Browsing by master's degree program "Magisterprogrammet i miljöförändringar och global hållbarhet"

Circular economy (CE) is often offered as a solution to mitigate climate change and more efficient resource use. However, the socio-cultural side of transformation to CE is widely overlooked in the academic literature (Kirchherr et al., 2018) and in the context of CE, consumer-citizens are often framed as “consumers”, “users” and in terms of “acceptance” of new products and modes of provision (Hobson & Lynch, 2016). In fact, taking part in CE can be quite laborious and the notion of consumption work highlights the time, skills and access needed to participate in circular consumption (Hobson et al., 2021). Existing research on CE skills are scarce, outdated and focused on only one practice at a time. The research gap of citizens’ CE skills has been identified by several researchers (e.g. Hobson et al., 2021; Wieser, 2019) and this thesis aims to fulfil the gap by adopting a qualitative approach. The data on which this research is based on, consists of semi-structured interviews with 20 Finnish citizens who have been active in implementing zero waste lifestyles and responsible consumption principles that are relevant for CE. By exploring their everyday practices related to CE, I identify six skill categories that the active citizens utilise to take part in CE. Particularly (1) manual skills were identified by the interviewees as central to performing circular activities. They include skills such as sewing and technical skills that enable repair and repurposing materials. The interviewees possess (2) divergent thinking skills and abilities to think creatively, for example about the ways you can use a certain item. They are also skilful in questioning consumption related social norms. (3) Research and communication skills are central for active citizens as they are trying to figure out the most sustainable options and inspire others with humour and positivity to take part in the circular economy. The interviewees describe often utilising (4) organising and prioritising skills that revolve around time management. They need to make decisions and prioritise certain actions that preferably are quite influential in terms of their carbon footprint. Moreover, when buying products second hand they should start looking for the items early and with rental options, the need should be anticipated and planned. Another identified set of skills are (5) household skills. They include maintenance skills of household goods and clothes, cooking skills to avoid food waste by using creativity and planning as well as recycling skills on sorting different fractions. The respondents also described (6) skills brought by experience. Knowledge on different second hand marketplaces and the skills to recognise good quality on materials and items enable circular practices. One of the main contributions of this thesis is consolidation of various sets of citizen skills relevant for the CE into a single framework. The findings further illustrate that consumer-citizens are doing a multitude of CE activities that require consumption work and certain skills. The findings provide information on how citizens engage and coordinate CE practices on the household level by prioritising and planning, a topic on which research has been lacking (Hobson et al., 2021). The skills of “thinking outside the box” are also a new set of skills that emerged from the interviews and it has a clear connection to the “unlearning” of noncircular consumption practices (Wieser, 2019). The identified skills could be taught more through formal and informal education channels, but it should be considered, how infrastructure, companies and services can ease people’s participation in CE. Findings of the thesis offer insight on the domestic reality of CE and how it could be improved in the Finnish context.

Concern about global warming can lead to climate change anxiety, a form of anxiety characterized by excessive worry about the climate crisis and associated consequences on the natural world and human society. It has been suggested by previous research that humor can be used to manage feelings of anxiety. This study seeks to determine if this phenomenon can be applied specifically to climate change anxiety. The research combines a comprehensive literature review with an online survey that leveraged climate change themed internet memes as a proxy for humor to gather opinions about the intersections between these two topics. The survey data supplemented claims made by existing literature, indicating that climate change themed internet memes and humor in general can be useful coping mechanisms to mitigate feelings of climate anxiety. The survey was completed by 93 respondents; most of these participants were women, located in the US, and/or between the ages of 20 and 29. Results from the survey showed that people tend to feel best about their environmental anxiety when they are taking active steps to solve the problem. Conscious decisions such as reducing waste or participating in activist movements are easier to recognize and self-report than more passive coping skills. Reliance on humor was reported as a supplementary coping skill, but many respondents indicated that looking at humorous climate change themed memes did influence their feelings about climate change overall. The scope of this study was relatively small in scale, therefore the results presented in this thesis may not be indicative of broader social trends and likely require further research.

