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Emily Rodriguez

PhD student

Through an interdisciplinary approach, my research analyses the potential challenges and
opportunities for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in a Nordic context.

The potential for carbon neutral industry in the Nordics 

Emissions reductions in industries is essential to achieve global and national climate goals, and technologies such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) could contribute to carbon neutral industry in the Nordics. This research sheds light on the perspective of industries in Sweden and Finland including pathways towards carbon neutrality.

Negative emission technologies could be part of strategies to mitigate climate change in the future. BECCS is one such technology which could contribute to emissions reductions in the Nordics due to large point sources of biogenic emissions and storage potential within the region. Sweden and Finland have large point sources of biogenic emissions in the industrial sector at pulp and paper mills and district heating facilities, and Norway has carbon dioxide storage capacity under the seabed. Despite these preconditions for this technology, there are many other dimensions to consider.

This project studies the potential challenges and opportunities for BECCS in the Nordics, including political, technical, environmental and social aspects. In addition, this research provides a space for actors to convene and discuss climate change responsibilities and trade-offs of different future scenarios. Through interviews, workshops with actors, literature studies, and policy analysis, this project showcases the underlying tensions and complexities in achieving carbon neutral industry.

This PhD project is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency in the Graduate School in Energy Systems through the project “An integrative systems approach to a carbon neutral industry”. I collaborate with Adrian Lefvert from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology on this project. In addition, I am a member of the research team, Linköping University Negative Emission Technologies (LUNETs).

Publications

2023

Emily Rodriguez, Sigrid Jansson, Alexander Olsson, Anders Hansson, Mathias Fridahl (2023) Klimatansvar i Stockholms stad
Emily Rodriguez (2023) Storing carbon dioxide for climate's sake: contradictions and parallels with enhanced oil recovery Frontiers in Climate, Vol. 5, Article 1166011 Continue to DOI

2022

Adrian Lefvert, Emily Rodriguez, Mathias Fridahl, Stefan Grönkvist, Simon Haikola, Anders Hansson (2022) What are the potential paths for carbon capture and storage in Sweden? A multi-level assessment of historical and current developments Energy Research & Social Science, Vol. 87, Article 102452 Continue to DOI

2021

Rob Bellamy, Mathias Fridahl, Javier Lezaun, James Palmer, Emily Rodriguez, Adrian Lefvert, Anders Hansson, Stefan Grönkvist, Simon Haikola (2021) Incentivising bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) responsibly: Comparing stakeholder policy preferences in the United Kingdom and Sweden Environmental Science and Policy, Vol. 116, p. 47-55 Continue to DOI
Emily Rodriguez, Adrian Lefvert, Mathias Fridahl, Stefan Grönkvist, Simon Haikola, Anders Hansson (2021) Tensions in the energy transition: Swedish and Finnish company perspectives on bioenergy with carbon capture and storage Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 280, Article 124527 Continue to DOI

Research project

People sitting near industrial plant in Oulu, Finland.

Linköping University Negative Emission Technologies (LUNETs)

An increasing number of climate targets require net negative emissions of carbon dioxide. Here we study the methods bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and biochar in the Nordic and Tanzania.
Blu sky with the text CO2

Carbon neutral industry

This project analyses sociotechnical preconditions for the possibility of establishing a joint bioenergy with carbon capture and storage infrastructure between Sweden and Finland.
Norrköping Decision Arena.

Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research, CSPR

CSPR is a platform for knowledge production to trigger and promote societal changes towards safe and just climate futures for all. Our goal is to create knowledge and methodological approaches that can support and advance climate actions.

Teaching

  • Co-course responsible for the course Sustainable development in the global context, 746G54, fall 2019, fall 2020 and fall 2021.
  • Teacher in Geography theory and methods, 93GE53, fall 2019, fall 2020 and fall 2021.
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CV in short

2018-
PhD candidate at Tema – Environmental Change, Linköping University

2011-2013
Master’s degree in Science for Sustainable Development, Linköping University

2006-2010
Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Environmental Studies, Whitman College, Washington, USA

Related information

Energy is everywhere, sunset.

Graduate School in Energy Systems

Graduate School in Energy Systems purpose is to increase understanding of how energy system depends on the interaction between technology and society's regulatory framework, policy development and operators interests and behavior.

Supervisors

Photo of Simon Haikola

Simon Haikola

Senior Associate Professor

Stefan Grönkvist

Associate professor, KTH

News

Emily Rodriguez at Tekniska Verken in Linköping.

She works to reduce carbon dioxide emissions

Emily Rodriguez came to Linköping from the US in 2011. She earned a master’s in environmental science and left to work in Rome, New York and Brussels before returning to LiU. She’s back here now, working on her doctoral thesis.

Organisation

bilden visar stenar i vatten. Pictures shows stones in vater

Environmental Change (TEMAM)

Almost all nature bears traces of human activity. Its condition is strongly linked to social development. This creates a need for scientific breadth and problem-solving skills. Education and research at Environmental Change respond to this challenge.

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