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- van Oers, Lauran, et al.
(författare)
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Top-down characterization of resource use in LCA : from problem definition of resource use to operational characterization factors for dissipation of elements to the environment
- 2020
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Ingår i: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - Cham, Switzerland : Springer Nature. - 0948-3349 .- 1614-7502. ; 25:11, s. 2255-2273
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeThe methods for assessing the impact of using abiotic resources in life cycle assessment (LCA) have always been heavily debated. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of a common understanding of the problem related to resource use. This article reports the results of an effort to reach such common understanding between different stakeholder groups and the LCA community. For this, a top-down approach was applied.MethodsTo guide the process, a four-level top-down framework was used to (1) demarcate the problem that needs to be assessed, (2) translate this into a modeling concept, (3) derive mathematical equations and fill these with data necessary to calculate the characterization factors, and (4) align the system boundaries and assumptions that are made in the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) model and the life cycle inventory (LCI) model.ResultsWe started from the following definition of the problem of using resources: the decrease of accessibility on a global level of primary and/or secondary elements over the very long term or short term due to the net result of compromising actions. The system model distinguishes accessible and inaccessible stocks in both the environment and the technosphere. Human actions can compromise the accessible stock through environmental dissipation, technosphere hibernation, and occupation in use or through exploration. As a basis for impact assessment, we propose two parameters: the global change in accessible stock as a net result of the compromising actions and the global amount of the accessible stock. We propose three impact categories for the use of elements: environmental dissipation, technosphere hibernation, and occupation in use, with associated characterization equations for two different time horizons. Finally, preliminary characterization factors are derived and applied in a simple illustrative case study for environmental dissipation.ConclusionsDue to data constraints, at this moment, only characterization factors for “dissipation to the environment” over a very-long-term time horizon could be elaborated. The case study shows that the calculation of impact scores might be hampered by insufficient LCI data. Most presently available LCI databases are far from complete in registering the flows necessary to assess the impacts on the accessibility of elements. While applying the framework, various choices are made that could plausibly be made differently. We invite our peers to also use this top-down framework when challenging our choices and elaborate that into a consistent set of choices and assumptions when developing LCIA methods.
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| 3. |
- Garcia Uriarte, Ainara, et al.
(författare)
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SUstainable management of PRIMary raw materials through a better approach in Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (SUPRIM)
- 2019
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The project focuses on the assessment of the environmental impact of raw materials production and the development of services to better understand sustainability issues in the sector. The main objectives of the project are:• Development of a Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) method to address resource accessibility in sustainability assessment and testing and validatingthe method.• Development of Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) datasets through case studies in collaboration with the industrial partners from the mining sector and apply anenvironmental assessment with the aim to better understand the environmental impacts of the production of copper and the sources of these impacts.• Bring the service to a broader audience, including the LCIA community, mining companies and their downstream users, policy makers, academia.Two case studies have been performed, the Cobre las Cruces mine in Spain, operated by First Quantum Minerals Ltd, as well as the Aitik mining operation innorthern Sweden, operated by Boliden Mineral AB.
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