David Styles

Dave is Associate Professor in agri-sustainability, Co-Director on the Agricultural Science BSc programme, and delivers problem-based learning across various sustainability-focussed modules. His research is focused on understanding (inter-)system sustainability at all levels, with expertise across food, energy, bioproduct and waste management systems based on 20 years of experience undertaking life cycle assessment (LCA). He has held research and academic positions in, inter alia, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency, the European Commission Joint Research Centre, University of Bangor and University of Limerick. He currently coordinates or leads work packages across ten projects, including LandingZoNeS, FORESIGHT, EAT-Packaging, RADIANT, CircAgric-GHG and INFORMBIO. Most of these projects integrate life cycle thinking and environmental footprinting with foresight analyses, to provide scientific evidence on the system transformations required to deliver on climate neutrality and circular economy aspirations, within planetary boundaries.

Dave is a member of IEA Task 45 assessing the sustainability of bioenergy, the Climate Change Advisory Council's Carbon Budget Committee, and the expert advisory board to the National Bioeconomy Forum. He coordinates the FORESIGHT modelling consortium providing agriculture and land use modelling services to the Irish Government, and contributes to the national Land Use Review.

Research Interests:
Life cycle assessment (LCA), particularly of food and bioenergy systems
Systems analysis to identify technologies, management practices and supply chain control points for environmental improvement
Learning from frontrunner organisations in resource-efficient management from around the world
Identification of process-level best practice measures and quantitative environmental performance benchmarks