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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]

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]

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]

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]

Information technology infrastructure (ITI) has gone through an exponential change due to the rapid evolution of digital technologies during the past few years. It is therefore relevant to identify the factors that push organizations towards the adoption of new technologies. This paper considers a specific case study of the higher education institutions (HEI) to present (i) the motivational factors that push HEIs toward the adoption of new technologies, and (ii) the key challenges HEIs face in the adoption of these technologies. The data was gathered after conducting 17 open-ended interviews with practitioners working at HEIs in Finland and Pakistan. Data analysis identified 10 motivational factors and 41 challenges faced by HEI in the adoption of the latest technologies. Furthermore, the data was further classified to identify broad themes and categories representing the challenges and motivation factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-machine collaboration has potentially led to higher quality and more informed data-driven decisions. However, evaluating these decisions is necessary to measure the benefits, as well as enable experiential learning and posterior rationalization of the results and consequences. Nevertheless, the multiplicity of human-machine collaboration modes, as well as the multi-faceted nature of data-driven decisions complicates evaluation, and evaluation solutions are lacking both in research and in practice. This is further reflected in the complexity of incorporating evaluation in the design of such data-driven decision making systems, since developers are left without theoretically grounded and practically feasible principles to guide implementation. In this paper, we propose a set of five design principles, explicated from theory and practice, for systems implementing data-driven decision evaluation as the output of design science research cycles. The design principles are: 1) multi-faceted evaluation criteria, 2) unified viewpoint, 3) collaborative rationality, 4) processual ex-post evaluation, and 5) adaptive feedback and learning loops. They are further contextualized in the case of AI-enabled menu design at Antell, an innovative pioneer in the restaurant business in Finland, and consequently evaluated by the development managers of the project. Accordingly, the design principles contribute to the knowledge base on metahuman systems and data-driven decision evaluation, by concretizing existing normative concepts into prescriptive knowledge, also guiding future research and generalizing towards a design theory. Furthermore, they provide implementable statements for designing and developing such systems in practice and can be used as a checklist to compare and evaluate existing systems. [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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

• Analysis of the science-law relationship as an interdisciplinary exchange of problems. • The problem-feeding model of interdisciplinarity is used in this analysis. • Highlight mismatches in expectations between actors. • Differing concepts of uncertainty and understandings of values-science central. Legal decision-making often relies on scientific knowledge and information of other kinds, not least in environmental law where legal institutions use environmental modeling to, for example, project expected effects of projects when approving or denying permits. In this paper, using use the problem-feeding model of interdisciplinarity, we analyze this relationship as an exchange of problems and solutions between different communities of expertise. Drawing on recent examples from Finland, we use the problem-feeding model to explore the conditions under which problem-solution coordination breaks down. We argue that tensions between the notions of uncertainty used by the different communities of expertise can lead to differing understandings of the way the relationship between legal institutions and scientific experts works, and that this may disrupt the orderly exchange of problems and solutions. We illustrate our views in a fictional discussion between a lawyer and a modeler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The waste water discharges of Finnish industry have mainly been regulated by permits. The permits contain limits and requirements individually set for each plant, taking into account the ecological characteristics of the specific site as well as the technological and economic features of the plant. Despite great increases in production, discharges into water by the Finnish pulp and paper industry have decreased markedly in recent decades. For example, the total biochemical oxygen demand of discharges in 1997 was less than 10% of the corresponding figure for 1982. This paper examines the development of the limits included in the permits and their effects on the discharges of the entire Finnish pulp and paper industry. Statistical analyses of mill level data are combined with the results of thematic interviews. The results show that permit conditions are only one of several factors responsible for the reduced discharges. In some cases clear effects of permit limits can be identified, whereas in other cases they have had no effect. The study shows that more information can be gathered by combining quantitative and qualitative research methods than by using these methods separately. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Deep mining, driven by the increasing need of the sustainable use of mineral resources, yields a chance to exploit untapped resources. Nevertheless, large depths remain challenging and complex environment, posing geotechnical risks such as stress driven damage. The violent damage mechanisms in deep mines are spalling and strainburst in their most severe forms. Real-time monitoring can not only assist in preventing a failure, but can also assist in post failure mitigations. It can help identify the possible systemic failure of adjacent areas and can therefore help in evacuating people and machinery from these areas. The long-term goal is to develop a real-time risk management concept for intelligent deep mines. The objective of this paper is to summarize the outcomes of I 2 Mine and DynaMine, formulate a risk concept suitable for real-time analysis and to produce a tangible measure of the risk levels. In this paper the Fault Tree – Event Tree methodology is proposed and an example is worked out using strainburst as an example risk case. The proposed methodology seems to work well and using a scenario with both property damage and ore loss, the risk expressed as financial consequences multiplied with probability drops from € 88,000 to € 11,000 corresponding to a - 80% reduction in risk. The financial consequences together with the associated risk level can be expressed visually using a modified FN graph with financial loss on x-axis and probability on the y-axis. The developed geotechnical risk management concept suits the need of semi-automated or fully automated risk management. It would fit well in the analysis stage of the raw data and would produce a stress