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Paper industry is one of major material and energy users in Finland, material costs being far bigger than energy costs. Energy saving is promoted in Finland by an energy service centre, subsidies and energy service companies (ESCOs). Material savings in production processes are typically used to reduce costs while life cycle material efficiency rather would require focusing, e.g. on product design. This could be promoted by total producer responsibility, economic instruments and environmental permits. For industrial sites with limited resources, MASCOs’ (Material Saving Companies) services could manage material savings, e.g. by funding the investments, planning and running the project. Authorities should put more emphasis on material auditing and information on material saving technologies and logistics. Material savings should also be included into the environmental permitting procedures. Materials saving services are developing and the projected Finnish material efficiency service centre could support new businesses. This article is based on a literature review and interviews of persons in paper producing companies and environmental authorities. We also analyse experiences of the first MASCO project in Finland. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This work presents the current waste management system at the pulp and paper mill complex of Stora Enso Oyj Veitsiluoto Mills at Kemi, Northern Finland. This paper covers examples of case studies carried out at the mill and describes how the wastes and by-products are utilized as a neutralizing agent for acidic wastewaters (i.e., green liquor dregs from the causticizing process), as a hardener in filling mine cavities (i.e., ash from the fluidized bed boiler), as a landscaping agent (i.e., ash as well as the fibre clay from chemical wastewater treatment plant), as a hydraulic barrier material for landfills (i.e., fibre clay), and as a soil enrichment agent (i.e., calcium carbonate from the precipitated calcium carbonate plant). In addition, the wood waste from the wood-handling plant, sawmill, packaging pallet plant and from the groundwood mill, as well as the biosludge from the biological wastewater treatment plant, are all incinerated in the fluidized bed boiler for energy production. Due to effective utilization of the solid wastes generated at the mills, the annual amount of waste to be disposed of in the landfill has decreased between 1994 and 2004 from 42,990 to 6083tonn (expressed as wet weight). The paper also gives an overview of the relevant European Union legislation on the forest industry and on waste management, as well as of the pulping process and of the generation of major solid wastes in the pulp and paper mills. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] The impact of digital technologies on writing and reading is investigated in Finland. [•] The positive affordances of writing on paper are similar to those found in Italy. [•] Students consider important to write a lot, quickly and instantly without losing time. [•] A keyboard is a point of reference for all comparisons in students’ responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article evaluates the impacts of integrated environmental permits on the environmental performance of Finnish pulp and paper industry. It assesses the performance of the Finnish pulp and paper mills in relation to the EU best available techniques (BAT) associated emission levels and compares the emission limit values and product specific emissions of the mills with non-integrated permits to those of the mills with new integrated permits. A set of practical indicators for the assessment of BAT, local conditions and transboundary effects is presented and discussed. Moreover, the paper highlights some significant cross-media aspects in the Finnish pulp and paper industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Using revised bloom's taxonomy as a analysing framework for assessment of geography. • The cognitive processes of understanding, analysing and remembering are emphasised. • Conceptual and factual geographical knowledge is valued. • Minor differences between the paper-based and the digital forms of the tests. • Need for dialogue between institutions of the knowledge and skills assessed. This study examines the possible change in cognitive processes and geographical knowledge requirements during the digitalisation process of the Finnish Matriculation Examination in Geography (digitalised in the autumn of 2016). The theoretical background is derived from revised Bloom's taxonomy, which is applied as a framework for the content analysis of the questions (n = 331) of the geography tests between the autumn of 2013 and the spring of 2019. The results show that the questions mainly require an understanding of conceptual and factual knowledge. Because of the digitalisation, questions that require remembering have been reduced, whereas questions that require analysing have been increased. In addition, more comprehensive use and more extensive production of materials are required in the tests. Based on our research findings, we emphasise the need for a careful re-evaluation of the kind of cognitive processes and knowledge that should be assessed in geography tests, both nationally and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Finland, the new Decree on fertilizer products came into force on 13 September 2011. In this study, the forest fertilizer properties of bottom and fly ash fractions from two large-sized (246MW and 296MW) power plants of pulp and paper mills incinerating biomass-based fuels (i.e. peat, bark, woodchips and sawdust) were investigated. The concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Ni and Zn) in the bottom ashes and fly ashes were clearly lower that their current Finnish limit values, and therefore, these residues are potential forest fertilizers. However, the Ca concentration in the bottom ash from a 246MW power plant and the sum of phosphorous and potassium concentrations (P+K) in all ash fractions did not meet the requirements of the current limit values. In this study, we present the current and previous Finnish limit values for ash used as a forest fertilizer. We also present the literature values of nutrient and heavy metal concentrations in the Finnish biomass-based ashes reported by the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, which registers and controls power plants that produce ash for use as fertilizer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: From the utilization point of view, it is notable that the total element concentrations in the precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) waste were significantly lower than the maximal allowable heavy metal concentrations for fertilizers used in agriculture and in forestry, set on the basis of the EU and Finnish legislation. The easily soluble Ca concentration of 168.5gkg−1 (d.w.) in PCC waste was 105 times higher than the typical value of 1.6gkg−1 (d.w.) in the coarse mineral soil in Finland indicates that the PCC waste is a potential agent for soil remediation and for improving soil fertility if it is used as fertilizer. According to a five-stage sequential extraction procedure, the highest concentrations of most of the elements occurred either in HF+HNO3 +HCl or H2O2 +CH3COONH4 fraction. This means that the major part of the elements retained in the PCC waste are not easy to extract (leach) under conditions normally found in nature. This is beneficial since, if inorganic materials and by-products are utilized in earth construction, the content of harmful compounds must be low and the harmful components must be tightly bound to the matrix. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Advancements in sludge processing to reduce particle and acidification emissions. • Reduced environmental footprint through innovative sludge treatment. • Sludge hydrochar carbon stabilization contributes to climate change mitigation. Proper management of wastewater treatment plant side streams in pulp and paper mills is a matter of great interest. This study evaluates the environmental impact of different strategies in the management of biosludge from pulp and paper mills in Finland through a Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The base industrial standard practice, biosludge incineration for energy recovery and ash landfill disposal (Scenario 1), was compared to the alternative process of hydrothermal carbonization. The hydrochar generated from hydrothermal carbonization was evaluated for energy recovery through incineration (Scenario 2), or for use in composting for nutrient recovery (Scenario 3). The results showed that the hydrothermal process improved the overall environmental performance of the sludge management, particularly in terms of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The use of hydrochar as a soil amendment in composting also resulted in a significant reduction on the environmental impact compared to the other two scenarios. Overall, this study highlights the potential of hydrothermal carbonization and hydrochar utilization as sustainable options for managing biosludge from pulp mills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union has set strict recycling targets for municipal solid wastes, but the implementation of circularity is still hindered by a variety of present set-ups. This paper addresses the recycling transitions and their complex nature in Austria, Sweden and Finland and points out the differences that are connected to the level of success in recycling. Furthermore, this study identifies present lock-ins in the waste management regime to provide an understanding on the factors preventing further development towards a recycling society. This is done by analysing different waste policy documents and interviews of national waste experts. The study employs the multilevel perspective (MLP) framework that is a commonly used approach in sustainability transitions research. The results highlight the variety of social, political, technical and economic elements, but also the connections between them that result in a stable regime. The pathways to achieve the recycling society differ between Austria, Sweden and Finland. National waste policy, the division of