Celeste Yat Yin Lai

My name is Celeste Lai. I am a doctoral student at theDepartment of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering (SEED) and part of the research projectSustainable Energy Transformations in Aviation (SETA). The SETA project aims to contribute to an acceleration of sustainable energy transformations in aviation in Sweden with a focus on sustainable aviation fuels, hydrogen-powered and electric aircraft.  The project investigates if and how the potential transforming and disruptive social behaviors, business models, policy measures and technologies can accelerate the pace of decarbonization in the Swedish aviation sector, thus contributing to the national net-zero emission goal by 2045.  With an academic background in sustainability assessment, my tasks are to evaluate the environmental sustainability of the potential transformations. Having a professional background in aviation (as avionics and structure engineer) and a recent degree in sustainable technology, I am interested in both green aviation technology and how the sector can contribute to sustainable development.

My research interests include:

• Prospective lifecycle assessment (pLCA) and absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA)
• Aviation related novel technologies, including biojet fuel, electrofuel, hydrogen powered and electric aircraft
• Interactions between societies and development of technologies in the context of socio-technical transitions
• Environmental and social sustainability of aviation moving from 'green growth' to 'degrowth'

Publications:

1. Analysing the opportunities and challenges for mitigating the climate impact of aviation: A narrative review https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111972

2. Employing a socio-technical system approach in prospective life cycle assessment: A case of large-scale Swedish sustainable aviation fuels fuels  https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2022.912676

3. Rethinking the sustainability of transitions: An illustrative case of burden-shifting and sociotechnical dynamics of aviation fuel in Sweden https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2024.103574

Teaching responsibilities:

1) AL2161 - Environmental Management II

2) AL2608 - Life cycle assessment