Abstract:

One of the research lines in the Doctorate Program in Renewable Materials Engineering is the development of new materials. Considering the 17 Sustainable Development Goals defined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically the 12th goal related to responsible consumption and production and the 13th goal related to climate change, one of the main objectives during the research carried out by our PhD students is the employment of sustainable processes to manufacture novel products. In order to address this relevant goal, the "life cycle thinking" or "green thinking" is the principal approach towards the sustainability of the manufacturing processes. Hence, from the beginning, when new PhD students join the Doctoral Program, they are instructed on the principles of green chemistry, in particular, on those related to the efficiency of resources, both materials and energy, and on the waste management in the laboratory in order to reduce the environmental impact. In this regard, the University of the Basque Country organizes courses through the General Research Service in the framework of the 1st Plan of Environmental Management and Health (2019-2025). As a result, the PhD students become conscious of the importance of sustainability in their day-to-day work.

Keywords:

Renewable materials, engineering, sustainability.