responsibilities, the variety of infrastructure and collection systems in waste management, the level of general awareness, public-private co-operation and the quality of waste data act as key characteristics that reflect the success in the recycling transition. Identified lock-ins for recycling seem to be slightly stronger in Finland compared to Austria and Sweden, while some of the lock-ins are the same in all countries, such as incineration capacity, malfunction of markets of recyclables or lack of product design for recyclability. • The pathways to a recycling society differ between Austria, Sweden and Finland. • Pressure for recycling has been explicit in Austria at the landscape level. • There are more identified lock-ins in Finland compared to other countries. • Clear responsibilities, a variety of practices, public awareness and quality of data reflect success. • Bottom-up approaches could be utilised in solving the frictions between public and private actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An industrial symbiosis (IS) is a group of industrial plants and other actors which exchange energy, water, by-products and waste. This article studies the evolution of an IS centred around a Finnish pulp and paper mill and analyses how the operations of the case system developed in a more sustainable direction during the years 1890–2005. We build upon basic sustainability principles known as The Natural Step (TNS) System Conditions by identifying and selecting quantifiable indicators for each of the conditions in the case of our target symbiosis. The study reveals that the environmental impacts of the case IS became more far-reaching during the 110-year period studied. Emissions, however, decreased substantially after the 1970s due to tightening environmental legislation and other policy measures and the progress in environmental technology, not due to symbiosis-type of arrangements. There has been no strong driver for more symbiosis-like cooperation among the companies in this study. It appeared that the main motives for increased collaboration were economic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring organochlorine compounds with caged common lake mussels (Anodonta piscinalis) in the pulp and paper mill recipient watercourses of Finland annually from 1984 produced many statistically significant time trends. A decrease of chlorophenols and chloroguaiacols originating from chlorobleaching were observed in all recipients in parallel with the decreasing discharges from the mills. Metabolites of chlorophenols, chloroanisoles and chloroveratroles were constant. Significantly elevated PCB concentrations were measured in four watercourses. At two of these areas, the PCB concentrations were constant. In contrast, a statistically significant increase of PCB (and DDE) was found at one recipient lake from mill producing recyclic paper and in a lake downstream of an industrialised city. Overall decreases were observed for other chlorohydrocarbons. Material flows of chlorohydrocarbons were, in some cases, positively correlated with waterflows (Q). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper studies the effects of privatization on establishments/plants operating in Finland's manufacturing sector during 1988-2012, concentrating on operational efficiency (sales/ employment). Finland's privatizations allow considering a quasi-experimental design. Therefore, the paper utilizes standard and generalized event-study designs using a control group matched from similar private establishments. Additionally to the event where state ownership drops below 50 percent, the paper studies whether any reductions in state share affect productivity. The results suggest that privatization increases productivity due to a decrease in employment. • Privatization seems to have increased the productivity of manufacturing establishments in Finland. • The generalized event study approach suggests that clear reductions in state share raise productivity. • Productivity seems to rise because employment has decreased after privatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Private sector engagement in infrastructure procurement and ownership can have benefits for both investors and society. However, a significant challenge for authorities is determining when private sector participation provides value for money. Private investors may demand high returns on their investments even in projects with seemingly low risks. Governments with good credit ratings and access to lower cost capital may view private investors overprice in comparison to the level of risk they take. This paper examines whether the financing premiums (in addition to the cost of state financing) of four public-private partnership road projects in Finland are reasonable relative to the risks borne by private partners, using long time series of actual data. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to mostly use actual ex-post data on project costs over an extended period to evaluate whether the government overpays private investors. Our analysis indicates that the financing cost of the four projects is on average 201 basis points higher than the financing cost the government pays on its debt. We conclude that this premium is reasonable compensation for the risk the private investors bear in the projects. This finding has implications for selecting the most effective procurement policy for road projects. • We use long time series of actual financial data from PPPs to calculate the financing cost of PPPs. • We conclude that the extra financing cost of the PPPs is a justified compensation for the risk transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the development paths leading to the transition to cleaner bleaching technologies in the pulp industry. It devotes particular attention to the key features of the Swedish transition, but also compares this to the Finnish experiences. The empirical investigation builds on an analytical framework highlighting the conditions under which pollution regulations can provide efficient incentives for deep emission reductions at industrial plants. Existing and new archive material, including not least comprehensive license trial acts for Swedish pulp mills over an extended time period, are studied. Based on this historical analysis our findings contradict previous literature, the latter emphasizing that pressures from consumers and the public were the most significant driving forces behind the adoption of–and innovation in–alternative bleaching technologies during the late 1980s. Instead, this paper asserts, the green pulp transition was characterized by regulation-induced technological change and was made possible by long history of industry-wide cooperation in environmental R&D. Furthermore, while previous research has emphasized the leading role of the Nordic countries in green pulp innovation, we identify a number of profound differences between Finland and Sweden. These emerge from various national contexts in terms of, for instance, industry structures and strategies, political cultures, and regulatory styles. Finally, at a more general level the paper provides a few policy implications for supporting the ongoing transition towards a forest-based bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper has the aim of providing an evidence base for framing Mobility as a Service (MaaS) - or MaaS-like - solutions (i.e. technology-led) in rural or remote areas. This is explored particularly within the context of the policy of reducing transport disadvantage. We begin with a definition of MaaS – what it is and what it is not. This is followed by discussion of the array of existing mobility solutions typically found in rural areas which may be incorporated within MaaS. The main body of the paper focusses on the experience to date with MaaS in a regional and rural setting with consideration of recent evidence in an international context. We consider the elements of rural MaaS, and a variety of MaaS schemes, their status and levels of integration. A key discussion point is the finding that most previous and extant "Rural MaaS" schemes do not go beyond "MaaS level 2", suggesting the need for a renewed focus on understanding the barriers to the implementation and growth of MaaS in a regional and rural setting. Findings show that MaaS in a rural context is dominated by a preponderance of short-lived pilots with only a small user base, even in Finland and Sweden which can be described as the trailblazer locations. There are examples of niche schemes such as tourist focussed and there is evidence that car-based services are becoming more prevalent. Ultimately, prospects for scalability appear limited in current Rural MaaS activities since this will depend on how well MaaS segments the market. • An investigation of recent experience with MaaS in a rural and regional context. • MaaS in a rural context is dominated by a preponderance of short-lived pilots. • Prospects for scalability appear limited in current rural MaaS activities. • There is evidence that car-based modes are becoming more prevalent. • Barriers to the implementation and growth of rural MaaS need to be better understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depopulation, commonly labelled as shrinkage, of rural areas can lead to a self-reinforcing vicious cycle of decreased regional vitality. However, some regions have been able to adapt to shrinkage and maintain their vitality despite the population loss. Thus, they have been able to "shrink smart". While there is a growing interest in this topic and particularly in the policies facilitating adaptation to depopulation, there is no commonly agreed measure to depict smart shrinkage. This paper aims at devising novel metrics for benchmarking the (full) development potential of depopulating rural areas as a way forward in the study of smart shrinkage. The proposed metrics, tested with data from Finnish municipalities, provides a good overview of which regions are doing well in terms of their economy and community vitality despite shrinkage, and helps in the selection of interesting case regions for further in-depth analysis. • Depopulation (shrinkage) is a key concern for rural development. • The concept of smart shrinkage depicts successful adaptation to depopulation. • Regions that have retained