Wouter Achten, bio-engineer land and forest management by formation, holds a chair “Environmental impact management” at the ULB. In the Master on Environmental Science and Management he mainly covers the impact assessment and management aspects of the curriculum, both in specific as multidisciplinary courses. His research activities are mainly focused on life cycle thinking, where he supports a research group covering both applied (environmental impact assessment of circular economy, food systems, waste management, bioenergy, etc.) as methodological research (LCA, LCSA, consequential LCA, S-LCA, IO-LCA, Territorial LCA, etc.).



Description

Wouter Achten, bio-engineer land and forest management by formation, holds a chair “Environmental impact management” at the ULB. In the Master on Environmental Science and Management he mainly covers the impact assessment and management aspects of the curriculum, both in specific as multidisciplinary courses. His research activities are mainly focused on life cycle thinking, where he supports a research group covering both applied (environmental impact assessment of circular economy, food systems, waste management, bioenergy, etc.) as methodological research (LCA, LCSA, consequential LCA, S-LCA, IO-LCA, Territorial LCA, etc.).
Currently Wouter is also the program director of the Master on Environmental Science and Management, and is advisor to the vice-rectorate of Sustainable Development of the ULB.

Fields of research

Starting from the interest on environmental impact assessment and sustainability evaluation, mainly through life cycle thinking, I mainly aim to contribute to continuous environmental impact management and sustainable transitions at different levels of activities: products, companies, regions and economies. This translates in both applied as methodological research.

For the methodological research several focal lines can be identified:
- Expand the impact evaluation towards a sustainability evaluation by integrating environmental assessments with social, socio-economic and societal assessments or evolutions,
- Including systemic effects in classically snap-shot assessment methods,
- Linking environmental assessment methods with decision support methods.

The fields of application are not considered as restrictive to the research, but the group has experience with biological production systems (food systems, forestry, biomaterials, biofuels,…), circular economy, waste management systems, renewable energy technologies, etc.
 
Teaching
  • ENVI F 452 – Environmental impact analysis and management (https://www.ulb.be/en/programme/envi-f452)
  • ENVI F 438 – Circular Economy (https://www.ulb.be/en/programme/envi-f438)
  • ENVI F 453 – Connaissances scientifiques de base
  • ENVI F 5001 – Questions approfondies de Gestion de l’Environnment (https://www.ulb.be/en/programme/envi-f5001)
  • ENVI F 501 – Projet Interdisciplinaire 2 (https://www.ulb.be/en/programme/envi-f501)
  • ENVI F 408 – Stages

Academic responsibilities:
- Program director of the Master on Environmental Science and Management
- President of the doctoral commission on Environmental Science and Management
- Erasmus exhange program of the Master on Environmental Science and Management
Research projects

Ongoing projects


Past projects
 
  • 2017-2019    FNRS MIS project LiCOR plan (Role: coordinator) 2017-2018    ULB ARC Advanced post doc (Role: coordinator)
  • 2016-2020    Innoviris Anticipate BRUCETRA (Role: coordinator)
  • 2016-2020    FEDER project AlgoTech (Role: Partner)
  • 2016-2019    Innoviris Co-Create COSY Food (Role: coordinator)
  • 2014-2018    ULB Mini-ARC S-LCA (Role: promotor)
  • 2013-2016    EU FP7 PROteINSECT (Role: WP co-promotor)
  • 2012-2016    EU FP7 FORMIT (Role: WP co-promotor)
  • 2011-2014    IWT O&O knowledge platform (Role: co-promotor)
  • 2010-2013    EU FP7 ERA-ARD Jatrophability-Mali (Role: coordinator)
  • 2010-2014    3 PhD projects IWT Belgium (2012) (As co-promotor), FCT Portugal (2011) (As co-promotor), KU Leuven Belgium (2010) (As co-promotor)
Publications
Mail : wouter.achten@ulb.be
Faculté des Sciences
Campus du Solbosch - CP 130/03
Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50 1050 Bruxelles
Updated on May 30, 2023