Building capacities for sustainable energy in municipalities of Western Balkans

This paper discusses challenges of capacity building in sustainable urban energy planning and development in Western Balkan Countries (WBC). It identifies needs in training of municipal staff and addresses obstacles for transferring sustainable energy education from EU universities to universities of WBC. The analysis of the ten training courses developed and piloted in collaboration with academic and non-academic stakeholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia shows that while international cooperation has a good potential to improve quality of capacity building and to catalyse university-society collaboration in WBC, significant efforts on national and local (university) levels are needed to fully capitalise on these opportunities. In particular, it is necessary to enhance an interdisciplinary approach to education in sustainable energy, incorporating economic, social and institutional aspects of energy production and consumption together with the technical ones. On the national level, the lifelong learning system should get political and financial support in WBC to ensure efficiency and continuity of the training activities.Postprint (published version

Styra omställningsprocesser för ökad hållbarhet? Modulär deltagande backcasting för strategisk planering inom värme och kyla

Fostering sustainability transitions in the heating and cooling sector is a necessary and urgent issue. Steering mechanisms can enable coordination of actions by different actors towards common sustainability goals. Previous studies have identified requirements relevant for such steering frameworks, but have not specifically addressed planning in the highly contextual heating and cooling sector. Participatory backcasting (PB) possesses a number of relevant characteristics for use as a planning framework in this sector, but its adaptability and potential impact first need to be addressed. This thesis sought to advance strategic planning in the heating and cooling sector by improving the adaptability, transparency and reflexivity of PB processes and extending their impact beyond individuals directly involved, so-called social scales of impact. Key research objectives of the present work were to: (1) develop a strategic planning framework for the heating and cooling sector based on PB and examine its adaptability to local contexts, (2) develop methods for scenario development, selection and analysis to allow for co-informing between modelling and participatory processes within PB-based strategic planning, and (3) identify factors that could influence the social scales of the impact of participatory strategic planning processes. Objectives 1 and 2 were pursued in a multiple case study involving transdisciplinary research over one-year PB-based planning processes in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine (Case I) and Niš, Serbia (Case II). The social scales of impact (Objective 3) were studied in a single case – a Swedish project aimed at advancing the practice of long-term planning in regions ‘Region 2050’ (Case III). In all cases, both theoretical and empirical research were conducted. The study proposes a novel framework, modular participatory backcasting (mPB), for strategic planning in the heating and cooling sector. The framework integrates principles of modularity, participatory modelling, and transdisciplinarity. The results of mPB implementation in Case I and Case II suggest that the framework has acceptable adaptability to local contexts. Greater reflexivity and transparency in the scenario development, selection and analysis were achieved by developing a morphological method and implementation of participatory modelling approaches. Finally, boundary spanning individuals, collaborations and institutional plurality were identified in Case III as important factors for broadening the social scales of impact of participatory strategic planning processes.Det är både angeläget och brådskande att främja hållbara omställningsprocesser för värme och kyla inom energisektorn. Det finns olika styrmekanismer som kan möjliggöra samordning av olika aktörers insatser mot gemensamma hållbarhetsmål inom sektorn. Tidigare studier har identifierat relevanta krav för styrning av ett ramverk för detta, men de har då inte specifikt behandlat styrning inom värme och kyla. Deltagande backcasting (eng. participatory backcasting, PB) har ett antal relevanta egenskaper för att kunna användas som just ett sådant ramverk för planering inom området. Däremot behöver användning av PB i sektorn utvärderas med avseende på lokal anpassningsbarhet och användbarhet. Den här avhandling syftar till att vidareutveckla strategisk planering för området värme och kyla genom att öka anpassningsbarheten, transparensen och reflixiviteten av PB-processer samt genom att utvidga ramverkets påverkan till ett vidare sammanhang (än de individer som är direkt berörda). De huvudsakliga forskningsmålen var att: (1) utveckla ett strategiskt ramverk för planering för området värme och kyla baserad på PB och att undersöka hur anpassningsbart ramverket är i förhållande till lokala förutsättningar; (2) utforska metoder för utveckling, urval och analys av scenarier som möjliggör informationsöverföring mellan modellering och deltagandeprocesser inom strategisk planering baserad på PB; och (3) identifiera faktorer som kan sprida påverkan bortom de individer som är direkt involverade i deltagandeprocesserna. Mål 1 och 2 har behandlats i en flerfallstudie som omfattar tvärvetenskaplig forskning över ett års tid, PB-baserade planeringsprocesser i Bila Tserkva, Ukraina (Fall I) och Niš, Serbien (Fall II). De vidare effekterna av deltagandeprocesserna studerades i en fallstudie i Sverige där projektet syftade till att vidareutveckla praktiken för långsiktig planering i regioner, framsynsprocessen ”Region 2050” (Fall III). I samtliga fall kombinerades teoretisk och empirisk forskning. Studien föreslår ett nytt ramverk, modulär deltagande backcasting (mPB), för strategisk planering inom värme och kyla. Ramverket integrerar principer för modularitet, deltagandemodellering och tvärvetenskaplighet. Implementering av modulär deltagande backcasting (mPB) visar godtagbar lokal anpassningsbarhet vid användning i både Fall I och Fall II. Genom utveckling av en morfologisk metod samt införandet av deltagande modelleringsprocesser uppnåddes en högre grad av reflexivitet och ökad transparens i de PB-baserade planeringsprocesserna för scenarioutveckling, scenariourval och scenarioanalys. Slutligen identifierades faktorer som gränsgöverskidare (eng. boundary spanning individuals), samarbeten och institutionell mångfald som viktiga för att bredda PB-processens effekter i ett vidare sammanhang.