Search

Over the last years Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) have gained attention as a solution to lower CO2 emissions from aviation, a sector difficult to electrify that contributes to a large extent to global CO2 emissions, and is expected to grow in the future years. A new European consortium based in Norway, Norsk e-Fuel, presented its project on sustainable fuels. The project aims to industrialize a hydrogen based e-fuel, generated from CO2 and water, using Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU), electrolysis, and Norwegian renewable energy. CCU, as well as many new technological solutions, comes with challenges and uncertainties that hinder their deployment and governance, constantly pushing for institutional changes. This thesis uses Norsk e-Fuel as a case study, and Institutional economics theory to analyze the environmental governance system framework around the implementation of CCU and e-fuels in Norway. Additionally, it looks to identify the uncertainties and challenges for their development and how these and actors from the governance structure push the dynamics of institutional change and influence their implementation. Results showed Norway has a robust environmental governance structure that, together with an international framework, has a lot of influence on the implementation of e-fuels and the CCU value chain. The research identified several challenges and uncertainties for their development and implementation. These challenges have been actively discussed by the main actors involved. The discussions have shown a dynamic action within the national and international governance structure to have clearer policy instruments to implement or refute CCU and e-fuels. Today, a new regulatory framework from the EU that contains relevant instruments for implementing CCU and e-fuels is about to be adopted. However, the results identified some limitations in Norway to adopt new EU regulations, like slow processes and apprehensiveness from the institutions setting the rules to implement new regulations. Regardless of these limitations, institutional change is constantly happening within the actors in the governance structure, and the findings show that the influence they have to implement new solutions has a lot of weight. M-IES

This thesis will estimate the Willingness to Pay (WTP) for water infrastructure in the city of Huaraz - Peru. Huaraz is one of Peru’s most vulnerable city to Climate Change. The city lies under the largest concentration of tropical glaciers in Peru: The Cordillera Blanca. Melt water from the glaciers has contributed to an even water supply, and corresponding urban development. However, Climate Change is posed to reduce water supply. Once glacial melt water stops flowing, water infrastructure such as reservoirs and water tanks will have to compensate for the losses. A Choice Experiment helped to gauge Huaraz residents’ interest on these two alternatives. These results were controlled for Climate Change perception and agency. The results show that people have a strong predilection for reservoirs, being reservoirs the most familiar option in the past. In other words, urban planers need to invest in large infrastructure to adapt to Climate Change. In addition, interviews with water committees show that water fees are too low, and might be insufficient to fund infrastructure expansion. M-IES

Household consumption behaviours in the UK are contributing to the greenhouse gas emissions driving the climate crisis. Policies in the UK implement climate change mitigation efforts; however, these instruments are often unable to influence a behaviour change. This project aims to investigate the use of information as a policy instrument to encourage climate relevant behaviour on an individual level in the UK. The research will investigate barriers, impact and normative information disclosure, and communication within a group as potential influencing aspects for adopting climate relevant behaviour. The institutional theory, the norm activation theory, the functional theory, and the deliberative democratic theory will be used to understand the influence of these aspects. Focus groups were the main data collection method, along with a commitment strategy for participants to decide to adopt climate relevant behaviours. Four of the focus groups presented impact information and two of the focus groups presented both impact and normative information. Follow-up focus groups and questionnaires were used to assess participant experiences. In total, 25 participants took part in this investigation. All 25 participants committed to adopt climate relevant behaviours. The barriers identified and the perceptions of the information seem to be influenced by individual preferences, moral obligations to act promoted by personal norms, and preferences of other individuals. The majority of participants experienced barriers, the most significant being the social (family) barriers. Perceptions of the impact and normative information were mixed among participants. However, normative information was not perceived as confusing and seemed to be more engaging than the format of impact information. Communication within the group and the group setting itself seemed to have the most significant influence because of discussion and pressure within the group stimulating moral obligations and motivations to act. It is suggested that combining group communication with relatable normative information could form an appropriate policy instrument to encourage climate relevant behaviour on an individual level in the UK. M-IES

