Human Rights considerations in the Swedish AP-funds investments - A case study in the Business and Human Rights field

Allmänna pensionsfonderna, oftast omnämnda som AP-fonderna, är de största förvaltarna id et allmänna inkomstpensionsystemet. Fonderna har i uppdrag att investera pensionssystemets buffertkapital och eftersträva en hög långsiktig avkastning för att bidra till en hög pension för framtida generationer. För att uppfylla sitt uppdrag investerar fonderna i tusentals företag runt om i världen. Under de senast åren har AP-fonderna mottagit mycket kritik för sina investeringar i företag som kränker mänskliga rättigheter genom sin verksamhet. Det faktum att företag och andra privata aktörer kan påverka mänskliga rättigheter negativt genom sin verksamhet har varit känt sedan länge. Det var dock inte förrän under mitten av 90-talet som man avvek från tidigare rådande konsensus som sa att stater ensamma bar ansvaret för att respektera och skydda mänskliga rättigheter. Sedan dess har utvecklingen av området “business and human rights” gått framåt och privata aktörers ansvar för att respektera mänskliga rättigheter i sin verksamhet är nu allmänt erkänt, även om omfattningen av ett sådant ansvar fortfarande debatteras. År 2011 tog utvecklingen ytterligare ett steg framåt när Human Rights Council enhälligt skrev under Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UN Guiding Principles). Genom beslutet att skriva under UN Guiding Principles antog FNs medlemsländer för första gången en gemensam ståndpunkt för att motverka de negativa inverkan på mänskliga rättigheter som kopplats samman med företag och deras verksamhet. Uppsatsen utreder Sveriges och AP-fondernas ansvar för mänskliga rättigheter i situationer då kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter kopplas samman med AP-fonderna genom deras investeringar. Med utgångspunkt i de internationella principer för business and human rights som framgår av UN Guiding Principles analyseras Sveriges och AP-fondernas sätt att hantera fondernas påverkan på mänskliga rättigheter.The Swedish Public Pension Funds, also known as the AP-funds, are the biggest trustees of Swedish pension payments. Their mission is to invest the buffer capital of the pension system and ensure growth that will provide pension disbursements for generations to come. To fulfil this mission investments are made in thousands of companies all over the world. During the last years the AP-funds have been heavily criticised for investing in companies that violate human rights through their operations. The fact that business operations may have an adverse impact on the enjoyment of human rights has long been known. However it was not until the mid-1990s that the precondition that all responsibility for respecting and protecting human rights should be assigned to the State was abandoned. Since then the field of business and human rights has grown in importance and the responsibility for business actors to respect human rights throughout their operations is now commonly acknowledged, even though the extent of the responsibility is still being debated. In 2011 the development of business and human rights took a new step when the Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UN Guiding Principles) that consists of 31 principles addressing the State duty to protect human rights and the corporate responsibility to respect human rights. The endorsement of the instrument is the first time than the UN member states adopt a common position for addressing the adverse human rights impact linked to business operations. This thesis investigates the responsibility of Sweden and the AP-funds on account of the human rights infringements that have been associated with the AP-funds. The conduct of the two actors and their compliance with the provisions of the UN Guiding Principles is analysed and evaluated in a case study. The first part of the case study analyses the actions of Sweden and the fulfilment of the State duty to protect in the case of the AP-funds, whereas the second part addresses the AP-funds’ compliance with the responsibility to respect human rights

Battery loss prediction using various loss models: A case study for a residential building

This work compares and quantifies the annual losses for three battery system loss representations in a case study for a residential building with solar photovoltaic (PV). Two loss representations consider the varying operating conditions and use the measured performance of battery power electronic converters (PECs) but differ in using either a constant or current-dependent internal battery cell resistance. The third representation is load-independent and uses a (fixed) round trip efficiency. The work uses sub-hourly measurements of the load and PV profiles and includes the results from varying PV and battery size combinations. The results reveal an inadequacy of using a constant battery internal resistance and quantify the annual loss discrepancy to −38.6%, compared to a case with current-dependent internal resistance. The results also show the flaw of modelling the battery system\u27s efficiency with a fixed round trip efficiency, with loss discrepancy variation between −5 to 17% depending on the scenario. Furthermore, the necessity of accounting for the cell\u27s loss is highlighted, and its dependence on converter loading is quantified