Сприяння переходу до сталого розвитку в сфері тепло- та холодозабезпечення населених пунктів є однією з нагальних потреб в енергетиці. Тоді як досягнення цілей сталого розвитку (англ. Sustainable Development Goals) потребує координації та взаємодії різних акторів. Попередні дослідження визначили ключові вимоги, яким мають відповідати координаційні механізми в інфраструктурних секторах. В той же час, такі механізми та зокрема стратегічне планування в сфері тепло- та холодозабезпечення, яка суттєво залежить від умов функціонування, залишаються мало розробленими. Беккастинг із залученням всіх зацікавлених акторів (англ. participatory backcasting, PB) вирізняється низкою характеристик, що роблять його цікавим для вивчення в контексті довгострокового планування в цій сфері. Дане дослідження присвячене вдосконаленню стратегічного планування в сфері тепло- та холодозабезпечення шляхом підвищення адаптивності, прозорості та рефлексивності процесів на основі PB. Дослідження передбачає вивчення наступних задач: (1) розроблення підходу до стратегічного планування в сфері тепло- та холодозабезпечення на основі PB та вивчення його адаптивності до локальних умов, (2) розроблення методів для побудови, вибору та аналізу сценаріїв, які б дозволяли взаємне інформування між моделюванням та процесами планування на основі PB, та (3) визначення факторів, які можуть посилити вплив процесів стратегічного планування на трансформації на рівні організацій та всієї системи. Вивчення задач (1) і (2) було реалізовано як трансдисциплінарне дослідження двох кейсів – процесів стратегічного планування тривалістю один рік кожен в містах Біла Церква, Україна (Кейс I) та Ніш, Сербія (Кейс II). Дослідження задачі (3) базувалося на проекті  “Region 2050”, який мав на меті вдосконалення підходів до стратегічного планування в регіонах Швеції (Кейс III). На основі результатів дослідження, запропоновано новий підхід до стратегічного планування в сфері тепло- та холодозабезпечення – модульний беккастинг (англ. modular participatory backcasting, mPB). Цей підхід було розроблено з використанням принципів модулярності, участі різних акторів у моделюванні та принципу трансдисциплінарності. Тестування mPB у двох кейсах (Кейси I та II) продемонструвало прийнятну адаптивність підходу до локальних умов та обмежень проектів. Розроблені методи для побудови та аналізу сценаріїв — морфологічний метод та метод моделювання за участі акторів, підвищили прозорість та рефлексивність розробки сценаріїв, а також збільшили кількість розглянутих альтернатив. В рамках Кейсу III було визначено, що (а) роль осіб як посередників між різними контекстами (англ. boundary spanning individuals), (б) співпраця та (в) інституційний плюралізм є важливими факторами для посилення впливу процесів стратегічного плануванняPodsticanje promena, koje doprinose poboljšanju održivosti sektora grejanja i hlađenja, je neophodan i neodložan zadatak. Različitim mehanizmima upravljanja može se uspostaviti koordinacija akcija različitih aktera u cilju ispunjenja zajedničkog cilja. Prethodne studije i radovi identifikovali su zahteve koje treba da ispune sistemi upravljanja, ali se nisu bavili planiranjem u specifičnom kontekstu sektora grejanja i hlađenja. Participativni bekkasting (engl. participatory backcasting, PB) metoda planiranja bi u toku procesa planiranja uzela u obzir brojne uticajne činioce i karakeristike vezane za ovaj sektor. Međutim, prvo se mora utvdtiti adaptibilnost i potencijalni uticaj primene ove metode. Ova teza bavi se unapređenjem procesa strateškog planiranja u sektoru grejanja i hlađenja, koji je zasnovan na unapređenju adaptibilnosti, transparentnosti i refleksivnosti PB procesa i širenjem uticaja procesa, sa direknto uključenih pojedinace na širu društvenu zajednicu. Osnovni ciljevi istraživanja bili su: (1) da se razvije strateški okvir za planiranje u sektoru grejanja i hlađenja zasnovan na PB i da se ispita njegova adaptibilnost na lokalne uslove, (2) da se razviju metode za razvoj, selekciju i analizu scenarija sa uspostaviljanjem razmene informacija između modeliranja i participativnog procesa, a koji se sprovode u okviru strateškog planiranja zasnovanog na PB i (3) da se identifikuju faktori koji mogu da imaju širi društveni uticaj indukovan procesom participativnog strateškog planiranja. Ciljevi 1 i 2 obrađivani su u višestrukoj studiji slučaja koje je uključivalo transdisciplinarno istraživanje. Istraživanje je trajalo duže od godinu dana i obuhvatilo je proces planiranja zasnovan na PB na primeru Bele Crkve, Ukrajina (Slučaj I) i primeru Niša, Srbija (Slučaj II). Nivoi šireg društvenog uticaja (Cilj 3) su istraživani na primeru švedskog  projekta koji je imao za cilj unapređenje procesa dugoročnog planiranja u regionima, ‘Region 2050’ (Slučaj III). U svim analiziranim slučajevima teoretsko istraživanje je kombinovano sa empirijskim podacima. Sprovedeno istraživanje predlaže novi okvir za strateško planiranje u sektoru grejanja i hlađenja, modularni participativni bekkasting (mPB). Predloženi okvir integriše principe modularnosti, participativnog modeliranja i transdisciplinarnosti. Rezultati ukazuju da mPB ima prihvatljivu adaptibilnost za primenu u Slučaju I i Slučaju II. Veća refleksivnost i transparentnost procesa razvoja scenarija, njihovog izbora i analize postignute su razvojem morfološke metode i primenom principa participativnog modeliranja. Konačno, uloga pojedinaca kao posrednika između različitih konteksta (engl. boundary spanning individuals), saradnja i institucionalni pluralizam su identifikovani u okviru Slučaja III kao važni faktori za širenje šireg društvenog uticaja kao rezultat procesa participativnog strateškog planiranja.QC 20190314</p

