Master in Industrial Eco-efficiency
Current position: Researcher at Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) (Ecuador)
Research focus: life cycle assessment
The construction sector accounts for a large share of global CO2 emissions. The objective of Daniel’s research is to generate models and tools for the Ecuadorian construction sector trying to transform it into a more sustainable system across the entire life cycle of buildings. His goal is to steer this industry towards a circular economy.
In a first step, Daniel focused his research on improving the environmental performance of cement and concrete, the most commonly used building materials in Ecuador. By using technologies and materials available in Ecuador and optimising concrete mixes, CO2 emissions could be reduced by at least 30 percent compared to the commonly used Portland cement. In addition, the environmental performance of cement and concrete for Ecuador was calculated using life cycle assessment. The results serve as a data basis for establishing baselines and for improving these baselines through sustainable construction. The next step of his research is to determine the life cycle assessment of buildings in Ecuador, the integration of sustainability criteria into the design process, and the application of sustainability assessments in practice. In the future, his research will enable the introduction of a legal system and incentives to regulate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector in Ecuador. It is Daniel’s personal and professional goal to make this happen.
Through his efforts, Daniel aims to support UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action). Indirectly, his work also supports Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), which aim to develop models for sustainable cities and reuse materials from the construction sector, so that it becomes circular.
With this award, the jury honours his commitment to the crucial field of sustainable construction. Daniel works on two issues that are of great importance for the implementation of the UN climate goals: innovations in building materials and the reduction of CO2 emissions in the entire sector.
The research of Daniel mainly contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals 9, 11, 12, 13:
Take a look at this video that briefly introduces Daniel and his research:
