activism. This research can raise awareness about the potential of Indigenous-environmental alliances in promoting Indigenous rights and environmental protection and help build better alliances in the future. Further research could look at how these kinds of alliances have been negotiated.

Vuorovaikutus luonnonympäristöjen kanssa tukee ihmisen hyvinvointia ja vaikuttaa moninaisin mekanismein hyvinvoinnin eri osa-alueisiin. Kaupungistumisen ja modernisaation tuomat elämäntapojen muutokset ovat herättäneet huolta nuorten sukupolvien luontoyhteyden heikentymisestä, kun yhä harvemmat ihmiset viettävät päivittäin aikaa luonnossa. Nuorten luontosuhde on muihin ikäryhmiin verrattuna erityinen, sillä kiinnostus luonnonympäristöjä kohtaan on usein vähäisempää teini-ikäisenä kuin lapsena tai aikuisena. Luontokontakteilla on vaikutusta nuorten hyvinvointiin sekä mielenterveyteen, mutta kattavaa tutkimusta suomalaisten nuorten luonnossa virkistäytymisen tavoista ei ole aiemmin julkaistu. Tässä tutkielmassa tarkastellaan, miten nuoret kaupunkilaiset virkistäytyvät luonnossa, ja kuinka vuorovaikutus luonnon kanssa vaikuttaa nuorten koettuun hyvinvointiin. Tutkielma on toteutettu osana monitieteistä Luonnon virkistyskäytön terveys- ja hyvinvointivaikutukset - tutkimus kaupunkilaisnuorista (NATUREWELL) -projektia. Aineisto (N=1123) on kerätty syksyllä 2020 Lahden yläkouluissa. Nuorten luonnossa viettämää aikaa, luontoharrastuksia, luontosuhdetta ja heidän kokemuksiaan luonnon hyvinvointivaikutuksista analysoidaan kuvailevin kvantitatiivisin menetelmin. Tulosten perusteella huoli nuorten sukupolvien luonnosta vieraantumisesta ja luontosuhteen katkeamisesta näyttää Lahdessa enimmäkseen perusteettomalta. Suurin osa nuorista viettää viikoittain aikaa luonnonympäristöissä sekä kesä- että talviaikaan, ja erityisesti kodin lähiympäristön luontoalueet ovat nuorille merkityksellisiä. Tytöt viettävät aikaa luonnossa hiukan poikia useammin ja sukupuolten välillä on eroja luontoharrastuksissa. Myös sosioekonomisilla tekijöillä on selvästi yhteys nuorten luonnossa viettämään aikaan. Kiinnostus luontoa kohtaan vaikuttaa laskevan hiukan yläkoulun aikana, ja nuorten luontosuhteessa on havaittavissa polarisoitumista. Pieni osa nuorista ei juurikaan liiku luonnonympäristöissä tai koe yhteyttä luontoon. Valtaosa arvioi hyvinvointinsa kasvavan luonnonympäristössä käydessä, sekä kokevansa usein positiivisia ja harvoin negatiivisia tunteita luonnossa ollessaan. Tutkimus osoittaa, että luontokontakteilla on positiivista vaikutusta nuorten koettuun hyvinvointiin, mutta vaikutuksen voimakkuutta ei voida suoraan arvioida. Pienetkin hyödyt voivat joka tapauksessa olla yhteiskunnallisesti merkittäviä, jos niillä voidaan auttaa nuoria suhteellisen pienillä toimilla. Nuorten luontosuhteen polarisoitumiseen ja sosioekonomisten ryhmien välisiin eroihin luontosuhteessa voidaan puuttua poliittisin keinoin. Luonnonympäristöjen hyvinvointivaikutusten huomioiminen nuorten kannalta esimerkiksi kouluympäristöissä ja kaupunkipolitiikassa voivat olla merkittäviä keinoja nuorten kokonaisvaltaisen hyvinvoinnin lisäämisessä.

