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And the award goes to... : a critical analysis of environmental reforms in Upplands Väsby

Sundelius, Lynn LU (2014) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM01 20141
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
Climate change is exponentially becoming one of the most pressing issues of our time. While it is an issue that plaques the international community it is an issue that needs to be addressed on all levels. Local government has been highlighted as the level closest to the people and is uniquely positioned to instigate a range of activities that directly address climate change and sustainability. This study will highlight the local government of Upplands Väsby as it was awarded in 2013 as the Most Environmentally Conscious Municipality in Sweden. The thesis will explore what initiatives the municipality have pursued and the reasons behind them. The study draws on previous research on possible reasons for why local decision-makers implement... (More)
Climate change is exponentially becoming one of the most pressing issues of our time. While it is an issue that plaques the international community it is an issue that needs to be addressed on all levels. Local government has been highlighted as the level closest to the people and is uniquely positioned to instigate a range of activities that directly address climate change and sustainability. This study will highlight the local government of Upplands Väsby as it was awarded in 2013 as the Most Environmentally Conscious Municipality in Sweden. The thesis will explore what initiatives the municipality have pursued and the reasons behind them. The study draws on previous research on possible reasons for why local decision-makers implement sustainability initiatives. The main data have been collected through a document review and by conducting semi-structured interviews with local officials and interest groups in the municipality. The findings show that the most important initiative was implementing an environmental management system. The system has improved the municipality’s internal environmental work. The main drivers behind the sustainability actions have been committed leadership and skilled local officials. The results also show that several challenges such as focusing more on community-wide initiatives and engaging the local residents still persist. By examining the present reforms in Upplands Väsby this study hopes to contribute to an understanding of the reasons behind pursuing environmental sustainability at a local level. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Sundelius, Lynn LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM01 20141
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
environmental policy, municipal capacities, co-benefits, environmental governance, sustainability science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2014:015
language
English
id
4538571
date added to LUP
2014-08-27 10:50:28
date last changed
2014-08-27 10:50:28
@misc{4538571,
  abstract     = {{Climate change is exponentially becoming one of the most pressing issues of our time. While it is an issue that plaques the international community it is an issue that needs to be addressed on all levels. Local government has been highlighted as the level closest to the people and is uniquely positioned to instigate a range of activities that directly address climate change and sustainability. This study will highlight the local government of Upplands Väsby as it was awarded in 2013 as the Most Environmentally Conscious Municipality in Sweden. The thesis will explore what initiatives the municipality have pursued and the reasons behind them. The study draws on previous research on possible reasons for why local decision-makers implement sustainability initiatives. The main data have been collected through a document review and by conducting semi-structured interviews with local officials and interest groups in the municipality. The findings show that the most important initiative was implementing an environmental management system. The system has improved the municipality’s internal environmental work. The main drivers behind the sustainability actions have been committed leadership and skilled local officials. The results also show that several challenges such as focusing more on community-wide initiatives and engaging the local residents still persist. By examining the present reforms in Upplands Väsby this study hopes to contribute to an understanding of the reasons behind pursuing environmental sustainability at a local level.}},
  author       = {{Sundelius, Lynn}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{And the award goes to... : a critical analysis of environmental reforms in Upplands Väsby}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}