Note: Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- Contributors -- Part I Plenary Lectures and InvitedContributions: SustainableDevelopment, Knowledge Societyand Knowledge-basedEconomy-Policy of Education,Research, and TechnologicalDevelopment -- 1 Challenges for Planetary Stewardship at the Entry of the Period of the Anthropocene -- Abstract -- 1 Humans Acting in the Environment---From Stone Ax to the Industrial Revolution -- 2 From the Onset of Sustainability into the Period of the Anthropocene -- 3 From Rural to Urban Futures---and Back -- 4 The Challenges of the Global Environmental Conditions -- 5 Regional Aspects in the Northern Europe---The Baltic Sea Region -- 6 Challenges in the Period of the Anthropocene -- 6.1 On Complexity and Uncertainty -- 6.2 Biosphere Services -- 6.3 Systems Concerns and Resilience -- 6.4 New Management and Governance Features -- 6.5 New Balances -- 7 Summary -- References -- 2 Is Local Energy Supply a Main Road to Sustainability? -- Abstract -- 1 Background and Some Definitions -- 2 Local Energy Supply as a Policy and/or Strategy Option -- 3 Local Energy Supply Today---The Case of Sweden -- 3.1 Heating -- 3.2 Electricity -- 3.3 Fuel for Transport -- 3.4 How Much Energy Is Produced Locally? -- 3.5 The Policy Steps to Promote Local Energy -- 4 Some Cases of Communities with Strong Local Energy Policies -- 4.1 Continental Europe---Austria and Germany -- 4.2 Sweden -- 4.3 Islands -- 5 Some Comments on Technical and Economic Developments for Local Energy Production -- 5.1 Energy Mapping -- 5.2 Solar Electricity -- 5.3 Heating -- 5.4 Biogas -- 5.5 Transport -- 6 Research Questions -- References -- 3 Introducing Education for Sustainable Development---Challenges for Students and Teachers -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Current Challenges in Higher Education -- 3 Higher Education and Sustainable Development. , 4 Learning Outcomes and Competences for Sustainability---Students -- 5 Competences for Education for and About Sustainable Development---Teachers -- 6 Do We Live as We Preach? -- 4 Innovation and Development in Latvia -- Abstract -- 1 Economic Growth, Development and Underdevelopment in the Knowledge Society -- 2 Knowledge Society and Information Society -- 3 Knowledge Society and Latvia: Underdevelopment -- 4 Final Remarks -- References -- Part IIPlenary Lectures and Invited Contributions: Worldwide Expertise and Expectations: Sustainable Development and Future Smart Manufacturing -- 5 Interplay Between Sustainable Development, Knowledge Society, and Smart Future Manufacturing Technologies in EU RTD Policy Documents, in the Work Program of FP7 and Horizon 2020 -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Interplay Between Sustainable Development and Knowledge Society in the Landscape European Research Area -- 3 Activities at the EU RTD Policy and Framework Programmes Level -- 3.1 FP6---Citizens and Governance in a Knowledge-based society -- 3.2 FP7 -- 3.3 Horizon 2020 -- 4 Conclusions -- References -- 6 NANOfutures, the European Technology Integrating and Innovation Platform: Nanotechnologies---Essential Part of Sustainable Development -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 NANOfutures: A Cross-European Technology Platform -- 3 Nanotechnology in H2020 -- References -- 7 Urban Development and the Environmental Challenges---``Green'' Systems Considerations for the EU -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Content of Grand Challenges---On Drivers and Their Implications -- 2.1 The World of 2025 and Beyond. A European Perspective -- 2.2 Specific Implications for Environment, Sustainability and ``Green Development'' -- 2.3 Implications for Urban Development -- 2.4 Natural Resources, Socio-economic Issues and the Urban Processes -- 2.5 The Urban---Rural Connection. , 2.6 Green Development and Urban Possibilities -- 3 Green Urban Principles and Goals in Contemporary Urban Planning -- 4 Moving Towards the Period of Anthropocene -- 5 Analysis in Terms of Perspectives -- 5.1 The Resource Flows---Natural Resources and Waste Flows -- 5.2 Climate and Energy -- 5.3 Housing Involving the Architectural Green Sustainability Oriented Technology -- 5.4 Technological Systems Solutions -- 5.5 Socio-Ecological Resilience Systems and Their Development in Time -- 5.6 Geographical Scaling Perspectives -- 5.7 The Politics and Institutions that Will Provide the ``Governance'' Capacities, Including Responses to Surprises -- 6 Some Issues of Importance -- 6.1 The Increased Importance of Green Areas Within the City Space -- 6.2 The Importance of Developing New and More Sustainability Oriented (Both Mid-term and Long-term) Indicators for Urban Space, i.e. a More Relevant ``Metrics'' -- 6.3 The Innovation Aspect