Abstract
This study presents a first attempt at an operational LCIA-methodology basing the definition of the impact categories on the control variables as defined in the
Planetary Boundaries (PB) framework. The PB-framework introduced a set of
biophysical Earth system processes and defined quantitative PBs that have to be
respected for Earth to remain in the Holocene state. The concept is attracting a
strong interest from in dustry as companies seek to assess and communicate the environmental performance of their products relative to the PBs. The PB
-framework has previously been attempted included in LCA as part of normalization and weighting. The limitations of both attempts are the lack of
spatial differentiation for spatially differentiated PBs and the requirement for
harmonizing the control variables with indicators already used in life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA). A way to overcome these limitations is to directly use the control variables in the PB-framework as impact categories in LCIA, which is also the objective of this study. This work defines a mathematical framework for a LCIA-methodology where Characterization Factors (CFs) are included for all
Earth system processes in the PB-framework, for all substances contributing to
effects on the Earth system processes and expressed in the units of the control
variables. Except for novel entities and biosphere integrity which are currently
excluded from the LCIA-methodology because the former is lacking a planetary
boundary metric while a full understanding of the cause-effect chain is missing for the latter. The CFs were estimated by identifying the environmental models
needed to model the control variables of the PB-framework and adapting these to fit the LCIA-framework. This work provides a full set of CFs for all the Earth
system processes in the PB-framework. The new LCIA-methodology provide
additional and complementary insights which cannot be achieved with raditional
LCIA-methodologies. The results provide information on the environmental
impacts of the assessed products and solves previous problems with approximative links between control variables in the PB-framework and current
LCIA impact categories. The new insights can be used for communicating the
product’s environmental performance and to support definitions of absolute
reduction targets relative to the PBs.
Planetary Boundaries (PB) framework. The PB-framework introduced a set of
biophysical Earth system processes and defined quantitative PBs that have to be
respected for Earth to remain in the Holocene state. The concept is attracting a
strong interest from in dustry as companies seek to assess and communicate the environmental performance of their products relative to the PBs. The PB
-framework has previously been attempted included in LCA as part of normalization and weighting. The limitations of both attempts are the lack of
spatial differentiation for spatially differentiated PBs and the requirement for
harmonizing the control variables with indicators already used in life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA). A way to overcome these limitations is to directly use the control variables in the PB-framework as impact categories in LCIA, which is also the objective of this study. This work defines a mathematical framework for a LCIA-methodology where Characterization Factors (CFs) are included for all
Earth system processes in the PB-framework, for all substances contributing to
effects on the Earth system processes and expressed in the units of the control
variables. Except for novel entities and biosphere integrity which are currently
excluded from the LCIA-methodology because the former is lacking a planetary
boundary metric while a full understanding of the cause-effect chain is missing for the latter. The CFs were estimated by identifying the environmental models
needed to model the control variables of the PB-framework and adapting these to fit the LCIA-framework. This work provides a full set of CFs for all the Earth
system processes in the PB-framework. The new LCIA-methodology provide
additional and complementary insights which cannot be achieved with raditional
LCIA-methodologies. The results provide information on the environmental
impacts of the assessed products and solves previous problems with approximative links between control variables in the PB-framework and current
LCIA impact categories. The new insights can be used for communicating the
product’s environmental performance and to support definitions of absolute
reduction targets relative to the PBs.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | SETAC Europe 26th Annual Meeting |
| Publication date | 2016 |
| Pages | 96-96 |
| Article number | 421 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
| Event | SETAC Europe 26th Annual Meeting: Environmental contaminants from land to sea: continuities and interface in environmental toxicology and chemistry - La Cite Nantes Congress Center, Nantes, France Duration: 22 May 2016 → 26 May 2016 Conference number: 22 http://nantes.setac.eu/nantes/home//?contentid=851 |
Conference
| Conference | SETAC Europe 26th Annual Meeting |
|---|---|
| Number | 22 |
| Location | La Cite Nantes Congress Center |
| Country/Territory | France |
| City | Nantes |
| Period | 22/05/2016 → 26/05/2016 |
| Internet address |