their vitality despite depopulation "shrink smart". • This paper proposes novel metrics to measure smart shrinkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen Direct Reduction of Iron (HDRI) combined with renewable electricity is an attractive option for low-carbon steel production. In this paper, we present a novel and computationally efficient techno-economic power-to-x-plant optimization model which is then applied to an HDRI plant located in Finland. Plant dimensioning was carried out in several current and future power market and regulatory scenarios. We predict a production cost of 373 €/t for hot briquetted iron, and 351 €/t for a future scenario of 2025–2030. When the recently introduced EU rules for renewable fuels of non-biological origin are applied, the production costs increased by 30–46 €/t. The rules also have a significant increasing effect on the required hydrogen storage. The flexibility of the direct reduction shaft emerged as an important parameter affecting the required hydrogen storage as well as total production cost. The results of this paper hold significance for the optimal design of future low-carbon steel plants. • Computationally efficient optimization model for Power-to-X operations and dimensions. • Hydrogen Direct Reduction Ironmaking (HDRI) plant using wholesales and wind power. • Significant amounts of intermittent wind power can be absorbed by the HDRI plant. • HDRI/HBI production costs analyzed for EU regulatory scenarios on green hydrogen. • Emission reductions over 96% compared to CO 2 emissions of fossil steelmaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introducing cryptocurrency mining as a novel virtual energy storage system. • Offering a structure to store excessive renewable energy in cryptocurrency units. • Proposing an opportunity to generate more electricity from renewable sources. • Modeling cryptocurrency storage in the energy management studies of the microgrids. • Studying the profitability of cryptocurrency mining in the microgrids. Renewable electrical energy (such as: solar and wind energies) generation in microgrids (MGs), is gaining attention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Microgrid operators (MOs) aim to create self-sufficient, environmentally sustainable grids, increasing the capacity of renewable energy sources (RESs) by up to 100%. Despite of the benefits of this trend, challenges arise from non-controlled characteristics of these power generations and their seasonal variations, causing fluctuations and renewable energy curtailment. Although the technical solutions; such as: the demand response (DR) programs, and the conventional electrical energy storage systems (EESSs) can help, however those may face limitations in countries with high seasonal energy generation and consumption variations. This paper introduces cryptocurrency mining loads (CMLs) as innovative virtual energy storage systems (VESSs), named cryptocurrency energy storage systems (CESSs). It proposes a structure to store excess renewable energy in cryptocurrency units (CCUs) like Bitcoin (BTC). CESSs can be charged during off-peak intervals and, conversely, they discharge during high-demand periods to reduce the overall operational cost of MGs. Furthermore, it presents a new energy management system (EMS) formulation for the optimal operation of MGs in the presence of CESSs, providing an opportunity to generate additional electricity from RESs and to mitigate renewable energy curtailment. This paper explores the optimal operation conditions of both islanded and grid-connected MG with the proposed CESS. Utilizing a dataset from an island in Finland as a practical MG, its effectiveness is demonstrated through several case studies. The results of one case study in this paper demonstrate that the proposed CESS can decrease the operating cost of the MG by about 46.5%. Additionally, it is showed that by application of CESS the renewable energy curtailment is significantly reduced, and approached zero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rights- to -nature and rights -of -nature could challenge extractivist forest politics. • Rights- to -nature is about fair access to nature and a matter of social justice. • Rights -of -nature advocates for ecological justice and indigenous land rights. • In Northern Finland, these rights framings entangle with local common senses. • The rights conceptualisations do not address the gradual degradation of most forests. Forests, and the politics around them, are posited both as a cause of and solution to the contemporary ecological crisis. This paper explores how rights to forest and rights of forest conceptualisations can re-articulate, and potentially challenge, the problematic dominance of capitalist forest politics in Northern Finland and beyond. Conceptually, the paper combines the debates on rights- to -nature and rights- of -nature. Rights- to -nature is concerned with how people can access and use nature to support their lives. Rights- of -nature, meanwhile, highlights the nature's intrinsic value and the rights of indigenous peoples. Combining the two perspectives might allow imagining politics of nature that is both ecologically and socially just. Empirically, the paper studies forest politics in Tornio River valley in Northern Finland through an ethnographic case study. The rights- to -nature conceptualisation associates locally with the existing use rights and ownership rights. Rights -to -nature may guarantee access to a forest, but it does not guarantee its existence. Rights- of -nature, meanwhile, associates with strong conservation, nature's power, and indigenous land rights. However, also the rights- of- nature conceptualisation is unlikely to challenge the gradual degradation of most Northern forests, as these "boring" forests lack both recognised human stewardship and intrinsic value. Thus, in the study area the rights conceptualisations do not decisively challenge the existing forest politics, even if the framings can acquire a more radical content. Overall, this paper shows that transnational rights discourses and conceptualisations entangle with local common senses. Factoring in the local understandings is essential for re-articulating politics of nature that could receive broad local support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Transition potential of meat alternatives in Finnish food markets is studied. • Detachment from niche products required for mainstreaming meat alternatives. • Attachment to values of meat in everyday food practices anchor the niches to regime. • Practices of de/attachment reconfigure the regime-niche relations in food markets. In recent sustainability transitions research, more attention has been called to dynamic relations between regimes and niches in complex processes of systemic change. In this paper, we provide the case of meat alternative markets, which have been expanding rapidly in Europe and in Northern America. During this expansion, animal-free alternatives are in a contradictory situation. In aiming to carve out market space for these products the aim is to be as similar to meat as possible. In this paper we study how, in Finland, the niche actors have situated themselves within the regime by detaching from the first generation of plant-based foods and attaching to shared rules, materialities and cultural meanings in the meat regime. We discuss how the concepts of detachment and attachment can help in understanding further the transitional pathways created as niches aim to fit-and-transform the rules of the market, and the regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about the justification for social housing and, more broadly, different considerations for universalist provision of public goods. Globally, social housing has undergone a retrenchment phase in recent decades; it has been impacted by the financialisaton of housing and critiques claiming social housing is an inefficient and unfair use of public money. Nevertheless, as examples from Finland show, social housing still has a recognised role as part of welfare state policies. To understand how social housing advocates operate in this strained position, this paper analyses interview data collected from 23 experts in the field of social housing. The analysis—which draws on Boltanski and Thévenot's theory of public justification—shows that social housing officials are consistent in their views, emphasising decommodification of housing and supporting tenants' equal right for home and citizenship. These notes are interpreted through the tradition of the Nordic conception of welfare states. The findings open new opportunities to discuss connections between cultural legacies and divergent considerations for provision of welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of car fleet plays major part when considering the emissions resulted from passenger car use. Globally, there are many different methods and models for car fleet development estimation, but majority of these represent the results only on national level. In Finland, existing models do not note differences between area types. In this paper, we introduce car fleet model (SALAMA), which can be used to estimate car fleet development for both national and regional levels in Finland. Model allows to alter different variables (such as car fleet development speed, car ownership level and probability to change driving power) to examine, how different policy changes would affect the car fleet development. The paper depicts the Finnish baseline scenario compared to the effects of faster (30% faster than baseline) and slower (30% slower than baseline) fleet development speed scenarios. On the baseline scenario, model estimates 320 000 electric cars (both BEV and PHEV) in 2030 and 830 000 in 2040. For faster scenarios, model estimates 100 000 and 250 000 electric cars more in respective years, while slower scenario produces 80 000 and 180 000 electric cars less compared to baseline scenario. In addition, the model shows that there are clear differences between area types. For example, the share of electric car increases faster in urban areas than in rural areas. • Car fleet development model for Finland is presented. • Model produces results for both national and regional level. • Baseline scenario estimates a total of 830 000 BEV