state change, which could be used as input in the risk management chain for intelligent deep mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the Moodle features that are implemented in the Moodle version used at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences. Using the qualitative weight and sum (QWS) approach, a sample of 30 university lecturers were surveyed on their responses to Moodle usage. The paper intended to discover what features are mostly adapted and used by the lecturers. The Moodle learning management system implemented at KAMK includes 12 features for creating activities and six features for adding resources that are investigated in the paper. The measurement criteria of the Moodle features in the paper are considered subjective and qualitative. The author used 6 symbols for 6 qualitative levels of importance for the weights of features: E = essential, * = extremely valuable, # = very valuable, + = valuable, | = marginally valuable and 0 = not valuable. The result of the evaluation shows that Moodle is generally used for delivering course content, course progression plan, grading, creating activities, collecting course feedback and communicating with course participants. Among several features, only a few of them such as assignment, feedback, quiz and workshop modules are considered very essential and are heavily used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) has been a persistent source of human–wildlife conflicts in the Baltic Sea area. Fishers have perceived cormorants as competitors for fish resources, while conservationists have resisted mass hunting of the birds. In this paper, we analyse the cormorant conflict in Finland, with a special focus on its factual dimensions and the previous attempts to address the conflict at the national and regional levels. We also present the results from a knowledge co-production process, structured as a joint fact-finding process to address the contested knowledge claims concerning cormorant-fishing interactions. The results suggest that the factual controversy about the cormorant effect on fishing livelihood is essentially a frame conflict resulting from different scales of analysis. Our findings support the assumption that knowledge co-production processes have the potential to address science-intensive environmental conflicts and create practically useful and contextually appropriate knowledge, which integrate scientific knowledge with place- and practice-based knowledge. The process developed a shared understanding of the fishers' practical wildlife-induced problems and several other questions, including cormorant impacts on migratory fish in Finland. A key to generating shared information was that the participants had control over information used in the process. Furthermore, third-party facilitation was important to ensure effective dialogue. While interpersonal conflicts have not been the original source of the impasse, they have become an important part of it and prevented efforts to constructively address the conflict. • An important element of the cormorant-fishing conflict is disagreement over factual claims. • Knowledge-co production generated shared information among scientists and stakeholders. • Shifting the focus from fish stocks onto wildlife-induced damage to fishing would be helpful. • The conflict is sustained by ineffectual communication and interpersonal relationships. • Joint monitoring of cormorants could build trust and rapport among the local actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demonstrations serve an important role in the promotion of sustainable technologies. This paper analyzes sustainable building demonstration from the strategic niche management perspective. It studies how demonstration sequences conducted over a long time span gradually contribute to niche development for clean energy technologies at the national level. Our empirical analysis focuses on solar building demonstrations in Finland, an unfavorable context for the technology. Our findings show that the demonstrations leveraged sporadic windows of opportunity for the technology resulting from international developments. The projects supported three niche development processes: the building of networks, different types of learning and the creation of visions and expectations, thereby softening the ground for solar technology uptake in new buildings. However, they have also struggled to make an immediate impact on mainstream practices due to weak continuity and the challenging socio-technical environment. The paper concludes with implications for carrying out demonstrations projects that provide continuity in unfriendly environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Target scale prospectivity modeling for identification and prioritization of drilling targets. • Mineral exploration using advanced statistical and machine learning methods. • Epigenetic-hydrothermal gold mineral system in the Rajapalot project area in Finland. • Monte Carlo Simulations for optimization of fuzzy inference systems. • Adaptive neuro fuzzy inference systems for mineral prospectivity modeling. This two-part paper reports results of data integration using different machine learning methods for target-scale prospectivity modeling of gold mineralization. The study area is the Rajapalot project area in the Northern Fennoscandian Shield in Finland. In this Part 1 paper, prospectivity modeling was implemented using knowledge-driven- and hybrid- expert systems. Prospectivity analysis-related systemic and model uncertainties were addressed using statistical and machine-learning based methods. The knowledge-driven Fuzzy Inference Systems (FISs) were optimized using Monte Carlo Simulations (MCS) to address and quantify mathematical model-related uncertainties and consequently present the prospectivity values at varying confidence levels. In the FIS results, as the confidence level increases, the high-prospectivity zones mapped by the models are spatially reduced and the mineralization trend becomes progressively well-defined. The resulting prospectivity map has 80% capture efficiency. The supplementary prospectivity map reporting prospectivity values at 90% confidence level has enhanced area-reduction capability. Machine-learning based Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) was optimized under the neuro-fuzzy environment. This hybrid ANFIS-based result has 88% capture efficiency. Three exploration targets identified by the prospectivity maps together comprise about 1.5 km2 of the ∼20 km2 study area (i.e., 7.5% of the study area). This indicates considerable search-space reduction by the modeling results for follow-up ground exploration. Hence demonstrating that the prospectivity mapping methods, which are primarily 'predictive tools' at the regional scale, can be harnessed to serve as an aid to detection technologies at the target scale. Implementation of knowledge-driven and hybrid approaches deliver results that can (i) incorporate human cognition into prospectivity modeling, (ii) reduce bias of conceptual model, and (iii) are not overfitted to the training dataset. Statistical methods such as hypothesis testing and MCS, and machine learning methods such as ANFIS are therefore collectively beneficial for addressing both systemic and fuzzy systems-related modeling uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Target