Steven Sarasini

A Metric for Quantifying Product-Level Circularity

Summary Circularity metrics are useful for empirically assessing the effects of a circular economy in terms of profitability, job creation, and environmental impacts. At present, however, there is no standardized method for measuring the circularity of products. We start by reviewing existing product-level metrics in terms of validity and reliability, taking note of theoretically justified principles for aggregating different types of material flows and cycles into a single value. We then argue that the economic value of product parts may constitute a useful basis for such aggregation; describe a set of principles for using economic value as a basis for measuring product circularity; and outline a metric that utilizes this approach. Our recommendation is to use the ratio of recirculated economic value to total product value as a circularity metric, using value chain costs as an estimator. In order to protect value chain actors’ sensitive financial data and facilitate neutrality regarding outsourcing or insourcing, we suggest a means to calculate product-level circularity based on sequential approximations of adding one product part and activity at a time. We conclude by suggesting potential avenues for further research, including ways in which the proposed metric can be used in wider assessments of the circular economy, and ways in which it may be further refined.

Past, Present, or Future? Managers' Temporal Orientations and Corporate Climate Action in the Swedish Electricity Sector

Existing research shows that corporate climate actions are the result of public policies and a limited range of other factors that can influence business strategy. Managers are depicted as lacking agency in that they passively adhere to “drivers” of climate actions, with little room for autonomy. This study takes issue with such a view by examining agency vis-à-vis managers’ temporal orientations. In particular, we seek to examine why managers adopt certain temporal orientations and not others in the context of the climate issue and Swedish electricity production. We find that whilst managers are predominantly focused on future policy developments, they also deliberate over, reconstruct, and in some cases actively refute other pressures for climate action that were borne in the past, feature in the present, and which relate to alternative future projections. We further examine reasons for such behaviour.

Governing Mobility-as-a-Service: Insights from Sweden and Finland

Based on a review of recent developments in Sweden and Finland, this chapter analyzes the roles of public organizations in the governance of a transition to Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS). In particular, we draw on insights from transition frameworks to explore what these two pioneering cases can teach us about how the public sector can both enable the development of MaaS and steer the development trajectory toward diffusion of MaaS offerings that contribute to transport policy goals. We propose three main points. Firstly, public sector organizations at national, regional, and local levels have key roles to play in potential transitions to MaaS, regardless of their intended operative roles in the emerging MaaS ecosystem. Secondly, a central task for public sector organizations is to align operational and tactical MaaS governance activities with both an overarching MaaS strategy and with other relevant strategies, such as transport infrastructures investments, programs for economic and industrial growth, city plans, and parking norms. Thirdly, new models and tools for public–private collaboration are needed in order to effectively govern the development and diffusion of sustainable MaaS.

(Failing to) create eco-innovation networks: The Nordic Climate Cluster

The Nordic Climate Cluster (NOCC) was an innovation network composed of large Norwegian and Swedish companies from different industries with common interests in climate-friendly eco-innovations. The network was initiated in 2008, but was disbanded just two years later. This study treats the NOCC as a special case (an eco-innovation network) and examines factors that influenced its failure. The study shows that the network failed for a variety of reasons, including a lack of stability, a lack of social capital and inadequate market demands for eco-innovations. The study concludes with implications for policy-makers who are keen to promote eco-innovation via networking.

A Framework for Developing and Assessing Eco-innovations

This chapter presents a framework entitled “ECORE,” which aims to assist in developing and assessing radical eco-innovations. Our proposed framework seeks to address theoretical gaps and unresolved problems from three research fields – eco-innovation, quality management, and life cycle assessment. ECORE synthesizes ideas and concepts from these three fields into a set of key principles and practices that can further integrate sustainability into business practices. These key principles are based on the idea that stakeholder interactions should form the basis of eco-innovation, that a life cycle perspective should be adopted in the design stage of eco-innovation, and that stakeholder needs must be translated into eco-innovation characteristics throughout the design process. We illustrate our framework with a hypothetical example that focuses on reducing the environmental impacts of carbonated beverage consumption. The chapter concludes by presenting the views of practitioners that were invited to provide feedback on our proposals.

Conceptualizing Industry Efforts to Eco-innovate Among Large Swedish Companies

The term “eco-innovation” is of interest to policymakers and industrial practitioners that seek to marry environmental protection with economic development. Sweden has made some headway in that it has an international reputation for leadership on environmental issues and for creating policies that seek to boost eco-innovation in key industries. However, examining industrial efforts to eco-innovate is complicated by the fact that eco-innovation is poorly defined. The varying definitions and typologies currently in circulation pose risks to the field of eco-innovation research. In this chapter, we aim to consolidate existing conceptualizations by adapting an existing typology of eco-innovation. We then apply this typology to examine eco-innovation in large Swedish companies. The study finds that large Swedish companies focus the majority of their eco-innovative efforts on internal measures related to product and process changes. However, the companies in our sample are less adept at collaborating with suppliers, users, and other external partners that can boost eco-innovation. The study concludes by discussing the utility of our typology and by deriving recommendations for policymakers based on our findings.