Energy Loss Savings Using Direct Current Distribution in a Residential Building with Solar Photovoltaic and Battery Storage

This work presents a comparison of alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) distribution systems for a residential building equipped with solar photovoltaic (PV) generation and battery storage. Using measured PV and load data from a residential building in Sweden, the study evaluated the annual losses, PV utilization, and energy savings of the two topologies. The analysis considered the load-dependent efficiency characteristics of power electronic converters (PECs) and battery storage to account for variations in operating conditions. The results show that DC distribution, coupled with PV generation and battery storage, offered significant loss savings due to lower conversion losses than the AC case. Assuming fixed efficiency for conversion gave a 34% yearly loss discrepancy compared with the case of implementing load-dependent losses. The results also highlight the effect on annual system losses of adding PV and battery storage of varying sizes. A yearly loss reduction of 15.8% was achieved with DC operation for the studied residential building when adding PV and battery storage. Additionally, the analysis of daily and seasonal variations in performance revealed under what circumstances DC could outperform AC and how the magnitude of the savings could vary with time

Äldres upplevelse av välbefinnande i svensk äldreomsorg

Abstract There are numerous definitions for what well-being means to elderly people. Societal laws and guidelines also create a norm for how wellbeing can be achieved within the care of the elderly. Along with research describing and detailing different perspectives on the well-being of the elderly, we have also interviewed a selection of persons currently receiving elderly care and asked them how they are feeling in relation to their own well-being. The purpose is to get a closer look at how elderly people are feeling about their current situation within the elderly care. This study aims to answer the following self imposed questions: What is the importance of daily activity, social relations and contact with the outside world for the well-being of the elderly? Through the use of the qualitative method of semi-structured interviews conducted among six elderly persons currently receiving elderly care we aimed to answer these questions. We based our questions on an interview-guide and asked the persons in our group questions from these three different perspectives in relation to personal well-being; activity, social relations and contact with the outside world. The interviews were conducted in a town with geographic proximity to our own place of study. The results of our study concur with previous research on the importance of staying active, maintaining social relationships and keeping a steady contact with the outside world for the general well-being of each individual

Kvinnliga samkönade pars upplevelser av mödrahälso-, förlossnings- och eftervård

Bakgrund: Normer är förbundna med sociala värden och ligger till grund för samhällsgruppens attityd gentemot ett godtyckligt beteende inom en viss kontext. I dagens samhälle råder det en tydlig heteronormativitet, vilken tillika genomsyrar mödrahälso- förlossnings och eftervården. Syfte: Att belysa kvinnliga samkönade pars upplevelser av mödrahälso-, förlossnings- och eftervården. Metod: Kvalitativ ansats med öppna intervjuer utifrån en temaguide genomfördes. Totalt 13 kvinnor deltog och insamlad data analyserade utifrån Burnards innehållsanalys. Resultat: Kvinnorna uttryckte mötet med vårdgivare främst som positivt. Detta beskrevs som upplevelser av ett professionellt och naturligt bemötande. Mindre bra upplevelser kopplades till en heteronormativ kontext och de problem som uppstod i att tillhöra en minoritet. Konklusion: Trots upplevelser av bra bemötande råder behov av kunskap och utveckling inom ämnesområdet hos vårdgivare i mötet med kvinnliga samkönade par under mödrahälso-förlossnings- och eftervård

Quantifying timber illegality risk in the Brazilian forest frontier

Illegal logging remains widespread across the tropics, leading to extensive forest degradation and trade in illegal timber products. By adapting environmentally extended input–output modelling to timber originating from Brazilian native forests, we demonstrate how distinct illegality risks can be mapped and quantified at species-level across the supply chain. We focus on high-value ip\uea hardwood from the Amazon state of Par\ue1, a leading producer of timber and contested forest frontier. Data on logging permits and state- and national-level Document of Forest Origin licences are used to estimate illegality risks due to missing or invalid logging permits, overstated ip\uea yields or discrepancies resulting from missing inflows of legal timber. We find that less than a quarter of all ip\uea entering supply chains between 2009 and 2019 is risk-free and highlight diversified strategies for the laundering of illegal timber across geographies. While legality does not ensure sustainability, this information can be leveraged to this end by supporting improved implementation and enforcement of forest regulations

