In January 2005 the emission allowance system was introduced within the European Union and the first period ends at the end of 2007. The system was introduced in order to decrease the wastes of carbon dioxide and the system is a part of ratifying the Kyoto ?protocol which first period runs between 2008-2012.The idea of the system is to reduce the wastes of carbon dioxide where it costs less to do so and the expenses for the society therefore are as diminutive as possible. Different theories explain that companies can benefit from environment legislation and can depending on the company?s attitude gain competitive advantages improve its productivity and thereby increase its profitability.With this in mind, the study aims at examining how the introduction of the emission trade system has influenced Swedish smaller companies in the distant heating industry, with focus on the factors attitude, innovation, competition and profitability.

This study in Environmental Science examines the amendment of the EU-Directive on. Greenhouse gas emission allowance trading. The Directive is to be considered as a tool for fulfilling the obligations that the Union and its member countries have taken on through the 1997 Kyoto agreement together with the protocols proposed at that time. The flexible mechanisms of the protocol are intended as instruments for limiting the climatic changes arising from anthropogenic sources, emission allowance trading being one of these mechanisms. The results presented here consist primarily of an analysis of interviews with various experts in the field of emission control concerning the possibilities and problems attending the process of implementation.

The aim of this study is to clarify the Swedish government?s purpose of participating in theEuropean Union Emission Trading Scheme. Taking as its departure point state-centricinternational political economy this study presents three plausible hypotheses on what thepurpose might be. Either it is to promote consumers interests, or to promote the Swedishnational climate goal ?Reduced impact on climate?, or to promote the profit of Swedishcompanies.

An increased awareness about the global warming has created a demand for more information on how the climate is affected by different activities.This master thesis was initiated by Tricorona, a Swedish company that offers its customers analysis and calculation of their climate impact. Tricorona also supplies climate neutralisation with CERs, in accordance with the Kyoto protocol and controlled by the UN. This work demands updated emission factors for greenhouse gases. An emission factor gives information about the greenhouse gasintensity of a service or a product [kg CO2-eq./ functional unit].The purpose of this thesis is to examine how electricity, district heating, hotels, taxis, food and materials affect the climate and how emission factors for these areas can be calculated.This was done by reviewing and comparing different studies and by interviewing experts. The information was evaluated and recommendations on calculations and emission factors were made.The consumption of energy is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions for district heating, electricity, hotels, taxis and materials.

Föreliggande studie tillämpar diskursanalys i syfte att förstå var det råder samstämmighet eller konflikt kring huruvida Sverige ska sälja, spara eller annullera överskottet på utsläppsrätter inom EU:s och FN:s utsläppshandel. Genom kritisk diskursanalys har vi kategoriserat och kodat tio riksdagsdebatter mellan åren 2010 och 2014, i vilka en ekologisk diskurs och en ekonomisk diskurs kämpar om tolkningsföreträde. Bortsett från samstämmigheten att handel med utsläppsrätter ? vilken kan ses som ekologisk modernisering ? är ett viktigt verktyg för att minska klimatförändringar; råder öppen kamp kring hur ett överskott på utsläppsrätter ska hanteras. Kampen har delats in i sju kategorier baserat på huruvida: 1) ett beslut om annullering kan tas direkt eller om det krävs en utredning först, 2) en annullering är en symbolisk handling eller styrs av marknadens logik, 3) en försäljning leder till ökade utsläpp, 4) på vilket sätt överskottet ska fungera som förhandlingsstrategi under klimatmöten, 5) Sverige förlorar sitt klimatanseende vid en försäljning av överskott på utsläppsrätter, 6) utsläppshandeln i högre grad borde styras av politiker eller marknadsmekanismer, och slutligen 7) huruvida överskott på utsläppsrätter bör ses som ett lyxproblem.

The aim of this thesis is to create an understanding of the incentives for forest companies to invest in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, which is termed REDD. The Brazilian Amazonas was chosen as the base for the investment case. Brazil has the largest area of rainforest in the world, and also the biggest problem with deforestation. The Amazon region of Brazil comprises rainforest which is largely intact and unexploited. Accordingly, there is significant potential scope for prospective investments in a REDD-project, and so have a noteworthy impact in preventing deforestation.The research approach used the United Nation?s Clean Development Mechanism concept was used as a framework for ascertaining the investment costs in potential REDD-projects.

An increased awareness about the global warming has created a demand for more information on how the climate is affected by different activities.This master thesis was initiated by Tricorona, a Swedish company that offers its customers analysis and calculation of their climate impact. Tricorona also supplies climate neutralisation with CERs, in accordance with the Kyoto protocol and controlled by the UN. This work demands updated emission factors for greenhouse gases. An emission factor gives information about the greenhouse gasintensity of a service or a product [kg CO2-eq./ functional unit].The purpose of this thesis is to examine how electricity, district heating, hotels, taxis, food and materials affect the climate and how emission factors for these areas can be calculated.This was done by reviewing and comparing different studies and by interviewing experts. The information was evaluated and recommendations on calculations and emission factors were made.The consumption of energy is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions for district heating, electricity, hotels, taxis and materials.

Abstract Background: In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was signed, it?s an international agreement which is aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sweden's goal is to reduce energy using in buildings with 20 percent by 2020 and 50 percent by 2050. This is a comparison with levels from 1995 (Glad, 2006). For Sweden to be able to reach its goals, they need to construct more low-energy buildings (Åhman, Wahlström & Lundblad, 2010).

Denna studie är en del av ett storskaligt försök som är beläget på Sveaskogs marker i Norrbotten. Hela försöket omfattar ca 800 ha varav 600 ha är gödslad yta och 200 ha är ogödslade kontrollområden. Denna studie omfattar 137 ha gödslad yta och 50 ha ogödslade kontrollområden beläget i tre olika bestånd. Det unika med detta projekt är storskaligheten i användandet av slampellets och slamgranuler som ett förädlat bionäringsmedel. Projektet är finansierat av bland andra Sveaskog, LKAB och SLU.

This Master Thesis covers the concept of Green Cars. The background to the research area is the high and rapidly growing number of cars, which together with other factors ad to the pollution of the environment. Under the Kyoto agreement the signing members agreed to lower the emissions of green house gases, further on the EU has a 3-pillar strategy on carbon dioxide and cars. Included in the EU strategy is a voluntary commitment from the car industry to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from new cars. The easiest way of lowering the emissions is by using alternative fuels and engines.

This is a tale about energy and power. It describes the geographer Halford Mackinder?s geopolitical theories and compares them with current views outlined by Zbigniew Brzezinski and Michael T Klare, among others. With a critical approach it also provides a historical account of a Europe that stands in front of an energy struggle so severe that the current world order seems destined to fall. Oil and natural gas, has since the beginning of the 20th century, been used as a geopolitical tool in order to create dependence, control and even sometimes overthrow empires.

The use of fossil fuels such as coal and gas are a contributor to the global warming. The climate change is a worldwide problem with far reaching consequences that is believed to be very expensive. The United Nations has been introducing a framework convention on climate change. One component of the convention is the Kyoto protocol. The protocol is obligating the developed countries to decrease their emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2 percent during the time period 2008-2012.

Handel är en central del av världen i det rådande tillväxtparadigmet. För att underlätta handel mellan nationalstater skapades år 1948 GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). Detta avtal var så lyckat i att avskaffa handelshinder att övervakningsorganisationen WTO (World Trade Organization) skapades. WTO har sedan det bildades arbetat med att förenkla och effektivisera handeln och införlivat flera handelsrelaterade frågor till sin organisation. Då WTO bildades (1994) initierades samtidigt kommittén, CTE (Committee on Trade and Environment).

Dagens samhälle är beroende av olja i olika former, och det råder stor osäkerhet om hur länge oljan kommer att räcka i den takt som den förbrukas idag. 1997 utarbetades Kyoto-överenskommelsen för att minska utsläppen av koldioxid. Under år 2003 kom EU: s biodrivmedelsdirektiv 2003/30, som sätter upp riktlinjer för ett ökat användande av alternativa bränslen.Mitt syfte har varit att åskådliggöra biogasens framtida potential för som ett alternativtbränsle till bensin och diesel, samt att undersöka vad som krävs och vad som görs för att öka biogasproduktionen för att få ett utökat användande för att uppnå målen med EU: s biodrivmedelsdirektiv 2003/30. Uppsatsen har byggts på intervjuer med representanter från SvenskBiogas, Energimyndigheten, Svenskt Gastekniskt Center och JTI (Institutet för jordbruks- och miljöteknik). Vidare har även biodrivmedelsdirektivet legat till grund i uppsatsen, samt vetenskapliga artiklar och ett antal forskningsrapporter som har använts för att underbygga resultaten i uppsatsen.Resultatet i uppsatsen visade att den teoretiska framtida potentialen för biogasdrivna fordon, kommer att ligga någonstans mellan 10-17 TWh/år.

The global wood pellet market has seen a rapid growth after the adoption of the Kyoto protocol and the renewable energy incentives created within the European Union. The global consumption of wood pellets reached 13,5 million tonnes in 2010 and several experts estimate the consumption to be between 35-50 million tonnes by 2020. These forescasts raise the questions which regions that can supply this vast amount of wood pellets and what the conditions are for producing it. This study evaluates the conditions for wood pellet production and export from British Columbia, on Canada?s west coast, focusing on existing industry structure, raw material supply and the distribution chain.