I am a postdoctoral fellow at the Industrial Ecology Programme.
My research addresses the environmental sustainability of bio-based chemicals and polymers derived from lignocellulosic materials compared to their fossil-based equivalents. To deal with the low technology readiness level of novel bio-based options, I combine ex-ante and prospective LCA methodologies, scaling-up the technology maturity and considering the influence of future socio-economic scenarios.

Background

I'm a PhD from University of Campinas, in a joint Bioenergy program with University of São Paulo (USP) and São Paulo State University (UNESP). I also worked for 3 years in the Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR/CNPEM). My background includes life cycle assessment of biofuels and bioenergy, land management for biomass production, sustainability assessment of integrated food (livestock) and bioenergy value chains.

Publications

1. Souza, NRD, Solberg, MKM, Hu, X, Cherubini, F (2025). Environmental benefits and changes in ecosystem services of climate-smart agriculture relative to conventional agriculture in Norway. Journal of Environmental Management, 124633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124633
2. Zhang, X, Huang, B, Souza, NRD, et al. 2024. Regional cooling potential from expansion of perennial grasses in Europe. Commun Earth Environ 5, 772 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01923-5
3. Sedrik, R, Bonjour, O, Souza, NRD, Ismagilova, A, Tamsalu, I, Kisand, V, Cherubini, F, Jannasch, P, Vares, L, 2024. Aromatic Polymethacrylates from Lignin-Based Feedstock: Synthesis, Thermal Properties, Life-Cycle Assessment and Toxicity. ChemSusChem, e202401239. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202401239
4. Souza, NRD, Groenestege, M, Spekreijse, J, Ribeiro, C, Matos, CT, Pizzol, M, Cherubini, F, 2024. Challenges and opportunities toward a sustainable bio-based chemical sector in Europe. WIREs Energy and Environment, 13, e534. https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.534 
   

5. Daunoraitė, D, Souza, NRD, Babinskas, J, Cherubini, F, Vares, L, Matijošytė, I, 2024. Unlocking nature's sweet secret for citric acid production from wood sugars: Evaluation of microbial strains and environmental impacts. Journal of Cleaner Production, 467, 142914. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142914 

6. Souza, NRD; Matt, L; Sedrik, R; Vares, L; Cherubini, F; 2023. Integrating ex-ante and prospective life-cycle assessment for advancing the environmental impact analysis of emerging bio-based technologies. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 43. 319-332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2023.11.002

7. Souza, NRD; Petrielli, GP;  Hernandes, TAD, Leduc, S; DiFulvio, F; Henzler, DS; Chagas, MF; Junqueira, TL,Cavalett, O, 2023. Bioenergy-livestock integration in Brazil: Unraveling potentials for energy production and climate change mitigation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 422, 138586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138586
8. Petrielli, GP, Nogueira, GP, Henzler, DS, Souza, NRD, Bruno, KMB, Luciano, ACS, Le Maire, G, Hernandes, TAD, 2023. Integrating carbon footprint to spatialized modeling: The mitigation potential of sugarcane ethanol production in the Brazilian Center-South. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 189. 106725, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106725
9. Souza, NRD, Cavalett, O, Junqueira, TL, 2022.  Techno-economic and environmental assessment of bioenergy and livestock integrated systems in Brazil. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 32, 580-592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2022.05.013
10. Souza, NRD; Souza, A; Chagas, MFC; Hernandes, TAD; Cavalett, O., 2022.  Addressing the contributions of electricity from biomass in Brazil in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals using life cycle assessment methods. Journal of Industrial Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13242
11. Souza, NRD; Junqueira, TL; Cavalett, O., 2021. Opportunities and challenges for bioenergy-livestock integrated systems in Brazil. Industrial Crops and Products, 173, 114091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.114091
12. Souza, NRD; Klein, BC; Chagas, MF; Cavalett, O; Bonomi, A., 2021. Towards comparable carbon credits: harmonization of LCA models of cellulosic biofuels. Sustainability, 13(18), 10371. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810371
13. Souza, NRD; Duft, DG; Bruno, KMB; Henzler, DS; Junqueira, TL; Cavalett, O; Hernandes, TAD, 2021. Unraveling the potential of sugarcane electricity for climate change mitigation in Brazil. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 175, 105878, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105878
14. Sampaio, ILM; Cardoso, TF; Souza, NRD; Watanabe, MDB; Carvalho, DJ; Bonomi, A; Junqueira, TL. 2019. Electricity Production from Sugarcane Straw Recovered Through Bale System: Assessment of Retrofit Projects. BioEnergy Research, p 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-019-10014-9
15. Souza, NRD; Fracarolli, JA; Junqueira, TL; Chagas, MF; Cardoso, TF; Watanabe, MDB; Cavalett, O; Venzke Filho, SP; Dale, BE; Bonomi, A; Cortez, LA. 2019. Sugarcane ethanol and beef cattle integration in Brazil. BIOMASS & BIOENERGY, v. 120, p. 448-457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2018.12.012
16. Junqueira, TL; Chagas, MF; Watanabe, MDB; Souza, NRD; Jesus, CDF; Maciel Filho, R; Bonomi, A. 2018. Sustainable production of Food and Bioenergy: Technoeconomic and Environmental Assessment of Sugarcane Ethanol and Livestock Integration. Chemical Engineering Transactions, v. 65, p. 631-635-6, https://doi.org/10.3303/CET1865106