Faglige nøgleord: Absolute sustainability, Climate change, Land use, Planetary boundaries, Fossil resources, Bio-based resources
Oplæg tilgængeligt på: Engelsk og fransk
Our planet operates within limits that define the conditions under which human life can thrive. These limits, known as Planetary Boundaries, describe nine key Earth system processes, such as climate change and biodiversity. But today, 7 of the 9 Planetary Boundaries have already been crossed, increasing the risk of destabilizing our planet. In some cases, crossing these limits can trigger so-called tipping points, where gradual changes suddenly become rapid and potentially irreversible, for example in the climate system. This makes it especially important not just to reduce impacts, but to avoid exceeding critical thresholds. This raises an essential question: how can we organize our societies in ways that respect these boundaries?
In my research, I explore the potential of bio-based societies, where fossil resources, such as oil and coal, are replaced by biological resources derived from plants. These bio-based solutions are increasingly presented as sustainable alternatives for producing energy, bioplastics, construction materials, etc. However, this transition is not as straightforward as it may seem. Producing biological resources requires land, water, and sometimes fertilizers and pesticides. As a result, solutions that reduce one environmental problem, such as climate change, can create or worsen others, such as biodiversity loss.
In this presentation, I can explain: what planetary boundaries and tipping points are, how these trade-offs between different environmental problems arise, why replacing fossil resources with biological ones does not automatically lead to sustainability, and how we can do research to determine what it takes to become sustainable. I am of course happy to adapt the content to the needs and interests of your student group! I would especially love to give students a broader perspective on sustainability, helping them understand how different environmental challenges are interconnected. I also hope to give them tools to better understand the complexity of sustainability and to critically engage with solutions that are often presented as simple or obvious.
About me: I grew up in France, where I studied general engineering. I moved to Denmark to pursue a master degree in mathematical modelling at DTU, and then changed field completely to do this PhD in environmental sciences. So, I am also happy to share about how I made the choices that led me where I am now, how it is to study at DTU, and what the PhD life is like!