Static floating chamber (FC) measurements of CH₄ and CO₂ fluxes from northern boreal river Kitinen were analyzed for this thesis. Measurements were carried out in summer 2018. Spatiotemporal variability was measured in the fluxes by comparing three chamber measuring locations: the opposite river banks and the middle of the river. Mean CO₂ flux estimate was 0.83±0.54 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ (mean ± SD, n = 73), consistent with other estimates for similar systems, with a corresponding k₆₀₀ CO₂ gas transfer velocity estimate of 17±9 cm h⁻¹ . Nonlinear modelling of CO₂ flux was found useful for analyzing floating chamber data from a river. The mean CH₄ flux was 0.0084±0.0047 μmol CH₄ m⁻² s⁻¹ , slightly lower than the median for different river systems in literature. The flux estimates were compared with eddy covariance measurements (EC). FC measurements are expected to give larger results, but additionally chambers are known to overestimate fluxes in flowing water. The comparison yielded chamber fluxes 3.3 and 2.9 times the EC median values for CO₂ and CH₄ respectively. Fluxes were similar between the three locations, and they peaked in late July for both gases in all loca- tions. Some differences over the river cross-section were observed. Discharge was significantly correlated to fluxes in the middle of the river, which could be explained by inhomogeneous flow. On two measuring days in early August, the mid-river CO₂ fluxes were three times those observed near the banks. The difference was also measured in methane. No clear cause was determined, but measuring spatial variation in surface water gas concentrations and flow could clarify the causes of similar observations in further studies.

Despite promises of economic growth and prosperity through international trade, a continued divergence in national incomes demonstrates the continuously rising inequality between countries of the Global North and South. While many studies have attributed factors such as availability of capital resources and political and economic institutions to the uneven economic development of countries over time, very little has been said about the role of historical relations and colonial legacies in this prevailing state of global (economic) inequality. This thesis aims to shed light at the impact of colonial legacies on economic inequality between countries based on a unique database on forest commodity trade between Germany and Cameroon from 1892 to 2022, derived from the German governments statistical office. The findings of the trade data analysis indicate major structural inequality starting from the period of German colonialism from 1892-1912. The imported forestry commodities benefitted the industrialization and development of the German economy, while the exported commodities mainly served the German community in Cameroon. After the German colonial period, a drastically declining export of forest products demonstrates the changing ownership structures of the colonial plantations into French and British hands as well as the role of political rivalries in the accessibility of colonial markets. From 1950 onwards, timber plank exports appeared as a new commodity, implying an emerging timber processing industry in Cameroon. However, the value of those exports did not exceed the log exports, suggesting the struggle of the local industry to establish itself. After market liberalization in the 1990s, a second attempt at establishing a plank industry succeeded, suggesting a strong role of foreign companies within the industry. Overall, albeit other sectors, such as oil and gas becoming Cameroon’s main export sector over time, the forestry sector clearly remained the dominant German import sector throughout time, suggesting a strong path dependency from colonial times. Through an additional analysis of tracing German financial actors presence through a historical network analysis approach, this thesis further aims to show how historically established structures facilitate the reproduction of colonial relations in economic flows, by arguing that first mover advantages of German companies, made possible through colonial occupation, allowed companies to establish and manifest their position in the forest industry, making it harder for local companies to enter the industry. Albeit the limited sample size, the findings suggest confirming this pattern, as several German financial actors remain in the Cameroonian forestry sector over time. These notably include one of the companies that was a signatory of the treaty establishing German colonial rule in 1884.

Agriculture is emitting ~6.2 Gt CO2-Eq. annually, which accounts for ~12 % of the total annual net anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. Agriculture emits N2O and CH4, and it is responsible globally for ~79% of N2O emissions and ~40% CH4 emissions. These emissions are vital since N2O and CH4 are 273- and 27-times greater GHG than CO2, respectively. There are many different food production systems developed to reduce these emissions. One of the most promising systems is agroforestry. Agroforestry is a complex system where trees and/or shrubs are interacting with crops and/or animals. Agroforestry is an old practice which can provide plenty of advantages, e.g., increased yields, increased biodiversity, and increased carbon sequestration. Therefore, the interest towards it has been increasing in the last decades. In this master’s thesis the different maize production systems in Zambia were studied. The comparison was conducted between low-input maize monoculture where only external input was maize seed for sowing; high-input maize monoculture where mineral fertilizers and seeds for sowing were used; and maize-Faidherbia albida agroforestry system where only external input was maize seed for sowing. The goal of this master’s thesis was to find out, which production system is having the lowest climate change potential in the Central Province of Zambia. To conduct this study, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) -method was used. Two cases were used in LCA, i.e., Case 1 with functional unit (FU) of 1000 kg d.m. maize grain, and Case 2 with FU of 3 ha maize field. Also, four sensitivity analyses were conducted. The result from this study indicates that agroforestry system had the lowest climate change potential in both cases, and in most of the sensitivity analyses. Only exception was found in the sensitivity analysis where above-ground biomass of F. albida was substituting hydropower. In this sensitivity analysis the monoculture without external inputs had the lowest climate change potential. Since the food production in Zambia must increase in the future to reduce the hunger, the high-input system or agroforestry system are more favourable options as they produce higher crop yields. When taking the climate change potential into account, according to the results of this thesis, the agroforestry system provides more benefits. The results of this thesis can provide new knowledge which could be used in the future decision-making processes. Yet, in the future studies, more complex agroforestry systems with more sustainability pillars should be considered to provide improved information for decision-making.