Jätevesiliete sisältää arvokkaita kasviravinteita ja orgaanista ainesta, jotka olisi välttämätöntä saada kiertämään kiertotalouden periaatteiden mukaisesti. Erityisesti kasvien kasvun kannalta olennainen ja määrältään rajallinen fosfori olisi tärkeä ohjata uudelleen käyttöön, esimerkiksi soveltuvaan maatalouteen, sillä Suomessa maatalouteen käytetään vuosittain 95,5 % kaikesta fosforista. Puhdistamoliete on kuitenkin yksi yhteiskunnan haastavimmista sivuvirroista, sillä se sisältää myös haitallisia aineita, kuten raskasmetalleja, mikromuoveja, pysyviä orgaanisia yhdisteitä ja lääkejäämiä. Tässä opinnäytetyössä aihetta tarkastellaan kirjallisuuskatsauksen ja dokumenttianalyysin keinoin sekä vahvistetaan laadullisella aineistolla. Viime vuosina monet suuret suomalaiset viljanostajat ovat kieltäneet puhdistamolietepohjaisten lannoitetuotteiden käytön sopimuspelloillaan. Tutkielmassa kartoitettiin asiantuntijahaastatteluiden avulla, miten tähän lopputulokseen päädyttiin sekä millainen suhtautuminen yrityksissä on uusiin kehitteillä oleviin puhdistusteknologioihin. Tutkimusta varten haastateltiin kolmen yrityksen edustajia tammikuussa 2020. Vastaukset analysoitiin sisällön analyysin keinoin. Puhdistamoliete ja sen käyttö on aineiston perusteella osa ympäristökonfliktien historiallista jatkumoa. Nykytutkimuksen valossa suomalainen puhdistamoliete on käsiteltynä turvallista käyttää. Useista tutkimuksista huolimatta kaikkien haitallisten aineiden pitkäaikaisia vaikutuksia erityisesti maaperään ei ole pystytty täysin kartoittamaan, sillä osa lietteestä löydettävistä haitallisista aineista on yhteiskunnassamme suhteellisen uusia yhdisteitä. Lietepohjaisten tuotteiden loppukäyttö on yhteiskunnallinen, taloudellinen ja ympäristökysymys, josta eri toimijoilla on eri intressit ja vaihtelevat näkemykset. Tutkimuksen perusteella viljanostajat suhtautuvat lietepohjaisiin tuotteisiin kielteisesti niiden kyseenalaisen maineen vuoksi. Yritykset korostivat, että heidän omat asiakkaansa eivät hyväksy lietepohjaisten tuotteiden käyttöä. Lisäksi haastatteluissa nousi ilmi huoli lietteen tutkimuksen tietoaukoista, koetut ihmisperäisten kierrätysravinteiden imagohaitat, sekä yritysten vastuullisuuden painopisteen sijoittuminen muualle kuin kierrätysravinteisiin. Pro gradu tutkielmassani esitän, että lietteen käsittelyn uudet teknologiat eivät tule yksin ratkaisemaan lietepohjaisten tuotteiden käyttöä maataloudessa, sillä viljanostajien kiinnostus kierrätysravinteiden käyttöön on vähäistä ja teknologiset erot käsittelymetodien välillä jäävät helposti epäselviksi.

Interest in the ecosystem services and the well-being provided by nature has grown while the urbanized way of life has reduced contact between humans and nature. Studies have found that nature supports well-being and health in several ways: spending time in nature relieves stress, lifts mood and improves concentration, among other things. Natural environments encourage physical activity and provide opportunities for both social interaction and self-reflection. Nature experiences during childhood and adolescence help to build an empathetic relationship with nature and may promote environmentally responsible behavior. In adolescence, however, contact with nature often decreases. To facilitate positive nature experiences to adolescents, understanding how they experience spending time in nature can help. This thesis examines how adolescents describe their memorable nature experiences and the well-being impacts they associate with these experiences. The thesis is part of the multidisciplinary research project NATUREWELL (The health and well-being impacts of outdoor recreation – study on urban youth). The research data consists of pictures and writings (n=21) by adolescents aged 15-16 years, in which they describe their memorable nature experiences. The data was collected from a secondary school in Lahti, Finland in spring 2020. The research material has been analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The results show that memorable nature experiences arise in a wide range of situations, but almost all participants highlighted the effects of nature on their well-being. The most common themes of the experiences were calming down in nature and uplifted moods, while several of the participants also highlighted the beauty of nature. Nature served both as a refuge and as a source of recreation for them. Half of the experiences had taken place in the nearby nature of the participants, half on trips elsewhere in Finland, abroad or at summer cottages. Photographs, paintings, drawings and collages by the participants often highlighted the visual aspect of the experience by depicting vast landscapes unfolding from the viewer's perspective. The described environments were forests, beaches, lakes, mountains and swamps. Based on the results, all the participants of the study have positive experiences of nature. They perceive psychological, physical, social and mental well-being effects in nature and often refer to them when justifying why they like to spend time in nature. The results of the study can be used in the planning of nature activities, environmental education and well-being interventions for adolescents. The nature experiences of adolescents with a negative attitude towards nature are an important subject for further research.

