| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Ddiba, Daniel, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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A review of how decision support tools address resource recovery in sanitation systems
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Globally, there is increasing interest in recovering resources from sanitation systems. However, the process of planning and implementing circular sanitation is complex and can necessitate software-based tools to support decision-making. In this paper, we review 24 decision support software tools used for sanitation planning, to generate insights into how they address resource recovery across the sanitation chain. The findings reveal that several tools can address many planning issues around resource recovery in sanitation including analysis of material flows, estimating resource recovery potential and assessing the sustainability, demand and acceptability of resource recovery technologies and products, at various planning stages. The results presented here can guide users in the choice of different tools depending on, for example, what kind of impacts the user is interested in, the stage of the planning process and the sanitation service that are in focus. However, some issues are not adequately covered by the tools including the assessment of the overall level of resource circularity in a sanitation system, the selection of resource recovery products with significant demand in a way that matches the available supply of waste streams in an area and determining the sustainability implications of the use phase of resource recovery products. While there is scope to develop new tools or to modify existing ones to cover these gaps, communication efforts are needed to create awareness about existing tools and how they address resource recovery. It is also important to further integrate the available tools into urban planning processes to move them beyond research and pilots into practice, and hopefully contribute towards more circular sanitation systems.
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| 3. |
- Ddiba, Daniel, 1990-
(författare)
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Exploring the circular economy of urban organic waste in sub-Saharan Africa: opportunities and challenges
- 2020
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Globally, there is increasing awareness of the importance of applying circular economy principles to the management of organic waste streams through resource recovery. In the urban areas of sub-Saharan Africa which are going to host a significant part of population growth over the next three decades, this is especially relevant. Circular economy approaches for sanitation and waste management can provide incentives to improve infrastructure and consequently contribute resources for water, energy and food that power urban livelihoods. This thesis is situated at the intersection of the circular economy on one hand and sanitation and waste management systems on the other. It aims to contribute to knowledge about the circular economy by investigating the potential contribution of resource-oriented urban sanitation and waste management towards the implementation of a circular economy in sub-Saharan Africa and the opportunities and challenges thereof.In pursuit of the above aim, the thesis employs a mixed methods approach and is operationalized in two case study locations: Kampala (Uganda) and Naivasha (Kenya). The findings reveal the quantities of resource recovery products like biogas, compost and black soldier fly larvae that can be obtained from the organic waste streams collected in a large city, demonstrate the viability of valorizing dried faecal sludge as a solid fuel for industrial applications, and identify the factors that facilitate or impede the governance capacity to implement circular economy approaches to the management of organic waste streams in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa. The methods used for quantifying the potential for valorizing organic waste streams and for assessing governance capacity demonstrate approaches that could be applied in other urban contexts with interest in implementing circular economy principles. The discussion highlights some key implications of these findings for sanitation and waste management practices, arguing that it is time for a shift in sub-Saharan Africa from designing sanitation and waste management systems for disposal to designing them for resource recovery.
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| 4. |
- Ddiba, Daniel Isaac Waya, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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A review of how decision support tools address resource recovery in sanitation systems
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 342
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Globally, there is increasing interest in recovering resources from sanitation systems. However, the process of planning and implementing circular sanitation is complex and can necessitate software-based tools to support decision-making. In this paper, we review 24 decision support software tools used for sanitation planning, to generate insights into how they address resource recovery across the sanitation chain. The findings reveal that the tools can address many planning issues around resource recovery in sanitation including analysis of material flows, integrating resource recovery technologies and products in the design of sanitation systems, and assessing the sustainability implications of resource recovery. The results and recommendations presented here can guide users in the choice of different tools depending on, for example, what kind of tool features and functions the user is interested in as well as the elements of the planning process and the sanitation service chain that are in focus. However, some issues are not adequately covered and need improvements in the available tools including quantifying the demand for and value of resource recovery products, addressing retrofitting of existing sanitation infrastructure for resource recovery and assessing social impacts of resource recovery from a life cycle perspective. While there is scope to develop new tools or to modify existing ones to cover these gaps, communication efforts are needed to create awareness about existing tools, their functions and how they address resource recovery. It is also important to further integrate the available tools into infrastructure planning and programming processes by e.g. customizing to relevant planning regimes and procedures, to move them beyond research and pilots into practice, and hopefully contribute towards more circular sanitation systems.
