Linnaeus Knowledge Environment: Green Sustainable Development

The challenges in the area of climate and environment are great and how we handle them is crucial for our future here on earth. The purpose of the knowledge environment Green Sustainable Development is to tackle these societal challenges – to show how our natural resources, especially the forest, can be utilized in a way that is sustainable in the long term.

Societal challenge: green sustainable development

Sustainability is usually defined on the basis of the three components ecological, social and economic sustainability which, when they interact and support each other, are expected to lead to sustainable development. A green economy is an economic system that results in improved human living conditions (social sustainability), while environmental risks and the ecological burdens are reduced (ecological sustainability). The green economy has low greenhouse gas emissions, uses resources efficiently and is socially inclusive.

What is a Linnaeus Knowledge Environment?

Addressing today’s societal challenges requires broad knowledge and interdisciplinary collaboration. This is why Linnaeus University brings together prominent and innovative research, education, and collaboration in what we call knowledge environments.

Our Linnaeus Knowledge Environments work across disciplines to take a multifaceted approach to the societal challenges in their respective fields.

Sustainable and renewable

How we in Sweden manage and utilize our renewable natural resources is, and will remain, absolutely crucial for the future. The UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development addresses 17 global goals for a sustainable development. Here, too, the importance of sustainable management and the efficient use of natural resources is emphasized.

Sweden also has a vision to be a bio-based economy by 2050. This means that materials, energy and chemicals will be bio-based to a much greater extent than today. There are great opportunities here to replace materials that are not renewable, or in other respects not sustainable for the environment, with, for example, forest raw materials. The urgent government goal that Sweden by 2045 will have no net emissions of greenhouse gases has been specifically addressed. In order to combat climate change, it is important to develop and disseminate environmental innovations, and that people's consumption patterns and behaviours change to a large extent.

The forest is an important part

The forest is a very important part of the renewable natural resources and has important contributions to a bioeconomy. Biofuels are Sweden's largest energy source – of all the energy we use, a third, 32 %, originates from biofuels. A very large part of the bioenergy that we use in Sweden comes from forests and the forest industry, about 85 %. Research and development is necessary on efficient and sustainable development, management and improvement of the forest and other resources.

The forest is also, from a bio-economic perspective, Sweden's most important asset. The forest industry accounts for 10 % of Sweden's total exportation of goods (Skogsindustrierna, 2018). Sustainable and efficient utilization of the forest resources presupposes knowledge of ecology, biology, silviculture and health, in order to manage and develop the forest as an efficient producer of large amounts of biomass with the right quality and properties for different areas of use. Sustainable forestry presupposes that the forest delivers other important ecosystem services as well, such as biodiversity, natural and cultural values and water quality. The forest is also important for reducing mental and physical ill health and promotes human health by offering good recreational opportunities.

Wood – a renewable building material

Wood and wood-based materials are used in many different products and are the common denominator for basically all renewable building materials. In order to replace non-renewable materials such as plastics, metals and concrete in buildings and other products as far as possible, research and development is required on material properties, products and systems based on wood and wood fiber.

Several sustainable solutions already exist today and are being introduced at an ever faster pace to meet the challenges of sustainable development. But not all solutions are equally effective. Life cycle and system perspectives are needed to identify the most effective solutions in both the short and long term.

In addition to the traditional uses for forest raw materials, there are other products today, such as textile fibers for viscose fabrics, biocomposite materials, biofuels, chemicals and biodiesel, and other bioresources from soil, forestry and aquaculture. By-products from the pulp industry may also contribute to world food production. Climate change will also have a direct impact from society, where adaptations are necessary to take advantage of new conditions and minimize potential risks.

Current

News

Research

The knowledge environment Green Sustainable Development spans all five faculties at Linnaeus University, and the research conducted in the environment therefore meets the societal challenge from many aspects. Some of the research areas within Green Sustainable Development are the following:

The forest, from plant to finished technical wood products
To build using wood
Systems with an energy and circulation basis
Environmental science
The forest's health-promoting values and stress-related ill health
How different factors affect "green" behaviours
Communication and mediation of environmental issues
How companies and organisations manage and measure their performance from an environmental and sustainable point of view
How different transport and logistics solutions affect the environment and the use of resources
How owners and actors both control and are guided by the environmental dimension

Research environments

Research projects

A list of all research projects carried out within the frame of the knowledge environment Green Sustainable Development would be extensive. Please find the projects by clicking on the desired research group in the list under the heading Research environments above.

Education

In order for new knowledge to gain a foothold in society, educational initiatives have a fundamental role to play. Compared to many older and established universities, Linnaeus University carries out a lot of teaching in relation to its research. Therefore, it is essential for the quality of education that research has a very close connection to teaching.

Establishment of new educations and renewal of existing ones within the knowledge environment will be a core for the knowledge formation. Green Sustainable Development sees great opportunities to collaborate across faculty boundaries and create new master programmes in the field, but also to collaborate with other universities in Europe via, for example, EUniWell.

Programmes and courses

First-cycle level (bachelor, bachelor of science in engineering)

Four programmes are given within the field of green sustainable development; two in English and two in Swedish.

Design+Change (180 credits; main field of study: design)
Visual Communication+Change (180 credits; design)

In Swedish:

Skog och träteknik, högskoleingenjör (180 credits; forestry and wood technology)
Skogskandidatprogrammet (180 credits; forestry and wood technology)

Second-cycle level (master)

In English:

Design+Change, Master Programme (120 credits; design)
Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design – specialisation Engineering, Master Programme (120 credits; forestry and wood technology)
Sustainable Structural Engineering, Master Programme (120 credits; building technology)

In Swedish:

Skogsbruk med många mål, masterprogram, (120 credits; forestry and wood technology)

We also offer a large number of courses in English in the knowledge environment’s main fields of study. Carry out a search for courses in these subjects.

Collaboration

Within Green Sustainable Development, there are great opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across faculty boundaries, as we bring together topics such as social sciences, economics, environmental sciences, health, food science, technology, design and communication.

Green Sustainable Development has several direct connections to other Linnaeus Knowledge Environments such as Water, Digital Transformations, Sustainable Health and Advanced Materials. These knowledge environments will interact and have great potential to reinforce each other.

Together with Linnaeus University, Södra and IKEA will create a unique platform, the Bridge, for value development through exchange of experience and resource mobilization between industry and academia. This involves a strong build-up of competence at Linnaeus University, within both education and research. The venture coincides to a very large extent with the education and research in Green Sustainable Development. This means great opportunities for further developments in the future, through joint research applications and new educational programs that span the faculty boundaries.

The research and education within Green Sustainable Development has many connections to partners in indutry. Most research groups in the knowledge environment have great success in attracting external research funding.

Steering group

Johan Bergh is contact person and chair of Green Sustainable Development.