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Gahana Gopal

@gahanagopal

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Senior LCA and sustainability specialist turning environmental data into decarbonization and compliant ESG insights.

India

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead end-to-end LCA and ESG reporting that strengthens EU regulatory readiness—aligning data with SBTi/PEF and CSRD/IFRS/CDP—so teams can act on credible carbon reduction and decarbonization strategies.

I’m a Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) specialist with 7+ years of experience translating complex environmental and emissions data into strategic, decision-ready insights. I’ve spearheaded Life Cycle Assessments for 1,000+ products across leading European and UK food manufacturing, FMCG, and retail multinationals—work that contributed to a 25% reduction in product carbon footprint.

Over the past 3 years, I’ve led programmes aligning sustainability data with SBTi and PEF, strengthening EU regulatory readiness and safeguarding market access. I also drive ESG reporting initiatives by aligning sustainability data with CSRD, IFRS, and CDP frameworks to improve disclosure readiness and enterprise-level ESG governance.

I’m equally comfortable going deep into methodology—expanding LCA system boundaries from cradle-to-gate to cradle-to-grave to strengthen lifecycle emissions accounting across Scope 1, 2, and 3 under the GHG Protocol and EU-PEF (PEF) guidelines. Earlier, I strengthened my research foundation through LCA and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) work on biogas plants and sustainability consultancy work on municipal solid waste systems.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior LCA Analyst

Current

Mondra

Apr 2021 - Present (5 years 2 months)

Spearheaded life cycle assessments for 1,000+ products for European and UK FMCG/retail companies, contributing to a 25% reduction in product carbon footprint and supporting enterprise decarbonization strategies. Led sustainability data alignment with SBTi and EU PEF and advanced CSRD/IFRS/CDP ESG reporting readiness.

Life Cycle Assessment GHG Protocol Scope 1 2 3 Carbon Accounting EU PEF OpenLCA & SimaPro

Senior Research Fellow

Symbiosis International University

Aug 2015 - Jan 2021 (5 years 5 months)

Evaluated performance of 19 biogas plants using LCA and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), generating insights that supported 60–70% carbon footprint reductions via optimized operations. Designed and executed pilot-scale experiments to identify key operational parameters, improving plant efficiency by 20% and increasing annual revenue potential by 15–25%.

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)Anaerobic Digestion Biogas Plant Evaluation Experimental Design Sustainability Modelling

Sustainability Consultancy

Pune Municipal Corporation

Aug 2016 - Feb 2017 (6 months)

Conducted data-driven audits and environmental impact modelling of municipal solid waste systems and delivered recommendations to improve operational efficiency and resource recovery. Advanced ESG-aligned sustainability outcomes through modelling-led decision support.

Life Cycle Assessment Resource Recovery Data Auditing

Project Trainee

National Chemical Laboratory

Nov 2013 - Jun 2014 (7 months)

Developed a phosphonated USY catalyst achieving 92% methyl acetate yield with five-cycle reusability, improving production efficiency. Contributed to cost-effective sustainable biodiesel process development through catalyst performance optimization.

Phosphonated USY Catalysts Methyl Acetate Yield Optimization Biodiesel Process Development Sustainable Process Engineering

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Symbiosis International University

PhD, Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis

Completed a PhD in Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis of anaerobic digestion plant at Symbiosis International University, Pune (2021).