A global transition from the current “brown economy” to a “green economy” has been perceived as an ineluctable carbon neutrality strategy to deal with climate change and its global devastating impacts. This global ambition of green economy necessitates large-scale electrification which imposes growing demand for lithium-ion batteries as state-of-the-art energy storage technologies. Thereupon, the developing market of batteries reinforces the concern over the resilient and consistent supply of battery raw materials. By the reason of the interdependencies of all the stages involved in a value chain of a battery, it is critical to identify the battery material supply-disruptive risks and uncertainties, and subsequently to analyze the impacts of the perpetuation of the supply issues on the future market of batteries. In this research study, to contribute to these processes necessary for overcoming the ongoing supply sustainability challenges, the focus is on lithium, nickel, graphite, and cobalt, which are among the battery raw materials with high supply risks. After analyzing and categorizing the driving forces behind the historical and current bottlenecks to their mining production, the regional and global mining production of those battery materials have been predicted for twenty years ahead using three time series forecasting techniques including Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average, Holt's linear trend, and Holt-Winters’ methods. Forecasting possible future production trends of those battery raw materials is indisputably imperative to resolve planning strategies while dealing with uncertainties and supply risks. Reliable supply forecasting results provide more uncertainty and risk management achievements since the stakeholders and policymakers can use the outcomes as a source of information in the decision-making process at any stage of a lithium-ion battery value chain.

Land application of sewage sludge has long been subject to concern. Among the reasons for these concerns are, for example, the occurrence of odours and the risk of spreading heavy metals and pathogens, but also a negative perception regarding the use of sludge. In this paper, we focus the actors' perceptions of sewage sludge use and investigate, through a series of interviews with key actors and stakeholders in the sewage sludge management chain, how technology, the regulatory framework or public perception may function as barriers for valuing sewage sludge as a resource. The uncertainty following outdated legislation and constantly changing policies are frequently mentioned as the main barriers to investment in new technologies, which, in the respondents' opinion, creates a deadlock within the sector with no clear path forward. Although all respondents act and argue with a focus on environment and circularity, their overall sludge management strategies, as well as the issues they focus on, differ. Our study indicate that Swedish sludge management is, to a large extent, siloed and there is a clear a need for a more holistic approach that can help actors to target common issues.

In this paper, the regulatory framework for PFAS is addressed, using the traditional legal method to analyze the rules and structures of existing laws and regulations in Sweden. The aim is to analyze and problematize the legal situation regarding PFAS in water around landfills, with a focus on leachate. The starting point is the updated risk assessment of PFAS and the requirements for a non-toxic and healthy environment. The study shows strengths and weaknesses with the environmental legal framework for PFAS contamination at landfills in Sweden. Four central problems have been highlighted: (1) production – we continue to send waste containing PFAS to landfills; (2) old landfills that are not in use but pose a high risk of spreading PFAS; (3) landfills in operation, which comply with current regulations but have large concentrations of PFAS in leachate (and surrounding water); and (4) PFAS propensity for long-range dispersal. The revised health-based guideline from EFSA underscores the heightened danger of PFAS, emphasizing the need to minimize the risk of long-term exposure. It takes time to implement changes to the legal system. While it is possible to regulate purification and permitted levels of PFAS in leachate through permit conditions, this opportunity is rarely used. A large responsibility therefore rests on the authorities responsible for the licensing of landfills to align the individual permits with up-to-date scientific knowledge on PFAS risks.

This project has targeted utilisation of infrastructure for organic waste treatment in Sweden, in particular sewage sludge, to achieve increased production of high-value materials and energy carriers, reduced use of primary resources, and improved economic performance. We have investigated the sewage sludge management system as a socio-technical system facing a change, with integral connections to the energy and waste systems.

In conclusion, there is no silver bullet for the future of sewage sludge management. Indeed, it would have to be a full clip of silver bullets, as we found that a mishmash of different barriers –technical, economic, legal, and related to public perception – creates uncertainty that hinders progress regarding both sustainable long-term strategies and technological advancement. The Swedish sewage sludge management is largely fragmented, highlighting the need to shift directionto a more holistic approach. This can help actors address common issues rather than focussing solely on activity-specific problems. Introducing new legislation could be a key step, as the current specific legislation on sewage sludge has a seemingly insignificant role for today’s sludge management, compared to other legislation and the voluntary certification.

We have formulated six overall research highlights, to outline both published results and meta-conclusions based on combined insights. Each highlight is described separately in this report.

The global commitment to decarbonizing the transport sector has resulted in an unabated growth in the markets for electric vehicles and their batteries. Consequently, the demand for battery raw materials is continuously growing. As an illustration, to meet the net-zero emissions targets, the electric vehicle market demand for lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite will increase 26-times, 6-times, 12-times, and 9-times respectively between 2021 and 2050. There are diverse challenges in meeting this demand, requiring the world to embrace technological and knowledge advancements and new investments without provoking conflicts between competing goals. The uncertainties in a sustainable supply of battery minerals, environmental, social and governance complexities, and geopolitical tensions throughout the whole battery value chain have shaped the global and regional concerns over the success of transport decarbonization. Here, focusing on the entire value chain of electric vehicle batteries, the approaches adopted by regulatory agencies, governments, mining companies, vehicle and battery manufacturers, and all the other stakeholders are evaluated. Bringing together all these aspects, this literature review broadens the scope for providing multifaceted solutions necessary to optimize the goal of transport decarbonization while upholding sustainability criteria. Consolidating the previously fragmented information, a solid foundation for more in-depth research on existing difficulties encountered by governmental and industrial actors is created. The outcomes of this study may serve as a baseline to develop a framework for a climate smart and resource efficient supply of batteries considering the unique impacts of individual players.