Porosity prediction of calcium phosphate cements based on chemical composition

The porosity of calcium phosphate cements has an impact on several important parameters, such as strength, resorbability and bioactivity. A model to predict the porosity for biomedical cements would hence be a useful tool. At the moment such a model only exists for Portland cements. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a first porosity prediction model for calcium phosphate cements. On the basis of chemical reaction, molar weight and density of components, a volume-based model was developed and validated using calcium phosphate cement as model material. 60 mol% beta-tricalcium phosphate and 40 mol% monocalcium phosphate monohydrate were mixed with deionized water, at different liquid-to-powder ratios. Samples were set for 24 h at 37 degrees C and 100 % relative humidity. Thereafter, samples were dried either under vacuum at room temperature for 24 h or in air at 37 degrees C for 7 days. Porosity and phase composition were determined. It was found that the two drying protocols led to the formation of brushite and monetite, respectively. The model was found to predict well the experimental values and also data reported in the literature for apatite cements, as deduced from the small absolute average residual errors (<2.0 %). In conclusion, a theoretical model for porosity prediction was developed and validated for brushite, monetite and apatite cements. The model gives a good estimate of the final porosity and has the potential to be used as a porosity prediction tool in the biomedical cement field.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Planering för ett förändrat klimat – strategi för att hantera stigande havsnivåer i fysisk planering i Ystad, Skåne

Ystads kommun arbetar med en fördjupning av översiktsplanen för staden Ystad med omnejd. Ystads havsnära läge gör att klimatförändringen kommer att innebära stora utmaningar. Stigande havsnivåer väntas leda till ökade erosions- och översvämningsrisker i kustnära områden. Samtidigt är efterfrågan på havsnära boende stor och kommunen planerar att bygga ut staden mot havet. Författarna har utrett klimatförändringens effekter och föreslagit en strategi för hur kommunen ska bemöta klimatförändringen i sin fysiska planering. Strategin är proaktiv och innebär att staden i vissa delar skyddas genom ny exploatering framför den befintliga bebyggelsen. Sandstränder och naturområden skyddas genom åtgärder som ökar deras attraktivitet så att kommunen kan fortsätta att utveckla sin turistnäring. Strategin har som målsättning att klimatanpassningen ska utföras så att den tillför ett värde för Ystad och inte enbart ses som en kostnad. Skyddsåtgärder bör vara flexibla och anpassningsbara till förändrade prognoser och teknikutveckling. Eftersom osäkerheterna är så stora inför vad klimatförändringen kommer att innebära bör kommunen sträva efter att göra så lite som möjligt, så sent som möjligt, men ändå inte för sent

Early life arsenic exposure, infant and child growth, and morbidity: a systematic review.

Epidemiological studies have suggested a negative association between early life arsenic exposure and fetal size at birth, and subsequently with child morbidity and growth. However, our understanding of the relationship between arsenic exposure and morbidity and growth is limited. This paper aims to systematically review original human studies with an analytical epidemiological study design that have assessed arsenic exposure in fetal life or early childhood and evaluated the association with one or several of the following outcomes: fetal growth, birth weight or other birth anthropometry, infant and child growth, infectious disease morbidity in infancy and early childhood. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, TOXLINE, Web of Science, SciFinder and Scopus databases filtered for human studies. Based on the predefined eligibility criteria, two authors independently evaluated the studies. A total of 707 studies with morbidity outcomes were identified, of which six studies were eligible and included in this review. For the growth outcomes, a total of 2959 studies were found and nine fulfilled the criteria and were included in the review. A majority of the papers (10/15) emanated from Bangladesh, three from the USA, one from Romania and one from Canada. All included studies on arsenic exposure and morbidity showed an increased risk of respiratory tract infections and diarrhea. The findings in the studies of arsenic exposure and fetal, infant, and child growth were heterogeneous. Arsenic exposure was not associated with fetal growth. There was limited evidence of negative associations between arsenic exposures and birth weight and growth during early childhood. More studies from arsenic-affected low- and middle-income countries are needed to support the generalizability of study findings