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| 5. |
- Ddiba, Daniel Isaac Waya, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Governing the circular economy : Assessing the capacity to implement resource-oriented sanitation and waste management systems in low- and middle-income countries
- 2020
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Ingår i: Earth System Governance. - : Elsevier BV. - 2589-8116. ; 4, s. 100063-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transitioning to a circular economy requires strategic investments in infrastructure, but it also requires policy coherence, coordination and collaboration among stakeholders across sectors and governance levels. In this paper, we aimed to identify the factors that facilitate or impede governance capacity to adopt circularity in the form of resource recovery from urban organic waste streams. We conducted a literature review and semi-structured interviews using the ‘Governance Capacity Framework’ in a case study of Naivasha, Kenya. Our findings emphasize the importance of leadership from the public sector in co-developing visionary strategies for circularity and using their convening power to facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration. Moreover, we identify a need for bridging theoretical circular economy concepts to initiatives in local communities of practice. The insights in this paper are relevant for advancing the understanding of challenges for governance of the circular economy especially in low-and middle-income country contexts.
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| 6. |
- Ddiba, Daniel Isaac Waya, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Sustainability assessment of increased circularity of urban organic waste streams
- 2022
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Ingår i: Sustainable Production and Consumption. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-5509. ; 34, s. 114-129
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The circular economy, from an urban organic waste perspective, is seen as an approach to deal with increasing waste streams, while contributing to meeting the increasing demand for water, energy, food and other resources in urban areas. However, there is need for a systematic assessment of the broader environmental and social ben-efits and trade-offs of resource recovery from organic waste streams. This paper presents a framework for assessing the societal impacts of increased circularity in terms of resource recovery from organic waste streams at city scale, building on the design of alternative scenarios for future technology systems. The framework was developed based on a literature review of current frameworks in the area, adapting and combining some of their aspects and adding required features to allow for a broad sustainability assessment. It was also informed by stakeholder interviews. The framework was applied to the case of Naivasha, Kenya to illustrate its applicability and usefulness. The outcome of the application in the Naivasha case indicate potential sustainability improve-ments from increased circularity, where resource recovery could lead to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, more efficient natural resource usage and job creation. It indicated also some risks of negative impacts on the health of workers in resource recovery facilities, and, in this specific case, negative impact on smallholder farmers. The framework proved applicable and useful in the case study, and hence could provide input at early stages of planning even with low availability of data. Thereby it could provide policy-relevant insights towards circular economy implementation approaches that harness the benefits while mitigating any identified potential negative impacts.
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| 7. |
- Ddiba, Daniel, 1990-
(författare)
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Implementing resource recovery from urban organic waste in low- and middle-income countries : Tools to support planners and policy makers
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Globally, there is increasing awareness of the importance of applying circular economy principles to the management of organic waste streams through resource recovery. This is especially relevant in urban areas of low- and middle-income countries which are going to host a significant part of population growth over the next few decades. Circular economy approaches for sanitation and waste management can provide incentives to improve infrastructure and consequently contribute resources for water, energy and food that power urban livelihoods. This thesis aims to contribute new knowledge, methods and tools that are applicable as decision support for the planning and implementation of circular approaches to the management of organic waste streams. The research questions in the thesis focus on three aspects of resource recovery from organic waste streams; (1) how decision support tools estimate its potential to contribute to a circular economy, (2) the governance conditions that facilitate or impede its implementation, and (3) its sustainability implications. The research in this thesis employed a mixed methods approach including literature reviews, semi-structured interviews, field observations, workshops, quantitative modelling, diagnostic governance assessment, scenarios as well as quantitative and qualitative sustainability assessment. The research was operationalized in three case study locations: Chía (Colombia), Kampala (Uganda) and Naivasha (Kenya). The findings reveal the quantities of resource recovery products like biogas, compost and black soldier fly larvae that can be obtained from the organic waste streams collected in a large city, as well as the available decision support tools that can be used to address various aspects of resource recovery in sanitation systems. In the case study locations of Naivasha and Chía, the existence of entrepreneurial initiatives for resource recovery, the available platforms for collaboration among relevant local stakeholders and the relative affordability of resource recovery products are highlighted as factors enhancing governance capacity to implement resource recovery from organic streams. On the other hand, the inadequacy of monitoring and evaluation systems and the relatively low availability and transparency of information emerged as some of the factors impeding governance capacity. Through a framework that is developed and applied to the Naivasha case, the thesis also identifies the environmental gains that can be made from implementing resource recovery from organic waste streams, as well as the potential negative social impacts that need to be mitigated by local stakeholders. The extent to which various decision support tools address the sustainability implications of resource recovery from sanitation systems is also discussed.By providing new insights on resource recovery from organic waste streams in the case study locations, the tools and frameworks in this research demonstrate approaches that can be applied in a policy and practice context to offer decision support for the implementation of resource recovery from organic waste streams. This is particularly relevant for urban areas in low- and middle-income countries whose stakeholders wish to explore the potential of resource recovery from their organic waste streams, to undertake a diagnostic assessment of their governance capacity and to assess the sustainability implications of implementing more circular approaches in their sanitation and waste management systems.