and PHEV in 2040 • Fast scenario estimates a total of 1 100 000 BEV and PHEV in 2040 • Fast fleet development alone will not fulfil 2030 EU emission reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Creative activities in the digital era are influenced by technology and digitalization. • Using time-geography, this paper analyses the spatio-temporal aspects of creativity in technologically mediated work. • The findings reveal how certain spatio-temporal practices, termed creative pockets, enhance creativity, while others hinder it. • The paper calls for more geographical studies on everyday creativity of individuals. Creativity is a process where interactions among individuals, resources, and peers bring about novel outcomes. Such processes have fundamentally changed in the digital era as creative activities are increasingly conducted along technologically mediated practices in spatio-temporally multifaceted contexts. This paper investigates the impact of such transformations on creativity by examining the spatial, temporal, and socio-material elements of creative processes. Drawing upon the literature on creativity and economic geography, and utilising Hägerstrand's time-geography framework, this paper presents a geographical approach to studying the creative processes on an individual level. Specifically, the concepts of projects and pockets of local order are employed to investigate spatio-temporal practices, routines, social interactions, and techno-material relationships during creative work. The empirical material involves nine Finland-based computer scientists. Mixed methods, including interviews, research diaries, and space-time maps, are used to document their everyday creative work. The results show three essential pockets where creative work is best advanced: pockets of flow, pockets of insight, and pockets of creative bundles. The findings further reveal how such pockets are disrupted and prevented in the everyday work of our participants due to spatio-temporal fragmentation, accelerating work-pace and ensuing feelings of time-pressure and digital congestion. The implications of the study extend to creativity management, the future of work in knowledge-intensive and creative professions, and the use of geographical methods in empirical process studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a two-stage model to site and size a battery energy storage system in a distribution network. The purpose of the battery energy storage system is to provide local flexibility services for the distribution system operator and frequency containment reserve for normal operation (FCR-N) for the transmission system operator. In the first stage, the priority is to fulfil the flexibility needs of the distribution system operator by managing congestions or interruptions of supply in the local network. Thus, the first stage allocates the battery to ensure reliable electricity supply in the local distribution network. The minimum required size of the battery is also determined in the first stage. The second stage optimally sizes the battery energy storage system to boost the profit by providing frequency containment reserve for normal operation. The first and second stages both solve stochastic optimization problems to design the battery energy storage system. However, the first stage considers worst-case scenarios while the second stage utilizes the most probable scenarios derived from the historical data. To validate the proposed model, real-world data from the years 2021 and 2022 in Finland are employed. The battery placement is conducted for both the IEEE 33-bus system and a Finnish case study. The profitability of the model is compared across different cases for the Finnish case study. Finally, the paper assesses the impacts of cycle aging on the battery's total profit. • A two-stage model is developed to site and size distribution-network-connected Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). • The first stage determines BESS location and minimum size for local network security. • In the second stage, the BESS profit is maximized by providing frequency containment reserve for normal operation (FCR-N). • The effects of cycle aging and the capacity fade on model profitability are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Climate change impact of household waste management in Lappeenranta was calculated. • Waste management impact was investigated in 2009, 2019, and 2029. • Mixed residual waste to combustion, biowaste to digestion, and others to recycling. • The 2029 scenario was significantly affected by replacing fuel in heat production. • The role of recycled plastic demand is highlighted. Waste management processes have developed significantly in recent decades and will continue to change alongside the associated environmental impacts. This paper examines the climate change impacts of historical development in waste management, which has not received significant attention in the existing literature, while also exploring possible future developments. The city of Lappeenranta in Finland was selected as a case study, and the climate impacts of household waste (HW) management were calculated for the actual situations in 2009 and 2019 and the foreseen situation in 2029. Separately collected waste fractions of mixed residual waste (MRW), biowaste, cardboard, plastic, metal, and glass were included in the analysis. The results show that the net climate change impact decreased considerably from 945 kg CO2-eq. /t HW in 2009 to -141 kg CO2-eq. /t HW in 2019 mainly by directing the MRW to energy recovery instead of landfill. The emissions responsible for climate change could be further reduced in 2029 by directing biowaste to digestion instead of composting and by directing more fractions to recycling; e.g., plastic, the impact of which is affected by the demand for recycled plastic. For the year 2029, the net climate change impact was -181 kg CO2-eq. /t HW when heat produced from MRW displaced natural gas and was as high as 142 kg CO2-eq. /t HW if the heat substituted biomass heat. The findings reveal that as energy production mixes and materials become less fossil carbon intensive, they have a significant impact on the net climate impacts of waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary heart disease patients must reach a hospital within 90 minutes from the start of myocardial infarction to avoid the risk of death. Current hospital locations are optimized for the overall health care system and may not be the best possible for these patients. For this reason, we have constructed a web tool for optimizing the facility locations to study how well they serve for the coronary heart disease patients. In this paper, we explain how the system has been constructed, how it can be used, and show the results using patient data in Finland. Results show that the number of patients at risk could theoretically be reduced to 1% with optimized locations but at the cost of increasing the average travel time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper describes a study of enablers and barriers to the development of MaaS. • The study involves informants with actual experience of MaaS developments. • A number of formal but also equally important informal factors have been identified. Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) has been argued as part of the solution to prevalent transport problems. However, progress from pilots to large-scale implementation has hitherto been slow. The aim of the research reported in this paper was to empirically and in-depth investigate how, and to what extent, different factors affect the development and implementation of MaaS. A framework was developed, with a basis in institutional theory and the postulation that formal as well informal factors on different analytical levels (macro, meso and micro) must be considered. The research was organised as a multiple case study in Finland and Sweden and a qualitative approach was chosen for data collection and analysis. A number of factors with a claimed impact on the development and implementation of MaaS was revealed. At the macro level, these factors included legislation concerning transport, innovation and public administration, and the presence (or not) of a shared vision for MaaS. At the meso level, (the lack of) appropriate business models, cultures of collaboration, and assumed roles and responsibilities within the MaaS ecosystem were identified as significant factors. At the micro level, people's attitudes and habits were recognised as important factors to be considered. However, how the 'S' in MaaS fits (or not) the transport needs of the individual/household appears to play a more important role in adoption or rejection of MaaS than what has often been acknowledged in previous papers on MaaS. The findings presented in this paper provide several implications for public and private sector actors. Law-making authorities can facilitate MaaS developments by adjusting relevant regulations and policies such as transport-related subsidies, taxation policies and the definition of public transport. Regional and local authorities could additionally contribute to creating conducive conditions for MaaS by, for example, planning urban designs and transport infrastructures to support service-based travelling. Moreover, private actors have key roles to play in future MaaS developments, as both public and private transport services are needed if MaaS is to become a viable alternative to privately owned cars. Thus, the advance of MaaS business models that benefit all involved actors is vital for the prosperity of the emerging MaaS ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization gives micro-enterprises and rural areas new possibilities and it can support their competitiveness. In this paper, we have presented one way of supporting the diffusion and adoption of digital innovations in rural micro-enterprises. First, we examined the challenges and digital competence of the micro-enterprises in the rural areas of Central Finland to better understand what they needed. The second step was to develop a workshop concept. Theories of innovation diffusion and adoption were used as a base for these workshops. The last step was to evaluate the developed concept, its effects and challenges. We found that the workshop