ucl phd sustainable resources

Sustainable Resources MPhil/PhD

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PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

UCL (University College London)

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Faced with a growing global population and increased demand and competition for natural resources our mission is to generate knowledge in their globally sustainable use. Our research portfolio includes major EU and EPSRC funded projects, as well as consultancy with industry and policy practitioners at the highest level. The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time. Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline.

Many of our graduates have gone on to careers in teaching and research as well as in consultancy, industry, government and policy concerned with the economy-resource-environment interface.

The UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources (ISR) aims to train highly employable graduates who are equipped with the required analytical capability, research skills, knowledge, management skills, and professional values to become leaders and entrepreneurs in their chosen field. Leadership, communication, teamwork, language and business skills are refined in the high-quality multidisciplinary research environment through our taught programmes, workshops, internal and external seminars.

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A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a relevant subject, is essential. Exceptionally: where applicants have other suitable research or professional experience, they may be admitted without a Master's degree; or where applicants have a lower second-class UK Honours Bachelor's degree (2:2) (or equivalent) they must possess a relevant Master's degree to be admitted. We expect any successful application to include a sufficiently strong and convincing proposal, and those holding a Master's degree are typically well prepared to provide one. Relevant work experience is highly desirable.

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£6,035 per year

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This is the fee you pay if the University is in the same country that you live in (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

£28,100 per year

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Students from International

The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from a country outside the EU.

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UCL (University College London) is consistently ranked among the top ten universities in the world, conducting leading research across...

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Recent Headlines

• ESF’s Ranger School Celebrates its Graduates May 18

ESF’s Dr. Tristan Brown Honored with Exemplary Researcher Award

• Chuck Kroll Named SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor
• ESF Celebrates Class of 2024 on the Shores of Onondaga Lake

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Syracuse, N.Y.  – May 14, 2024 – Associate Professor Tristan Brown in the Department of Sustainable Resources Management, was named Exemplary Researcher for 2024-25 at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). The College’s Exemplary Researcher Award recognizes successful, currently active researchers with exemplary research activity, publication record, and a graduate/undergraduate student mentorship program.

“Dr. Brown represents the epitome of dedication and excellence in environmental research, advancing our knowledge and commitment to bioeconomy pathways and technologies,” said President Joanie Mahoney. “We congratulate Tristan on this well-deserved honor.”

The Exemplary Researcher selection process recognizes the exceptional work of ESF’s academic community members, who are nominated by their peers. These nominations are reviewed by the Committee on Research and Scholarship, considering three key factors: the impact of their publications and citations, their success in securing external funding, and their dedication to mentoring students, particularly at the graduate level.

Brown joined ESF's Department of Sustainable Resources Management in 2014. In addition to teaching, he is the director of the Bioeconomy Development Institute. His research analyzes the carbon abatement costs of decarbonization pathways under different policy and legal scenarios.

He works in transdisciplinary research groups that utilize life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, and systems analysis of bioeconomy pathways and technologies to determine their barriers and opportunities as part of the transition to a net-zero economy.

During his tenure at ESF, he has authored or co-authored 25 refereed articles and three book chapters on techno-economic analysis, uncertainty analysis, and policy analysis of renewable energy pathways with collaborators from the fields of agronomy, economics, engineering, law, and management.

Brown has served as the principal investigator on $2.3 million of externally funded grants, and the co-principal investigator on $14.9 million of externally funded grants. He has also advised government officials in policymaking and law enforcement at the international, federal, and state levels on U.S. energy policy, and developed state policies in support of statutory decarbonization targets.

Brown shares his expertise with his colleagues and peers and has had appointments on several boards and advisory groups including Energy Vision’s Board of Directors, NYSERDA’s Anaerobic Digestion Project Steering Group, NYS Climate Action Council’s Agriculture and Forestry Advisory Panel, Bioeconomy Subgroup, and NYS Climate Action Council’s Energy-Intensive and Trade-Exposed Industries Advisory Panel.

About SUNY ESF

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.

UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources

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New research shows the damage caused by the ‘Green grabbing’ of Brazilian public and common lands

13 May 2024

New research from UCL and Boku University shows that a lack of transparency is allowing for the privatisation of land for renewable energy infrastructure in Brazil by large international corporations

The study, published in  Nature Sustainability,  found that land privatisation is the dominant means for solar and wind companies to secure land for their power generation infrastructure, which includes the transfer of control of formerly public and common lands to often international companies.

In the years between 2011and 2021, wind power in Brazil grew from 1.2% of its power generation capacity to 11.4%, and solar power grew from 0.1% to 2.6%, with plans for significant growth in place over the next several decades. While the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy reduces carbon emissions, wind parks and solar photovoltaic parks require a significant land footprint.

The researchers combined databases of geographic data with ownership and investment information, and digital land registries from 2000 through 2021. They found that wind parks take up a total of about 2,148 square kilometres and solar parks take up about 102 square kilometres in Brazil. However, they found that international investors, primarily from Europe, claimed a 78% stake in wind parks and 96% share of solar assets. While on paper Brazilian entities own 89% of wind parks, the majority (68%) are subsidiaries of internationally controlled companies, particularly from Italy and France.

Most of the land that these companies build their energy infrastructure on is private property. However, there is a growing concern that the privatisation process is stimulated by the expansion of renewable energies and acquired by dispossessing local residents. A significant portion of wind parks have been built on legally dubious ground, including 28% that only rely on environmental registries without legal property titles, and 7% that are built on public common land.

Co-author Dr Nadia Ameli (UCL Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources) noted:

“ Our work highlights the importance of striking a balance between sustainable energy development and the protection of public land and commons. Privatisation with poor oversight and little transparency is being used to appropriate and transfer land from traditional communities to large international corporations, despite great land tenure insecurity.

 This kind of appropriation is common in Brazil because of historical inequities in land ownership, regulatory gaps and weak governance. The phenomenon of ‘land grabbing’ is well documented across Brazil, commonly for agricultural purposes like creating large cattle ranches and soybean farms. It has led to environmental degradation and numerous conflicts over land ownership between Brazil’s government, farmers and ranchers, and the country’s traditional and indigenous population. The researchers are concerned that the trend will continue as ‘green grabbing,’ which uses the need for clean and renewable energy as a justification for the further appropriation of public and common lands.

Lead author, Dr Michael Klingler of Boku University, added:

“ The land issue is central to driving effective climate action and promoting 'just' low-carbon energy pathways. The necessity for the energy transition must not be questioned, but rather the way in which these projects are implemented. The collaboration with affected rural communities, NGOs and scientists in the Brazilian state of Bahia showed that traditional and marginalized population groups are confronted with 'new' land conflicts due to the expansion of renewable energies. However, these are increasingly being legitimized by the climate change mitigation imperative.

The research was supported by the European Research Council.

• Read the research paper in  Nature Sustainability
• Dr Nadia Ameli's academic profile
• Dr Michael Klinger's academic profile
• UCL Bartlett School of Environment, Energy & Resources
• UCL Faculty of the Built Environment
• Boku University
• Image credit: Michael Klingler
• Image description: Wind turbines visible on sandy land fenced off with barbed wire in the state of Ceará, Brazil.

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