Rouge National Urban Park has been described as "the first of its kind" in Canada. Its proximity to the largest urban centre in the country, and the challenges represented by this, makes it an interesting case study in environmental governance. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the institutional change represented by the transition in the status and management of the Rouge from a local park to a national park. This thesis aims to answer the questions: 1. What were the main characteristics of the decision-making process that resulted in the establishment of Rouge National Urban Park? 2. How did the regime change after the transition to Parks Canada? 3. What are the effects of the new regime on the actions of economic and civil society actors? 4. What are the expected impacts of the new regime on the resources in the park and how they will be used in the future? To analyze the institutional change in resource management exemplified by the establishment of Rouge National Urban Park, this thesis will use the Environmental Governance Framework proposed by Vatn (2015). Under this framework, it will examine the different actors involved in the transition to the new national park regime, as well as their preferences, interests, and interactions. National parks are seen as an institution, which has some basis on internationally- accepted definitions of protected areas under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Category II. To analyze the results of the new regime, Underdal (2002)’s framework on Regime Effectiveness will be used. The change in the park’s legislation and operations are seen as the output of the decision-making process, while its effect on economic and civil society actors’ behaviour is seen as its outcome. Finally, the long-term effect of the decision-making process and its output on the resource being governed is seen as the impact. Per date, it has only been possible to indicate what is expected, Rouge National Urban Park is relatively new. This particular case study is examined from different actors’ perspectives. To do so, qualitative research methods such as interviews and literature reviews have been used. An array of primary and secondary sources, such as government documents, public documents, and news articles, have also been chosen to provide a balanced and diverse overview of the issue. It is worth noting that, as exemplified in this case, politics has as much to do with conservation as does governance. This is due to the fact that decision-making is a political process, and the resulting legislation frames the way resources are managed. While it remains to be seen what the long-term impact of these decisions will be on the natural and cultural resources in the park, this thesis contends that the park lands will be better administered under federal management. Not only will the Rouge be protected in perpetuity, but once the land transfers have been finalized, an important natural ecological corridor will be formalized and preserved. Having these lands unified and maintained by an agency with the mandate and the means to do so will be beneficial, especially due to the park’s location within developed areas. At the same time, it will be vital to continue partnerships with important stakeholders such as farming communities, First Nations groups, and local conservationists. Maintaining the balance between nature and culture in an urban setting means that the Rouge represents a new model of park management in Canada. Lessons learned from its experience could be applied in similar cases around the world. M-IES

During the 80s and 90s, many post-communist countries underwent structural transition processes advocated by neoliberal institutions. Rapid transitions from one structure to another resulted in chaos as the implementation of sound institutions to manage new property rights regimes were insufficient. The emphasis of the transition period to open borders and integrate societies into the free market side-lined other concerns such as environmental conservation and protection. The IMF facilitated this move in Albania through structural adjustment programmes and stringent conditionality in its financial lending. The Albanian society was in deep socio-economic crisis emerging from an autocratic communist rule and the natural environment had suffered through industrial pollution and deforestation. Neoliberal restructuring failed to recognise the need for environmental rehabilitation and protection due to its ideological nature, and the pressing socio-economic situation in Albania made funds allocations difficult, resulting in further absence of environmental regulations. This research scrutinises communism and neoliberalism applied in Albania in the late 80s and 90s as insufficient systems for environmental protection. Through an analysis using urban air pollution, industrial pollution and deforestation as measurements of environmental impact of IMF policies and national policies - economic and environmental - the study calls for an alternative system to aid sustainable environmental governance. Accentuating the need for holistic approaches to structural change, with significant participation from the population on local, regional and national levels, for creating new systems which reduce negative environmental consequences as well as socio-economic problems. M-IES

The threat of underwater noise pollution was recognized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which adopted the voluntary guidelines for the reduction of underwater noise from commercial shipping to address adverse impacts on marine life in 2014. Underwater noise pollution is a transboundary pollutant caused by cavitation of ship propellers which disturbs the behavior of marine mammals. This thesis investigates international and United States national regulations and their demands regarding actions to reduce underwater noise pollution. Additionally, the thesis examines the process of establishing the voluntary guidelines at the IMO and the ways in which political, economic, and civil society actors evaluate the voluntary guidelines. Finally, this research explores the expected outcomes of the voluntary guidelines as evaluated by economic actors and the motivations of economic actors to implement the guidelines. This thesis draws upon Vatn’s environmental governance system framework which aids in understanding the interactions between institutions, actors, and policies. Theories on resource regimes, voluntarism, precautionary principle, and policy entrepreneurship are further used to understand the empirical data on which this thesis is based. Qualitative data from documents and interviews with political, economic, and civil society actors in the United States provides the empirical basis for evaluating the voluntary guidelines. The results from this thesis show that because of the transboundary nature of sound, international agreements provide a useful basis for addressing the effects of noise pollution. The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78) define pollution as energy and substance respectively. Therefore, UNCLOS covers noise pollution implicitly. However, neither UNCLOS nor MARPOL 73/78 address noise pollution explicitly. M-IES

This thesis is grounded in the discussion on how REDD+ should be governed on the ground in Tanzania. The debate has mainly been in relation to two governance structures of REDD+. The first structure is what has been proposed in the National REDD+ Strategy where state authorities are key actors. The second structure is what has been advocated by Civil Society Organizations where forest communities have direct access to the carbon market. The dilemma that these structures present is whether REDD+ funding should be used in order to strengthen weak state governance or to empower forest communities by having direct access to the carbon market? The goal of this thesis has been to evaluate the implications of selecting either of the two models where the main focus has been concerning the implications for the local government in Tanzania. In order to study the process, a qualitative research approach has been used. The analysis is mainly based on primary data collected by semi-structured interviews, however, secondary data such as research articles, reports and government documents have been used in addition. The main findings suggest that the district government acted as ‘service providers’ to the NGOs in the implementation process. Although the implications for the district have been positive, it has not been to a large degree. In terms of input legitimacy, it would seem like the informants from the district perceived the process as legitimate, however, there might be some disagreements at village level. From a theoretical perspective, there are some key issues in relation to the legitimacy of the process due to how NGOs were able to dominate in relation to decision-making and how there was a detachment of democratic accountability. In conclusion, this thesis has argued that the best solution would be to go with the model proposed in the National REDD+ Strategy because it could possibly result in empowerment of the forest sector at local level. M-IES