concept worked well for spreading information, for encouraging a positive attitude towards digital innovations, and for planning the use of innovations. Important factors in order for this concept to work were trust, communication, and changing the roles of agents and opinion leaders. • Digitally excluded areas are also found in digitally advanced countries such as Finland. • Microenterprises need help with exploiting the digitalization. One way to do this could be workshops. • Paper presents real life case for supporting diffusion and adoption of digital innovations to microenterprises in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• IMSS receives structural support but functional and cultural support is weak. • Organizational culture does not equally integrate safety and security. • Subordinating security to safety is detrimental to IMSS. • The current state of IMSS is not adequate to address systemic risks. • Combating systemic risks would require co-identification of risks. The study is inspired by the change in the risk landscape caused by the development of digitalization and automation in the high-risk industry. The increasing convergence of process-safety, physical security, and cybersecurity risks can lead to major accidents. Integrated management of safety and security (IMSS) is a necessary means of preventing and preparing for accidents. The objective of this paper is to get new insights into the current state of IMSS and related challenges in the nuclear industry. The data includes the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) reports, articles on digitalization, IMSS, and interviews with safety and security experts from two power companies and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland. The paper compares the results with those in Seveso installations. The methods are thematic and qualitative content analysis. Theoretical framework consists of organizational culture and management perspectives. The paper provides new meanings to the ways in which IMSS is currently implemented. The paper shows the IAEA structural support to IMSS, differences in IMSS implementation in the nuclear industry, and organizational cultural aspects that constrain the IMSS. The latter include the subordination of security to safety, the assumption that organizational culture automatically integrates safety and security, the lack of co-identification and co-assessment of safety and security risks, which prevents a better understanding of systemic risks. The conclusion is that the current state of IMSS is not adequate to address converging, systemic risks, and coordination of safety and security aspects requires more attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the costliest and most frequent natural disasters, flood is a major threat to human lives and property. Flood forecasting, simulation, and monitoring plays an important role in disaster relief and mitigation. With the support from the JPSS (Joint Polar Satellite System) Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) Program, the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) global 375-m flood products in near real-time, daily composition, and 5-day composition have been developed and derived flood extent represented in water fractions from Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20. The products have shown good quality for the spatial distribution of floodwater. However, the moderate spatial resolution is a limiting factor when obtaining inundation detail. Moreover, no vertical information on the floodwater is included in the products. Based on water's self-leveling nature, it is feasible to construct the vertical structure of floodwater using the VIIRS 375-m water fractions and high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) such as the 30-m Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)/DEM through a downscaling process (Li et al., 2013). With impact factors including topography, land cover, tree cover, river network and watershed, the downscaling process has been integrated into a model called the Downscaling Model. By using the 30-m SRTM/DEM, the model can downscale the VIIRS 375-m floodwater fraction products into 30-m flood extent and water depth products. These products include flood information in both horizontal and vertical directions and thus are called 3-D flood products in this study. This paper presents a comprehensive introduction to the model with the results evaluated against high-resolution satellite images from Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Sentinel-2, and GeoEye, aerial photos, and river gauge observations. Evaluation results indicate reliable quality and promising performance of the model and the downscaled flood products. A routine system has been set up at the Cooperative Institute for Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at University of Wisconsin-Madison to generate experimental VIIRS downscaled flood extent and water depth products over the Continental USA (CONUS). The routinely generated VIIRS 30-m floodwater depth maps are available at: https://floods.ssec.wisc.edu/?products=VIIRS-3Dflood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of new digital technologies for natural resource management has created a need to design and update governance regimes for effective and transparent generation, sharing and use of digital natural resource data. In this paper, we contribute to this novel area of investigation from the perspective of institutional change. We develop a conceptual framework to analyze how emerging natural resource data governance is shaped by related natural resource governance; complex, multilevel systems of actors, institutions and their interplay. We apply this framework to study forest data governance and its roots in forest governance in Finland and Canada. In Finland, an emphasis on open forest data and the associated legal reform represents the instutionalization of a mixed open data-bioeconomy discourse, pushed by higher-level institutional requirements towards greater openness and shaped by changing actor dynamics in relation to diverse forest values. In Canada, a strong institutional lock-in around public-private partnerships in forest management has engendered an approach that is based on voluntary data sharing agreements and fragmented data management, conforming with the entrenched interests of autonomous sub-national actors and thus extending the path-dependence of forest governance to forest data governance. We conclude by proposing how the framework could be further developed and tested to help explain which factors condition the formation of natural resource data institutions and subsequently the (re-)distribution of benefits they govern. Transparent and efficient data approaches can be enabled only if the analysis of data institutions is given equal attention to the technological development of data solutions. • We studied how emerging forest data governance is shaped by dynamics in forest governance. • Forest data institutions may support path-dependency or renewal of forest governance, depending on context. • Innovative data institutions may enable a dynamic governance continuum from closed to open natural resource data. • Future studies should focus on feedback effects of data governance on natural resource governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effectively utilizing low-grade thermal energy is a promising approach to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions while reducing the burden on centralized power grids. Current thermoacoustic heat pumps and power generators face challenges such as high onset temperature differentials and low performance. This paper addresses these challenges by introducing a gas-liquid resonator into a thermoacoustic combined heat and power systems to recover low-grade thermal energy in residential buildings. Through Sage modeling and calculations, the internal characteristics of the proposed system and its output performance under different operating conditions are explored. At a heating temperature of 350 °C, the system can generate 6.4 kW of output thermal power, 0.9 kW of electricity, and overall exergy efficiency is 79.3 %. Combining neural network models with case studies conducted in Spain and Finland, the system can annually save 5.6 MWh and 20.7 MWh in fuel energy, reduce emissions of 1374 kg and 5180 kg of carbon dioxide, and save a total cost of €611 and €2324, respectively. Furthermore, comparisons with other emerging micro-CHP systems highlight the efficiency of the proposed system. These results indicate the high potential of thermoacoustic combined heat and power systems in recovering low-grade thermal energy and achieving energy savings and emission reductions. • Introducing an innovative thermoacoustic micro-CHP system. • Achieving an exergy efficiency of 79.3 % under standard operating conditions. • One system can annually reduce household CO 2 emissions by 5180 kg. • Ideal for households, balancing lower output levels for both heat and electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Countries with the same GDP/cap presented different levels of resource use. • The domestic extraction of natural resources impacted the socioeconomic metabolism. • Low population density was linked to higher levels of resource use per capita. • Economic crisis was particularly impactful in the use of non-metallic minerals. • Services were associated with higher resource productivity. The use of natural resources drives socioeconomic metabolism (SEM) and has been rising as economies develop, but not all countries present the same trends. Understanding how key aspects of the SEM relate to resource use and productivity is critical for promoting sustainable development. This paper analyses 15 years of the SEM dynamics in four European countries by quantifying gross domestic product (GDP) and resource use per capita. The monetary and material flows of Estonia, Croatia, Finland, and the United Kingdom were quantified in monetary and physical input-output tables, enabling the characterization of the flows between the economic sectors and of their cross-correlation indicators, namely through resource productivity. Key findings included the observation of a correlation between high productivity and more developed economies, where infrastructure has been developed for high-productivity services, the effects of economic structure on resource productivity, and on how the SEM developed after an economic recession. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to shift energy consumption to a time when a lot of energy is available supports the integration of renewable energy sources. Services that intend to do this automatically are currently emerging in the markets. These kinds of flexibility services are targeted as smart services to household consumers, promising them cost savings, optimal living conditions, and other benefits. The purpose of this paper is to examine the current demand and offering of these kinds of services in Finland. We performed an extensive consumer survey to untangle consumers' potential, motivation, and engagement in flexibility services and surveyed the properties, similarities, and differences of the flexibility services in the markets. We then defined a quality dimensions framework for flexibility services, with which we evaluated the results to understand the required properties of the services from a consumer viewpoint and how the services respond to these requirements. The results show that Finnish household consumers are quite willing and ready for these kinds of services, and several services are currently available that fulfill some of the identified requirements. Most of the services are currently provided to larger customers, but it should be noted that there also exists demand among individual households. Therefore, clearer incentives, unambiguous definitions of responsibilities, and effortless service introductions are required to motivate consumer participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancing climate change causes multiple direct and indirect impacts on ecological systems and human societies remarkably increasing diverse vulnerabilities and threatening human security, health and societal stability. Climate policies on national level have so far failed to systematically address structural causes of vulnerability which, if left unresolved, can hinder effective adaptation outcomes and adaptive abilities in society. In this paper, we examined how equity (fairness) has been addressed and operationalised through the justice dimensions both in the EU and Finnish national policies to explore key justice concerns from the viewpoint of just transition. We found that social justice is highlighted in the policies especially in terms of economic impacts and welfare gaps exacerbated by climate change impacts. Adaptive capacity is thus essentially intertwined in the ability of institutions to recognise and enforce processes that ensure the distribution of goods and resources in way that is responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable. • Key justice dimensions in environment, health and climate policies. • Identifying justice related concerns from the viewpoint of adaptation. • Recognition of institutional vulnerability to enable adaptive capacity. • EU and national policies highlight social justice as key element for fair transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research proposal explores how citizen-centered learning and career advancement can benefit from artificial intelligence, occupational classification frameworks, and the concept of proactive services. In the current literature, there are a lot of machine learning methods used in various job and training recommendation systems to tackle scientific or real-life problems. However, only a few use the existing occupational classifications to classify job and training advertisements or enable cross-regional labor mobility. Additionally, the quality of public e-services regarding labour market services in each European country varies greatly. For example, even though Estonia is typically referred to as being at the forefront of public service digitization and automation, it has not implemented machine learning methods to match job offers or training with candidates. The matching process between vacancy and job seeker is currently carried out with outdated International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) codes, altered to the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund's needs. The ISCO code is assigned to each job vacancy by a company and job wish by a citizen manually. Such functionality is rigid and requires the users to define an accurate ISCO code. Even when the filled-in CV consists of detailed previous work experience and educational background, if the ISCO code is not accurate, the e-service will not help the citizen find a new job. Moreover, in today's public employment service portals, there is typically no option to insert specific skills that a citizen has to receive an increased number of accurate job or training recommendations. Consequently, despite many well-established frameworks dealing with competencies and occupations, citizen-centered public services supporting upskilling and finding a new job are inefficient. In this paper, we put forth a research roadmap for investigating how to enable a technical ecosystem using occupational classification frameworks so that citizens, both employed and unemployed, can receive proactive recommendations about upcoming training events and job vacancies. Such a system should be tailored to support citizen life events. For example, it could consider citizens' previous work and educational background to help with retraining, upskilling, or changing one's career path. Therefore we have initiated a project in collaboration with the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, the Estonian Qualifications Authority, other Estonian public organizations, and partner universities in Latvia and Finland. The research is planned as an action design research to design an artificial intelligence-enabled Virtual Competence Assistant (VCA) for the EU labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a potentially revolutionary shift towards electric mobility in the passenger vehicle market, the academic and policymaking communities remain wedded to a techno-economic paradigm that may not fully appreciate deeper social and geographic elements of a transition to electric vehicles. In this paper, based primarily on bivariate statistical analysis as well as a hierarchical regression analysis of a survey distributed to >5000 respondents across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, we analyze how perceptions and attitudes towards electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid technologies differ by income, political affiliation, and geography. Although our findings confirm EV ownership and mobility patterns in general are related to income—those with higher incomes both own more EVs and drive more generally—they also confirm that interest in EVs is not so strongly related. Lower income groups seem to ask less from their cars, thus potentially opening up a market for cheaper low-range alternates. Political orientation is correlated to car and EV ownership, with those on the "left" more interested yet those on the "right" more able and willing to buy expensive cars. Moreover, we see variation in preferences across urban and rural subcategories, and our findings strongly suggest that EVs need not be promoted only for city or suburban areas. When controlling for variables, a multilevel regression analysis does not change the overall thrust of these associations. • This paper examines perceptions and attitudes towards electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid technologies • Those with higher incomes both own more EVs and drive more generally • Lower income groups seem to ask less from their cars, opening up a market for cheaper alternates • Political orientation shows counterintuitive relationships concerning vehicle ownership and EV interest rates • EVs need not be promoted only for city or suburban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the need to expand research on air transport regulation from the institutional to the everyday scale of analysis. Employing the Finnish Foreign Service as an example, it demonstrates how an assemblage approach to diplomatic aeromobility, as a fact of diplomatic working life and an item in geopolitical representations, can open up new angles on and directions for air transport and diplomacy research. Without trying to authoritatively delimit the concept, the article examines how the aeromobilities of diplomacy form overlapping, emerging, and mutually constituting networks at multiple scales, from the micro geographies of the airplane cabin and the geographies of the neoliberal state to the macro geographies of international air transport networks. It demonstrates how diplomats as both co-producers and end users of international air transport networks fill the space onboard a network carrier with a unique mobile working culture, co-produce mutually reinforcing representations with the flag carrier, and bring credibility to air service agreement negotiations. The paper suggests that further research on other geopolitical contexts and components of diplomatic aeromobility is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The multivalued nature of fish resources is demonstrated. • Values related to Baltic salmon and Baltic herring in two countries are compared. • Emphasis of values represented in fisheries governance depends on context. • Systematic inclusion of values in governance could enhance the legitimacy of decisions. Abstract The socio-cultural values associated with fish and fisheries affect the utilization and management of fish resources. However, these values often remain implicit in fisheries governance. This paper suggests addressing values explicitly to enhance the legitimacy of governance. We analyzed the values related to Baltic salmon and herring in Finland and Estonia, based on stakeholder interviews. By identifying similarities and differences between the values associated with two species in two countries, this paper demonstrates the multivalued nature of fish and fisheries. Based on our analysis, we recommend explicit and systematic inclusion of values in the early stages of governance processes to ensure morally reasoned management and use of fish resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A third of the final energy demand and almost a fifth of total emissions in the European Union is caused by road transportation. Advanced biofuels and larger and heavier vehicles have been seen in the literature as one potential logistics solution with which to improve the energy efficiency of the forest industry. The Finnish government aims to create a 100% carbon-neutral energy base by the year 2045, emphasizing the country's renewable forests as a source for energy and biofuel cycles. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how the local biofuel cycling through larger and heavier vehicles may affect the sustainability of wood procurement in the industrial ecosystem by focusing on transport efficiency, cost-efficiency and energy efficiency. The paper presents a quantitative energy-performance analysis from the optimization of results of the multi-objective dynamic biofuel cycle model. Goal programming enables the energy management solution for three biofuel scenarios of larger and heavier vehicles in the 100% carbon-neutral wood procurement of decentralized energy production. Since the basic scenario in 2013, there has been an upward trend in the average payload weight and a transition in 7- to 9-axle vehicle combinations. While the increase in energy efficiency is significant, it is less than half of the government's maximum scenario estimated prior to the regulations. The novelty of this study is in providing the impacts of the local biofuel cycles (5%, 15% and 30%) on the energy efficiency of road freight transportation to create a 100% carbon-neutral energy base for Finland. Furthermore, the results also provide decision support to the ongoing policy debate towards the 100% sustainable wood supply and/or wood procurement of the industrial ecosystems in Europe. Highlights • A 100% carbon-neutral wood procurement operates in industrial ecosystem in Finland. • 30% of fossil fuel consumption of transportation is replaced by wood-based biofuels. • Wood-based energy performance measure evaluates transport service provider's fleet. • Energy efficiency of timber transportation increases 15% by larger and heavier vehicles. • Energy ratio of timber transportation increases 65% by the use of biofuels and LHVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging active citizenry in public policy decisions using participative and collaborative processes is increasingly recognized as a critical step in implementing the open government concept. In this paper, we examine challenges and success factors as well as specific instruments and good practices in implementing participatory and collaborative governance in different governance contexts. Drawing on a comparative analysis of the approach adopted for the development and implementation of long-term strategies in Lithuania and Finland, we specifically focus on institutionalization of participative and collaborative processes along the policy-making cycle. The findings suggest that the most serious challenges associated with transitioning from 'old' to 'new' governance modes can be expected in countries associated with classical bureaucracy and legalistic institutional culture. In particular, such systems create internal and external pressure to focus on outputs as proof of results, which often trump efforts to enhance learning and consensus-building. Lessons learned from "Finland 2030" and "Lithuania 2030" suggest that institutionalization through leadership, clear responsibilities, a wide consensus within the society and administrations, and permanent stakeholder involvement platforms, is crucial to enable cultural change. The paper proposes a participative and collaborative governance maturity model that could be applied for benchmarking countries or policies. • The paper presents a collaborative and participative governance maturity model. • Institutionalization matters for the longevity of open governance. • Organizational culture is key to collaborative and participative governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector is critical in climate change mitigation by reducing its energy consumption. At the same time, warming climate requires adaptation measures from buildings, making it necessary to study the future thermal energy demand of buildings. This paper studies the impact of climate change on the thermal energy demand of buildings in a heating dominated climate of Finland, under "representative concentration pathway" (RCP) climate scenarios in near- (2030), medium- (2050) and long-term (2080) horizon. Additionally, the impact of the thermal performance level of the buildings is investigated. The thermal energy demand calculation is based on overarching standards from the European "energy performance of buildings" directive. The weather scenarios present both typical and extreme weather years, applied through morphing and future weather data from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The results show that annual thermal energy demand in Finland in 2080 can decrease up to 74.6 kWh/m 2. In addition, the decrease in heating demand will be higher than the increase in cooling demand. Cooling can become the dominant peak in long-term evaluations, especially in South Finland (Vantaa) with passive buildings under RCP8.5 climate scenario. Renovation is the most efficient action to decrease energy intensity, the earliest it is done the better. [Display omitted] • Thermal energy demand of detached houses in Finland is studied under RCP climate scenarios. • Thermal energy demand is expected to decrease in Finland in long-term. • RCP scenario affects when the highest average annual thermal energy change occurs. • Cooling can become the dominant thermal peak demand source for passive buildings. • Renovating building to newer standards remains beneficial, though less with time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As countries worldwide seek to reach net zero emissions within the coming decades, data center sustainability measures are becoming increasingly important as these facilities consume substantial amounts of electricity to support globally expanding digital infrastructure. Yet, local renewable energy production and waste heat utilization are still rarely used in data centers, even though recent high electricity prices have considerably increased the economic value of self-generation and energy efficiency investments. The benefits and cost-effectiveness of data center sustainability measures have also not yet been thoroughly researched in cold-climate regions, where the data center industry is currently growing rapidly. Thus, this paper assesses how solar photovoltaics (PV) and waste heat utilization can effectively be integrated into different cold climate data centers, with a case study analyzing data centers in Finland and northern Japan. The modelled results indicate that solar PV systems can cost-effectively be used to provide renewable electricity to data centers in both Finland and northern Japan, with electricity prices having the largest influence on economic performance. The use of larger external PV systems is shown to be cost-effective at the higher electricity prices seen in 2022, whereas smaller rooftop PV systems and grid electricity provide more economic benefits at 2019 price levels. Selling surplus PV electricity to the grid and using waste heat for district heating is also shown to be effective in data centers located in Finland, whereas battery storage and snow melting are better suited to utilize surplus PV electricity and data center waste heat in northern Japan. [Display omitted] • Solar photovoltaic systems can cost-effectively reduce data center emissions in cold climate countries. • Data center waste heat can provide value in district heating and snow melting applications. • The cost-effectiveness of data center sustainability measures is largely influenced by electricity prices. • The option to sell surplus electricity to the grid incentives larger solar photovoltaic investments in data centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scope of this research is to make quantitative estimates of the potential economic and employment impacts of renewable energy self-sufficiency. The study aims to make generalizations on a regional, or even national level, and to give directions for future research. This paper analyses direct monetary values and employment impacts in two regions, in a theoretical situation where all energy is produced by renewables from the respective region. Renewable energy, especially utilization of existing but presently unused resources, can play an important role in vitalizing regional economies, especially in rural areas. The money spent on fossil energy could be kept circulating in the regional economy. The amount spent on energy in the research areas was almost €4860 per capita per year, totalling more than €300 m annually. The existing data shows that there is the potential for self-sufficiency, or even surplus production. The results suggest that the regional economic impacts increase considerably if the region is self-sufficient in raw materials, including intermediates. On a larger scale, e.g., nationally, the loss of jobs in the fossil energy industry and the eventual variations within economies potentially based on renewable energy, will affect the overall impacts. There is at present insufficient scientific literature, knowledge or quantitative data for analysing these impacts thoroughly. This paper contributes to filling this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As climate change becomes an increasing concern in European countries, the bioeconomy could challenge previous conceptualizations about how states, citizens and corporations interact in everyday practices of natural resources governance. The conceptual understanding of responsive governance of the forest-based bioeconomy is an example of this challenge and is the topic of discussion in this paper. In Finland, there are efforts to support the transition towards the bio-based economy and to reform forest governance in an attempt to respond to local circumstances while mitigating global climate change. The recent articles have address the bioeconomy concept from political discourse point of view, the citizens participation has not yet been address sufficient in the current bioeconomy discourses. In order to fill this