Climate change is one of the most major environmental challenges of our time. The upcoming decades will be crucial for delimiting the global average temperature rise to 1.5 - 2 degrees, as pointed out by the IPCC. Tackling climate change requires system-wide changes, emission reductions from all sectors and a shift towards low-carbon society. The global food system is responsible for circa 20-30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, achieving the goal of carbon neutrality necessitates profound changes in the food system, i.e. in the ways our food is being produced and consumed today. This, in turn, necessitates a transition towards more plant-based diets. There is a scientific consensus that plant-based diets are - in addition to human health - also beneficial for the climate, as they produce less greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon-intensive lifestyles are especially characteristic for people in industrialized countries. Food covers roughly one fifth of the annual carbon footprint of a Finn. Finnish diets produce relatively large emissions mainly due to high consumption of meat and dairy. As food choices contribute to climate change, it is crucial to seek solutions in order to steer sustainable food consumption. In addition to the efforts of the public sector, proactive companies are also capable of steering or “nudging” sustainable food consumption also by other than conventional means, such as information provision and financial incentives. These means and their acceptability are addressed in this thesis. This thesis explores how Finnish consumers allocate responsibilities between the government, companies and consumers for mitigating climate change. In addition, this thesis elucidates how Finnish consumers perceive food manufacturers’ role and contribution (means) in steering food consumption towards more climate-friendly choices. The study conducted for this thesis was a consumer survey (n=504) and the target population was Finnish consumers aged between 18-74 years. The material was collected during August 2019, and statistical methods were mostly applied to analyze the results. One of the key findings of this study is that half of the survey respondents perceive a shared responsibility between the government, companies and consumers in mitigating climate change. While least responsibility is assigned for consumers, their role is not, however, underestimated. It also seems like food manufacturers play an important role in steering climate-friendly food consumption in the respondents’ opinion. In addition, the respondents seem to be relatively accepting towards the fact of being steered by food companies in order to make more climate-friendly food choices. Also the means to steer consumer behaviour, which were addressed in this study, received a promising level of support from the respondents. The findings of the study shed light on the food industry’s opportunities to influence climate-friendly food consumption and can help to develop policies that aim to mitigate climate change and promote more sustainable culinary culture.

Forests have become one of the key themes when it comes to sustainability and have been subject to many demands and pressures from various stakeholders in recent years. In particular, the responsible use of forests has surfaced in discussions during the past 20 years. As the world and overall atmosphere is becoming more favorable to sustainability, companies are required to adapt to a changed society. The forest industry has a significant impact on Finland’s sustainable development and economy. In the forest industry corporate responsibility work has developed as demands from society have grown and the work has become more holistic over time as knowledge on the matter has increased. Pressures on companies' environmental work have come from outside companies from society, as well as from internal actors within companies. One well established forest industry company in Finland is Metsä Group, which has long been profiled as an environmentally responsible company. Therefore, corporate responsibility work and its development in Metsä Group has been selected as my research topic. In this thesis, I examine how environmental responsibility work has changed from the point of view of sustainability professionals in Metsä Group during the years 2000-2020. As research material, I use interviews with Metsä Group's sustainability professionals, as well as responsibility and annual reports from 2000-2020. For the interviews, I selected former and current Metsä Group employees who have worked in the company, either the whole duration or partly, during the years 2000-2020. I have analyzed the materials using content analysis as a method. The interviews revealed that, in general, employees felt that, compared to the early 2000s, in 2020 Metsä Group took more and more holistic action for its environmental responsibility. In general, it was seen that the most significant factors influencing corporate responsibility were megatrends such as climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as a general change in societal perceptions related to corporate responsibility. Leaders’ commitment and attitude towards environmental responsibility, as well as customer requirements, were also perceived as significant factors in promoting responsibility work. It was generally felt that if customers or management saw the matter as important it was invested in. All in all, the environmental corporate responsibility of Metsä Group had steadily improved during 2000-2020. Overall, the interviewees felt that environmental responsibility has been incorporated into Metsä Group's strategy, and that corporate responsibility work has become more holistic and professionalized.

This thesis explores the drivers and barrier to greening in the Finnish music festival scene. The term greening originates in literature on sustainable business and refers to the process of a company achieving greater sustainability through investments, managerial and organisational decisions and implementing policies and processes. The concept of greening is applied to music festivals, a type of event, that cause significant negative environmental impacts. Sustainable event management attempts to mitigate negative environmental impacts and to cause positive impacts for instance through environmental education and inspiring behaviour change. As a theoretical framework, this thesis uses drivers and barriers impacting the greening of music festivals identified in literature. The drivers (organisational and personal values, competitive advantage, consumer demand and the desire to educate) and barriers (lack of finance or support from stakeholders, lack of control over venues, lack of control over patron behaviour, lack of time, lack of sustainable supplies and suppliers), networking in the festival scene and the use of external environmental audits form the basis for a qualitative content analysis. The findings based on interview data from five Finnish music festival managers and a representative from an environmental auditing service suggests that the most significant drivers are value-based and the motivation for greening stems from personal pro-environmental values and the desire to inform and educate audiences. The barriers to overcome are external, related to stakeholders, infrastructure and the supply chain as well as unsustainable attendee behaviour. Additionally, there is among festival managers some uncertainty regarding best practices. A need for increased support from stakeholders and for accessible information highlights the importance of networking. External auditing services should offer flexible and contextual tools and a more inspirational tone. In conclusion, sustainability is seen by the Finnish music festival scene as a key issue and one of increasing priority in the future.