scale prospectivity modeling for identification of drilling targets. • Epigenetic-hydrothermal gold mineral system in the Rajapalot Au-Co project area in northern Fennoscandian Shield, Finland. • Transformation of regional-scale predictions to target-scale detections using advanced machine learning methods. • Non-linear machine learning methods for identification of mineralization-related geological attributes in drill core data. • Self-organizing maps for mineral deposits-related pattern recognition from geoscientific datasets. • Artificial neural networks for prospectivity modeling. This paper is part of a two-publication series reporting target-scale prospectivity modeling results for gold enrichment in the Rajapalot project area. The study area is located in the Northern Fennoscandian Shield in Finland and consists of high-grade epigenetic-hydrothermal Au-Co prospects. The first publication of this series described the implementation of knowledge-driven- and hybrid- expert systems. In this second paper we demonstrate the application of machine learning methods such as unsupervised self-organizing maps (SOM) and K-means clustering and supervised artificial neural networks (ANNs). The results from SOM allowed the mapping of deposit-related geological patterns in the evidential layers. K-means clustering of the SOM results identified data clusters favorable for gold enrichment. Quantitative prospectivity values were computed using an ANN model trained on the SOM codebook vectors. This improved the resolution of the prospective-exploration areas mapped within the geospatial domains of the clusters, and reduced the exploration search areas. The ANN result has a significant area under curve value of 0.869 in the receiver operating characteristic plots, confirming the predictive ability of the model. Results identify new areas for exploration, as well as help prioritise drilling targets around the currently less explored prospects. In this second paper we therefore conclude that (1) SOM is an effective method for mapping and visualization of patterns (in the evidential layers) related to mineral deposits at the target scale, and (2) supervised classification of the SOM results, such as using an ANN, can help define new target areas for drilling around the existing prospects. Finally, this two-publication series collectively demonstrates that advanced machine-learning based pattern recognition and prospectivity modeling routines can be used for exploration targeting at camp- and mine- scales. The knowledge-driven methods are efficient at modeling mineralization processes and the data-driven methods are effective at identifying geological attributes related to mineral deposits and occurrences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to discuss the measurement of eco-efficiency in the Finnish forest industry from three perspectives. First, the paper introduces a way to measure eco-efficiency in the Finnish forest industry. Second, the paper evaluates the suitability of public data for calculating eco-efficiency in the Finnish forest industry. Third, the calculations of selected eco-efficiencies are presented. The main method used in this research is the Delphi panel, and eco-efficiency indicators are based on the experts' rating. The environmental and economic performance information of the three biggest Finnish forest industry companies are used here as examples. According to the experts of the Delphi panel, the economic performance of the eco-efficiency should be measured using the ‘value added’ indicator. In environmental performance, they preferred the environmental impact or emissions groups. Based on public data, the value added data can only be calculated at the company level, although the environmental impact and emissions groups could be presented in detail as site-level figures. Eco-efficiencies can be calculated only with selected environmental aspects and for a limited time frame. The eco-efficiency calculations show varying trends for the three companies: improvements, declines and fluctuations in eco-efficiencies. The current research raises questions regarding the usability of public data as a source of research material, suitability of the indicators suggested for decision making of the forest industry, the need for more detailed data to study the development of the eco-efficiency of the Finnish forest industry and the need to compare the eco-efficiency performance of the Finnish forest industry with that of its international counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the concept of circular economy is gaining increasing attention, there is a lack of tools or any agreed methodology for evaluating circularity. To date, circularity has been assessed mainly at product level, but national and regional level assessment is also essential in evaluating the effectiveness of circular economy strategies. As regions play an important role in implementing both EU and national strategies, the paper seeks to develop indicators for evaluating the circularity of material flows at regional level. In the case region of Päijät-Häme in Finland, the circular economy strategy is among the region's smart specialisation spearheads, and Päijät-Häme has a road map for moving towards a circular economy. The material flows examined in this study were phosphorous, plastics, textiles, waste wood and ash. While the region has high utilisation rates for plastics, textiles and waste wood, a significant proportion of material flows relates to energy production rather than material recycling. The present analysis highlights the difficulty of obtaining regional-level information on material flows; the available information and statistics relate mainly to waste flows or to national averages that do not necessarily reflect regional characteristics. For that reason, the indicators are based on circulation of waste materials rather than material circulation for the whole value chain from manufacturing to reuse and recycling. Nevertheless, the developed indicators provide a simple measure of circularity for regional material flows and can be further developed as more information becomes available. • Comprehensive and systematic analysis on measuring the circularity of different materials at regional level. • Development of new indicators for the measuring of circularity of material flows. • Explaining how to measure material circularity taking into account production, reuse or recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that emphasizes sustainable and affordable energy presents a practical pathway to achieve sustainable growth. Moreover, this goal aligns with SDG 13, which focuses on climate action. Nonetheless, it is important to consider factors such as political and financial risk, as they can influence climate action efforts and the renewable energy sources adoption. Hence, this study broadens the conversation surrounding CO 2 emission reduction and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It accomplishes this by investigating the interplay between renewable energy, political risk, financial risk, and CO 2 emissions in Finland spanning from 1990/Q1 to 2021/Q4. Notably, this research distinguishes itself through its exploration of these complex connections, employing a wavelet-based quantile methodology. Unlike traditional quantile regression, which can only reveal connections