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Purpose: This paper aims to generate a better understanding of how challenges and opportunities for sustainable change during digitalization relate to the organizing work of change agents mandated to facilitate technology adoption from within local work organizations. Design/methodology/approach: This study examines the work of welfare technology coordinators, health-care professionals who are mandated to facilitate the use of technologies in home-based services in a Norwegian city. Data comprise ethnographic observations of meetings and work practices, interviews and documents collected over one year. A practice-based approach was applied to analyze how the welfare technology coordinators go about integrating technologies with the work practices, and the forms of negotiations this work implies in their work community. Findings: The analysis identified four sets of practices in the coordinators' work: exploring and integrating new technologies into work practices, legitimizing aims and values, formalizing routines and responsibilities and critically considering existing and envisioned service practices. Through these practices, emerging problems and disconnections in the service organization were attended to in a continuous manner. Originality/value: The study contributes to the literature by examining the work of internal change agents mandated to facilitate multiple and simultaneous technology adoption and demonstrates the importance of recognizing the continuous efforts and negotiations of these agents as significant to sustainable organizing.

COVID-19 has represented a watershed in people's lifestyle. One important consequence has been the change in how people buy groceries online/offline that represent the most frequent shopping-related trip any household performs. Since this has substantially different transport and environmental implications, it is crucial to investigate what are the COVID-19-induced variations. This paper estimates both travel and environmental impacts grocery channel choice implies by comparing, in a diachronic fashion, the pre and during COVID-19 situation in Norway, considering alternative scenarios describing different service configurations for each channel considered. Stated preferences are used to estimate market shares for grocery purchase distinguishing between different channels: in-store, home delivery and click&pick. The robust comparative analysis between the two time periods is guaranteed by the use of the same methodological approach in the same geographical context. Results show that total emissions are lower during the pandemic and adopting a free delivery strategy not only increases home delivery market shares but also produces the lowest level of CO2 emissions regardless of COVID-19. The results obtained are particularly relevant in the "new normal" the world is experiencing both from a public policymaking perspective, when promoting transport-related interventions to curb emissions, and from a private standpoint, when customising market strategies to increase sales and profits. • COVID-19 has represented a watershed in people's lifestyle. • Investigating changes in how people buy groceries online/offline is important. • Stated preferences are used to estimate grocery market shares for different channels. • The paper estimates travel and environmental impacts pre and during COVID-19 via scenario analysis. • Results are particularly relevant for both the public and private sector in the "new normal" conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: To improve horse welfare and ensure a sustainable equestrian future, we need to understand human behavior in relation to the challenges of the sector. This article maps and analyzes how individuals within the equine sector in Sweden and Norway define environmental challenges. An analysis based on a model for behavior change (the COM-B model) shows that there is a capacity for change, and that skills and knowledge exist, but that some individuals desire more information and a deeper understanding of the issues at hand. Physical constraints such as location, resources, and time seem challenging for individual actors to influence. Economic factors are also identified as impediments to transformation. Cultural norms related to orderliness within stables, although not directly addressing ecological challenges, might serve as a foundation for promoting environmental initiatives that will also improve horse welfare. To improve horse welfare and ensure a sustainable equestrian future, we need to understand human behavior in relation to the challenges of the sector. The purpose of this paper is to map and analyze how individuals within the equine sector in Sweden and Norway define the environmental challenges they are faced with and how these are related to questions about horse welfare. A mixed-methods parallel design was used. The data consist of survey answers and semi-structured interviews. The survey, responded to by 697 Swedish and Norwegian participants, ensured statistical validity and power through a sample size calculation yielding approximately 385 participants. To deepen the understanding, 36 semi structured interviews with Swedish and Norwegian interviewees were conducted. An analysis of convergencies and divergencies between the data sets provided robust insights into the perceptions and behaviors within the equine sector in Sweden and Norway. The findings show that the equine sector has cultivated a stronger environmental commitment over the last 15 years (Svala, 2008). However, many participants express a perceived lack of influence on this transformation. The COM-B model (Michie, Van Stralen & West, 2011; Michie, Atkins & West, 2014) and previous research on 'thinking structures on climate delay' (Wormbs & Wolrath, 2023) are used to interpret the data. The analysis indicates that there is an overall capacity for change, and that skills and knowledge exist, but some individuals desire more information and a deeper understanding of the issues at hand. Higher barriers to change were found in the opportunity component, where physical constraints such as location, resources, and time seem challenging for individual actors to influence. Economic factors are also identified as impediments to transformation. Cultural norms related to orderliness within stables, although not directly addressing ecological nor ethical challenges, might serve as a foundation for promoting environmental initiatives that will also improve horse welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indicators can be powerful tools to measure progress towards achieving societal goals, and many indicators have been developed for sustainability goals nationally and internationally. When indicators are developed solely through top-down approaches without engaging local knowledge, they often fall short of capturing local perceptions and concerns relevant to decision-making. The