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Copyright of Journal of Management for Global Sustainability is the property of Ateneo de Manila University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The EU's ambition to establish economy-wide climate neutrality by 2050 requires challenging transformations in many economic activities. This paper aims to investigate the nexus of structural changes and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) in an important sector of the livestock system, namely pig farming, during the period of 2010–2020 and to discuss the main directions of GHGE reduction. The academic novelty of this contribution is characterised by a combination of the shift-share and cluster analysis that allows for the investigation of the evolution phenomenon, applying the sustainability prism in order to understand the nexus between pig farming and the livestock system, as well as combining the national and EU levels. Results suggest that the steep decline in the number of holdings and a moderate reduction in livestock units (LSUs) on farms do not bring tangible GHGE reduction results. The cluster analysis confirms that pig farming systems in pre-2004 member states, except for Finland and Greece, demonstrated positive developments or a lower decline in holdings with pigs and live swine LSUs compared to other countries, while in the dominant share of post-2003 member states, the GHGE reduction rate was higher. This research identifies a reduction in the pig population, improvement in feed production and the development of related supply chains, and changes in manure management and utilisation as the main directions of GHGE reduction; however, the identified clusters are related with different potentials of GHGE reduction when applying the aforementioned measures. Recommendations include the development and support of actions that focus on GHGE reduction from swine manure and contribute to the establishment of a circular economy in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this case study we compared the fertiliser properties of an industrial wastewater treatment sludge and a sludge ash to the requirements of the Finnish Fertiliser Product Decree. The sludge was obtained from the activated sludge wastewater treatment plant of a Finnish non-integrated pulp mill. The sludge was furthermore incinerated at a laboratory in a muffle furnace (850 °C) to obtain sludge ash. The total Cd (4.9 mg/kg d.m.) concentration in the pulp sludge exceeded the Finnish limit value (1.5 mg/kg d.m.) for fertiliser products used in agriculture. In the sludge ash, the total concentration of Cd (39 mg/kg; d.m.) exceeded the Finnish limit value (25 mg/kg d.m.) for ash fertilisers used in forestry. These results restrict the potential reuse options of these residues. However, from the utilisation point of view, the enrichment of essential plant macro-nutrients was most notable, resulting to the following total concentrations of these elements in the sludge ash: P (26,000 mg/kg d.m.), S (40,000 mg/kg d.m.), K (11,000 mg/kg d.m.), Ca (83,000 mg/kg d.m.) and Mg (10,000 mg/kg d.m.). Therefore, we conclude that, the converting of sludge into ash may promote the reuse of this wastewater treatment residue to a more value-adding fertiliser by-product to be used as a soil improver and growing medium in landscaping or landfills sites or other closed industrial areas, where heavy metal limit values for fertilisers are not applied in Finland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge-based and innovative bioeconomy is a cornerstone for achieving the goals of the European Green Deal. Due to its comprehensive coverage, bioeconomy performance is challenging to assess unambiguously. This paper presents the results of a cross-country comparison of 22 EU countries applying the Complex Bioeconomy Sustainability Index for 2012–2018. Results were compared with results of the TOPSIS multi-criteria decision-making method on national bioeconomy strategies in Finland, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and Latvia. The research aims to combine a quantitative assessment of bioeconomy output indicators with a qualitative evaluation of bioeconomy strategies of EU Member States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grass biomass originating from marginal agricultural land unsuitable for food production can be utilised in variety of bio-based productions. The key profitability constraints for such productions are regional availability and transport costs. The aim of this paper is to methodologically test open access agricultural field parcel data – enabled by the EU INSPIRE directive – integrated with the road network in measuring biomass accessibility and optimising collection and transport using geographic information system (GIS) technology in two Finnish case areas. The analytical framework applies closest facility and vehicle routing analyses for tractor and truck transport scenarios. The key finding is that the area of field parcels and the amount of biomass accumulating within an observed area are not the only important factors influencing transport efficiency: cost-effectiveness of collection routes can be equally high in regions with scarce and abundant biomass areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the waste sector, EU Member States implement EU legislation. They rely on EU Directives and their waste legislation and policies. During the evaluated period (2015–2021), the Slovak Republic amended the Waste Act 79/2015 Coll. and issued strategy papers following EU legislation. France adopted its National program for prevention of waste and Finland its National waste management plan. In our research, we use a