Hugo Neu Corporation Sustainability Seminar Series: Resources: Waste Utilization for Charcoal Production and the Question of Global Energy Security

wind farm

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering


Speaker: Catherine Nabukalu, Energy Professional, Cofounder/Leadership Council, Our World Too

ABSTRACT

This lecture will focus on the unwaning global demand for charcoal as an energy resource as well as its potential as a carbon source in industrial applications. Key trends over the past three decades have shown increasing wood charcoal production, especially in the tropics. As the preference for renewable energy grows around the world, the question of charcoal’s status as a “renewable” resource will be examined. The rudimentary methods of charcoal production, and its trade as a licit commodity on the international market, will be highlighted. Furthermore, the role of charcoal in the microeconomic development of emerging economies will be examined, including the potential of using agricultural raw materials as an alternative to freshly cut trees for charcoal. Considering emerging regulations, such as carbon credits aimed at reducing coal consumption and its associated emissions, we will examine the future of charcoal and its implications for emissions and carbon reduction, especially in steel production.

BIOGRAPHY

Portrait of Catherine Nabukalu

Catherine obtained her Master of Environmental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania (US) and BSc (Hons) in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Aston University in Birmingham (UK). She has published about electrification in international energy systems and the role of charcoal in international energy. She is an honoree of a range of awards in Business Sustainability, including the Renewable Energy Markets fellowship (2017) from the Center for Resource Solutions (USA), GreenBiz Emerging Leaders (VERGE 2017), and she was featured on the 30 under 30 list of youth leaders in Sustainability (2020) by GreenBiz, for her work on the intersection of business and sustainability. She was an author of the 30th Foresight Brief of the United Nations on the environmental implications of charcoal as an energy commodity..

Zoom Link:

https://stevens.zoom.us/s/93320868101

Website:

https://www.stevens.edu/sustainability-seminar-series

Jointly Sponsored by:

HUGO NEU Corporation
WSP
Brown and Caldwell
H2M Architects and Engineers
Lozier Inc.
Dewberry
HDR

Contact:

Dr. Dibs Sarkar