to Urban ``Green Growth'' -- 6.4 The Role of the Economic Crises for Urban ``Green Development'' -- 6.5 Vulnerability and Resilience Considerations of Systems Nature -- 6.6 Time and Development Aspects -- 6.7 Norms and Values -- 7 Scenario Reflection on European Urban Futures -- 7.1 Green Technology Based Bio-economy (A) -- 7.1.1 Path and Characteristics -- 7.1.2 Bonuses and Problems -- 7.1.3 European Policy Demands -- 7.2 Value Oriented New Green Society (B) -- 7.2.1 Path and Characteristics -- 7.2.2 Bonuses and Problems -- 7.2.3 European Policy Demands -- 7.3 Traditional Industrial Growth (C) -- 7.3.1 Path and Characteristics -- 7.3.2 Bonuses and Problems -- 7.3.3 European Policy Demands -- 7.4 Tackling Acute Societal Pressures (D) -- 7.4.1 Path and Characteristics -- 7.4.2 Bonuses and Problems -- 7.4.3 European Policy Demands -- 8 Some Strategic Issues to Be Considered -- 8.1 Issues and Perspectives. , 8.2 Mobilising a ``Right Mind'' Set (Especially in Connecting ``The Local'' and ``The Global'') -- 8.3 Urban Policy as Seen from Inside-out with Regard to Cities, and from Outside-in -- 8.4 New Governance Structures (and Capacities to Match the Grand Challenges) -- 8.5 Need for Changes in the Knowledge Production System (Towards More of Systems Thinking) -- 8.6 Alertness to Demographic and Social Challenges -- 8.7 Not Forgetting Culture and Norms -- 8.8 Domains of Possible Surprises -- 9 Summary---Specific EU Concerns and Possibilities in Relation to Green Urban Challenges -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 8 Technological Development and Lifestyle Changes -- Abstract -- 1 Which Is First---Technology or Lifestyle Change? -- 2 Reproduction---from Large to Small Families -- 3 Mobility---Beyond Peak Car -- 4 Consumption---Owning or Sharing? -- 5 Working---Machines or People? -- 6 Food---Buying or Growing? -- 7 An Alternative View---Social Organisation -- References -- 9 Zero Emissions and Bio-refineries for Natural Fibres, Biomaterials and Energy: Genesis of Concepts. Review -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Zero Emissions and Blue Economy -- 3 The Bio-refinery Concept -- 4 Lignin Problem in Biorefinery. New Structural Approach to Understanding Lignin -- 4.1 General Approach -- 4.2 The Science of Complexity -- 4.3 Lignin as Ordered Structure -- 4.4 Experimental Difficulties and Complexity of Lignin -- 4.5 Conventional Biosynthetic Lignification (Freudenberg 1965 -- Sarkanen and Ludvig 1981 -- Higuchi 1985) -- 4.6 Coupling of the Free Radicals of Monolignols -- 4.7 Non-biological Factors Enhancing Heterogeneity of Lignin Macromolecules -- 4.8 Scaling and Lignin Fractals -- 5 Clustering Principle in Zero Emissions Biorefinery -- 6 Steam-Explosion Auto-hydrolysis as a Technology for Biomass Pretreatment. , 7 Some Case Studies of Laboratory of Biomass Eco-ficient Conversion of the Latvian Wood Research Institute -- 7.1 Natural Hemp Fibres Treated with Steam Explosion -- 7.2 Self-binding Boards of Grey Alder Particles Pre-treated by Steam Explosion -- 7.3 SE Hemp Shives as a Heat Insulating Composite (Andzs et al. 2012) -- 8 Summary -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 10 Contribution to the Knowledge Development for Smart Cities -- Abstract -- 1 Urbanisation and City Labels -- 2 Between Smart Cities and Smart City Definitions -- 3 Complexity of Urban Energy Systems -- 4 Achieving Transformation Beyond the State-of-the-Art. How Do Cities Need to Change? -- 4.1 Concepts -- 4.2 Technologies -- 4.3 Processes -- 5 Barriers to Achieving Transformation Beyond State-of-the-Art---Experiences from Austrian Research -- 5.1 A New Urban Planning Practice Is Needed -- 5.2 From General Barriers to Examples of Specific Problems -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- 11 Smart Cities---Imposed Requirement or Preferred Life-Style -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 How Can a ``Smart City'' be Defined? -- 3 Existing Initiatives and Experience -- 4 European-Wide Initiatives -- 4.1 Smart Cities and Communities Industrial Initiative -- 4.2 Joint Programme on Smart Cities -- 4.3 Smart Cities and Communities Stakeholder Platform -- 4.4 European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities -- 5 Smart Cities in Europe -- 5.1 Barcelona, ES -- 5.2 Copenhagen, DK -- 5.3 Linköping, SE -- 5.4 Lyon, FR -- 5.5 Rotterdam, NL -- 5.6 Jelgava, LV -- 6 Conclusions -- References -- 12 Exploring the Dependence of Urban Systems on the Environment -- Abstract -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 2.1 The Accounting Framework: SUMMA -- 2.2 Decomposition Analysis -- 2.3 Case Study Area: The City of Rome -- 3 Results and Discussion -- 4 Conclusions -- References. , 13 Limits to Sustainable Use of Wood Biomass.