The PhD students at Space, Earth and Environment study the atmosphere and the Earth, energy technology and systems, as well as sustainable development in transport, energy and consumption.
Here you can read about what some of those who have received a doctorate have recently studied – and what they thought of their time as PhD students.
Adrià Amell Tosas: Using artificial neural networks to estimate rainfall, cloud ice masses and cloud probabilities
"My work proved that thermal infrared observations, when paired with machine learning, can successfully retrieve cloud ice masses both day and night"
Adrià Amell Tosas, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, defends his doctoral thesis "Closing spatiotemporal gaps in hydrometeor retrievals: exploiting geostationary infrared observations via probabilistic deep learning" on June 16, 2026.
"I have been exploring how we can use artificial neural networks to estimate rainfall, as well as cloud ice masses and cloud probabilities in both 2D and 3D. Specifically, my research looks at how to accurately extract these estimates using satellite observations that are, in principle, not ideal for this purpose.".
Why did you focused on this particular topic?
"In the beginning, I wanted to overcome the daytime-only limitation of traditional physics-based methods that quantify cloud ice masses. As the results were highly promising, we expanded into going back to the first satellite data, 3D estimates, and producing more timely and accurate rainfall data for Africa. Another motivation for focusing on this topic is that all of this work contributes directly to reduce uncertainties in weather and climate processes.".
Read Adrià's thesis: "Closing spatiotemporal gaps in hydrometeor retrievals: exploiting geostationary infrared observations via probabilistic deep learning".
Anna Hörbe Emanuelsson: Unlocking industrial decarbonisation
"One of the biggest barriers to industrial decarbonisation is not the lack of technology, but rather how to finance and deploy it at scale"
Anna Hörbe Emanuelsson, Energy Technology, defended her doctoral thesis "Unlocking industrial decarbonisation: investment risk, policy uncertainty, and value chain opportunities" on May 29, 2026.
"My research has focused on how heavy industries, particularly cement and steel production, can transition to near-zero emissions. Specifically, I have analysed the deployment of capital-intensive decarbonisation technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in the cement industry and hydrogen-based direct reduction of iron (H-DRI) in the steel industry. The research explored the challenges associated with scaling up these technologies, including economic and policy aspects, as well as how actors across industrial value chains can work together to enable the transition".
Why did you focused on this particular topic?
"The industrial sector accounts for approximately 20% of territorial greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, making it a crucial sector for achieving climate targets. At the same time, reducing emissions from industry is particularly challenging because it requires investment in capital-intensive technologies. Examples include Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in the cement industry and hydrogen-based steelmaking in the steel industry. These technologies require substantial up-front investments, increase production costs compared with conventional processes, and depend on supporting infrastructure and financing mechanisms that are often not yet fully in place. I was interested in understanding how these barriers could be overcome and how industry could achieve deep emissions reductions while remaining economically competitive".
Read Anna's thesis: "Unlocking industrial decarbonisation: investment risk, policy uncertainty, and value chain opportunities".
Lola Nacke: The role of policies in low-carbon energy transitions
"Even as renewables become technically cheaper than coal, policy effort is still required to address social and political transition challenge"
Lola Nacke, Physical Resource Theory, defended her doctoral thesis "Understanding policy effort for low-carbon energy transitions: Insights from coal power phase-out and wind power expansion" on September 9, 2025.
"Throughout my PhD, I studied the role of policies in low-carbon energy transitions, specifically coal power phase-out and wind power expansion. One overarching question I looked at is, how ‘easy’ or ‘hard’ are these transitions to achieve from a policy effort perspective? For example, how many and what kind of policies are needed over time, and how much financial support do governments need to mobilise?".
Why did you focused on this particular topic?
"Coal phase-out and wind power expansion are not only important, but also fascinating policy problems to study: On the one hand, many are in favour of these transitions because they help mitigate climate change, and also enable cheaper electricity generation. On the other hand, they lead to company closures, job losses, changes in landscapes, and to energy markets. I was very interested in finding out more about how these drivers and barriers interact, and what this means for achieving global climate targets".
Sebastian Karlsson: Transition of industry to low CO2 emissions
"My thesis focus on the connection between the industrial transition and the infrastructure that is required to enable the transition"
Sebastian Karlsson, Energy Technology, defended his doctoral thesis "Energy infrastructures for low-carbon-emitting industries" on November 5, 2024.
"In order to successfully decarbonize industry, supporting infrastructures such as the electricity grid, CO2 transportation and storage networks, and biomass supply systems need to be developed in parallel with the implementation of process changes at industrial sites. The thesis focuses on the transition of industry to low CO2 emissions, and specifically the connection between the industrial transition and the infrastructure that is required to enable the transition".
What has your research found?
"The work shows that infrastructure development is highly important in enabling the transition of industry to meet climate targets, and that regional variations between different infrastructure conditions can make different technological pathways suitable. Furthermore, the thesis highlights that clear policy, secure financing and timely infrastructure deployment are crucial to enable the industrial transition".
Read Sebastian's thesis: "Energy infrastructures for low-carbon-emitting industries".
Ella Rebalski: Self-driving vehicles.
"The environmental and societal effects of self-driving vehicles have been the focus of my research"
Ella Rebalski, Physical Resource Theory, defended her doctoral thesis "Almost there: Examining the travel demand, emissions, and effects associated with a socio-technical transition to automated vehicles in Sweden", on October 4, 2024.
"When I started my PhD, I thought that the technology was really exciting. Since then it has faced some challenges and has a bit of a reality check, and I’m not sure if we’ll ever have fully self-driving vehicles everywhere in Sweden. But it’s still an important and exciting technology".
What would you say has been the most rewarding part of your PhD journey?
"Defending. Talking to someone who read my thesis and had questions was exhausting, but also fun".
Nasrin Nemati: Advancements in reactor design
"My research focuses on a novel reactor design for thermochemical processes"
Nasrin Nemati, Energy Technology, defended her doctoral thesis "Characterization and Development of Packed-Fluidized Bed Reactors" on September 23, 2024.
"My research focuses on a novel reactor design for thermochemical processes, which are the heart of many industrial operations. These processes are critical for generating heat and power, producing hydrogen, chemicals, and fuels, and playing a role in climate change mitigation through CO2 capture. However, traditional reactor types used for these processes often underperform compared to the theoretical maxima, leading to energy losses, high costs, and excessive material use. This gap highlights the need for advancements in reactor design, to meet the growing demands for energy and resource efficiency.".
What would you say has been the most rewarding part of your PhD journey?
"The most rewarding aspect of my PhD journey has been the opportunity to explore a totally novel reactor design and dig into the concept from multiple perspectives. Additionally, I’ve greatly valued the insightful discussions with my colleagues, which have enriched my understanding and guided my work. The fikas and the opportunity to practice my Swedish have been memorable highlights as well".
Read Nasrin's thesis: "Characterization and Development of Packed-Fluidized Bed Reactors".
Simon Öberg: Interplay between technologies in our electricity system
"A large part of my research has focused on shifting electricity generation in time via hydrogen production, storage, and reconversion back to electricity".
Simon Öberg, Energy Technology, defended his doctoral thesis "Managing wind power variations through dispatchable generation in carbon-constrained energy systems", on September 20, 2024.
"As a measure to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Europe, weather-dependent electricity generation, such as wind power and solar power, is growing and supplying an increasing share of the electricity demand. Since these weather-dependent technologies do not necessarily generate electricity when we need it, additional technologies and flexibility options will play an important role in ensuring a reliable electricity supply at all times. In this context, a large part of my research has focused on shifting electricity generation in time via hydrogen production, storage, and reconversion back to electricity".