gap, this paper provides an empirical case from Finland and connects it to the theoretical contribution of responsive bioeconomy. The paper connects the capability approach and the forest based bioeconomy in the context of Finland. And argues that citizens could have capabilities and ability to participate in decisions about matters that directly affect their well-being. However, in the case of the forest based bioeconomy, the inclusion of citizens requires an interactive collaborative approach to empower various institutions and people to meet and debate on the development of their own living environment and environmental capability (i.e those bioeconomy opportunities to achieve outcomes people value). Citizens may not be able to find solutions and create the new innovations which the bioeconomy strategy require, yet it is the citizens who will live under the changed access to opportunities and entitlements including environmental services. For this reason, responsive governance and its adaptive and interactive administration need to ensure that many change actors are taken into account as a matter of basic justice in various processes of the bioeconomy transition. Therefore key aspects of change, such as citizens’ values, interests, knowhow and environmental entitlements need to be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have indicated and shown the feasibility of retrieving snow density from ground based passive microwave measurements at the L band (1 – 2 GHz) from theoretical and experimental viewpoints. This paper expands the previous studies by presenting a case study of the retrieval problem with space borne brightness temperature measurements from the SMOS satellite over Sodankylä, Finland. To successfully retrieve snow density, also ground and forest parameters were included to the retrieval process. The retrieved variables were validated against in-situ ground, snow, and forest measurements made around the Sodankylä area over 12 winters from 2010 to 2022. A Bayesian framework was used to account for and quantify the uncertainties associated with the retrieval process. The results show good agreement between the retrieved ground and forest variables with the respective reference values. The snow density retrievals were seen to suffer from multiple sources of geophysical noise. However, the monthly average bulk snow density was successfully retrieved under stable midwinter conditions. The best agreement with the in-situ measurements was found for February, with a bias of -0.4 kg/m3, an unbiased root mean square difference of 12.2 kg/m3, and a correlation coefficient of 0.75. • Ground, snow, and forest parameters were retrieved over 12 winters. • The results were validated against comprehensive in-situ measurements. • The study site represents a typical heterogeneous boreal forest site. • Retrieved vegetation optical depth follows the modelled dynamics and value range. • Retrieved snow density agrees with measurements during the cold mid-winter period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some medicines purchased are not used, resulting in pharmaceutical waste. Finland, among many other countries, is seeking to reduce the amount of pharmaceutical waste, but little information on this is currently available. This study aimed to evaluate the quantity, type, economic value, and reasons for returning pharmaceutical waste from households to community pharmacies in Finland. Community pharmacies (n = 82) quantified and qualified the amount of pharmaceutical waste returned to them over three days in May 2022. The data was collected using an electronic form. The reasons for returning medicines were asked from customers who returned medicines using a paper questionnaire. The data was analyzed for frequencies and percentages. To estimate the economic value, we used the Finnish medicines prices at the end of June 2022. The annual economic value was calculated by means of a pharmacy size-weighted average. The confidence intervals were estimated using the non-parametric bootstrap method. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine the reliability of the results. In total, 5173 medicines were returned to pharmacies, of which 66 % were prescription medicines. The most common medicines group returned were medicines for nervous system (18 %), respiratory system (16 %), and alimentary tract and metabolism (12 %). The estimated annual economic value of the medicines returned was 81 million euros (CI 95 % M€61–M€103), of which the cost to society was 43 million euros (CI 95 % M€30–M€60). 799 customers responded to the questionnaire (Response rate 81.9 %). The limited shelf life of the medicine after opening (36 %), improvement of the medical condition or symptom (25 %), and the unnecessarily large pack size (22 %) were common reasons for returning. A considerable amount of pharmaceutical waste is returned to pharmacies, causing unnecessary costs to both individuals and society, indicating the need to reduce waste. The limited shelf life and large pack sizes of medicines account for a large proportion of causes for household pharmaceutical waste. Reducing pharmaceutical waste requires action from all actors in the pharmaceutical chain. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines explicit positive assessments (EPAs) in personal training, that is, the personal trainer's positive evaluations of the client's physical performance, including comments such as bra ('good'). The data consist of video-recorded training-sessions in Swedish from Finland and Sweden. The methodological framework is interactional linguistics, and the study explores the actions that EPAs perform as well as their linguistic design and embodied and sequential environment. The main actions performed by EPAs in personal training include transitioning between activities, encouraging the client, and making positive evaluations. The personal trainer (PT) may vary the lexical, syntactic, prosodic, and embodied features of the EPA to emphasize any of these actions or a combination of them. Overall, EPAs are a central resource for fulfilling the institutional goals of personal training by guiding the clients through the training-program and motivating them. In addition to their use as feedback on actions in the present moment, EPAs also include forward-focusing aspects aimed at guiding clients' future behavior. • Feedback is essential in personal training, as in other pedagogical settings. • We study feedback in the form of PTs' explicit positive assessments (EPAs). • Examples of EPAs are "good" and "well done". • EPAs are used for transitions, encouragement, and evaluations in personal training. • Prosodic and embodied features are especially crucial for the meaning of EPAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paediatric movement disorder patients can benefit from deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment and it should be offered in a timely manner. In this paper we describe our experience establishing a DBS service for paediatric patients. We set out to establish a paediatric DBS (pDBS) procedure in Oulu University Hospital in northern Finland, where up to this point DBS treatment for movement disorders had been available for adult patients. Collaboration with experienced centres aided in the process. A multidisciplinary team was assembled and a systematic protocol for patient evaluation and treatment was created, with attention to special features of the regional health care system. All of our first paediatric patients had very severe movement disorders, which is typical for a new DBS centre. The patients benefitted from pDBS treatment despite variable aetiologies of movement disorders, which included cerebral palsy and rare genetic disorders with variants in PDE10A, TPK1 and ARX. We also present our high-quality paediatric MR-imaging protocol with tractography. Establishment of a pDBS centre requires expertise in classification of paediatric movement disorders, longstanding experience in adult DBS and a committed multidisciplinary team. Besides high-quality imaging and a skilled neurosurgery team, careful patient selection, realistic treatment goals and experience in rehabilitation are imperative in pDBS treatment. [Display omitted] - The process for establishment of a paediatric DBS service is described in detail. - Pre-, intra- and postoperative protocols are presented. - Paediatric DBS Service is a holistic service involving multidisciplinary team work. - An established adult DBS service and collaboration with a more experienced paediatric DBS centre is essential. - High quality brain MRI under general anaesthesia is crucial. - The goals of paediatric DBS treatment may differ between patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both regional and rural development have enduring "received wisdoms" to which wise practitioners and policy makers pay lip-service. In the case of the latter the role of land-based industries as drivers of the rural economy is ignored at peril, whilst regional policy makers must pay their respects to cities and towns as the engines of growth. We suggest that city region thinking is a "zombie idea", which refuses to die, though unsupported by evidence. In this paper we trace the influence of city region thinking in the context of rural Scotland and Finland and explore the way in which it coexists with rural development policy. These two case studies provide examples of different approaches to reconciling the received wisdom and traditions of regional/urban and rural development policy. City region thinking is influential in both countries, but policy legacies and governance structures lead to different outcomes. We suggest that city region thinking may become increasingly anachronistic in the post-Covid world and needs to be superseded by rural/regional development paradigms fully refreshed by evidence of twenty-first century rural-urban relationships. • City region thinking is a common rationale for regional development policy, though evidence of its effectiveness is weak. • Multi-level governance agreements are increasingly taking the place of strategies in regional/rural development. • The spread effect rationale may be further weakened by changes in spatial organisation, accelerated by COVID-19 effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]