A UNEP/SETAC approach towards a life cycle sustainability assessment—our contribution to Rio+20

Valdivia, Sonia; Ugaya, Cássia Maria Lie; Hildenbrand, Jutta; Traverso, Marzia; Mazijn, Bernard; Sonnemann, Guido

doi:10.1007/s11367-012-0529-1

Cited by 179 publications

(122 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…For example, for LCA, environmental databases are well developed and the metrics to be considered are standardised. But for sLCA, data is much more difficult to obtain and even choosing appropriate metrics can be problematic (Guinée, 2016;Valdivia et al, 2013;Wu et al, 2014). And even where consistent data is available across all domains for an assessment, weighing incommensurable outputs to make meaningful decisions still represents a challenge (Bachmann, 2013;Chong et al, 2016).…”

Section: Conceptual Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…And even where consistent data is available across all domains for an assessment, weighing incommensurable outputs to make meaningful decisions still represents a challenge (Bachmann, 2013;Chong et al, 2016). Aggregating outputs from different models for an assessment leads to a further two specific issues that we intend to address here, namely (i) the need to maintain consistency across the models (or to account for inevitable, potentially opaque, inconsistencies) and (ii) the problem of neglecting interdependencies between domains (Sala et al, 2013a;Valdivia et al, 2013;Zamagni et al, 2013).…”

Section: Conceptual Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fully integrated modelling for sustainability assessment of resource recovery from waste

Millward-Hopkins

Busch

Purnell

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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• We develop a multidimensional model for assessing resource recovery systems.• Social, environmental, technical and economic domains of value are fully integrated.• We propose a new typology for metrics better suited to integrated modelling.• We apply the model to a case linking electricity and concrete/cement production.• Interdependencies between domains and temporal dynamics can be modelled. G R A P H I C A L A B S T R A C Ta b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o This paper presents an integrated modelling approach for value assessments, focusing on resource recovery from waste. The method tracks and forecasts a range of values across environmental, social, economic and technical domains by attaching these to material-flows, thus building upon and integrating unidimensional models such as material flow analysis (MFA) and lifecycle assessment (LCA). We argue that the usual classification of metrics into these separate domains is useful for interpreting the outputs of multidimensional assessments, but unnecessary for modelling. We thus suggest that multidimensional assessments can be better performed by integrating the calculation methods of unidimensional models rather than their outputs. To achieve this, we propose a new metric typology that forms the foundation of a multidimensional model. This enables dynamic simulations to be performed with material-flows (or values in any domain) driven by changes in value in other domains. We then apply the model in an illustrative case highlighting links between the UK coal-based electricity-production and concrete/cement industries, investigating potential impacts that may follow the increased use of low-carbon fuels (biomass and solid recovered fuels; SRF) in the former. We explore synergies and trade-offs in value across domains and regions, e.g. how changes in carbon emissions in one part of the system may affect mortality elsewhere. This highlights the advantages of recognising complex system dynamics and making high-level inferences of their effects, even when rigorous analysis is not possible. We also indicate how changes in social, environmental and economic 'values' can be understood as being driven by changes in the technical value of resources. Our work thus emphasises the advantages of building fully integrated models to inform conventional sustainability assessments, rather than applying hybrid approaches that integrate outputs from parallel models. The approach we present demonstrates that this is feasible and lays the foundations for such an integrated model. Crown

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Section: Conceptual Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fully integrated modelling for sustainability assessment of resource recovery from waste

Millward-Hopkins

Busch

Purnell

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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“…LCC is a method for addressing the life cycle based costs for the products or services considered, thus including costs for operation, service, maintenance and waste. In some approaches, only producer-related costs are considered, in other also costs borne by other actors and sometimes the whole society are included [82,83]. It was applied on scenarios on electricity generation in a long term perspective (2070) [55].…”

Section: Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (Lcsa)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Methods for assessing future scenarios from a sustainability perspective

et al. 2017

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Future scenarios are often used to address long-term challenges characterised by uncertainty and complexity, as they can help explore different alternative future pathways. Scenarios can therefore be a useful tool to support policy and guide action towards sustainability. But what sustainability aspects are put forward in scenarios and how are they assessed? This paper aims to explore how to assess future scenarios, categorised according to Börjeson et al. (Futures 38:723-739, 2006) i.e. predictive, explorative and normative scenarios. By conducting a literature review and a document analysis, we map tools and methods that are currently used to assess environmental and social sustainability aspects in scenarios. We also draw on experiences from methods for impact assessments of Swedish municipal comprehensive plans, which can be considered as future scenarios. We identify whether some sustainability aspects are less recurrent than others in the reviewed assessments or even left out. We find that there is no single tool that can be used to assess scenarios. Some quantitative tools based on databases may be more suitable for assessing scenarios within a shorter time horizon, whereas qualitative assessment methods might better fit the purpose of long-term transformative scenarios. We also find that assessment frameworks may be useful to guide the assessment, as to what its intended purpose is and which sustainability aspects to include. Finally we discuss whether further assessment tools are needed in order to include a wider array of potential environmental or social consequences of the content of scenarios.

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“…The idea of combining three LCA techniques into one has been theorized since 2008 (Kloepffer 2008), and recently, the publication "Towards a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA)," presented in this special issue by Valdivia et al (2012), shows the feasibility of this approach and framework, together with its potential benefits.…”

Section: Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The case studies described so far make reference to the LCSA (assessment) framework, as described in Kloepffer (2008) and Valdivia et al (2012), and are mainly aimed at testing its feasibility and at understanding what kind of information can be obtained and how they can support the decision making process. The LCSA (analysis) framework is still at the conceptual level, and needs to be made operational.…”

Section: Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

From LCA to Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment: concept, practice and future directions

Zamagni

Pesonen

Swarr³

2013

Int J Life Cycle Assess

168

111

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A UNEP/SETAC approach towards a life cycle sustainability assessment—our contribution to Rio+20

Cited by 179 publications

References 9 publications

Fully integrated modelling for sustainability assessment of resource recovery from waste

Fully integrated modelling for sustainability assessment of resource recovery from waste

Methods for assessing future scenarios from a sustainability perspective

From LCA to Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment: concept, practice and future directions

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