aim of this project was to co-create a Coastal Barometer and its component indicators, together with local knowledge-holders and communities, using the Ocean Health Index as a framework. As a first step, local knowledge-holders from six communities dispersed across Northern Norway were invited to articulate local sustainability goals and the required knowledge for eight broad topics pertaining to global OHI goals: small-scale fisheries, food production, sense of place, tourism, food production, clean waters, carbon storage and economy and livelihoods. In this paper, our main focus is the co-design phase of the Coastal Barometer, namely eliciting sustainability goals. We thus, present locally desired sustainability goals and sub-goals and the process of eliciting these goals. We also include suggestions from local knowledge-holders on how to reach these goals (i.e. proposed management measures), along with researchers' assessment of data availability (part of the co-production process) for developing indicators to measure progress towards these goals. Finally, we discuss the benefits and challenges of co-developing sustainability goals and indicators with local knowledge-holders. We conclude that co-design can increase the quality of sustainability assessments by enriching the view of coastal sustainability. This knowledge can subsequently be used to align indicators with local sustainability goals as well as to the local context where the indicators will be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to convey lessons learned from two sustainability initiatives at Norway's largest university. This contributes to knowledge-based discussions of how future, sustainable higher education institutions (HEIs) infrastructures should be envisioned and planned if the fundamental uncertainty of the future development of learning, researching and teaching is acknowledged. Design/methodology/approach: This study was submitted on 24 January 2023 and revised on 14 September 2023. HEIs, particularly when they are engaged in research activities, have a considerable environmental footprint. At the same time, HEIs are the main producers and disseminators of knowledge about environmental challenges and their employees have a high awareness of the urgent need to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss. In this study, the gap between knowledge and environmental performance is addressed as a question of infrastructural change, which is explored in two case studies. Findings: The first case study presents limitations of ambitious, top-down sustainability planning for HEI infrastructures: support from employees and political support are central for this strategy to succeed, but both could not be secured in the case presented leading to an abandonment of all sustainability ambitions. The second case study exposes important limitations of a circular approach: regulatory and legal barriers were found against a rapid and radical circular transformation, but also more fundamental factors such as the rationality of an institutional response to uncertainty by rapid cycles of discarding the old and investing in new equipment and facilities. Research limitations/implications: Being based on qualitative methods, the case studies do not claim representativity for HEIs worldwide or even in Norway. Many of the factors described are contingent on their specific context. The goal, instead, is to contribute to learning by presenting an in-depth and context-sensitive report on obstacles encountered in two major sustainability initiatives. Originality/value: Research reporting on sustainability initiatives too often focuses descriptively on the plans or reports the successes while downplaying problems and failures. This study deviates from this widespread practice by analysing reasons for failure informed by a theoretical frame (infrastructural change). Moreover, the juxtaposition of two cases within the same context shows the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to infrastructural change particularly clearly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-intensive binders such as cement are traditionally employed to stabilise peat. Few studies have investigated alternative materials such as biochar to improve peat stability while simultaneously sequestering carbon dioxide. This study explored biochar produced through pyrolysis of clean wood and leaves to stabilise peat from Tiller-Flotten, Norway. Unconfined compressive strength, water content and pH measurements on biochar, Portland composite cement and peat compositions and a sustainability assessment were conducted. It was found that biochar amendment increased strength and stiffness of peat and cement-stabilised peat. Biochar showed the potential to reduce the cement amount when stabilising peat while retaining geotechnical properties. Peat stabilised with 200 kg/m3 of biochar and 100 kg/m3 of cement exhibited comparable strength (63.3 ± 4.2 kPa, n = 3) as samples with 200 kg/m3 of cement (63.2 ± 1.3 kPa, n = 3), but with a negative carbon footprint. Adding biochar quantities greater than 27% of the cement quantities resulted in a climate-neutral stabilisation. At a carbon price of approximately €85/t, the biochar costs equalled the cement costs. The cement-only samples outperformed the ones with additional biochar in terms of shear strength/€, while future carbon prices increased the competitiveness of biochar amendments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 21st Century, marine plastic pollution emerges as a prominent wicked issue, posing threats to planetary boundaries, biological and anthropogenic systems. Such complex and multiscale issues significantly contribute to the degradation of our land and ocean ecosystem. For example, loss of aquatic life due to ghost fishing or microplastic pollution from broken-down plastics in the oceans. These 'wicked societal issues' can no longer be resolved through our existing societal structures and methods. The aquaculture and fisheries sectors are significant contributors to plastic marine debris globally. However, research and practices on this matter have been fragmented, siloed, and often limited to specific value chain sections (material science, waste). If more sustainable circular practices are to be realised in the use and management of plastic in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, interdisciplinary-cross sector co-operation is required, which addresses such global issues at the local level. Using Norway and early findings from the SHIFTPLASTICs project as a case study, this paper presents how interdisciplinary co-production framed by the Systems Design Approach + has enabled creative spaces whereby: 1) a clear identification of the most problematic areas of plastic pollution across the whole service model value chain, and, 2) targeted measures in enabling the transition to more sustainable circular practices and plastic pollution mitigation