between variables within each quantile, the wavelet-based quantile approach enables the simultaneous capture of correlations across quantiles and periods. The results show that in the long-term and across all quantiles (0.01–0.99), energy efficiency, specifically gas and oil efficiency, lessens CO 2. In addition, low financial and political risks improve ecological quality by lessening CO 2 across all periods and quantiles (0.01–0.99). The paper outcomes serve as a basis for formulating a policy framework aimed at achieving SDG 7 and SDG 13 in Finland. • We explore the impact of energy efficiency and country risk on CO 2 emissions. • The role of renewable energy and economic growth are also analyzed. • The Time series data of the Finland is used from 1990/Q1 to 2020/Q4. • Various wavelet-based quantile correlation is applied. • Renewable energy, oil and gas efficiency decrease CO 2 emissions in each quantile and across periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia is a key chemical for the agriculture and chemical industries, and a potential future marine fuel. Potential growth in ammonia demand further highlights the importance of ammonia production defossilisation to comply with climate goals. Widely available renewable resources and declining costs of solar photovoltaics and wind power enable the production of green e-ammonia at many locations and potential exports to countries with less optimal resources and other restrictions. This paper aims to compare the cost of imported e-ammonia to Germany, Finland, and Spain from regions with excellent renewable resources, Morocco and Chile, to the cost of local production, and to quantify potential economic savings due to trading. Transportation costs are calculated in this study with techno-economic parameters reported in detail to assess their impact on final import costs, and to allow comparison of shipping costs to pipeline transmission costs over various distances. Pipeline imports from Morocco were found to be significantly higher in cost compared to imports by sea from Chile and Morocco or local production. Imports from Chile were found to be economically feasible for Germany and Finland, with import costs 10–33% lower than domestic e-ammonia production in 2030–2050. Imports to Spain may be attractive in 2030s, but, after 2040, local solar resources enable local e-ammonia production costs at the same or lower cost as imported e-ammonia. Ammonia trading in the future may depend on access to the sea. Other factors such as creation of jobs, additional revenues, and energy security concerns may also impact e-ammonia trade. • Imports of green e-ammonia are feasible for Germany and Finland, but not for Spain. • Imported e-ammonia is 10–33% lower in cost in Germany and Finland in 2030 • In 2050, imports are 12–33% lower in cost in Germany and Finland than local supply. • Shipping e-ammonia is more economical for medium and long distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, satellite instruments have been providing observations of air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) with global coverage. Since late 2018, the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on-board the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite has produced NO 2 vertical column densities (VCDs) with the best spatial resolution (currently 5.5 × 3.5 km2 at nadir). In this paper, we test and adapt two previously published methods to estimate surface-level NO 2 concentrations from TROPOMI VCD retrievals in the specific conditions of Finland. Satellite-based estimates show good correlation with co-located surface NO 2 measurements from the Finnish AQ network, although not accounting for the level of NO 2 mixing within the boundary layer leads to underestimation. We also use a linear relation between in situ measurements and surface-level estimates to correct for the observed negative bias in the estimates. Finally, we use chemical transport model simulations to estimate the ratio of the annual mean surface concentrations to the values sampled according to TROPOMI observation times, and use it to correct our surface-level NO 2 estimates for compatibility with annual limit values defined in AQ legislation. Overall, the results provide new information to complement traditional ground-based AQ measurements, especially over areas where the surface AQ networks are sparse, and to support national environmental authorities in air quality assessment and reporting. • Surface-level concentrations of NO 2 estimated from satellite observations in Finland. • The satellite estimates show high correlation with ground-based data. • Annual average estimates calculated over air quality monitoring regions in Finland. • The results are useful to complement air quality network measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An upcoming directive requires the recycling of end-of-life (EoL) textiles. In this paper we show how this recycling could be arranged in such a way that the value of the recycled material exceeds the costs of recycling. We approach this via an embedded case study by examining the end-of-life (EoL) textile recycling supply chain in Finland. The study builds a cost model based on empirical and secondary data to estimate and compare the costs of different alternatives for the EoL textile supply chain. Different alternatives are designed by using postponement-speculation concepts. The four identified EoL textile supply chain alternatives are: postponed centralized sorting with manual, semi-automated or automated sorting, and speculative local sorting. The results suggest that postponed centralized sorting is the most efficient, as it enables investments in sorting automation, but it requires local pre-sorting to avoid contamination. At least in the EoL textile supply chain, the logic of using postponement-speculation strategies is the inverse of that in forward supply chains. Therefore, when in forward supply chains look possibilities for postponement, speculation strategies are relevant in EoL supply chains. Additionally, the proposed recycling system concentrates on material recovery as currently majority of EoL textile end up as disposal or they are exported for developing countries for reuse even if the items are no longer reusable. • Value of obtained materials may exceed the costs of end-of-life textile recycling. • Postponement-speculation concepts offer new approach to design reverse supply chains. • Study provides cost comparison of different alternatives for the EoL supply chain. • Defining the place of sorting collected materials is the key issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We model the full wavefield produced by a seismic velocity survey and optimise the representation of the fracture zone to best match field waveforms. The velocity survey was part of a mapping study on fractures in the Excavation Damage Zone (EDZ) of ONKALO underground research facility at Olkiluoto. The EDZ results from excavation of the rock mass, which modifies stress conditions changing the nature and behaviour of pre-existing fractures and generating new fracturing. These fractures act as the main transport pathways for contaminants both in and out of a geological disposal facility (GDF). Our goal is to test different representations of the fracture zone and to determine which models most successfully improve the interpretation