The Industrial Ecology Program (IndEcol), Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) and the Center for the Green Shift in the Built Environment (Green2050) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) are seeking a Post-Doctoral Scholar or Researcher to advance a modelling tool for policy analysis and long-term planning which allows the assessment of strategies to reduce resource use and environmental impacts in the construction sector all the way to net-zero GHG emissions, as well as a minimization of impacts on ecosystems and natural resources.
The project will build upon an existing building scenario model and seek to extend it to serve as a tool that can be used at the level of large projects as well as for city, region, and national-level planning and policy making.
Resource efficiency has been recognized by the European Union and the United Nations Environment Assembly as an important mechanism to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). Land, water, energy, biomass, and minerals comprise resources which are to be used more efficiently. The International Resource Panel has found that there are important potential synergies between reducing material footprints (the indicator for SDG 12.1) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Its Resource Efficiency and Climate Change report (RECC) has influenced policy in several world regions and is cited in three legislative proposals by the European Commission, including the Green Deal and the Renovation Wave.
The RECC modeling framework focuses on the functional performance and dynamics of product stocks over time and combines life-cycle assessment, engineering models, and material flow analysis in a similar manner as the ZEN modelling tools.
Duties of the position
- Advance the modelling of resource efficiency opportunities on a regional and national scale using life-cycle product-cohort models.
- Model development (programming) and documentation.
- Data collection and management.
- Collaborate with team members and international partners. Lead collaborative efforts.
- Write scientific papers.
- Co-advise PhD and Master’s students.