method of comparison and analysis of selected legislative documents to examine the achievement of the Green Deal's objectives in the Slovak Republic and selected EU countries. We have shown the legislative process results through research, which indicate the achievement of set waste management goals. In our future research we will focus on building waste management infrastructure in the EU since it is necessary to apply the idea promoting the support of such waste treatment facilities that will be sustainable throughout their existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular economy has emerged as a sustainable alternative to the traditional, linear, extract-produce-use-dump economy. The scientific society, practitioners, policymakers, and business sectors are all actively taking part in driving the transition toward circular economy in their own sectors. Every sector is striving to address the environmental issues of their own area, and to find solutions to the problem of resource scarcity. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on the general status of circular economy research and applied projects. Finland aims to be a global pioneer in this field, which is why there is a tremendous boost in research in various fields of sustainable materials management. Therefore, there is a need to have a better perspective of the research society's efforts to accelerate the transition to circular economy. The objective of this paper is to review scientific research and practices of circular economy transition in Finland, in order to categorize and analyze them. The paper aims to give an insight into the current status and provide a comprehensive understanding of the trend changes during the past 20 years. The analysis shows that there is growing attention to circular economy in many research fields, researchers and practitioners in all fields have responded to the need of the society. However, the recycling-based 'end-of-pipe' interpretation of circular economy is still more dominant than developing and implementing strategies for circular product design, dematerializing society, and developing service-based business models. It is important to bear in mind that circular economy is about much more than improved resource flows and waste management practices. Achieving a circular economy needs the engagement of the society, it needs invention and innovation and it also requires the creation of new technologies, products, services, and business models. This study gives a comprehensive perspective at the national level and addresses the key actions and sectors which require more investment and attention from the scientific community to boost the transition toward circular economy. There are some limitation in this study derived from the method of data collection and selection of databases. Due to this, there may be valuable works that were not published, or only in the Finnish language and were, therefore, not identified in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finland launched a new Government Decree, the so-called MARA-regulation, on the utilization of certain wastes in earth construction on 1.1.2018. This statutory regulation sets limit values for the solubility of heavy metals (Sb, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mo, Ni, Se, Zn, V, Hg), chloride, sulphate, fluoride and dissolved organic carbon, as well as for organic substance (petroleum hydrocarbons, benzene, naphthalene, TEX (toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene), PAH-, phenolic- and PCB-compounds). In this case study, the concentrations of these harmful substances in the used traction sand collected in the city of Kemi, Northern Finland, were lower than their limit values set in the MARA-regulation. Therefore, this residue is a potential material to be used at earth construction sites such as in roads and roadways, in field and embankment structures, as well as in floor structures of industrial or storage buildings. However, if the used traction sand is to be utilized for these kinds of civil engineering purposes, an environmental permit is still needed because this material is not yet included in the scope of the MARA-regulation. This paper also gives an overview of the relevant Finnish environmental legislation on the utilization of wastes as an earth construction material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the concept of circular economy is gaining increasing attention, there is a lack of tools or any agreed methodology for evaluating circularity. To date, circularity has been assessed mainly at product level, but national and regional level assessment is also essential in evaluating the effectiveness of circular economy strategies. As regions play an important role in implementing both EU and national strategies, the paper seeks to develop indicators for evaluating the circularity of material flows at regional level. In the case region of Päijät-Häme in Finland, the circular economy strategy is among the region's smart specialisation spearheads, and Päijät-Häme has a road map for moving towards a circular economy. The material flows examined in this study were phosphorous, plastics, textiles, waste wood and ash. While the region has high utilisation rates for plastics, textiles and waste wood, a significant proportion of material flows relates to energy production rather than material recycling. The present analysis highlights the difficulty of obtaining regional-level information on material flows; the available information and statistics relate mainly to waste flows or to national averages that do not necessarily reflect regional characteristics. For that reason, the indicators are based on circulation of waste