Insider activism in the forest industry: An emerging phenomenon? - Ratio

Insider activism in the forest industry: An emerging phenomenon? - Ratio

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Article (with peer review)

A transition probability analysis of material flows in the European aggregates industry

Grafström, J., & Rydén, S.

Publication year

2026

Published in

Construction Management and Economics, 1–14

Abstract

Recycled aggregates materials are often relegated to downcycled applications such as backfilling. Different barriers limit their reintegration into higher-value construction use. This paper develops a probabilistic model of material flows using a Markov chain framework to simulate transitions between four states: Input, Use/Waste, Recycling, and Disposal. The model draws on Eurostat data covering non-metallic minerals in 27 EU Member States (2014–2023) and incorporates barrier-adjusted transition probabilities reflecting economic, technological, institutional, and social constraints. Scenario simulations reveal that improvements in recycling probabilities can yield nonlinear gains in material retention. However, once structural barriers are introduced, system performance declines sharply—even under favourable technical assumptions. The results suggest that modest policy interventions may have outsized effects if targeted toward key transition points.

Article (with peer review)

Time as a structural barrier for a circular economy

Publication year

2026

Published in

Journal of Industrial Ecology, 1–13

Abstract

Circular economy debates often acknowledge material lifespans and delays, but time is usually treated as a contextual issue rather than a structural barrier. The contribution is to reframe circular economy transitions as intertemporal processes by treating time as an endogenous structural barrier. A framework is developed that classifies goods into short-, medium-, and long-lived categories, demonstrating how lagged inflows and valuation biases suppress aggregate circularity even when technology improves. By making temporal mechanisms explicit, the analysis explains why indicators remain stagnant despite policy and efficiency gains. The contribution is to introduce time as an endogenous barrier, integrating insights from environmental and resource economics into circular economy theory and showing how delayed substitution shapes both firm investment and policy outcomes.

A silent transition: Growth with less environmental weight

Publication year

2026

Published in

A Green Entrepreneurial State? Exploring the Pitfalls of Green Deals (pp. 259–271). Springer Nature Switzerland

Abstract

Across Europe, environmental performance has improved alongside economic expansion. Since 1990, most EU countries have seen a steady decline in territorial CO2 emissions, improved energy-efficiency, and reductions in pollution, enabled by common instruments such as emissions trading, product regulations, and renewable energy targets. While the broad pattern is visible across member states, some cases demonstrate especially sustained and measurable decoupling. Sweden offers one such example. Between 1990 and 2023, the country reduced territorial CO2 emissions by 38% while GDP more than doubled. Air pollutants fell across nearly all tracked categories, energy intensity declined, and hazardous chemical use decreased despite rising population and output. These outcomes emerged gradually—not through disruption or centralized intervention, but through quiet steps. This essay examines how those long-term shifts unfolded. It draws on empirical indicators of emissions, energy use, and resource flows to illustrate how Sweden reduced its environmental weight while maintaining economic growth.