This research field aims to develop emerging new products that create a smaller environmental footprint  (e.g. low carbon) throughout their lifecycle, while considering the economic and social implications in producing and consuming the end products.  In this work, we endeavor to:

· Understand the relationship between energy production and all aspects of sustainability, including economic, social, and environmental issues;

· Analyze the whole energy supply chains/networks;

· Improve the understanding of climates, soil types, land use, and water issues;

· Support the development of diverse, non-food feedstocks that require less resources than conventional feedstocks;

· Determine life-cycle impacts of a major scale-up in energy production, from feedstocks to end-use in vehicles, addressing land use, habitat preservation, and soil health and impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;

· Develop quantitative models of  land use changes associated with increased bioenergy production to be included in life-cycle analyses;