Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic Sea (CHANGE)
Research Project, 2014 – 2017

The coastal environment of the Baltic Sea receives a substantial supply of toxic compounds e.g., copper, zinc and tributyltin (TBT) from new and old paints used to deter fouling of marine benthic organisms on leisure boats. Ecoinnovations available on the market have reached little acceptance among consumers. The overall objective of the project is to reduce to a minimum the supply of hazardous compounds, e.g., copper, from paints used on leisure boats. Hence, CHANGE, as a target-directed research project with scientists from natural science, business administration and environmental law, will be run in collaboration with boat owners in terms of on-site meetings and close dialogue. The consortium will develop entirely new ways of solving an environmental problem by 1) providing a behavioural explanatory framework for consumers’ antifouling practices, 2) analysing the impact of the legal framework and market actors, 3) test and evaluate the performance and environmental impact of antifouling techniques and, 4) build up networks and communication strategies for stakeholder collaboration and training. The expected outcome of the project is a deep understanding of how the linkages between individual attitudes, behaviour, market actors and the legal framework shape the environmental policy performance in the field of toxins from antifouling paints. We will be able to make suggestions of new instruments that will help fulfill the objectives of Baltic Sea policy instruments.

Participants

Erik Ytreberg (contact)

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Maritime Studies

Collaborations

Aalto University

Espoo, Finland

LimnoMar

Hamburg, Germany

SIK – the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology

Gothenburg, Sweden

SP Sveriges Tekniska Forskningsinstitut AB

Borås, Sweden

Stockholm University

Stockholm, Sweden

University of Copenhagen

Köbenhavn, Denmark

University of Gothenburg

Gothenburg, Sweden

Funding

Baltic Organisations' Network for Funding Science EEIG (BONUS)

Project ID: CHANGE
Funding Chalmers participation during 2014–2017

Related Areas of Advance and Infrastructure

Sustainable development

Driving Forces

More information

Latest update

2019-01-18