Promoting careers in sustainability
Sustainable development of forests and the bioenergy sector is crucial if Europe is to successfully transition to a green economy. Nurturing competent and knowledgeable experts in sustainability assessment is key to this sustainable development process. The EU-funded CASTLE (Careers in sustainability excellence) project aims to encourage and support research and training in sustainability assessment. It is achieving this by funding PhD studies and offering training for sustainability researchers. Fourteen PhD researchers have been funded through the CASTLE initiative. Research topics are broadly grouped into three categories. The first group is analysing production chains in forestry management and bioenergy agriculture, while the second focuses on life-cycle assessments (LCAs). The third group is creating tools for sustainability impact assessment (SIA) in businesses and companies. CASTLE also provided training in SIA, LCA and carbon accounting methods, sustainable companies and products, and complementary skills. When complete, CASTLE will have produced sustainability experts who can contribute to a greener Europe.
Keywords
Sustainability assessment, research and training, bioenergy, forest-based sector, green economy