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| 8. |
- Ddiba, Daniel, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Sustainability assessment of increased circularity of urban organic waste streams – with a case on Naivasha, Kenya
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- From an urban organic waste perspective, the circular economy is often seen as an approach to achieve dual outcomes: dealing with increasing waste streams while contributing to meeting the increasing demand for water, energy, food and other resources in urban areas. As the discourse on the circular economy moves from concept to implementation, there is need for assessing the environmental, social and economic benefits and trade-offs of both proposed and implemented strategies, policies, programs and projects for resource recovery from organic waste streams. This paper presents a framework with both conceptual and procedural aspects for assessing the societal impacts of alternative scenarios for resource recovery from organic waste streams at city scale. The framework was applied to the case of Naivasha, Kenya to illustrate its utility in assessing the environmental and social impacts associated with alternative scenarios that involve increasing circularity in the management of organic waste streams. The results highlighted that increasing circularity could potentially lead to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, more efficient natural resource usage and job creation, while at the same time leading to impacts on the health of workers in resource recovery facilities and a risk of reduced access to irrigation water for smallholder farmers. The framework also proved a useful way to identify potential positive and negative impacts linked to alternative scenarios and hence provide input at early stages of planning even with low availability of data. It is therefore expected that the framework and case study results could provide policy-relevant insights towards circular economy implementation approaches that harness the benefits while mitigating any identified potential negative impacts.
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| 9. |
- Ekener, Elisabeth, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Developing Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment methodology by applying values-based sustainability weighting - Tested on biomass based and fossil transportation fuels
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 181, s. 337-351
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The production and use of transportation fuels can lead to sustainability impacts. Assessing them simultaneously in a holistic way is a challenge. This paper examines methodology for assessing the sustainability performance of products in a more integrated way, including a broad range of social impacts. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) methodology is applied for this assessment. LSCA often constitutes of the integration of results from social LCA (S-LCA), environmental life cycle assessment (E-LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC). In this study, an S-LCA from an earlier project is extended with a positive social aspect, as well as refined and detailed. E-LCA and LCC results are built from LCA database and literature. Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology is applied to integrate the results from the three different assessments into an LCSA. The weighting of key sustainability dimensions in the MCDA is performed in different ways, where the sustainability dimensions are prioritized differently priority based on the assumed values of different stakeholder profiles (Egalitarian, Hierarchist, and Individualist). The developed methodology is tested on selected biomass based and fossil transportation fuels - ethanol produced from Brazilian sugarcane and US corn/maize, and petrol produced from Russian and Nigerian crude oils, where it delineates differences in sustainability performance between products assessed. The outcome in terms of relative ranking of the transportation fuel chains based on sustain ability performance differs when applying different decision-maker profiles. This result highlights and supports views that there is no one single answer regarding which of the alternatives that is most sustainable. Rather, it depends strongly upon the worldview and values held by the decision maker. A key conclusion is that sustainability assessments should pay more attention to potential differences in underlying values held by key stakeholders in relevant societal contexts. The LCSA methodology still faces challenges regarding results integration but MCDA in combination with stakeholder profiles appears to be a useful approach to build on further.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Ekener, Elisabeth, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Potential hotspots identified by social LCA - Part 1 : A case study of a laptop computer
- 2013
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Ingår i: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 0948-3349 .- 1614-7502. ; 18:1, s. 127-143
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: A generic hotspot assessment of social impacts from a product was conducted, using a laptop computer as a case. The aims of the case study were to identify social hotspots of the laptop and to test and evaluate the methodology. Methods: The case study was based on the social LCA methodology described in the Guidelines for social LCA and included the product system from 'cradle to grave' as well as the impacts on all relevant stakeholders. We focused on a simplified list of materials and used mainly country-specific data. Results and discussion: A new method for impact assessment of hotspots was developed. The total activity in each phase was distributed among countries. The countries were divided into groups related to the extent of activity in the product system, as well as to their performance on a subcategory. High values in both groups were highlighted and hotspots were identified. The results revealed some hotspots, some hot countries and some hot issues, all indicating a risk of negative social impacts in the product