Docent lecture: “Modeling societal metabolism for sustainable urban systems”

This docent lecture presents research on modeling societal metabolism to identify systemic drivers of environmental pressures and support proactive environmental management. Grounded in Industrial Ecology, the work integrates Material Flow Analysis, Life Cycle Assessment, Input-Output analysis, and system dynamics to model urban and societal resource flows, stocks, and associated environmental footprints across life cycle stages. Methodological innovations include a pressure-based, driver-oriented approach and the coupling of modeling tools. Applied in collaboration with municipalities, the research bridges theory and practice, supporting environmental monitoring, scenario analysis, and evaluation of circular strategies while addressing rebound effects and unintended consequences in complex urban systems.