Biografi
I am a Professor of Practice in the Systems Engineering Program and a faculty fellow of Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability at Cornell University. I teach and advise systems engineers at the master’s and Ph.D. levels. My research is transdisciplinary and focused on the energy transition for a sustainable and low-carbon society. I am a member and speaker for the CEET – Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition
https://www.unsdsn.org/ceet
https://www.systemseng.cornell.edu/faculty directory/semida-silveira.
Before coming to Cornell University, I was a Full Professor in energy systems planning at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, where I established and led the Energy and Climate Division of the Energy Technology Department for fourteen years. During this time, I also acted as KTH director of international cooperation with Brazil and other Latin American countries and coordinated cooperation with the UNFCCC and UNCTAD. I started the first master’s program focused on sustainability and taught in English at KTH in the early 1990s when I was still a Ph.D. student.
Previously, I worked as a sustainability and climate expert at the Swedish Energy Agency, and program manager for energy and climate at the Stockholm Environment Institute. I have done research at MIT, IIASA (International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis), the University of Tübingen, and the University of Stockholm. I have acted on various company boards of directors, and advisory committees including the Swedish Royal Academy of Science, Swedish Research Council, and Finnish Academy of Sciences, among others.
In 2001, I won the Jabuti literature Prize in Brazil for the book Electricity for Sustainable Development (in Portuguese). I have authored and edited other books, including an anthology on the Swedish energy system, Building sustainable energy systems – Swedish experiences, and Bioenergy – realizing the potential. I have published multiple articles in scientific journals and conferences (see list here). In 2021, I received an honorary medal from the Brazilian Embassy in Stockholm for my extensive work in promoting cooperation and innovation between Sweden and Brazil.
I have a Ph.D. in regional planning from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and an engineer-architect degree from UFMG Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil.
I am a Professor of Practice in the Systems Engineering Program and a faculty fellow of Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability at Cornell University. I teach and advise systems engineers at the master’s and Ph.D. levels. My research is transdisciplinary and focused on the energy transition for a sustainable and low-carbon society. I am a member and speaker for the CEET – Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition https://www.unsdsn.org/ceet https://www.systemseng.cornell.edu/faculty directory/semida-silveira.
Before coming to Cornell University, I was a Full Professor in energy systems planning at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, where I established and led the Energy and Climate Division of the Energy Technology Department for fourteen years. During this time, I also acted as KTH director of international cooperation with Brazil and other Latin American countries and coordinated cooperation with the UNFCCC and UNCTAD. I started the first master’s program focused on sustainability and taught in English at KTH in the early 1990s when I was still a Ph.D. student.
Previously, I worked as a sustainability and climate expert at the Swedish Energy Agency, and program manager for energy and climate at the Stockholm Environment Institute. I have done research at MIT, IIASA (International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis), the University of Tübingen, and the University of Stockholm. I have acted on various company boards of directors, and advisory committees including the Swedish Royal Academy of Science, Swedish Research Council, and Finnish Academy of Sciences, among others.
In 2001, I won the Jabuti literature Prize in Brazil for the book Electricity for Sustainable Development (in Portuguese). I have authored and edited other books, including an anthology on the Swedish energy system, Building sustainable energy systems – Swedish experiences, and Bioenergy – realizing the potential. I have published multiple articles in scientific journals and conferences (see list here). In 2021, I received an honorary medal from the Brazilian Embassy in Stockholm for my extensive work in promoting cooperation and innovation between Sweden and Brazil.
I have a Ph.D. in regional planning from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and an engineer-architect degree from UFMG Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil.
Research interests
My research explores strategies to address climate change, which involves synergies across sectors to improve resource efficiency, transition to clean and low-carbon energy, and promote sustainable development. I work with an international and transdisciplinary systems approach, which permeates my research and teaching. Research topics include energy and climate policy, energy access, bioenergy, low-carbon circular economy, bioeconomy, energy efficiency, urban sustainability, and energy and mobility transitions. A list of publications is found here.
Sustainability is a common denominator of my work in the search for solutions to global problems. Concepts and theories should be challenged and improved constantly, as we transform socio-technical systems. My contributions to the work of sustainability grew from a conceptual basis towards an agenda for action, connecting technology, planning, and policy to steer societal transformation. This has taken me to transdisciplinary research through which I contribute enhanced understanding and co-create with multiple stakeholders. I have developed and managed projects in collaboration with academics, multi-lateral organizations, governments, and the private sector in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
Modern energy systems have supported welfare development for a couple of centuries, yet to the high price of environmental impacts and climate change. We must rethink energy systems and transition to low-carbon and sustainable systems. In this context, a new landscape for the provision of energy services is emerging. It comprises not only renewable technologies for energy transformation but also new configurations and integrated solutions in cooperation with other sectors and industrial processes. Transdisciplinary and action research will play a key role in exploring the existing potential for innovative energy systems.
I like to communicate scientific findings to broader audiences to create momentum for sustainability and bring impact. An important part of that is the pedagogical work with students and young researchers. In addition, I blog on issues related to the environment, sustainable development, innovation, energy transition, and societal transformation (https://ssemida.medium.com/).