Future of mobility systems in Nordic winter cities : exploring expert-based and context-driven imaginaries of sustainable mobility

This article aims to contribute to the discussion about the future of sustainable mobility in Nordic winter cities. We share outcomes of an exploratory study of expert-based imaginaries and contrast them with context-driven imaginaries we found in Skellefteå, a quickly growing municipality in the north of Sweden. Such imaginaries reflect collectively held visions and expectations about the future, blending technological, social, cultural and economic dimensions. They are not individual perceptions of the future but rather are those shared collectively. On the way to sustainable and just mobility systems, it is important to identify and highlight diverse imaginaries coming from a variety of places and from different actor groups, especially those that are still overlooked and underrepresented in the mainstream debate. In this article, we draw attention to two context-driven imaginaries and show how they differ from those held by transport and mobility experts. By paying attention to diverse imaginaries, the current debate about future mobility systems can become more vibrant and inclusive. And, eventually, lead to the discovery of context-sensitive solutions for future mobility systems in the Northern regions and pathways towards them.QC 20240508Klimatneutrala och inkluderande kommuner - Skellefte

Linking socio-technical transition studies and organisational change management: Steps towards an integrative, multi-scale heuristic

While the role of agency is widely acknowledged in socio-technical transition research, there remains a research gap on agency in transitions and a call for studies using an actor-centred approach to transition studies. In response to this call, this paper addresses the role of actors and, particularly, organisations in transitions. It examines the role of organisational change in socio-technical sustainability transitions and, more specifically, how transition initiatives may trigger and support these changes in organisations and systems. For this purpose, the paper draws on literature from both transition studies and organisational change management (OCM) to build a multi-scale, integrative theoretical heuristic. This addresses drivers and barriers for organisational change as an integral part of transition processes, connecting the micro level of the individual, the meso level of the organisation and the macro level of the broader system in which the organisation is located. With the goal of illustrating the links between OCM and transition studies, this paper empirically examines the impact of Region 2050, a large, multi-organisation transition initiative in Sweden, in terms of creating change within the organisations involved. The main focus is on how the organisations acquire the new knowledge and capabilities required for improving regional planning for sustainability. The empirical study identifies leverage points at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels, which may be used in order to change strategic planning processes. Three different theoretical concepts from transition studies and OCM that could help to foster long-term planning are also identified: (1) the macro-level of institutional plurality and its connection to the meso- (organisational) level; (2) collaboration as a key success factor on the organisational level; and (3) at the micro-level, the roles of individuals as change agents and boundary spanners. Overall, the case highlights the merits of the OCM literature for transition studies and their emphasis on understanding interacting processes operating at multiple scales

