Four Sustainability Goals in a Swedish Low-Growth/Degrowth Context
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- Which social and ecological goals are most relevant to explore in the Swedish context, and why?
- How could the selected goals be operationalised into a Swedish context?
2. Background
3. Method and Process
3.1. Empirical Basis
3.2. Selection Criteria and Selection of Goals
4. Results: Operationalization and Analysis of Selected Goals
4.1. Climate Change
Selected Goals
- Sweden is to be fossil-free by 2050, i.e., no fossil fuels are used as fuels or in industrial processes.
- A maximum of 0.82 tons CO2 equivalents (GHG) consumptive emissions per capita per year in Sweden.
4.2. Land Use
Selected Goal
- The per capita land area used for final consumption does not exceed the global biocapacity.
4.3. Distribution of Power, Influence and Participation in Society
Selected Goal
- All residents in Sweden, regardless of, for example, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity and religious affiliation, age, disability, class and income level, should be entitled to participate in and influence political choices and decision-making that affect their lives.
4.4. Welfare/Resource Security
For Welfare/Resource Security, We Formulate the Two Following Goals
- Residents in Sweden should have sufficient access to resources and services that can create opportunities for housing, education, social care and social security, as well as favourable conditions for good health.
- The distribution of the same resources and services should be made according to some fairness principle.
5. Discussion
6. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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The Goals Should Be | Verification |
---|---|
Easy to operationalise | Previous operationalisations Discussion with the project group |
Relevant to planning and policy in Sweden | Review of existing goals Discussion with societal partners |
Central to sustainability | Goals in research and in Swedish policies |
Everyone in the project should stand behind the goals as representing sustainability | Project meetings Workshops with the research group |
The Goals Should Be | Climate | Land-Use | Participation | Welfare/Resources |
---|---|---|---|---|
Easy to operationalise | Possible to quantify through IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (2013) and Swedish policy goals. Discussion with the project group. | Possible to quantify through the Global Footprint Network 2015 (Global Availability and Swedish use per capita). Discussion with the project group. | Difficult to quantify but possible to operationalise qualitatively through Swedish policy goals. Discussion with the project group. | Difficult to quantify but possible to operationalise qualitatively through Swedish policy goals. Discussion with the project group. |
Relevant to planning and policy in Sweden | Partners involved Based on Swedish Environmental and other policy goals | |||
Central to sustainability | Planetary boundary | Planetary boundary | Doughnut area (e.g., voice) | Doughnut area (e.g., social equity) |
The project should stand behind the goals as indicators of sustainable development | Project group involved in selection and formulation |
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Fauré, E.; Svenfelt, Å.; Finnveden, G.; Hornborg, A. Four Sustainability Goals in a Swedish Low-Growth/Degrowth Context. Sustainability 2016, 8, 1080. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8111080
Fauré E, Svenfelt Å, Finnveden G, Hornborg A. Four Sustainability Goals in a Swedish Low-Growth/Degrowth Context. Sustainability. 2016; 8(11):1080. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8111080
Chicago/Turabian StyleFauré, Eléonore, Åsa Svenfelt, Göran Finnveden, and Alf Hornborg. 2016. "Four Sustainability Goals in a Swedish Low-Growth/Degrowth Context" Sustainability 8, no. 11: 1080. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8111080