materials rather than material circulation for the whole value chain from manufacturing to reuse and recycling. Nevertheless, the developed indicators provide a simple measure of circularity for regional material flows and can be further developed as more information becomes available. • Comprehensive and systematic analysis on measuring the circularity of different materials at regional level. • Development of new indicators for the measuring of circularity of material flows. • Explaining how to measure material circularity taking into account production, reuse or recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Circular Economy (CE) is a concept that has gained considerable global attention during the past decade amongst private and public sector actors, politicians and policymakers, citizens and media, and scientific communities. Water and water-related ecosystems, despite their vital role in practically all human activities, have been largely missing from conceptualisations and scientific definitions of the CE. Therefore, this paper presents a definition and concept for a water-smart CE that incorporates water and water-related ecosystems. A water-smart CE would (i) reduce losses of water, energy and valuable substances, (ii) improve water efficiency and productivity, (iii) reuse treated wastewater, and (iv) better protect and lessen pressure upon water-related (both aquatic and groundwater) ecosystems. The paper also touches upon the potential risks of the CE to water-related ecosystems. Policy instruments that could be used to promote a transition towards a water-smart CE in Finland – the setting of the present study – and beyond were also sought. Additionally, actors who provide and/or use water-smart CE solutions were interviewed to shed light on their perceptions about the drivers of, barriers to and potential policy instruments for promoting a transition towards a water-smart CE. Based on the analyses of policy instruments and stakeholder interviews, a mixed use of economic, regulatory and informative instruments is suggested to support the desired transition towards a water-smart CE in Finland and elsewhere. [Display omitted] • A concept for a water-smart Circular Economy (CE) is introduced. • Elements of a water-smart CE are presented. • Instruments to support the transition to a water-smart CE are analysed. • Drivers for and barriers to the transition to a water-smart CE are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent global diffusion of circular economy regulatory policy packages (CERPPs) raises questions over their extent, composition, and potential effectiveness. While research into circular economy (CE) regulation is growing, a dearth of analyses of the optimal design of CE policy packages presents a clear gap in the literature. This paper therefore surveys current waste management policy to identify the degree to which circular economy principles are being translated into public policy globally. Examining resource use and waste management policy in 60 countries, the paper first provides a snapshot of the global spread of CE policy packages. Secondly, the assessment framework is applied to three case studies of recent CE policy packages from Finland, Greece and South Korea. These cases fall some way short of theoretical optimality, suggesting that long-term CERPP effectiveness is questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental problems caused by a linear economy system and the exploitation of natural resources have been known well over 50 years. Although a great deal has been done, there is a contradiction between increasing consumerism and the concrete actions that have been taken. A lot more needs to be done immediately to stop catastrophic global change and adopt circular economy mindset and system. The most profound way to promote this transformation is to involve all people through education. Starting in pre-school and continuing all the way to university, education is the best way to enable the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy. In this article, we describe how a project to implement circular economy teaching in the Finnish education system was carried out. We also show that the teaching development should be started from the bottom up with teachers, as opposed to top-level planning bodies. The first target in Finland´s circular economy education programme was to focus on today's school pupils and university students. However, this is not enough. There is an increasing need to involve everyone in working life to increase their circular economy skills. The aim is that everyone is a circular economy expert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses how Finland's circular economy policy attends not only to the promotion and acceleration of innovation, but also the reconfiguration of resource intensive systems. Socio-technical transitions research has historically focused on niche innovation processes. Yet recently, increasing attention has been placed on policy processes that seek to destabilise and disrupt incumbent systems and practices. Furthermore, the social justice aspects of system phase out policies have been brought to the fore. Our qualitative analysis of Finland's circular economy policy programme draws upon the transformative innovation policy and sustainability transitions policy-mix literatures, extending the transformative outcome framework to include outcomes related to the repercussions of regime destabilisation, coordination and tilting the socio-technical landscape. Our analysis shows that Finland's circular economy policy programme aims predominantly at niche stimulation and acceleration, with little emphasis on the regime destabilisation or coordination. Overall, the