It is recognised that climate change involves complex interactions between various types of processes and that it can't be addressed in isolation from broader societal goals. There is an extensive body of research related to climate change and greenhouse gas emission reduction. Approaches usually empahise certain element of the problem and focus on certain types of responses.

To be able to achieve such goals as significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, system level innovations are required in which new products and services arise including necessary changes in the related infrastructure and organisations. This implies a need for systems approach and new kind of co-operation between different stakeholders.

In this paper the concepts of system innovations and co-operation in relation to greenhouse gas control are elaborated further. The purpose is to find answers to questions:

• What are system innovations in greenhouse gas control?
• What is the role of co-operation in greenhouse gas control?
• What are the prerequisites for and barriers to co-operation?

The conceptual model for system innovations, co-operation and greenhouse gas control is presented and applied to two cases. The purpose of the conceptual model is to guide the practical case studies, which are the main part of the paper.

Using the case examples the following questions are studied:

• How large is the potential for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions (i.e. the difference between the technological potential and the current level)?
• Which barriers prevent realization of the potential?
• Which type of co-operation is needed to realize the potential and between whom?
• What are the prerequisites for and barriers to co-operation?
• How to enhance beneficial co-operation?

Case study 1 is about regional co-operation in energy production. Combined heat and power production, utilisation of local biomass based fuels and by-products has created substantial environmental, economical and social benefits for the region in question and all the partners involved. The benefits have been studied in co-operative project involving all partners. The methodologies used in the study are interviews and LCA (Life Cycle Analysis).

In case study 2 the effects that e-grocery (electronic grocery shopping) may have on greenhouse gas emissions are studied. Qualitative analysis for the whole food production and consumption system in Finland is made and quantitative results about greenhouse gas emissions of different home delivery strategies in the Helsinki Metropolitan area presented. Barriers to realisation the potential for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions and co-operation needed to realise it are discussed. The methodologies used in the study are literature survey and simulation.

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Last updated: 13 November, 2008