Ympäristökriisi on yksi aikamme suurimmista globaaleista ongelmista. Voimakkaana tekijänä kriisissä ovat ihmisten valinnat niin arjen kuluttamisessa kuin yleisessä käyttäytymisessä luontoa kohtaan. Ympäristömyönteinen käyttäytyminen kumpuaa luontoyhteydestä, jonka nähdään rappeutuneen nyky-yhteiskunnassamme. Tästä johtuen lisäämällä ihmisten luontoyhteyttä voisimme edistää heidän ympäristömyönteistä käyttäytymistään. Tämä tutkielma käsittelee luontoyhteyden ja ympäristömyönteisen käyttäytymisen välistä yhteyttä. Tavoitteena on hahmottaa, millä tavoin tämä yhteys muodostuu, jotta voimme lisätä ihmisten ympäristömyönteistä käyttäytymistä syvällä ja perusteellisella tasolla. Tutkielmassa pyritään vastaamaan tähän systemaattisen kirjallisuuskatsauksen keinoin perehtymällä aiempien tutkimusten aihepiireihin ja niiden teoreettiseen pohjaan koskien luontoyhteyden ja ympäristömyönteisen käyttäytymisen suhdetta. Katsauksessa löydettiin 38 kappaletta soveltuvia artikkeleita, joita analysoitiin luokittelemalla niitä seuraavin perustein: 1) millaisia yhteyksiä aiempi tutkimus on luonut luontoyhteyden ja ympäristömyönteisen käyttäytymisen välille, ja 2) mitä välittäviä muuttujia luontoyhteyden ja ympäristömyönteisen käyttäytymisen välillä on havaittu aiemmissa tutkimuksissa. Tutkimuksen mukaan aineistosta voidaan muodostaa kolme kategoriaa, jotka ovat: 1) CTN-PEB, 2) x-CTN-PEB, and 3) CTN-x-PEB. Tutkimuksessa syvennyttiin eniten kategoriaan numero kolme, jossa luontoyhteyden ja ympäristömyönteisen käyttäytymisen suhdetta selvitettiin erilaisten välittävien muuttujien avulla. Jatkotutkimusta kausaalisen yhteyden selvittämiseksi tarvitaan.

This study examines how discussion of environmental sustainability is framed in corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication of European Green Digital Coalition (EGDC) tech companies. The strategy and vision sections of year 2020 corporate annual reports of 14 EGDC companies were chosen for analysis, and 116 quotes discussing environmental sustainability were collected. Inductive frame analysis was performed on this dataset, following Robert Entman’s four frame functions. Seven frames were identified. Frames (1) and (2) defined problems: environmental sustainability was mostly prominently defined through (1) climate change and (2) reduction of carbon emissions, and other goals. Most frames were prescriptive as in suggesting solutions. (3) Techno-optimism and (4) ICT necessitarianism frames highlighted technological solutions as key answers and as being necessary for solving sustainability issues. The companies also discussed (5) reducing their or their customers’ carbon emissions, and acting in (6) compliance with sustainability standards. The final frame contained wordings implicating (7) sustainability for all people, such as “a better future for all”, filling both prescriptive and evaluating-moral judgment frame functions. Lack of previous research on framing of environmental sustainability in CSR communications and the following inductive frame analysis performed here limited the size of the sample, and this can reduce replicability due differing interpretation. This study was limited to discussion of environmental sustainability, and only within the strategy sections of the reports; omissions were not deeply investigated due to this limitation.

A striking change has taken place in the corporate responsibility reporting, when reporting obligation under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, approved by the European Parliament and of the Council came into effect from the beginning of 2024. Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive sets new requirements to the companies regarding the amount and quality of reported data. Changes in the reporting process introduced by the directive pose challenges for companies as they need to be able to identify the material sustainability issues most relevant to their own activities as well as manage large amounts of data. This thesis studies the corporate responsibility reporting challenges of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive from the perspective of six Finnish food companies, whose reporting obligation will start from the beginning of 2025, in the second phase of the directive’s implementation. The study for this thesis was conducted as semi-structured thematic interviews with a total of six experts responsible for corporate responsibility reporting. The interviews were conducted in February 2024 and the analysis was made as thematic content analysis. Institutional theory was used as a theoretical framework to better understand the impacts of institutional changes on companies’ operations and how they adapt their own operations to them. The results show that companies face several different challenges in their corporate responsibility reporting related to project management, data collection and interpreting and understanding reporting requirements. The key finding from this study is that the challenges faced by the companies are significantly affected by the tight schedule for the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. The changes introduced by the directive, such as the double materiality analysis and the machine-readability of reports, have posed major challenges for companies, as they are very different from one another and therefore require the input of different experts.

