How can LCA include prospective elements to assess emerging technologies and system transitions? The 76th LCA Discussion Forum on Life Cycle Assessment, 19 November 2020

Adrianto, Lugas Raka; Hulst, Mitchell K. van der; Tokaya, Janot P.; Arvidsson, Rickard; Blanco, Carlos F.; Caldeira, Carla; Guillén-Gonsálbez, Gonzalo; Sala, Serenella; Steubing, Bernhard; Buyle, Matthias; Kaddoura, Mohamad; Navarre, Nicolas; Pedneault, Julien; Pizzol, Massimo; Salieri, Beatrice; Harmelen, Toon van; Hauck, Mara

doi:10.1007/s11367-021-01934-w

Cited by 22 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…We were, however, not able to fully standardize the technology development predictions across the studies included, such as to what extent waste streams were recycled or heat integrated. To better understand the environmental impact of products at an early stage of development, clear upscaling guidelines involving different levels of technological development are required 45 . For instance, three distinctive steps in technological development can be speci ed, i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…from Piccinno et al 46 ). Additionally, a comprehensive prospective LCA would require temporal alignment of both the emerging technology and the fossil baseline product when compared at a future point in time, and should consider changes in the background system 45 . A standardized framework for prospective LCA might also bene t from clear TRL de nitions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The potential of emerging bio-based products to reduce environmental impacts

Zuiderveen

Kuipers

Caldeira

et al. 2022

Preprint

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The current debate on the sustainability of bio-based products questions the environmental benefits of replacing fossil- by bio-resources. Here, we systematically analyzed the environmental trade-offs of 86 emerging bio-based materials compared to their fossil counterparts. Although greenhouse gas (GHG) life cycle emissions for emerging bio-based products are on average 47% lower (38-54%; 95% confidence interval), we found a large variation between individual bio-based products with none of them reaching net-zero emissions. Grouped in product-categories, our findings indicate that biorefinery products may have the highest predicted GHG reduction of 73% (50, 85%) and biofibers the lowest (29%; -61, 30%). Only for eutrophication we found statistical evidence for an increase in footprint (359%; 109-906%), indicating that environmental trade-offs should not be overlooked. Our findings imply that the environmental sustainability of bio-based products should be evaluated on an individual product basis and that more radical product developments are required to reach climate-neutral targets.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The potential of emerging bio-based products to reduce environmental impacts

Zuiderveen

Kuipers

Caldeira

et al. 2022

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Noteworthily, and considering that it is even more imperative to determine the environmental impacts of the emerging technologies at an initial stage of development, some shortcomings are expectable during the assessment [ 263 , 276 ]. Nevertheless, even with all the challenges and uncertainties, a prospective LCA should be performed in a useful way that could lead to a decisive strategy to orient the investments and predict the upcoming environmental impacts [ 277 ], such as those linked to the critical raw materials, in order to ensure the sustainability of such technologies.…”

Section: Life Cycle Assessment and Nanosafetymentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanosafety: An Evolving Concept to Bring the Safest Possible Nanomaterials to Society and Environment

et al. 2022

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The use of nanomaterials has been increasing in recent times, and they are widely used in industries such as cosmetics, drugs, food, water treatment, and agriculture. The rapid development of new nanomaterials demands a set of approaches to evaluate the potential toxicity and risks related to them. In this regard, nanosafety has been using and adapting already existing methods (toxicological approach), but the unique characteristics of nanomaterials demand new approaches (nanotoxicology) to fully understand the potential toxicity, immunotoxicity, and (epi)genotoxicity. In addition, new technologies, such as organs-on-chips and sophisticated sensors, are under development and/or adaptation. All the information generated is used to develop new in silico approaches trying to predict the potential effects of newly developed materials. The overall evaluation of nanomaterials from their production to their final disposal chain is completed using the life cycle assessment (LCA), which is becoming an important element of nanosafety considering sustainability and environmental impact. In this review, we give an overview of all these elements of nanosafety.

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“…This is a well-known challenge in prospective LCA studies, especially because it is usual to have a large majority of background processes among all unit processes [27]. Attempts to resolve this gap are currently being discussed in the literature [26][27][28]. In any case, one should keep in mind that the study presents a possible future, and one which may emerge subject to a specific set of assumptions [29].…”

Section: Figure 3 Embodied Ghg Emissions Of the Building Variants Per...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Greenhouse gas reduction strategies for building materials: A reality check with the climate targets

Alaux

Hoxha

Saade

et al. 2022

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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The increasing importance of the embodied emissions in the life cycle of buildings has led to a growing interest in strategies supporting their mitigation. In this paper are presented the environmental impacts of 10 variants of a single-family house assessed with the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. A set of potential technological improvements and strategies are applied at the material level. Their influence at the building level is discussed and the resulting global warming potentials are compared to the COP21 targets for Austrian buildings. Finally, potential trade-offs in 9 other environmental impact categories are explored. The results show that, when incorporating all of the assessed strategies for emission reduction, the embodied greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could be reduced up to 87% at the material level and 50% at the building level. Carbon capture and storage and the use of bio-based materials are to be credited for the highest share of these reductions. However, there is no version of this building that fulfils the COP21 targets. Other pathways, which do not solely rely on material-related technological improvements, should be investigated. A more radical change of the building industry might even be necessary. Overall, the implementation of the strategies decreased the environmental impacts in almost every impact category, except for freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity.

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How can LCA include prospective elements to assess emerging technologies and system transitions? The 76th LCA Discussion Forum on Life Cycle Assessment, 19 November 2020

Cited by 22 publications

References 4 publications

The potential of emerging bio-based products to reduce environmental impacts

The potential of emerging bio-based products to reduce environmental impacts

Nanosafety: An Evolving Concept to Bring the Safest Possible Nanomaterials to Society and Environment

Greenhouse gas reduction strategies for building materials: A reality check with the climate targets

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