Edgar Towa

Edgar is an engineer by formation in construction and urban planning. After a year of professional practice, he entered the master’s in environmental sciences and Management from ULB, during which he completed an exchange at the University of Technology of Troyes, France. During this master's degree, he developed an appetite for research which led him to the completion of a doctoral thesis in Environmental Sciences and Management at IGEAT. During this doctoral degree, he completed a four-term scientific stay at the University of Aalborg, Denmark. Postdoc researcher on several research projects, Edgar also carries out expertise and consultancy assignments for various organizations. In addition, he is also active in the supervision and evaluation of end-of-study dissertations and co-manages the lifecycle analysis platform (software and databases).

Fields of activities

Edgar is interested in the relationships between anthropogenic activities and their impact on the environment. It focuses on the modelling of socioeconomic systems and the quantification of their environmental impacts from a life cycle perspective. The final objective being to identify the hotspots, provide decision support elements in order to put in place adequate strategies and actions to reduce the impacts of human activities on the environment.

Thus, Edgar specializes in quantitative sustainability assessment tools including systems approaches that capture global supply / production chains and integrate life cycle thinking such as life cycle analysis (LCA), input-output analysis (IO), material flow analysis, etc. Using these approaches, it examines the environmental footprint and impacts of products, but also of regions and countries, including impacts arising from international trade. He has also applied such approaches in several fields such as waste management, circular economy, microalgae, international trade, etc. Edgar actively contributes to methodological developments in the field by building and improving LCA and IO databases as well as developing novel ways of modelling socioeconomic systems, for example in the context of the circular economy.

Experience:

• LCA and Sustainability Consultant - Ecoinnovazione srl - spin off ENEA May 2022 - Present
• Postdoctoral Researcher - Université libre de Bruxelles Apr 2021 - Present
• Associate Researcher - Université libre de Bruxelles Jul 2016 - Mar 2021
• Scientific Manager - Glimpact Aug 2021 - Mar 2022

Education:

• PhD, Environmental Science and Engineering - Université libre de Bruxelles 2016 - 2021
• Visiting Researcher, Environmental Science - Aalborg University 2018
• Master of Engineering - MEng, Environment and Sustainable Development - Université de Technologie de Troyes 2015 - 2016
• Master of Science - MS, Environmental Science and Management - Université libre de Bruxelles 2013 - 2016
• Bachelor of Engineering - BE, Town Planning - National Advanced School of Public Works 2009 - 2012

Publications

• Towa, E., Zeller, V., & Achten, W. M. J. (2020). Input-output models and waste management analysis: A critical review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 249, 119359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119359
• Towa, E., Zeller, V., Merciai, S., Schmidt, J., & Achten, W. M. J. (2020). Toward the development of subnational hybrid input–output tables in a multiregional framework. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13085
• Towa, E., Zeller, V., Merciai, S., & Achten, W. M. J. (2020). Regional waste footprint and waste treatment analysis. (Accepted and resubmitted to Waste Management).
• Towa, E., Zeller, V., & Achten, W. M. J. (2020). Circular economy scenario modelling using a multiregional hybrid input-output model: A case study for Belgium and its regions. (In Submission).
• Towa, E., Zeller, V., & Achten, W. M. J. (2020). Assessing the circularity of regions: Stakes of trade of waste for treatment. (In Press in the Journal of Industrial Ecology). http://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13106
• Osei-Owusu, K. A., Towa E., Pettersen, B. J., Thomsen, M. (2020). Exploring the pathways towards the mitigation of the environmental impacts of food consumption. (In Submission).
• Papangelou, A., Towa, E., Achten, W. M. J., Mathijs, E. (2020). A resource-based phosphorus footprint for urban diets. (In Submission).
• Vingwe, E., Towa, E., & Remmen, A. (2020). Danish Plastic Mass Flows Analysis. Sustainability, 12(22), 9639. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229639
• Zeller, V, Towa, E., Degrez, M., and W. M. J. Achten. “Urban Waste Flows and Their Potential for a Circular Economy Model at City-Region Level.” Waste Management 83 (January 1, 2019): 83–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2018.10.034
• Zeller, V, Towa, E., Degrez, M., and W. M. J. Achten “Integration of Waste Supply and Use Data into Regional Footprints: Case Study on the Generation and Use of Waste from Consumption and Production Activities in Brussels.” Procedia CIRP, 25th CIRP Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) Conference, 30 April – 2 May 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark, 69 (January 1, 2018): 100–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2017.11.116.
• Zeller, V., Lavigne, C., D’Ans, P., Towa, E., & Achten, W. M. J. (2020). Assessing the environmental performance for more local and more circular biowaste management options at city-region level. Science of The Total Environment, 745, 140690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140690
• Zeller, V., Towa, E., Degrez, M., & Achten, W. M. J. (2019). Urban waste flows and their potential for a circular economy model at city-region level. Waste Management, 83, 83–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2018.10.034
• Zeller, V., Towa, E., Degrez, M., & Achten, W. M. J. (2018). Integration of Waste Supply and Use Data into Regional Footprints: Case Study on the Generation and Use of Waste from Consumption and Production Activities in Brussels. Procedia CIRP, 69, 100–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2017.11.116

Skills and Expertise

• Waste Management
• Life Cycle Thinking
• Recycling
• Sustainability
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Environmental Management
• Solid Waste Management
• Environmental Analysis
• Resource Management
• Sustainable Consumption and Production