Doctoral Researcher: Quantifying Carbon Footprints – Quality vs. Quantity in Demand-Side Policy
Develop novel methods to disentangle quantity and quality effects in household carbon footprints for evidence-based climate policy.
Best for:Best for master’s graduates in environmental science, economics, or sustainability with strong quantitative skills in modelling, data analysis, and scientific computing (e.g., R/Python).
Overview
This PhD position at Chalmers University of Technology focuses on rethinking carbon footprint analysis by separating the impact of buying more versus buying better. The project, funded by the Swedish Research Council Formas, will combine household transaction data with firm-level business statistics to create a new decomposition method. The successful candidate will contribute to understanding how emissions relate to prices and evaluate quality-oriented climate policies. The role involves interdisciplinary collaboration with KTH, Statistics Sweden, and the company Svalna, offering exposure to academia, national statistics, and industry. Teaching duties (up to 20%) and participation in the Graduate School of Energy, Environment, and Systems are included.
What you'll do
- Develop a novel method to separate quantity and quality effects in household carbon footprints using transaction-level price data and product-level emission intensity.
- Analyze how prices relate to emissions, testing the claim that the richest 10% contribute disproportionately to global emissions while accounting for quality effects.
- Evaluate the potential of quality-oriented climate policies (e.g., ultra-fast fashion regulations, Right-to-Repair directives) to reduce emissions and assess public support for these policies in Sweden and Europe.
- Conduct interdisciplinary research combining technical and social sciences, collaborating with KTH, Statistics Sweden, and Svalna.
- Teach at the undergraduate level or perform other departmental duties (up to 20% of working hours).
- Participate in advanced courses within the Graduate School of Energy, Environment, and Systems.
- Present research findings at conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals.
Requirements
Degree required: Master's degree (120 credits) or equivalent in environmental science, economics, sustainability science, or a closely related field. For applicants with degrees earned outside Sweden, a 4-year Bachelor's degree is accepted.
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English; strong proficiency required (written and spoken).
Instruction: English
- Strong quantitative skills in modelling, data analysis, and scientific computing (e.g., R, Python).
- Experience with environmentally extended input-output analysis, life-cycle assessment (LCA), or econometric analysis of microdata.
- Proficient written and spoken English.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively across organizations.
- Experience or potential in teaching and research.
- No explicit nationality or residency restrictions, but a valid residence permit is required by the start date for non-EU applicants.
- No age limit mentioned.
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-10-20
Applicants must submit a PDF application containing a CV, a personal letter (including motivation for the position), Bachelor’s and Master’s theses with transcripts, and contact details for references. Applications must be submitted through the university’s portal. Incomplete applications or those sent via email will not be considered.
- CV
- Personal letter (motivation and introduction)
- Bachelor’s thesis and transcripts
- Master’s thesis and transcripts (if available)
Contact
David Andersson· Senior Researcher
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