Professor Dr. Göran Berndes

Biography

Göran Berndes is a Full Professor of Physical Resource Theory at Chalmers University. His research integrates land use and industrial energy systems, covering scales from local case studies to a global context. He is particularly interested in the sustainability effects of land use, biomass production, and their relation to food, energy, and materials. In recent years, his work has focused on the climate and environmental effects of bioenergy and biobased systems, aiming to promote biobased systems that help meet ambitious climate targets. Göran has investigated new biomass production systems and designed integrated landscapes to mitigate existing land use impacts while improving resource use efficiency. He has contributed to IPCC reports and currently serves as a coordinating lead author for the Sixth Assessment Report. Additionally, he has been engaged for ten years in the implementation of the bioenergy agreement with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and currently leads IEA Bioenergy Task 45, which focuses on climate and sustainability effects of bioenergy and the broader bioeconomy. At Chalmers, he leads the Energy Circular Economy profile within the Chalmers Energy Area Advance.

Research Interests