Industrial decarbonization done right: identifying success factors for well-functioning permitting processes

1 Introduction 1.1 The urgency of industrial decarbonization The last few years have seen several of the world’s largest carbon dioxide-emitting countries and leading heavy industry companies committing to mid-century net-zero targets (Buckley 2021; Denyer and Kashiwagi 2020; McCurry 2020; Myers 2020). Consequently, the discussion on economy-wide transition to net-zero is accelerating, with focus shifting from “if” to “when” and “how”, even for heavy industry sectors like steel, cement and chemicals. This makes it increasingly urgent to analyse not just whether it is technologically feasible to decarbonize heavy industry, but also investigate issues more directly related to practical implementation. This includes site-specific planning, infrastructure availability, and consultation with local authorities and other stakeholders. Many of the latter considerations are formalized as part of the permitting processes that are an essential vehicle to ensure that industrial interests are balanced against interests of society at large. However, doing this balancing act can turn out to be very complicated and associated with uncertainties as to their outcome, as well as being demanding in resources and time. At the same time, to ensure broad buy-in and support from society, the investments needed must be implemented in a way that takes a broad spectrum of sustainability concerns into account, not just climate change mitigation. A key question is if and how permitting processes can run more smoothly and efficiently while still ensuring inclusive consultations, fair procedures and adherence to legal certainty. This policy brief discusses this question from the starting point of Swedish conditions, but many of the points raised will be relevant for a broader international discussion on taking industrial decarbonization to implementation. 1.2 Industrial transition and permitting processes in Sweden Decarbonization of the industrial sector in Sweden essentially entails a relatively small number of investment projects in the cement, steel, petrochemical and refinery sectors, where the vast majority of carbon emissions are concentrated (Karltorp et al. 2019; Nykvist et al. 2020). However, while few in number, the size of these investments means that their implementation will by necessity become relevant to many other parts of society. In connection with the increasing focus on how to implement industrial decarbonization in Sweden, discussions about permitting processes have been brought higher up on the agenda. While there has been an active discussion on permitting processes in Sweden for quite some time, it has primarily been focused on aspects related to mining and wind power (Larsen et al. 2017; Raitio et al. 2020). The last few years have, however, focused increasingly on industrial projects, in particular related to a proposed – though eventually cancelled – expansion of an oil refinery in the southwestern part of the country (Blad 2020). In terms of political discussions, both the governmental initiative Fossil-free Sweden (2020) and the Swedish Climate Policy Council (2020) emphasize that permitting processes need to become faster in order for Sweden’s industrial transition to be implemented in line with the time plan set by the 2017 Swedish Climate Act. Business representatives and organizations are also voicing concerns about the slow speed of permitting (Balanskommissionen 2019; Jacke 2018). At the same time, criticism has been raised that much of the environmental damage done in Sweden comes from activities conducted within limits set by environmental permits, which could be a flaw in the system (Malmaeus and Lindblom 2019). Finally, recent public inquiries have also discussed permitting processes.

Online teaching — systems approach: questions and answers

At a recent International Forum on Teacher Education (Kazan, Russia, May 27–29, 2020), special sessions were devoted to questions related to online teaching – in view of the recent forced world-wide transition to online-only education. This article summarizes, in a systematic way, issues discussed at these sessions.

Migration jumps of planets in transition discs

Context. Transition discs form a special class of protoplanetary discs that are characterised by a deficiency of disc material close to the star. In a subgroup, inner holes in these discs can stretch out to a few tens of au while there is still mass accretion onto the central star observed at the same time. Aims. We analyse the proposition that this type of wide transition disc is generated by the interaction of the disc with a system of embedded planets. Methods. We performed two-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations of a flat disc. Different equations of state were used including locally isothermal models and more realistic cases that consider viscous heating, radiative cooling, and stellar heating. Two massive planets (with masses of between three and nine Jupiter masses) were embedded in the disc and their dynamical evolution due to disc–planet interaction was followed for over 100 000 yr. The simulations account for mass accretion onto the star and planets. We included models with parameters reminiscent of the system PDS 70. To assess the observability of features in our models we performed synthetic ALMA observations. Results. For systems with a more massive inner planet, there are phases where both planets migrate outward engaged in a 2:1 mean motion resonance via the Masset-Snellgrove mechanism. In sufficiently massive discs, the resulting formation of a vortex and the interaction with it can trigger rapid outward migration of the outer planet where its distance can increase by tens of au in a few thousand years. After another few thousand years, the outer planet rapidly migrates back inwards into resonance with the inner planet. We call this emerging composite phenomenon a migration jump. Outward migration and the migration jumps are accompanied by a high mass accretion rate onto the star. The synthetic images reveal numerous substructures depending on the type of dynamical behaviour. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the outward migration of two embedded planets is a prime candidate for the explanation of the observed high stellar mass accretion rate in wide transition discs. The models for PDS 70 indicate it is not currently undergoing a migration jump but might very well be in a phase of outward migration.

