Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management, University of the West of England.
Dr Carla De Laurentis is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management at UWE. She has a background in economics, innovation, urban and regional economic development. Since 2007, she has developed a research interest in the mechanisms that lead to an effective diffusion of renewable energy. She has investigated how planning and network infrastructure might pose challenges to the future deployment of renewable energy. Carla’s recent research focuses on decision-making factors influencing the end of the operational life of wind infrastructure. Carla is a partner in the the ‘Regulations to Ensure Sustainable Circular Use at End-of-life for Wind (RESCUE) supported by the Research and Innovation’s ‘UK Regulatory Science and Innovation Networks’ (RS&IN) funding call. She leads Work Package 3, which investigates how regulations are applied at end of life of wind infrastructure, including planning and consent requirement for the decommissioning and repowering of wind sites. She has also explored waste management opportunities and challenges emerging from end of life and decommissioned on-shore wind infrastructure in the UK and Italy. This work was supported by a Vice Chancellor’s Early Career Researcher (VC ECR) Development Award and funding from the Royal Geographical Society (with the IBG). She also collaborated on a recently completed project funded by the National Infrastructure Planning Association (NIPA), which investigated engagement and consultation practices for nationally significant infrastructure projects following the removal of statutory pre-application consultation requirements under the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. She has led and contributed to major research proposals submitted to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), including the EPSRC, ESRC, and the UK Energy Research Centre. She previously worked as a researcher at Cardiff University between 2002 and 2017, contributing to a wide range of projects funded by the EPSRC, ESRC, the European Commission, and national and regional funding bodies, including the Welsh Government. She is a member of the Sustainable Planning and Environment Research Centre (UWE) and the Regional Studies Association. She has published on the role of regions in the dynamics of innovation and transformation of the energy sector towards sustainability and place-based circular economy approaches. She currently serves as module leader for undergraduate and postgraduate modules on renewable energy, supporting students in understanding the role of renewable energy in addressing societal challenges. Her teaching explores the technical, economic, social, and environmental challenges and opportunities associated with renewable energy technologies across their life cycle.
Carla’s academic profile and list of publications can be accessed here: UWE Bristol: Staff profile for Carla de Laurentis
ORCiD is at Carla De Laurentis (0000-0002-6510-9926) – My ORCID
Full publications on Google Scholar are Dr Carla De Laurentis – Google Scholar
LinkedIn: Carla De Laurentis | LinkedIn
Email: carla.delaurentis@uwe.ac.uk