of the fracture zone, producing estimates of a key unknown parameter, fracture stiffness, in addition to fracture sizes, fracture geometry, fracture density and crack density. We use modelling techniques previously tested in theoretical and laboratory studies and assess their performance on a real engineering problem. The paper introduces the field experiment and relevant information from the GDF in Finland. It describes the methodologies used for representing the fracture networks in the models — Explicit Fracture models with two approximations called Pixelised Fracture Model (PFM) and Equivalent Discrete Fracture Medium (EDFM), the Effective Medium (EM) model, and two versions of the Localised Effective Medium (LEM) model (LEM fine, LEM thick). These alternative representations were used within models of the field experiment and the calculated waveforms were used in an iterative inversion for fracture stiffness. Results show that the EM model and the EDFM model were unsuccessful in matching recorded waveforms. The fine LEM model and the explicit PFM model produced the best results especially after iterative optimisation of the fracture stiffness, giving confidence that further optimisation will lead to improved characterisation of the fracturing from the full waveform data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Imported green e-H 2 is more expensive than e-H 2 produced in Germany and Finland. • Local supply of e-H 2 found to be more economical across all scenarios and years. • Transportation costs constitute 29–63% of the total imported e-H 2 cost. • Pipeline transmission may be cheaper than shipping for distances of 2000–2500 km. Widely available and low-cost solar photovoltaics and wind power can enable production of renewable electricity-based hydrogen at many locations throughout the world. Hydrogen is expected to emerge as an important energy carrier constituting some of the final energy demand; however, its most important role will be as feedstock for further processing to e-fuels, e-chemicals, and e-steel. Apart from meeting their own hydrogen demand, countries may have opportunities to export hydrogen to countries with area limitations or higher production costs. This paper assesses the feasibility of e-hydrogen imports to Germany and Finland from two case regions with a high availability of low-cost renewable electricity, Chile and Morocco, in comparison to domestic supply. Special attention is paid to the transport infrastructure, which has a crucial impact on the economic viability of imports via two routes, shipping and pipelines. This study has found that despite lower e-hydrogen production costs in Morocco and Chile compared to Germany and Finland, additional transportation costs make imports of e-hydrogen economically unattractive. In early 2020s, imported fuel costs are 39–79% and 34–100% higher than e-hydrogen produced in Germany and Finland, respectively. In 2050, imported e-hydrogen is projected to be 39–70% more expensive than locally produced e-hydrogen in Germany and 43–54% in the case of Finland. e-Hydrogen may become a fuel that is mostly produced domestically and may be feasible for imports only in specific locations. Local e-hydrogen production may also lower dependence on imports, enhance energy security, and add jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 86 long-range atmospheric dust events were identified to reach Finland. • 59 were Saharan, 22 were Aral-Caspian, and five were from the Middle East in origin. • Number and proportion of scarce winter events have more than doubled since 2010. • All winter dust storm events were associated with freezing rain. Studies on atmospheric dust and long-range transport of mineral dust have been a focus of atmospheric science in recent years. With its wide range of direct and indirect effects, mineral dust is one of the most uncertain elements in the mechanisms of climate change, and a deeper understanding of its role is essential for understanding future processes. The aim of our research was to provide the first systematic data on the so far episodically documented northward transport mineral dust from arid-semiarid areas. So, in this paper, we present dust storm events from lower latitudes reaching the Finnish atmosphere, based on the MERRA-2 model Dust Column Mass Density data and after a multistep verification procedure using independent data source. In total, 86 long-range dust storm events were identified between 1980 and 2022, when air masses loaded with dust reached Finland. Based on backward-trajectories different sources were identified: 59 were Saharan, 22 were Aral-Caspian, and five were associated with Middle Eastern source areas. Considerable variation in inter-annual frequencies was observed among the source areas, which may be due to changes in circulation conditions and the effects of human activity (agriculture and land use changes in Aral Sea region). There is a clear maximum of dust events in spring (60%), followed by summer and autumn (where 10 of the 11 autumn episodes were from the Sahara). However, the number and proportion of scarce winter events have more than doubled since 2010 compared to the preceding 30 years, but no autumn events were registered during this period. This clear temporal variation coincides with changes in dust transport observed in other regions of Europe, driven by greater atmospheric meridionality associated with climate change and driven by reduced temperature difference between low and high latitudes due to enhanced temperature increases at Arctic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the relationships between Finnish household types and their consumption-based carbon footprints. We calculate footprints by combining expenditure data with life-cycle greenhouse gas emission intensities derived from an environmentally extended input–output model. By applying regression analysis, we explore the effects of expenditure, urbanity, and household size on total, direct, and indirect emissions. The separate analyses for direct and indirect GHGs provide insights, not previously found in the literature, on the relationship between urbanity and carbon footprints. Holding expenditure constant, a rural lifestyle seems to be related to the highest GHG emissions. However, keeping in mind that the absolute amount of indirect emissions is major to direct emissions from home energy and private driving, the less prominent or even reversed relationship between indirect emissions and urbanity is also worth noting. The existence of household size scale effects depends whether direct or indirect GHGs are explained. We demonstrate that in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of mitigation policies and their effects, not only the averages but the various patterns of direct and direct emissions must be kept in mind. This paper complements the earlier carbon footprint assessments from the same authors by providing a comprehensive statistical analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Degrowth theorists and practitioners have challenged the economic growth paradigm and sought for economic, cultural and political alternatives that would respect the planetary boundaries. Their strategy has generally been to either reject the formal market system as a whole and experiment with alternative practices outside markets or suggest changes in the policies