The session offers an accessible introduction to carbon accounting and its growing relevance in digital design. It will explore what carbon emissions mean in practice, how they are measured, and why they matter for designers and technologists. Through real-world examples and critical discussion, the session will consider the impact of automation, compare design platforms, and look ahead to the future of low-carbon digital innovation. 

Delivered by  

Dr Dimitrios Pappas is a Lecturer in Sustainability at the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). His work focuses on carbon accounting, sustainable digital and energy systems, and the design of business models that support decarbonisation across industry and society. He contributes to research, teaching, and doctoral development within the School and plays an active role in postgraduate recruitment, research engagement, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. 

Prior to joining Queen’s, Dimitrios held academic roles at the University of East Anglia and the University of Manchester, working within the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, the EnergyREV consortium, and the Diverseafood project. His doctoral research has examined carbon emissions accounting discrepancies, decomposition analysis for industrial decarbonisation, and the environmental implications of industrial relocation across China, India, and ASEAN economies. He has also worked as a Senior Research Associate on projects such as CIRCLE and has contributed to INTERREG VA and Horizon 2020 initiatives on energy storage, flexibility, and community energy systems. 

Dimitrios has received external funding to develop industry-aligned decarbonisation pathways and brings additional experience from his earlier work as an energy analyst, investigating storage, flexibility, and market design across European and global energy markets. He holds a PhD from the University of East Anglia through an EU Horizon 2020 TILOS scholarship, an MSc in Energy (Distinction) from Heriot-Watt University, and a BSc(Hons) in Geotechnology and Environmental Engineering. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and an Affiliate Researcher at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.”