Dr. Shiva Zargar Named to Canadian Forest Industries’ 2026 Top 20 Under 40
Recognizing research and technical leadership at the intersection of life cycle assessment, sustainable bioeconomy, environmental and economic performance.
Dr. Shiva Zargar, Co-founder and Director of Science and Life Cycle Assessment at Build Neutral Inc., has been named one of Canadian Forest Industries’ 2026 Top 20 Under 40, recognizing emerging leaders shaping the future of the forest products sector.
The recognition highlights Dr. Zargar’s work at the intersection of environmental science, industrial ecology, and sustainable bioeconomy.
Connecting environmental performance with technical and economic feasibility
During her Ph.D. in Sustainable Bioeconomy at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, under the supervision of Professor Qingshi Tu, Dr. Zargar developed an integrated analytical approach combining life cycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis (TEA), and multi-objective optimization to evaluate the role of forest biorefinery in achieving a sustainable bioeconomy.
These complementary methods address different dimensions of industrial decision-making: environmental impacts across the life cycle, economic feasibility, and trade-offs among competing objectives. Their integration provides a framework for evaluating bio-based technologies beyond any single environmental or economic indicator.
Applying scientific rigour to industry
At Build Neutral, Dr. Zargar applies her expertise in LCA, environmental product declarations (EPDs), product carbon footprints, critical review and verification to support technically defensible environmental disclosures and informed decisions across materials, products, and industrial systems.
This work is particularly relevant as manufacturers and material producers face growing demands for transparent environmental information. Credible assessment requires more than reporting a carbon number: it depends on appropriate system boundaries, reliable data, transparent assumptions, and methods aligned with applicable standards.
Advancing evidence-based decisions for a sustainable bioeconomy
Dr. Zargar’s recognition reflects the value of connecting research with practical applications. As interest in bio-based products grows, rigorous assessment of environmental performance, resource use, and economic feasibility remains essential to understanding their potential contributions and trade-offs within a more circular economy.
Read the full recognition in Canadian Forest Industries’ 2026 Top 20 Under 40