system of a laptop. It also identified workers and the local community as the stakeholders most at risk of negative social impacts. Among the hotspots identified, the following subcategories were of importance: safe and healthy living conditions, social benefit/social security, access to material resources, involvement in areas with armed conflicts, community engagement (lack of), corruption, and access to immaterial resources. Conclusions: The study showed it is possible to conduct a social LCA on a generic complex product using the Guidelines, even though data collection was impaired by lack of data and low data quality. It identified methodological issues that need further attention, for example the indicator impact pathways. Still, it is clear that new insights can be gained by social LCA, where the life cycle perspective and the systematic approach help users identify potentially important aspects that could otherwise have been neglected.
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| 12. |
- Ekener, Elisabeth, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Potential hotspots identified by social LCA-Part 2 : Reflections on a study of a complex product
- 2013
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Ingår i: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 0948-3349 .- 1614-7502. ; 18:1, s. 144-154
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: We present experiences and reflections from social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) case study, the aim of which was to identify social hotspots, test and evaluate the methodology and propose improvements. This paper discusses the usability and applicability of the methodology used based on our experiences from the study. The main issues considered are whether the gathering of data and other information is feasible and straightforward to perform, whether the method provides added value and relevant results and how these can be presented. Method: We have conducted a generic hotspot assessment on a laptop computer according to the Guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products (Benoît and Mazijn 2009). The experiences presented were gathered throughout the case study. The supply chain of the laptop was simplified, and we focused on a limited number of materials. The impacts were assessed in relation to the area of protection on human well-being and to affected stakeholders. Social impacts from the actual use of the product were not included. Methodological sheets were used for guidance on inventory indicators and data sources for data collection. Country-specific data were collected and entered into a spreadsheet. The process has been guided by regular meetings in a reference group, composed of representatives of all stakeholder groups. Results and discussion: The data collection process was impaired by a lack of data and low data quality. In order to relate the data collected to the product assessed, each country's share of the activity performed in each phase was determined, and the activity percentage was calculated. In order to consider and relate all the phases in the product system, we used an estimated activity variable due to the lack of data. We developed a new approach to impact assessment. By determining the combination of the most extensive activity, as well as the most negative in the range of possible values for involved countries, we identified the hotspots. The results were not further aggregated in order to promote transparency. Conclusions: We found the S-LCA methodology to be feasible and useful. By handling all relevant issues within one study using a systems perspective on the product life cycle, knowledge can be gained. However, there are still some major challenges. The definition of relevant indicators, data availability, impact pathways, activity variables, results presentation and possible aggregation, the handling of stakeholder context and the restricted assessment of the use phase were identified as major issues to deal with in further studies. Communication, and hence use of the results, is a crucial issue to enable the outcome of a study to result in actions that actually improve human well-being.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Ekener, Elisabeth, 1963-
(författare)
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Social assessment of future scenarios : Developing and testing a new methodology covering consumption-related impacts with a focus on future ICT societies
- 2019
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Ingår i: Sustainable Production and Consumption. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 2352-5509. ; 17, s. 148-160
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The social perspectives of sustainability have been historically under-addressed in sustainability assessment methodologies of scenarios. A recent research project - "Scenarios and sustainability impacts of future ICT societies" - explored five society-wide scenarios with an ICT focus for Sweden in 2060. A methodology was developed within the research project to assess the scenarios in terms of impacts on the societal level, as well as consumption-related impacts on the global level. This paper develops and tests a methodology that could be employed in wider scenario-based assessments of future societies that include consumption-related impacts. At the core of the new methodology is the categorization of social aspects under five categories for the national assessment and four for the global assessment. A qualitative assessment is performed for each of the following categories on national level: Participation and Influence in Society, Health Conditions, Equity and Justice, Social Cohesion and Learning and Education. For the global assessment the level of trade and the commitment to sustainable development in the different scenarios was considered. The categories assessed globally are Poverty, Health, Employment and Justice for All. The assessments should be made based on expert knowledge. One result of the application of the methodology was among other, that the most environmentally adapted scenario - Valued Environment - was also the best performing scenario from a social sustainability perspective.