that regulate markets. They have paid less attention to potential changes in market cultures. This paper seeks to foster the cultural transformation of current market–nature relations while retaining the radical core of degrowth. The paper presents an investigative practice that was found in an ethnographic study of an evolving forest-based market in Finland. The practice seems to have the potential to disrupt habitual ways of approaching nature and of turning it into exchangeable and consumable objects. According to practice theory, this kind of disruption creates space for emerging alternatives to the dominant practices. In this sense, the investigative practice works similarly to an environmental shock, without the harmful material effects. In addition, the investigative practice involves a critical approach that supports a transition toward sustainable market–nature relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The consumption of wood pellets grew rapidly during the last decade. In this paper we compare the development of the production factors for wood pellet markets in Finland, Germany, Sweden, Norway and the US; we analyze how domestic market prices for pellet production factors as well as domestic market prices for pellets vary among the countries. The analyses are based on two model plants. The first represents common technologies for small scale pellet production based on dry residues from sawnwood production, while the second represents large scale production based on a blend of dry and wet materials. The results show how differences in costs of feedstock, energy and labor affect the profitability of pellet production and hence the development of pellet production in the analyzed countries. Pellet producers in the US have lower feedstock costs than producers in the analyzed European countries. The economic sustainability for European pellet producers depends to a large extent on their domestic markets as internationally traded pellets are priced lower than their production costs. Future pellet production will, to a greater extent, be based on wet feedstock such as roundwood and wet sawdust. These feedstocks are also demanded by wood-based industries (pulp and paper, particle- and fiber-board) as well as for traditional fuelwood. The transition from smaller pellet plants using dry feedstock to larger plants using wet feedstock in future pellet production, can be expected to follow comparative advantages regarding feedstock and energy costs, but also with respect to economies of scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Circular Economy (CE) is a concept that has gained considerable global attention during the past decade amongst private and public sector actors, politicians and policymakers, citizens and media, and scientific communities. Water and water-related ecosystems, despite their vital role in practically all human activities, have been largely missing from conceptualisations and scientific definitions of the CE. Therefore, this paper presents a definition and concept for a water-smart CE that incorporates water and water-related ecosystems. A water-smart CE would (i) reduce losses of water, energy and valuable substances, (ii) improve water efficiency and productivity, (iii) reuse treated wastewater, and (iv) better protect and lessen pressure upon water-related (both aquatic and groundwater) ecosystems. The paper also touches upon the potential risks of the CE to water-related ecosystems. Policy instruments that could be used to promote a transition towards a water-smart CE in Finland – the setting of the present study – and beyond were also sought. Additionally, actors who provide and/or use water-smart CE solutions were interviewed to shed light on their perceptions about the drivers of, barriers to and potential policy instruments for promoting a transition towards a water-smart CE. Based on the analyses of policy instruments and stakeholder interviews, a mixed use of economic, regulatory and informative instruments is suggested to support the desired transition towards a water-smart CE in Finland and elsewhere. [Display omitted] • A concept for a water-smart Circular Economy (CE) is introduced. • Elements of a water-smart CE are presented. • Instruments to support the transition to a water-smart CE are analysed. • Drivers for and barriers to the transition to a water-smart CE are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: When rock cores are loaded in uniaxial compression, acoustic emission occurs when the stress reaches a level greater than that which the rock has previously experienced. This phenomenon, known as the Kaiser Effect, has been used as an indirect method of estimating the in situ stress field in rock masses. If the procedure is valid, then the Kaiser Effect method has the advantage that the stress field can be estimated through laboratory tests on rock cores, rather than the field drillhole methods of overcoring and hydraulic fracturing. However, the Kaiser Effect method is an enigma: on the one hand, there are good reasons why the method cannot be valid; on the other hand, there are reports in the literature of it being successfully applied. In this paper, we explore the variety of geological and mechanical factors involved and report on a case example for the Olkiluoto crystalline rock site in western Finland. We conclude that the Kaiser Effect method for stress measurement is only likely to be successful if it is supported by key geological and other stress measurement information and if certain procedures are followed as explained in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article analyses the impact of stakeholder participation in the drafting process of the Environmental Protection Act, which regulates the licensing of peat extraction in Finland. The article contributes to research on the impact of stakeholder participation in regulatory processes, which is a generally underexplored field of study, and seeks to identify which arguments affected the end result. Furthermore, it addresses whether the legislative drafter took into account influential arguments as a result of rational choice arrived at by means of adequate reasoning and under conditions of procedural transparency. Finally, it analyses how these arguments reflect the attitudes of stakeholders towards the objective and dynamics of the public hearing process. The paper presents a qualitative and quantitative argumentation analysis, which consists of an argument typology, together with analysis both of the feasibility of different arguments and the frequency with which they were employed and of the realisation of different viewpoints on the draft. The analysis shows stakeholders' statements had significant effectiveness but that the weight given to different arguments was unbalanced. In conclusion, it seems that frequently used arguments were ignored without reasons being given but that rarely used arguments that seem difficult to apply had an influence on the process. Moreover, stakeholders that supported the objective of the Act used arguments that could not be easily taken into account while still achieving the objective of the Act. Meanwhile, arguments indicating problems that were easy to fix in the draft were used to oppose the objective of the Act per se. Consequently, there was no clear consensus among stakeholders as to whether the public hearing