A systems perspective on sustainability measures aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in three Swedish municipalities

Sammanfattning: 2019 was the year with the highest measured amount of GHG emissions in history, indicating that our existing way of living is unsustainable and demands substantial changes. New ways of governing environmental issues are therefore being called upon in which the local level has great potential to create change. Sustainability measures involving integrated social dimensions which questions the motive for performing or engaging in emission demanding activities are found leading to a more long-lasting change. In Sweden, the decentralized decision model makes municipalities have a large responsibility for creating change in crucial emission demanding areas. Recognizing these concerns, this study applies a multi-dimensional system perspective with a broad range of cultural, habitual and technological aspects by Jensen et al. (2019) on three front-running municipalities (Tyresö, Växjö and Lund) working to reduce emission levels. The study focuses on distinguishing between different drivers for change among sustainability measures regarding energy and mobility functions, with a specific focus on the account of incorporated social dimensions. The results indicate that there is a lack of integrated social dimensions among the selected municipalities, in which only 26% of the grand total of 220 analyzed measures involve integrated social elements which enables a system-wide change. Technical and individual behavioural changes are far more prioritized than changes which are linked to collective lifestyle aspects and involve a mixture of technology, norms, cultures and organizations within the society, which are aspects proven more likely to lead to a system-wide change. The study provides knowledge on the capability of local decision making to enforce a systemic change toward sustainability if the current measures are carried out, in which the results indicate that the change among the three selected municipalities will be limited.