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| 15. |
- Ekener, Elisabeth, 1963-
(författare)
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State of the art on social LCA
- 2015
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Ingår i: Social Life CycleAssessment - State of the art and challenges for supporting product policies.. - Luxemburg : European Commission Joint Research Centre. - 9789279540554 - 9789279540547 ; , s. 27-31
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Ekener, Elisabeth, 1963-
(författare)
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Tracking down Social Impacts of Products with Social Life Cycle Assessment
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- An important aspect of sustainable development is the social impacts from the consumption of goods and services. A recently developed method for social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) assesses the potential positive and negative social impacts along a product’s life cycle, while avoiding shifting negative impacts from one part of the supply chain to another. This thesis evaluated the applicability of S-LCA in three case studies, as well as a way of introducing an ethical perspective on the distribution of social impacts among stakeholders.The case study of laptop computers identified workers and the local community as the stakeholders at greatest risk of negative social impacts, with China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Brazil being most prone to these impacts. A case study of vehicle fuels identified some fossil and some renewable fuels with high or very high risks of negative impacts, suggesting a need for strict procurement requirements on social performance for all types of vehicle fuels. A study of e-waste recycling in Pakistan revealed negative social impacts on workers and the community, while decreasing poverty by providing employment.By performing a social hotspot assessment using S-LCA methodology, much can be learned about the potential social impacts associated with a product’s life cycle, and potentially important aspects that would otherwise have been neglected can be identified. Some methodological issues of S-LCA requiring further attention are:Indicator relevance. Impact pathways between indicators and performance assessment on social issues must be examined and improved.Aggregation and weighting of impacts and indicators. With major uncertainties still present, results must be transparent, but also aggregated for the purposes of interpretation and communication.Assessment of the use phase. To be more complete, S-LCA methodology needs to be complemented with an assessment of the use phase.Introduction of context. Identifying the context of relevant stakeholders in different parts of the life cycle would allow identification of the greatest leverage in improvement of social conditions.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Ekener-Petersen, Elisabeth, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Integrated assessment of vehicle fuels with Lifecycle Sustainability Assessment – tested for two petrol and two biofuel value chains.
