Revisiting the role of LCA and SLCA in the transition towards sustainable production and consumption

Parent, Julie; Cucuzzella, Carmela; Revéret, Jean‐Pierre

doi:10.1007/s11367-012-0485-9

Cited by 72 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…In this vein, the development of general SLCA indicators could provide organizations with relevant information to better understand those important social factors for positioning a product in the market and to guide consumer purchases (see [16]). It is worth noting that the use of biomass does not make bio-based products automatically sustainable or even, by definition, more sustainable than fossil-based products [58].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This could help fill the gap concerning the overall lack of attention of SLCA research to stakeholder categories other than workers (see [10]). In this vein, SLCA is also a valuable tool for positioning a product in the market and to guide consumer purchases (see [16]). This becomes even more relevant when considering public measures for bio-based products, such as public procurement policies, and where mechanisms for establishing a level playing field with fossil-based products have not yet been implemented [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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“…It goes hand in hand with a similar development in life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) where social LCA increasingly complements the more traditional environmental impact and life cycle costing assessments (Kloepffer 2008 ;Parent et al 2013 ).…”

Section: Merging Of Disciplinesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts Embodied in Global Trade Flows

Wiedmann

2016

Taking Stock of Industrial Ecology

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The steep and unprecedented growth of globalisation and trade over the last few decades has led to accelerated economic activity with mixed outcomes. Continued economic growth and alleviation of poverty in many countries has been accompanied with an overall increase and shifting of environmental pressures between countries. Industrial ecology research has contributed decisively to the knowledge around impacts in trade. This chapter summarises the latest empirical fi ndings on global change instigated by trade, discusses new methodological developments and refl ects on the sustainability of globalised production and consumption. Signifi cant proportions of up to 64 % of total environmental, social and economic impacts can be linked to international trade. Impacts embodied in trade have grown much more rapidly than their total global counterparts. Policies aimed at increasing the sustainability of production and consumption need to go beyond domestic regulation and seek international cooperation to target production practices for exports worldwide.

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“…While there are numerous concepts available, most are originally restricted to a schematic level and have to be transferred and differentiated to fully apply quantified life cycle thinking and thus provide comparable and specific results on a level that facilitates detailed decision support [28]. The concept of cradle to cradle, for example, is presented as a design framework for sustainable products but offers several inconsistencies when combined with quantified life cycle thinking [29,30].…”

Section: Properties Of Sustainability Assessment Methodsmentioning

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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Revisiting the role of LCA and SLCA in the transition towards sustainable production and consumption

Cited by 72 publications

References 22 publications

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

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

Impacts Embodied in Global Trade Flows

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

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