Cyanobacteria are an important part of the phytoplankton community and aquatic ecosystems. Cyanobacteria can form large mass occurrences, i.e. blooms, which can be toxic or cause other harm. Research and monitoring of cyanobacteria has been based on microscopy analysis. However, molecular-based methods, such as 16S rRNA sequencing are replacing microscopy analyses in the near future. The Finnish Environment Institute has stated that molecular methods are part of environmental monitoring before 2030. In this Master’s thesis the aim was to determine whether conventional microscopy analyses and 16S rRNA sequencing differ when comparing nano- and micro-sized cyanobacteria. The material was collected from a laboratory experiment of the Finnish Environment Institute’s (SYKE) MiDAS project, which was conducted in the summer of 2020. The results of the microscopy and 16S rRNA analyses differed from each other. The relative abundances of the cyanobacteria genera differed between sample types. Microscopy analyses estimated that the alpha diversity was higher compared to the results of the sequencing analyses. The main reason for the difference between the types of analyses was due to the differences in cyanobacteria belonging to the order of Synechococcales. Some of the Synechococcales species were observed only by the sequencing analyses, e.g. Snowella and some of the Synechococcales species were only observed by the microscopy analyses, e.g. Romeria and Woronichinia. It was observed that both methods are prone to identification errors. The differences between the 16S rRNA sequencing and the microscopy analyses are vastly different. It may affect on the review of long-term data of the phytoplankton community. Therefore, it is important to examine the differences between the types of analyses. Studying the dissimilarities between the types of analyses should be focused on the research of the small cell-sized colonial cyanobacteria, i.e. the species of Chroococcales and Synechococcales.

Tämä opinnäytetyö käsittelee uuden ympäristöseurantamenetelmän kehitystyötä. Hauruja (Fucus spp.) on seurattu Suomen rannikolla jo pitkään, mutta nykyisiin kartoitus- ja seurantamenetelmiin liittyy haasteita ja epätarkkuutta. Hauruvaltaiset elinympäristöt ovat uudessa uhanalaisuusarvioinnissa määritelty erittäin uhanalaisiksi. Tarvetta uusille seurantamenetelmille siis on. Drone-teknologia on kehittynyt ja halventunut viime vuosina, mikä on avannut uusia mahdollisuuksia hyödyntää kaukokartoitusta. Edulliset valokuvaamiseen tarkoitetut dronet mahdollistavat sekä ajallisesti että paikallisesti erittäin tarkkojen ilmakuvien tuottamisen. Näitä on maailmalla käytetty menestyksellisesti myös rannikon kartoituksessa ja seurannassa. Suomessa drone-kuvia ei kirjallisuuden perusteella ole käytetty makrolevien kartoitukseen tai seurantaan. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoitus on selvittää, sopivatko tällaiset drone-kuvat hauruyhteisöjen kartoitukseen ja monitorointiin itäisellä Suomenlahdella sekä tuottaa tietoa menetelmän jatkokehitystä ajatellen. Kuvasin 22 merenranta-alueen reunaympäristön alkukesällä 2020. Kuvatuista alueista valitsin kahdeksan jatkotutkimuksiin, jotka kuvattiin uudelleen syksyllä 2020. Tällöin niiden alueelta kerättiin kuvatulkinnan tueksi 263 tukipistettä, joilta mitattiin veden syvyys ja arvioitiin haurujen esiintyvyys Drop-kuvausmenetelmällä. Rajasin ilmakuvilta näkyvät haurualueet ja vertasin niitä tukipisteaineistoon. Havaitsin, että 80 % havainnoista tieto luokittui oikein. Cohenin kappa -testin perusteella kohteiden välillä sekä eri syvyyksillä olevilla kasvustoilla oli suuria eroja havaintojen luotettavuudessa. Syvemmällä kuin 2,5 metrissä olevien haurukasvustojen erottaminen onnistui huomattavasti huonommin. Myös matalimman kasvuston (0 – 0,5 m) erottaminen oli hankalaa. Tulokset ovat lupaavat, mutta niiden perusteella menetelmää ei kuitenkaan vielä voi todeta toimivaksi, vaan lisätutkimuksia tarvitaan. Tämän tutkimuksen perusteella kehitystyötä kannattaa jatkaa käyttämällä tarkkaa paikkatietoa ilmakuvien ja tukipisteaineiston tuottamiseen sekä uusia kuvantamismenetelmiä, jotka kykenevät tuottamaan tavanomaista RGB-kameraa paremman erottelukyvyn. Drone- ja meritöiden turvallisuuden parantamiseksi tehtiin riskienhallintaprosessi, jossa tunnistin, analysoin sekä raportoin töihin liittyvät merkittävimmät riskit.