Using Life Cycle Assessment and Planetary Boundaries to support decision-making in fast-moving consumer goods companies
Project ID: 2531ac1466
(You will need this ID for your application)
Research Theme: Manufacturing The Future
UCL Lead department: Chemical Engineering
Lead Supervisor: Andrea Paulillo
Partner Organisation: Reckitt
Stipend enhancement: £1,875 per year
Project Summary:
This PhD project tackles one of the most pressing global challenges: achieving true environmental sustainability in companies. Absolute environmental sustainability assessment is an emerging approach that combines Life Cycle Assessment (LCA ) with the Planetary Boundaries framework. The approach enables identifying technologies/products that are within the Earth’s bio-physical limits, and thus environmentally sustainable. Ensuring environmental sustainability is crucial for meeting companies’ net-zero targets without inadvertently causing significant ecological trade-offs.
The student will operationalise a methodological framework for absolute environmental sustainability to support decision-making within companies. Specifically, the student will i) develop state-of-the-art models to quantify impacts of anthropogenic activities against Planetary Boundaries, ii) explore value principles for translating Planetary Boundaries to company scale, iii) apply the methodology to assess the environmental sustainability of real-world products. The student will gain expertise in i) conducting high-quality LCA studies using state-of-the-art software and databases ii) liaising with technical experts to collect data, and formulate relevant and applicable recommendations, iii) developing models that integrate multidisciplinary data for assessment of Planetary Boundaries impacts.
The student will work under the guidance of Dr. Andrea Paulillo, as part of a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship focusing on Absolute Environmental Sustainability. The student will work in close collaboration with the industrial partner, Reckitt, where they will be expected to conduct a placement. The student will benefit from established partnerships with leading experts and institutions in the field, such as the DTU Centre for Absolute Sustainability and the Joint Research Centre.
We seek an enthusiastic and motivated PhD candidate with a strong passion for sustainability, industrial ecology, and environmental issues. The ideal applicant will hold or be completing a first-class degree at the MEng/MSc level in Chemical/Environmental Engineering or a related field. The ability to work independently while being an effective and collaborative team member is essential.