The PhD programme in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences and Engineering aims to train professionals capable of working with a holistic and multidisciplinary approach across a range of sectors, from the production of goods and services for public or private enterprises, to planning, monitoring and control for the public sector, and to basic and applied research on issues of environmental sustainability and technological innovation.

The training programme outlined by the PhD in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences and Engineering is designed to enable PhD students to define and propose genuinely eco-friendly solutions, quantify and validate the sustainability of alternative management scenarios, and study and validate technological innovations and growth initiatives.

The guiding objectives will be to combat environmental degradation, improve the management of natural resources, and protect the environment, which has been rendered vulnerable by the effects of climate change.

To this end, the PhD programme will aim to renew the building stock, infrastructure and networks, promote the achievement of objectives relating to global warming and the secure production of food and water, accelerate the definition and implementation of a decarbonisation pathway, support the industry’s technological ambition and sustainability requirements, and enhance the environmental compatibility of energy and mobility systems whilst making them more resilient, inclusive, competitive and efficient.

The PhD programme in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences and Engineering will provide students with skills and knowledge fully aligned with the strategic objectives of the PNRR.

The topics covered within the three curricula will be particularly aligned with the mission known as the Green Revolution and Ecological Transition, and will see students engaged in issues relating to sustainable agriculture, the protection and enhancement of urban and extra-urban green spaces, the circular economy, energy transition, urban regeneration, the conservation of cultural heritage, sustainable mobility, energy efficiency in buildings, the protection of water resources, the protection of the environment from pollution, and waste management and recovery.

The aim is to train a new generation of professionals capable of addressing and improving the sustainability of the economic system and ensuring a transition towards a society with a near-zero environmental impact.

The topics covered by the PhD students’ research and training will be in line with:

• Energy efficiency and building refurbishment: development of innovative systems for heating/cooling buildings; testing of new sustainable building materials and technologies; innovative design/maintenance/renovation of structures; urban planning and management; conservation of the cultural and artistic heritage of buildings.
• Renewable energy sources and hydrogen: development of new technologies for harnessing energy from renewable sources (offshore wind, wave and tidal energy, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and waste-to-energy); development of technologies for hydrogen production (including from municipal waste and industrial waste); proposals for simplifying authorisation procedures (Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment).
• Circular economy and waste management: development of design technologies (“design for recycling” and “design from recycling”) and sustainable production of goods and services; innovative projects for the treatment and recycling of waste from strategic supply chains; production of chemical building blocks from organic substrates; development of new waste management technologies to achieve high targets for the quantity and quality of resources recovered and effectively reintroduced into production cycles.
• Land and water resource protection: development of technologies for the safety and flexibility (Smart Grid) of water infrastructure and for reducing leaks in water distribution systems; innovative approaches to land safety through measures to prevent and mitigate geo-hydrological risks and to restore the environment following major impacts, and for the removal of water and soil pollution; advanced monitoring and forecasting systems and new IoT (Internet of Things) solutions to optimise real-time observation and the resulting risk reduction strategies and their impacts on natural systems (soil, surface and groundwater) and infrastructure.
• Sustainable agriculture: innovative solutions and precision systems for the management of resources in the agricultural and agroforestry sectors that reduce resource use and harmful emissions in environmental sectors, and promote the adoption
• Protection and enhancement of urban and extra-urban green spaces: the design of urban, peri-urban and extra-urban natural areas aimed at preserving and enhancing naturalness, biodiversity and ecological functionality; contributions towards achieving climate neutrality through carbon sequestration and the reduction of air pollution; soil protection and the restoration of its functionality; increased connectivity with rural areas and protected areas.
• Sustainable mobility: development of innovative technological solutions for road safety to improve the resilience of bridges and viaducts; development of the port system to enhance economic and structural performance, with a particular focus on reducing pollutant emissions and the use of hydrogen for sustainable mobility.