A conceptual framework for impact assessment within SLCA

Reitinger, Claudia; Dumke, Matthias; Barosevcic, Mario; Hillerbrand, Rafaela

doi:10.1007/s11367-011-0265-y

Cited by 95 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(8 reference statements)

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“…A separate system boundary to environmental impact assessment was proposed, defined using those parts of the life cycle that the company performing the assessment could influence directly (Reitinger et al 2011), and where demonstrable social improvements could be made with regard to labour-related issues. In addition, given the restrictions posed on data collection for SMEs, the intended effect of the social impact methodology was sharpened by classifying the key stakeholder groups as workers/employees and local communities impacted by the product life cycle.…”

Section: Methodology: Goal and Scope Definitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social impacts and life cycle assessment: proposals for methodological development for SMEs in the European food and drink sector

Barling

2014

Int J Life Cycle Assess

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This is the unspecified version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link AbstractPurpose: SMEs account for 99 per cent of companies operating in the European food and drink industry and, often, are part of highly fragmented and complex food chains. The article focuses on the development of a social impact assessment methodology for SMEs in selected food and drink products as part of the EU--FP7 SENSE research project. The proposed methodology employs a top--down and bottom--up approach and focuses on labour rights/working conditions along the product supply chain as the key social impact indicator, limiting key stakeholder classification to workers/employees and local communities impacted by the production process. Problems related to this emerging field are discussed and questions for further research are expounded. Methods: The article reviews both academic and 'grey' literature on life cycle assessment (LCA) and its relationship to S--LCA and SMEs at the beginning of 2013 and includes case study evidence from the food sector. A pilot questionnaire survey sent to European food and drink sector SMEs and trade associations (as partners in the research project) about their knowledge, experience and engagement with social impacts is presented. Proposals are elaborated for a social impact assessment methodology that identifies the key data for SMEs to collect . Results and discussion: The literature reveals the complexity of the S--LCA approach as it aims tounite disparate and often conflicting interests. Findings from the pilot questionnaire are discussed. Using a top--down and bottom--up approach, the proposed methodology assesses data from SMEs along the supply chain in order to gauge social improvements in the management of labour--related issues for different product sectors. Issues relating to the 'attributional' choice of social impact indicator and key stakeholder categories are discussed. How 'scoring' is interpreted and reported, and what the intended effect of its use will be are also elaborated upon. Conclusions: Whilst recognising the difficulty of devising a robust social impact assessment for SMEs in the food and drink sector, it is argued that the proposed methodology makes a useful contribution in this fast emerging field.

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Section: Methodology: Goal and Scope Definitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social impacts and life cycle assessment: proposals for methodological development for SMEs in the European food and drink sector

Barling

2014

Int J Life Cycle Assess

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“…Apart from deeply analyzing the theoretical foundations of SLCA, some academics have asked for scientific developments in providing improved methods and case studies with regard to the choice of impact categories and related indicators (e.g., [14,15]). Nonetheless, there is still a restricted number of contributions aimed at reviewing which social sustainability aspects are most relevant to consider throughout the SLCA.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Life Cycle Approach as a Tool for Promoting the Market Uptake of Bio-Based Products from a Consumer Perspective

Falcone

Imbert

2018

Sustainability

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Abstract:The sustainability of bio-based products, especially when compared with fossil based products, must be assured. The life cycle approach has proven to be a promising way to analyze the social, economic and environmental impacts of bio-based products along the whole value chain. Until now, however, the social aspects have been under-investigated in comparison to environmental and economic aspects. In this context, the present paper aims to identify the main social impact categories and indicators that should be included in a social sustainability assessment of bio-based products, with a focus on the consumers' category. To identify which social categories and indicators are most relevant, we carry out a literature review on existing social life cycle studies; this is followed by a focus group with industrial experts and academics. Afterwards, we conduct semi-structured interviews with some consumer representatives to understand which social indicators pertaining to consumers are perceived as relevant. Our findings highlight the necessity for the development and dissemination of improved frameworks capable of exploiting the consumers' role in the ongoing process of market uptake of bio-based products. More specifically, this need regards the effective inclusion of some social indicators (i.e., end users' health and safety, feedback mechanisms, transparency, and end-of-life responsibility) in the social life cycle assessment scheme for bio-based products. This would allow consumers, where properly communicated, to make more informed and aware purchasing choices, therefore having a flywheel effect on the market diffusion of a bio-based product.

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“…The indicators are each calculated as both total working seconds under high and very high risk of each category and its share related to the overall working time. The indicators have been chosen based on the framework introduced by Reitinger et al, 2011, which adds fairness to the categories introduced by Sen [79,86]. To prevent double counting, the aspect of health and safety is covered by the LCA impact assessment and not included in the capability assessment.…”

Section: Economic Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bio-Inspired Sustainability Assessment for Building Product Development—Concept and Case Study

et al. 2018

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Abstract:Technological advancement culminating in a globalized economy has brought tremendous improvements for mankind in manifold respects but comes at the cost of alienation from nature. Human activities nowadays are unsustainable and cause severe damage especially in terms of global depletion and destabilization of natural systems but also harm its own social resources. In this paper, a sustainability assessment method is developed based on a bio-inspired sustainability framework that has been developed in the project TRR 141-C01 "The biomimetic promise". It is aims at regaining the advantages of societal embeddedness in its environment through biological inspiration. The method is developed using a structured approach including requirement specification, description of the inventory models on bio-inspiration and sustainability assessment, creation of a bio-inspired sustainability assessment model and its validation. It is defined as an accompanying assessment for decision support, using a six-fold two-dimensional structure of social, economic and environmental functions and burdens. The method is applied and validated in 6 projects of TRR 141 and its applicability is exemplarily shown by the assessment of "Bio-flexi", a biobased and biodegradable natural fiber reinforced plastic composite for indoor cladding applications. Based on the findings of the application the assessment method itself is proposed to be advanced towards an adaptive structure and a consequent outlook is provided.

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A conceptual framework for impact assessment within SLCA

Cited by 95 publications

References 17 publications

Social impacts and life cycle assessment: proposals for methodological development for SMEs in the European food and drink sector

Social impacts and life cycle assessment: proposals for methodological development for SMEs in the European food and drink sector

Social Life Cycle Approach as a Tool for Promoting the Market Uptake of Bio-Based Products from a Consumer Perspective

Bio-Inspired Sustainability Assessment for Building Product Development—Concept and Case Study

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