Linking socio-technical transition studies and organisational change management: Steps towards an integrative, multi-scale heuristic

While the role of agency is widely acknowledged in socio-technical transition research, there remains a research gap on agency in transitions and a call for studies using an actor-centred approach to transition studies. In response to this call, this paper addresses the role of actors and, particularly, organisations in transitions. It examines the role of organisational change in socio-technical sustainability transitions and, more specifically, how transition initiatives may trigger and support these changes in organisations and systems. For this purpose, the paper draws on literature from both transition studies and organisational change management (OCM) to build a multi-scale, integrative theoretical heuristic. This addresses drivers and barriers for organisational change as an integral part of transition processes, connecting the micro level of the individual, the meso level of the organisation and the macro level of the broader system in which the organisation is located. With the goal of illustrating the links between OCM and transition studies, this paper empirically examines the impact of Region 2050, a large, multi-organisation transition initiative in Sweden, in terms of creating change within the organisations involved. The main focus is on how the organisations acquire the new knowledge and capabilities required for improving regional planning for sustainability. The empirical study identifies leverage points at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels, which may be used in order to change strategic planning processes. Three different theoretical concepts from transition studies and OCM that could help to foster long-term planning are also identified: (1) the macro-level of institutional plurality and its connection to the meso- (organisational) level; (2) collaboration as a key success factor on the organisational level; and (3) at the micro-level, the roles of individuals as change agents and boundary spanners. Overall, the case highlights the merits of the OCM literature for transition studies and their emphasis on understanding interacting processes operating at multiple scales.QC 20190318</p

Developing skills for sustainability change agents with a participatory backcasting teaching toolbox

The paper describes and analyses a participatory backcasting teaching toolbox (PBTT) designed to develop a set of skills required for sustainability change agents, including critical and systems thinking, future orientation, ability to work in transdisciplinary frameworks, personal involvement, conflict resolution and consensus building, dealing with complexity and uncertainty, creativity, practical problem-solving and action skills. The PBTT has evolved through experience and insights gained from the implementation of participatory backcasting (PB) methodology within two research projects and from three years of PB teaching practices. The PBTT includes twelve modules based on different steps and procedures of the PB process. The paper describes effects of the PBTT on the development of students’ skills that have been observed throughout ten teaching cases. Furthermore, the potentials and limitations of the PBTT for building up the sustainable development related skills are discussed.Non UBCUnreviewedFacultyOthe

Vortex evolution and bound pair formation in anisotropic nonlinear optical media

This chapter presents an overview of positive motivators for students, lecturers, and educational managers to prioritize Sustainable Development in education. Very often, we implicitly assume that students and colleagues should all be motivated by the great challenges that the world faces. And if they appear not to react sufficiently to these challenges, we sometimes tend to give these challenges an apocalyptic character. But is this the right motivator for students and colleagues to work on Sustainable Development? We all know that if you only use a stick and no carrot… So why don’t we use more carrots? The bureaucracy that comes with tools for checking/auditing/evaluating the (SD content of) programs/curricula is not particularly a strong motivator for university lecturers. And building courses that add another subject to the erudition of the graduate might not be the right motivators for students that want to make a difference. We are often still in the process of convincing university managers to add SD to the curriculum, convincing colleagues to address SD, and convincing students to pick SD electives and address SD in their projects. How to motivate them to do this when this gives them no direct personal reward and even might increase their workload? The paper will explore options to develop motivating educating by reviewing case studies on educational renewal in four universities. It concludes that there are various options for more motivating education. However, to fully utilize these options, more priority should be given to education.Peer Reviewe

Being scared is not enough! Motivators for education for sustainable development

This chapter presents an overview of positive motivators for students, lecturers, and educational managers to prioritize Sustainable Development in education. Very often, we implicitly assume that students and colleagues should all be motivated by the great challenges that the world faces. And if they appear not to react sufficiently to these challenges, we sometimes tend to give these challenges an apocalyptic character. But is this the right motivator for students and colleagues to work on Sustainable Development? We all know that if you only use a stick and no carrot… So why don’t we use more carrots? The bureaucracy that comes with tools for checking/auditing/evaluating the (SD content of) programs/curricula is not particularly a strong motivator for university lecturers. And building courses that add another subject to the erudition of the graduate might not be the right motivators for students that want to make a difference. We are often still in the process of convincing university managers to add SD to the curriculum, convincing colleagues to address SD, and convincing students to pick SD electives and address SD in their projects. How to motivate them to do this when this gives them no direct personal reward and even might increase their workload? The paper will explore options to develop motivating educating by reviewing case studies on educational renewal in four universities. It concludes that there are various options for more motivating education. However, to fully utilize these options, more priority should be given to education.Peer Reviewe