process should be understood as amounting to aggregative bargaining or integrative deliberation. Based on these findings, it is suggested that participatory processes in legislative drafting should be developed to foster horizontal dialogue between stakeholders. • The impact of the public hearing on the draft was significant but unbalanced. • Relevant and recurring arguments were recognised but ignored with no reasons given. • Some who were in favour of the new Act proposed arguments that went against its aim. • Certain arguments opposing the new Act identified problems that were resolvable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Evolving complex concepts, such as bioeconomy, cannot be applied without selecting (consciously or unconsciously) some definitions and excluding others. This process of selection may have a considerable impact on how bioeconomy is understood. This paper presents how the concept of bioeconomy took shape in a participatory development project that created foundations for new professional specialisation studies within the Finnish bioeconomy. Written documents (n = 21), produced in different phases of the project, were analysed with qualitative content analysis to find out how bioeconomy was A) understood as an activity, and B) conceptually linked with different global meta-discourses. Bioeconomy was primarily understood as an intensive use of diverse biomasses within a forest cluster, agriculture, the food industry, waste management and the energy sector, whereas many other bioeconomy sectors were marginalised or excluded. The idea that biomasses should be saved was very rare, and the concepts that prioritise some biomass uses over others, such as the cascade principle, were excluded. Bioeconomy itself was understood as a societally and globally influential new way of thinking i.e. as a meta-discourse. Strong associations were also made to nationalistic and statist meta-discourses. Conceptual transformation during the project was most distinct in the sustainable development meta-discourse: sustainability turned from a self-evident characteristic of bioeconomy into a consciously reflected and desirable goal. The results illustrate how a common consensus of bioeconomy is built through exclusion and inclusion in a participatory development project. Project organisers should be conscious about this process and explicitly state how and why some aspects, actors and activities are emphasised while others are downplayed or excluded in their bioeconomy projects. Only then we can create far-reaching policies and considered actions to guide societies toward the desired and defined future. Highlights • Conceptualisation of bioeconomy in a development project was analysed. • Intensive use of biomass was emphasised in the project. • Many bioeconomy sectors and activities were marginalised or excluded. • Some learning in sustainability issues was identified during the project. • Developers should be better aware of the conceptual choices they necessarily make. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A full scale physical development and test facility, Divertor Test Platform 2 (DTP2), has been established in Finland for the purpose of demonstrating and developing the remote handling (RH) equipment designs for ITER using prototypes and virtual models. The major objective of the DTP2 environment is to verify and develop ITER divertor RH devices and operations. In practice this means various test trials and measurements of performance characteristics. This paper describes the design process of the Cassette Toroidal Mover (CTM). The main purpose of this design task was the development of the CTM concept. The goal of the design process was to achieve compatibility between CTM and the latest ITER divertor design. The design process was based on using a variety of tools, i.e. Catia V5, Delmia, Ansys, Mathcad and project management tools. Applicable European Standards were applied to the concept design. CTM is the cassette transporter, which carries divertor cassettes on the toroidal rails inside the ITER Vacuum Vessel (VV) during the divertor maintenance. The operation environment differs from a common industrial environment. Radiation level is 100Gy/h. The temperature during RH operations can be 50°C. Clearances are less than 20mm and the loads carried weigh 9000kg. These conditions require special solutions during the product development process. The design process consisted of defining and developing of the CTM operational sequence. This sequence includes the procedure of how the CTM – with it is onboard manipulator – prepares for and handles the divertor cassettes during RH operations. RH operations are essential part when defining CTM functions. High reliability is required in order to carry out RH tasks successfully. The recoverability of CTM is also an important design criteria. This paper describes the design process and the structure of the CTM concept. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper argues that corporate environmental management should be based on significant environmental aspects that result in significant environmental impacts. The Finnish forest industry has substantially reduced its emissions but, being heavy industry, it still causes significant environmental impacts. This paper presents expert views on environmental impacts and their measurement. They were gathered through semi-structured theme interviews. The most frequently mentioned environmental impacts and significant environmental impacts related to water, energy and air. Positive environmental impacts resulted from recycling, forest industry products and use of energy. Traditional emission measurement was considered a well-measured issue. The target subjects of the measurement and especially environmental impact measurement require improvement. The contribution of this research is concerned with the development of measurement and two issues arising from the research are emphasised. First, environmental impact measurement should be further developed. Second, the measurement of the production chain that is physically outside the boundaries of forest industry mills should also be developed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, the possibilities and conditions for CCS applications in Finland are assessed. The study includes an overview of Finland’s current climate and energy policy framework, mapping of large CO2 emission point sources and identification of possible CO2 transportation and storage alternatives. The future role of CCS in the Finnish energy system is further assessed with energy and emission scenarios created with a comprehensive model called TIMES-Nordic. There are several large CO2 emission sources in Finland that could be potential candidates for CCS, including steel works, power and heat generating plants, as well as oil refineries. In 2008, the 12 largest facilities in the Finnish emission trading registry accounted for 30% of the total CO2 emissions in Finland. Since the Finnish bedrock is not suitable for large-scale geological storage of CO2, captured CO2 would most likely have to be transported to the North Sea or Barents Sea for long-term storage. Most of the largest CO2 emitting facilities are located on the coast line of Finland, which facilitates transportation of CO2 by ship. The current Finnish climate and energy policy largely focuses on increasing the share of renewable energy and nuclear power in energy conversion, which leaves less room for CCS. The preliminary results from the scenario calculations indicate that the share of CO2 mitigation by CCS in Finland would be less than 10 Mt/a CO2 by 2050. However, Finland has also large, stationary CO2 emissions originating from biomass combustion in the pulp and paper industry. When assuming that biogenic CO2 emissions would be included into the emission trading system, the CCS potential rises up to 18 Mt/a CO2 by 2050. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper considers the problem of designing PES-type contracts to encourage participation and spatial coordination amongst private forest owners in Finland. The aim of the policy is to increase efforts to mitigate risks from invasive forest pests and diseases. Such control actions yield spill-over benefits to other landowners and to wider society, meaning that the level of privately-optimal disease control is likely to be less than the socially-optimal level. The policy designer may wish to encourage spatial coordination in the uptake of such PES-type contracts, as spatial coordination delivers an increase in the effectiveness of control measures on disease risks. We conducted a choice experiment with private forest owners in Finland in October 2016. The study elicited the preferences of woodland owners with respect to the design of forest disease control contracts, and gauged their willingness to cooperate with neighbouring forest owners within the framework of such programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The recent technological developments monitoring the electricity use of small customers provides with a whole new view to develop electricity distribution systems, customer-specific services and to increase energy efficiency. The analysis of customer load profile and load estimation is an important and popular area of electricity distribution technology and management. In this paper, we present an efficient methodology, based on self-organizing maps (SOM) and clustering methods (K-means and hierarchical clustering), capable of handling large amounts of time-series data in the context of electricity load management research. The proposed methodology was applied on a dataset consisting of hourly measured electricity use data, for 3989 small customers located in Northern-Savo, Finland. Information for the hourly electricity use, for a large numbers of small customers, has been made available only recently. Therefore, this paper presents the first results of making use of these data. The individual customers were classified into user groups based on their electricity use profile. On this basis, new, data-based load curves were calculated for each of these user groups. The new user groups as well as the new-estimated load curves were compared with the existing ones, which were calculated by the electricity company, on the basis of a customer classification scheme and their annual demand for electricity. The index of agreement statistics were used to quantify the agreement between the estimated and observed electricity use. The results indicate that there is a clear improvement when using data-based estimations, while the new-estimated load curves can be utilized directly by existing electricity power systems for more accurate load estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper aims to contribute to media studies on climate change through a study of the ways in which the adequacy of transnational measures of tackling climate change are represented in media outlets in the UK, Ireland, Sweden and Finland. Media texts on the European Union Energy and Climate Package, introduced in January 2008 and approved in modified form in December 2008, are analyzed in-depth. Through an exploratory cross-societal comparison of media representations, the paper traces some of the dynamics of contemporary environmental debates. We argue that the adequacy of proposed transnational measures for tackling climate change becomes a relative concept in the media: measures are not adequate or inadequate per se, but contingent upon social context and relative with regard to time and to the comparisons made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Department of Intelligent Hydraulics and Automation (IHA) of Tampere University of Technology has been involved in the European Fusion program since 1994 within the ITER reactor maintenance activities. In this paper we discuss the design and development of a six degrees of freedom water hydraulic manipulator with a force feedback for teleoperation tasks. The manipulator is planned to be delivered to Divertor Test Platform 2 (DTP2) during year 2008. The paper also discusses the possibility to improve the fail safe and redundant operation of the manipulator. During the design of the water hydraulic manipulator, special provisions have been made in order to meet the safety requirements such as servo valve block for redundant operation and safety vane brakes for fail safe operation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The logical diagram of method structure in this paper. [Display omitted] In this paper, the demand response of district heating for swimming pools and pool space air is proposed and applied in a swimming hall in Finland. Swimming halls have significant heat demands e.g., domestic hot water supply, space heating and pool water heating, and thus have much large heat storage capacity for the realization of district-heat based demand response. A dynamic building simulation tool IDA ICE was used to simulate whole swimming hall including pools and HVAC systems. In addition, a rule-based demand response algorithm which utilized dynamic district heat price was proposed and applied in the district heating control of the studied swimming hall. The results show that the large storing capacity of pool water promises the large amount of charged and discharged heat energy, and ensure the application of demand response of district heating in swimming hall. The application of demand response of district heating can increase the average pool water temperature from the normal setpoint of 26.5 °C to 27.3 °C. In addition, demand-response district heating control for the swimming pool water and pool space air decreases the total district heat costs of the swimming hall by 1.1%. During the repayment periods of 7 and 15 years, the energy cost savings and maximum cost of profitable investment for the demand response control are between 10 000 € and 20 000 €. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present paper argues that the growth of organic farming correlates with the past support policy decisions. Not the recent direct organic farming payments are of importance, but rather the extent to which the past policies focused on rural development. Building on the OECD positive policy principles, the paper assesses the support policies of Austria, Finland and the EU. The policy appraisal was based on 16 distinct assessment criteria, with 1960–1994 as the timeframe. In addition to the largest organic farming sector, Austrian support policy demonstrated the highest rural development orientation. The CAP framework enabled but did not enforce rural development, whereas the rationalisation tendencies were strongest in Finland. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]