policy proposals aim toward a strategy of progressive system change, an orientation shaped by the country's corporatist approach to policy making and pre-existing plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecotechnologies have the potential to reduce the use of finite resources while providing a variety of co-benefits to society, though they often lack in market competitiveness. In this study, we investigate the sustainability of ecotechnologies for recovering carbon and nutrients, and demonstrate how a so-called "bottom-up" approach can serve as a decision-making instrument. Based on three case study catchments with a focus on domestic wastewater in Sweden and Poland, and on manure, grass and blackwater substrates in Finland, we apply a cost–benefit analysis (CBA) on system alternatives derived from a participatory process. After drawing on an initial systematic mapping of relevant ecotechnologies, the scope of the CBA is determined by stakeholder suggestions, namely in terms of the considered assessment criteria, the physical impacts and the utilised data. Thus, this CBA is rooted in a localised consideration of ecotechnologies rather than a centralised governmental approach to systems boundaries. The key advantage of applying such a bottom-up approach is that it has gone through a robust participatory selection process by local stakeholders, which provides more legitimacy to the decisions reached compared with traditional feasibility studies. Despite considering the revenues of the recovered products as well as the provision of the non-market goods CO2 mitigation and reduced eutrophication, findings from this study indicate that the benefits of the considered ecotechnologies are often outweighed by their costs. Only anaerobic digestion of agricultural wastes appears to be economically feasible under the current conditions, highlighting that further efforts and incentives may be required to mainstream ecotechnologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy operates as an umbrella concept for attempts to find sustainable alternatives to linear 'take-make-dispose' production and consumption systems. Making a circular economy transformation has sparked interest in business models as means to decouple value creation and the use of virgin raw materials. However, so far, little attention has been given to the differentiating capacities of business models to enhance circularity. Using Finnish biogas production as a case study, this paper shows how business models operating within a single economic domain and within uniform institutional conditions differ in terms of how they organise material circuits. Four business models are differentiated based on what wastes and side-flows they enable to be recovered, and how. Because the business models co-evolve, their potentials are analysed in relation to the business model ecosystem. An emerging business model competes with the dominating model. The newcomer would help to generate more closed material loops, but the existing institutional landscape fails to provide support for its emerging modes of value creation and value capture. Two other business models qualify as niche solutions coexisting with the other models. Knowing the business model ecosystem opens up prospects for policy revisions that can foster a more circular economy. • Advancing the circular economy sets a focus on circular business models. • Knowledge is needed about the ways business models serve material organisation. • Biogas production in Finland is used as a case study. • Four business models forming a business model ecosystem are identified. • The business models differ in the ways they help to close material loops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data center industry is growing rapidly due to the expanding internet traffic and the upcoming IoT revolution. Data centers consume vast amounts of energy globally and are also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. There is a need to improve energy efficiency and sustainability of data center operations. The energy consumed by data centers is mostly converted to heat and this study focuses on utilizing that waste heat according to the principles of circular economy in the context of Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. The overall regional business potential of data center waste heat utilization is evaluated and the best options of utilizing waste heat in case data center are sought. The study found that the most viable option would be utilizing waste heat locally to heat facilities or in industrial processes. Another potential option is to connect data center into a district heating system where waste heat can be fed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last couple of decades, many peer-reviewed publications focused on the bioeconomy, which it is frequently argued to be a key part of the solution to global challenges (climate change, ecosystem degradation). This study investigates the scientific literature on forest bioeconomy by applying a social network analysis to the bibliometric science. The bibliometric network analysis was performed over the time-frame of 2003-2020 to provide an overview on the main aspects characterising the forest bioeconomy issue. The results show that 225 documents on forest bioeconomy were published by 567 organisations from 44 countries. Finland and Canada are the two most productive countries with 32.8% and 12.7% of forest bioeconomy documents respectively. The co-occurrence network map of the keywords shows that the forest bioeconomy is related to three main concepts: sustainable development, bioenergy production, climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]