PhD in Quantity or quality? Rethinking carbon footprints and demand-side policy

Original title: Doctoral student position: Quantity or quality? Rethinking carbon footprints and demand-side policy

Reference number REF 2026-0335

Research on household carbon footprints rests on one untested assumption: that money spent equals emissions caused. But spending more can mean buying more, or buying better. The climate implications are different, and no method can currently tell them apart. This project builds one — with consequences for how carbon inequality is measured, and for a new kind of demand-side climate policy.

About us

At the Division of Physical Resource Theory, Department of Environmental and Energy Sciences, we study how societies can transition towards sustainability. Our interdisciplinary research combines technical and social sciences to address challenges such as climate change and energy transitions.

This position is part of the project Quantity or quality? A Blind Spot for Carbon Footprint Analysis and Demand-Side Policy, funded by the Swedish Research Council Formas (2026–2030). The project is conducted in collaboration with KTH (Professor Göran Finnveden), Statistics Sweden, and the greentech company Svalna.

About the research project

Consumption-based carbon footprinting assumes emissions scale with spending: €100 on clothing is counted as ten times the emissions of €10. But that gap could be ten shirts instead of one, or one shirt that costs ten times as much. No existing method can separate these at scale.

This project addresses that gap by combining household transaction data with a new generation of models based on firm-level business statistics. For the first time, it separates quantity and quality effects in both demand- and supply-side emissions.

The research will provide a stronger basis for comparing household carbon footprints, understanding how emissions relate to prices, and evaluating a new generation of quality-oriented climate policies.

What you will do

You will work on two connected research questions:

How much of a larger carbon footprint comes from buying more, and how much from buying better?

Using transaction-level price data across a wide range of goods and services, together with product-level variation in emission intensity, you will analyse how prices relate to emissions. This directly addresses a widely cited claim: that the richest 10% of the world's population are responsible for roughly half of global emissions. To date, this claim has not been tested while accounting for these effects.

Can policies targeting quality rather than volume reduce emissions, and how broad is public support for them?

France now regulates ultra-fast fashion. The EU has passed a Right-to-Repair directive. These are a new class of climate measures with unusually broad political backing. You will examine what they could deliver in emission reductions, and contribute to the project's analysis of public support for them in Sweden and Europe.

How you answer these questions is largely up to you. The project provides the data and the modelling infrastructure — transaction-level household microdata, firm-level business statistics, and environmentally extended input-output models — and you will be central to developing the decomposition method itself.

The position normally includes teaching at undergraduate level or other departmental duties corresponding to up to 20% of working hours. You will take courses at an advanced level within the Graduate school of Energy, Environment and Systems.

The project offers opportunities to work across academia, national statistics, and industry, providing valuable experience for future careers in any of these sectors.

We look forward to your application!

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***

Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture. With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, we foster an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society. Chalmers was founded in 1829 and has the same motto today as it did then: Avancez – forward.

URL to this pagehttps://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=15088&rmlang=UK

Who we are looking for

• A master's degree (masterexamen) of 120 credits or a magisterexamen of 60 credits* in a relevant field, such as environmental science, economics, sustainability science, or a closely related field.
• Strong quantitative skills: modelling, data analysis, and scientific computing (e.g. R, Python).
• Strong written and spoken English.
• The ability to work independently and across organisations. The project involves KTH, Statistics Sweden, and Svalna.
• You are expected to be somewhat accustomed to teaching, and to demonstrate good potential within research and education.

*for students with an education earned outside of Sweden, a 4-year Bachelor's degree is accepted.

The following experience will strengthen your application:

• Environmentally extended input-output analysis, LCA, or econometric analysis of microdata.
• Survey design, stated-preference methods, or analysis of public attitudes to policy.

Application procedure

The application should be written in English be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

• A brief introduction about yourself.
• A brief motivation as to why you are interested in this position.

Bachelor's and, if available, master's thesis together with the transcripts. A background check may be conducted as part of the application process.Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered. Contact details to references will be requested after the interview.

We welcome your application no later than October 20, 2026.

Name: David AnderssonTitle: Senior ResearcherEmail: david.andersson@chalmers.se

Contract terms

The Doctoral student positions are fully funded from the start.

The position is a fixed-term appointment of four years, with the possibility to teach up to 20%, which extends the position up to five years.

A starting salary of 35,725 SEK per month (valid from May 1, 2026).

Doctoral studies require physical presence throughout the entire study period. A valid residence permit must be presented by the study start date; otherwise, the admission may be withdrawn.

What we offer

• As a Doctoral student at Chalmers, you are an employee and enjoy all employee benefits. Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.
• A dynamic and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg.
• Read more about Sweden’s generous parental leave, subsidized day care, free schools, healthcare etc at Move To Gothenburg.

Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects, such as the GENIE Initiative for gender equality and excellence. We celebrate diversity and consider equality and inclusion as fundamental aspects of all our activities.

If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses to help you settle in.