Sjouke Beemsterboer discusses his PhD journey with us in this interview – research on life cycle assessment (LCA) in the Swedish building sector, and advice for future researchers. Sjouke shares his insights on balancing scientific credibility with practical utility, and the evolving landscape of sustainable building.
Congratulations on your PhD! Could you briefly tell us what your dissertation was about, in your own words?
The PhD explores how environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) is used in Swedish building companies and building projects between 2017 and 2025. The studies dive into how LCA methods can be simplified, how effective they are in product development, and how companies use LCA in response to legal requirements for building climate declarations. The findings show that LCA is not just about following strict rules—it’s also about making smart adjustments to fit different goals and situations. By taking a pragmatic approach, my thesis highlights how such adjustments in LCA can be both valid and valuable, helping researchers and practitioners better understand and respond to the real-world challenges of sustainable building.
What drew you to study how life cycle assessment (LCA) is actually used in building companies, rather than focusing only on the technical side of methods and tools?
At first, the focus on LCA practices in building companies was developed because of ab growing interest by building companies to learn how to use LCA. Hence, the focus in the licentiate thesis had been on simplification practices. Later on, the research continued to look at LCA practices in industry because it became evident that the reality of such LCA work frequently looked different from how it is portrayed in the scientific literature.
One of the key themes in your dissertation is the balance between scientific credibility and practical utility in LCA. What did you learn about how practitioners navigate this tension?
That is a good question. There are different ways in which practitioners aim to safeguard the credibility of their work. For example, by adhering to established standards, using credible software tools and data sources, as well as by moving towards more comprehensive assessments. At the same time, it is clear that LCA practitioners in many situations adapt LCA work to make it useful in building projects and other practical settings. This can be, for example, by excluding parts of the building life cycle, using LCA results that are available from other projects, or by prioritising LCA-based activities over assessment outcomes. As the thesis makes clear, the particular way in which practitioners balance credibility and practical utility is highly context dependent, related to the purposes that people have for LCA.
During your PhD, how has the landscape of LCA in the Swedish building industry changed (such as the klimatdeklaration for new buildings)? How do you think these changes have shifted the balance between scientific credibility and pragmatic use of LCA over the years?
The introduction of building climate declarations has been a game changer for LCA-based climate calculations in the building sector. Where at the beginning of my PhD, LCA was only used sporadically by companies to assess building climate impacts, it has now become a routine practice in building projects. With time, I have seen that different practical uses of LCA have developed, with LCA-based climate calculations leading more often to changes in the building design, as well as the relations between clients, developers, contractors, and suppliers. In that sense, I would say that practical utility has certainly not become less important.
You argue for a pragmatic philosophy of LCA. What does this mean in practice, and how does it differ from the traditional way researchers view LCA?
Pragmatism is a purpose-oriented philosophy, where the value of knowledge lies with the practically conceivable effects on action, rather than with how closely knowledge represents reality. A pragmatic philosophy of LCA challenges the more traditional view that LCA revolves around accuracy, completeness, and other expressions of scientific rigour. By adopting a pragmatic philosophy in LCA, the attention moves towards what LCA actually contributes with in terms of understanding and addressing product environmental impacts. Now, to be clear, my thesis does not claim that scientific rigour is unimportant, but instead that it should be more explicitly balanced with concerns for practical utility. I view pragmatism as a resource to help achieve such balance.
What do you think researchers can learn from practitioners when it comes to making sustainability methods more useful in practice?
In line with what I have said before, I believe it is important for researchers to understand that aiming for accurate and complete LCA knowledge is in itself not always the best strategy. I believe researchers can learn from LCA practitioners in industry to pay more attention to the practical context of applications and the goals and logics of different stakeholders.
Looking back, what was the biggest challenge you faced during your PhD, and how did you overcome it?
There have been many! One central challenge has been to continue to carry out the research with an open mind, and research how LCA was actually being used in sustainable building practices. Many of the scientific articles that I read through the years painted a picture of LCA that was very different from what I observed. It was certainly challenging to learn to see and understand the building LCA practices for what they are, rather than judging them against well-known scientific ideals. During my PhD, I have made time to read about the philosophy and sociology of science and technology. Learning how science and technology works in other areas certainly has helped to see how scientific rigour influenced LCA practices.
Now that you’ve finished your PhD, what directions are you most excited to explore in your career?
I am looking forward to continuing to drive LCA practices. At the moment, I am orienting myself to see whether I will do that by researching LCA practices, or whether I may myself become involved with LCA in a company or governmental organisation.
Outside of research, what helps you recharge and stay inspired?
Most of my time outside of research I spend looking after and playing with my two children. Adri has recently discovered football and Eldar likes to play with Duplo. Spending time with them always helps to see things in perspective, and sometimes you get to build something nice together.
We thank Sjouke for sharing his experiences and insights. His dedication to pragmatic and impactful research continues to inspire the next generation of sustainability professionals. We look forward to seeing his future contributions to the field!
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