The structure of the lithosphere, tectonics and evolution of the Scythian Plate and adjacent structures in the section of the Bs05-22 profile (according to 2-d density modeling)

A density model was built along the Bs05-22 profile, which made it possible to identify individual blocks with different crustal parameters. The consolidated crust of the East European Platform (EEP) has a “key” structure. The southern boundary of the EEP is clearly fractured and falls to the south at an angle of about 83° The South Ukrainian monocline (SUM) covers not only the basement of the EEP but also the northern part of the Scythian Plate (SP). The central part of SP block overlapped by the SUM is characterized by the maximum capacity of the folded-metamorphic base. The axial part of the Karkinit Trough (KT) has a structure typical for riftogens. The rift is practically one-sided with a width of 6.5 km. The southern slope of the KT developed as a result of the falling of the surface by the mechanism of the planj-principle. The border between the Karkinit Trough and the Kalamitsky rise (KR) is clearly defined by the Sulinsko-Tarkhankutsk fault. The core of the KR is a sufficiently massive body of lenticular shape with a density corresponding to the Taurian series of the Mountainous Crimea. There is a narrow transition zone between KT and Edge step (ES). The southern edge of the Scythian plate is a 25,0 km wide transition zone to West-Black Sea depression (WBSD). Modeling established the extension of the “granodiorite” layer into the WBSD for 100 km. The crust thickness within the EEP is 44,0 km, on the Scythian plate under SUM is average 43.5 km, 37,0 km within KT and 33,0 km under ES, in the West Black Sea basin 28,7 km under the foot of the Upper Cretaceous continental slope and 21,5 km at the southern edge of the profile. In the model chosen, the density of tectonic faults in the EEP is 0,06 and in the SP — 0,14 per 1,0 km. Vertical shifts of crystalline crust blocks at SP reach 5,5 km, which is almost three times higher than at the southern flank of the EEP. The most of disjunctions are vertical and have transcrust stretch. The structure of the Earth’s crust obtained as a result of modeling allowed us to draw some conclusions about the Meso-Cenozoic evolution of the studied region in the profile section. At the southern edge of the EEP in the Late Cimmerian tectogenesis epoch there has been a revitalization, in the Alpine phase this structure was generally passive. Activity of the Cimmerian epoch was observed throughout the Scythian plate: within the Kalmitsky rise from the early phase, and in the Karkinit Trough and on the Edge step from the late Cimmerian phase. The periods of activation on the KT and KR are traced up to the Sawa phase, and on the ES — to the Walach phase of the Alpine tectogenesis inclusive.

Sustainable Debt Behaviour and Well-Being of Young Adults: The Role of Parental Financial Socialisation Process

Literature shows that parental financial socialisation plays an important role in attaining financial literacy as well as in shaping sustainable financial behaviours and that both translate into increased well-being indicators and financial security on micro- and macroeconomic levels. However, debt literacy and debt behaviour seem to be unique. Very little is known about the childhood financial socialisation process through which adults’ sustainable debt behaviour is shaped and how debt behaviour may affect well-being. This study tests a hierarchical model of childhood financial socialisation consisting of five levels: the anticipatory parental socialisation, and later life financial learning outcomes (particularly, debt literacy levels), financial attitudes, debt behaviour, and well-being. Using data collected from a purposive sample of young adult Poles (N = 600) during the period from 10 to 13 November 2018 and employing structural equation modelling, we have found evidence confirming the hierarchical relationship of literacy–attitude–behaviour. Our data do not support, however, either the hypothesised positive relationship between parental socialisation and objectively measured debt literacy or the assumed relationships between debt behaviour and well-being indicators. We posit that country-specific factors related to generational differences entailed by system-wide transition and the specificity of debt behaviour, respectively, are key for explaining these empirical deviations from the assumed conceptual framework. Finally, we found no significant differences between the models estimated separately for maternally conditioned and paternally conditioned respondents.

An intern’s case study analysis of the patient transport function

Study provides an understanding of a hospital’s patient transportation department (PTD) and its essential function within a complex health care system. A participant-observer case study was accomplished using an intern’s extended exposure to first-hand interactions with managers, directors, and employees. The narrative delineates the importance of patient transportation in a large, expanding, fast-paced integrated delivery system; an environment requiring daily vigilance, continuous improvement, strategic positioning, innovation, and anticipation of future service needs. The departmental challenges and benefits of a facility-wide transition to a new electronic health information system are specified. The intern’s insights into the strategies and data sources that leadership uses to ensure departmental operating effectiveness are identified. Future PTD operations research opportunities are summarized.

Physiological changes during heartwood formation in young Eucalyptus bosistoana trees

ABSTRACTEucalyptus bosistoanaF. Muell. is valued for its naturally durable heartwood. As part of anE. bosistoanabreeding programme, we have tested the hypothesis that there is a prolonged transition from sapwood to heartwood in young trees, resulting in a wide transition zone. This needs to be considered when assessing trees for heartwood quantity and quality. Heartwood formation was investigated in radial profiles in cores from bark to bark of 6-year-old trees with conventional and confocal microscopy, and with a range of different staining techniques that visualised the physiological changes taking place in the parenchyma cells. Using immunolabelling with antibodies against histone proteins and α-tubulin, histochemical staining using potassium iodide (I3-KI) and fluorescence emission spectral scanning, we demonstrated that in heartwood nuclei, microtubules, reserve materials (starch) and vacuoles were absent. The observations revealed that 6-year-oldE. bosistoanatrees contained heartwood. The loss of water conductivity by tyloses formation and the death of the parenchyma cells occurred in close proximity resulting in a transition zone of ~1 cm.