in the sectors. Key findings include the logic, development, application, and outcomes of the SDA + methodological approach. This includes enabling interdisciplinary co-development and critiquing the Norwegian service model value chain of plastic pollution in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. The identification and potential solutions in tackling 16-plastic pollution 'hot spots' of the most problematic plastic-based products for the sectors. We conclude that the Systems Design Approach + framework, as undertaken, has enabled collaborative spaces and interactions suitable to generate knowledge, insights, tool development, and creativity in pursuit of innovation and circular transitions for these wicked societal issue. This approach has potential for scalability. • Fisheries and aquaculture sectors are the most significant contributors to marine plastic pollution. • Contemporary complex issues require collaborative interdisciplinary working to decipher and mitigate these wicked problems. • Sustainable management of wicked resource problems demands a new set of cultural attributes. • Systems Design Approach+ is a robust framework that enables such working practices. • We mapped and identified the 16 most problematic areas across the fishing and aquaculture value chains of Norway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent observations have heightened concerns that the reduced density of coastal water is leading to a decrease in the frequency of basin water renewal in Norwegian sill fjords. There are indications that coastal water is becoming lighter due to climate change. The renewal of fjord basin water constitutes the primary source of oxygenation in these fjords, and many sill fjords naturally undergo stagnation periods lasting up to several years. In this paper, we have mapped alterations in coastal water using time series data from hydrographic measurements along the coastline, utilizing them as input for a simplified two-layer fjord model. We demonstrate that the temperature has risen, salinity has decreased, and consequently, the density of coastal water has declined since approximately 1990. At a depth of 10 m, the rise in temperature and the reduction in salinity made similar contributions to the decrease in density. However, at depths of 50 and 100 m, the increasing temperature emerged as the primary factor. The density exhibited a more substantial decrease in the upper layers compared to the lower layers. Consequently, not only was the water less dense, but the stability of the water column had also increased. The estimated temperature in the fjord basins increased after 1990 in 98 out of 101 evaluated fjords, with an average increase of 0.6 °C. The altered coastal stratification had an impact on the estimated work against the buoyant forces in the fjord basins. In 78 out of the 101 fjords, the work against buoyant forces by diapycnal mixing increased. In most of the fjord basins where the work against buoyant forces increased, the rise was insufficient to compensate for the decreasing density at the coast. Consequently, basin water renewal occurred less frequently in 65 out of the 101 fjord basins along the Norwegian coast. • Coastal monitoring in Norway show altered coastal climate since 1930. • The Norwegian coastal water has decreased in density. • The stratification along the Norwegian coast is intensified. • Both coastal water and fjord basin got warmer after 1990. • Water exchange in fjord basins occure less frequent than before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The food-energy-water (FEW) nexus highlights the interdependencies between the systems that people rely on for these essential resources. For example, globally, over two thirds of freshwater withdrawals are used to produce food, and another 10% is used during energy generation. In addition, the food system uses one eighth of global net energy. Seafood is a nutritionally important food, and it is critical to use freshwater and energy resources efficiently throughout seafood supply chains to safeguard future supplies and to reduce environmental impacts. Diverse seafood production methods result in highly variable resource use across supply chains, which may contribute to siloed efforts within supply chains to improve efficiency, instead of larger efforts that involve multiple seafood supply chains. Additionally, efforts to develop and implement efficiency strategies must be informed by fishers, aquaculturists, processors, and other seafood supply chain actors to avoid investing time and resources into strategies that will have low uptake. A significant proportion of seafood is imported into the U.S., so engaging with industry and stakeholders in the U.S. and abroad is critical for understanding and improving the FEW nexus associated with seafood consumed by Americans. Methods: To understand how resources are being used, current and potential strategies to improve resource use, and relevant motivations and barriers, we conducted 47 semi-structured interviews from 2019 to 2021 with seafood supply chain actors, including producers and processors. Seafood supply chains included were farmed catfish produced in the U.S., farmed pangasius and shrimp produced in Vietnam, farmed Atlantic salmon produced in Norway, and wild-caught sockeye and pink salmon caught in the U.S. Results: We provide detailed descriptions of stages within each supply chain regarding resource use and efficiency strategies, and report higher-level findings that apply across supply chains. There was variation across settings regarding how resources are used and opportunities and barriers for improving efficiencies, but we also found commonalities in settings, indicating that resource-saving strategies or innovations could lead to increased efficiency across multiple supply chains. Interviewees shared that cost savings drove past adoption of, and high interest in, energy conservation practices. Generally, direct costs did not motivate reduced use of freshwater, but associated costs like energy to run pumps and supplies to treat contaminated surface water drove interest in reducing water use. Discussion: Efforts to improve resource use in the U.S. seafood supply should focus on identifying and scaling-up strategies that (i) involve improved efficiency of more than one resource and/or (ii) apply across multiple settings. This work should involve partnerships between industry, government agencies, and academic researchers, and should be informed by supply chain actors' experiences and insights. The qualitative insights from this study encompass rich descriptions of FEW-relevant factors at the level of specific supply chain stages as well as findings across six major seafood supply chains in three countries. The study provides an essential complement to existing quantitative characterizations of resource use, and enables nuanced and informed responses to challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]