Personal profile
Short bio
Silvia Forin is a Senior Scientist at VTT specializing in life-cycle oriented sustainability assessment methods, such as life cycle assessment (LCA) for products and organisations, water footprint, and carbon footprint. She completed her PhD on organizational water footprint and its application in 2020. Silvia is actively involved in EU-funded research and innovation projects at the intersection between environmental science, technology and decision making.
Expertise area
Sustainability assessment methods for products and organisations (LCA, O-LCA, carbon and water footprint, environmental handprint), sustainability standards (Product Category Rules (PCRs), Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), GHG Protocol), sustainability communications (fair practices vs “green washing”).
Research interests
Development and standardization of environmental impact assessment methods; Scaling the environmental footprint and handprint of innovations from technology development to industrial-scale production; Communicating the environmental performance of products and companies and related legislation and best practices.
Education/Academic qualification
Engineering, Doctorate, Organizational Water Footprint: Theory and Application, Technical University of Berlin
2017 → 2020
Political science, Environmental Management
2010 → 2015
Natural sciences, Bachelor, Physics
2007 → 2011
External positions
Manager, Gaia Consulting
Sept 2023 → Sept 2024
Senior Researcher and Team Lead, WifOR Institute
Sept 2020 → Dec 2022
Research Associate, Technical University of Berlin
Nov 2015 → Mar 2020
Master Thesis Student, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change
Sept 2013 → Apr 2015
Research Assistant (BSc level), Öko-Institut e.V.
Nov 2012 → Sept 2014
Intern, International cooperation, Guinée 44
Jun 2012 → Sept 2012
Deputy Women's Representative, Technical University of Berlin
Apr 2010 → Oct 2010
Skills and expertise
- sustainability assessment
- life cycle assessment
- water footprint
- carbon footprint
- LCA
- sustainability standards
- sustainability communication
- handprint
- project management
- project proposal preparation
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 15 Life on Land -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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CRAFT-IT4SD: Craft Revitalization Action for Futureproofing the Transition to Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Development
Markkula, A. (Manager), Pihkola, H. (Owner), Petänen, P. (Participant), Paronen, E. (Participant), Hylkilä, E. (Participant), Tuovila, H. (Participant) & Forin, S. (Participant)
1/01/24 → 31/12/26
Project: EU project
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iMERMAID: Innovative solutions for Mediterranean Ecosystem Remediation via Monitoring and decontamination from Chemical Pollution
Arnold, M. (Manager), Wallin, A. (Participant), Behm, K. (Participant), Suomalainen, M. (Participant) & Forin, S. (Participant)
1/06/23 → 31/05/26
Project: EU project
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Agro2Circular: Territorial circular systemic solution for the upcycling of residues from the agrifood sector
Behm, K. (Participant), Paronen, E. (Manager), Hylkilä, E. (Participant), Forin, S. (Participant), Järnefelt, V. (Participant) & Toivanen, I. (Participant)
1/10/21 → 31/03/25
Project: EU project
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Analysing the climate impacts of SME fashion business models
Forin, S., Hylkilä, E., Markkula, A., Paronen, E. & Pihkola, H., 16 Sept 2025, CRAFT-IT4SD project.Research output: Other contribution › Blog/Web article › General public
Open Access -
Climate impact assessment of current business models in the pilot sites: Deliverable D5.2
Markkula, A., Forin, S., Hylkilä, E., Paronen, E., Pihkola, H. & Tuovila, H., 30 Jun 2025, CRAFT-IT4SD project. 130 p.Research output: Book/Report › Report
Open Access -
How to showcase environmental impact mitigation through innovation? An application of the environmental handprint approach to wastewater treatment technologies
Forin, S., Behm, K., Furlanetto, T. & Arnold, M., 12 Sept 2025, 12th International Conference on Life Cycle Management: Proceedings. LCM Conference, 1 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference abstract in proceedings › Scientific
Open Access -
Are medicines more greenhouse gas intensive than cars? Comment to Belkhir, L., Elmeligi, A., 2019: Carbon footprint of the global pharmaceutical industry and relative impact of its major players
Forin, S. & Scholz, R., Jan 2022, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 331, 129963.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
5 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
Comment to “Marginal and non-marginal approaches in characterization: how context and scale affect the selection of an adequate characterization factor. The AWARE model example”
Forin, S., Berger, M. & Finkbeiner, M., 20 Apr 2020, In: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 25, p. 663–666 4 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article
Open Access16 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)
Activities
- 2 Conference presentation
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Analysing the climate impacts of selected SME fashion business models in Europe
Hylkilä, E. (Speaker), Forin, S. (Contributor) & Markkula, A. (Contributor)
10 Sept 2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Conference presentation
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How to showcase environmental impact mitigation through innovation? An application of the environmental handprint approach to wastewater treatment technologies
Forin, S. (Speaker), Behm, K. (Contributor), Furlanetto, T. (Contributor) & Arnold, M. (Speaker)
12 Sept 2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Conference presentation