- 2016
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The production and use of vehicle fuels results in both environmental and socio-economic impacts.In the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) the European Union (EU) implemented mandatory sustainabilitycriteria for biofuels for transport and liquid biofuels. These include demand for reductionsin greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and restrictions related to land with high biodiversityvalue. This directive and the vast majority of the available studies enfolding vehicle fuels, focus onenvironmental impacts, and in many cases primarily on GHG emissions. To move towards sustainabledevelopment, a broader scope of sustainability issues needs to be taken into account in futureassessment efforts and policy.In order to address a broad range of sustainability aspects a method labelled Life Cycle SustainabilityAssessment (LCSA) can be employed. It combines three different lifecycle methods, correspondingto the three pillars of sustainable development; environmental-LCA (E-LCA), socialLCA(S-LCA) and life cycle cost (LCC).In recognition of these knowledge gaps, the overall aim of this project is to examine the use ofLCSA to assess the sustainability performance of transportation fuels. This is achieved by applyingit to four selected fossil and renewable vehicle fuel value chains. The principal aim of this work isto develop the methodology of LCSA with focus on a full integration step in the assessment. Theintegration of different sustainability perspectives is a challenge, as it is inevitably based on valuejudgements. In this analysis we apply the Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodologyusing different stakeholder profiles for the integration. This approach has the advantage that it increasestransparency on these value judgements. Further, as a part of this work, the policy relevanceof LCSA results is discussed briefly.The analysis considers four vehicle fuel value chains: Petrol based on crude oil from Nigeria ; petrolbased on crud from Russia; Ethanol based on sugarcane grown in Brazil, and ethanol based oncorn (maize) grown in the USA. Both biofuels represent first generation biofuels. These vehiclefuels were selected so as to build on an earlier study where an S-LCA was conducted for nine vehiclefuel chains.1 They were also attractive as they have relatively high data availability. These fourfuels were also found to have relatively high potential risks of negative social impacts in the previousstudy.The LCSA conducted in this study is done by integrating S-LCA results with results from E-LCAand LCC. In addition to the compilation of comparable E-LCA and LCC results we seek to detailthe S-LCA results in the previous study as well as complementing them with positive social impactsin order to provide a more detailed analysis.The main contribution of this project is related to the steps taken towards aggregating the differentsustainability perspectives into one holistic outcome for sustainability. This is done using three differentstakeholder profiles. These represent different worldviews and value judgments when prioritizingbetween the different sustainability perspectives. The result shows that the ranking order ofthe different vehicle fuels chains are quite different for the different stakeholder profiles. This shows that there is not always one single answer for the most sustainable choice between differentalternatives. Rather this is dependent on different priorities held by different stakeholders, or thepopulation they represent.All three underlying lifecycle methods– E-LCA, S-LCA and LCC - have different methodologicallimitations. Further, they are to various extents relatively new and still under development. One issueidentified for all three methods is the lack of robust and updated databases for data collection.This causes problems as the data requirements for assessments are considerable. Thus the importanceof data quality is emphasized. The MCDA method offers, however, a possibility to addressuncertainties based on variable data quality. In general, the MCDA methodology seems to offermany useful features to ameliorate the effects of a number of data-related complications. Assuch, it seems to offer a good tool for the aggregation step in LCSA. This stated, the lack of robustand updated databases imply that the actual LCSA-results for the included vehicle fuels may not berepresentative of the current situation regarding sustainability performance.In this project, positive social impacts were handled and integrated separately. By considering thepositive social impacts separately, the influence of the positive impacts on the end result of anS-LCA becomes visible. Although this was done in a limited way in this analysis, it is important toinclude positive impacts separately in future S-LCA efforts, to be able to distinguish the contributionfrom positive impacts to the total social impact. This may inform future action to enhancethese positive contributions. Yet, the lack of data makes this a difficult task, needing further work.Another important contribution, we believe, is the attempt to assess both fossil and renewable vehiclefuel chains with the same assessment tool. In the future, all vehicle fuels should be evaluated ontheir total sustainability performance at the same level of detail.Finally, we believe that the methodology approach examined in this work may be useful for effortsto leave the 'silo'-thinking that can be found in sustainability discourse behind. Instead of this, actorscan be motivated to focus on broad, comprehensive sustainability implications of various productlife cycles. Once the underlying data and methodology-related limitations have been improved,we believe that LCSA in combination with MCDA has true potential to provide a useful tool forsustainability assessment in a life cycle perspective.LCSA could be used as an information tool to guide the formulation of policy, and as an assessmenttool providing information to assess overall success (or failure) of policy interventions. Inconclusion however, we stress that it is important that communication with stakeholders and decisionmakers should be clear in terms of data quality and of the assumptions and complex assessmentsrequired for this assessment method. This is vital if it is to be useful in policy-making anddevelopment of specific policy instruments.
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| 24. |
- Fauré, Eléonore, et al.
(författare)
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Methods for assessing future scenarios from a sustainability perspective
- 2017
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Ingår i: European Journal of Futures Research. - : SPRINGER HEIDELBERG. - 2195-4194 .- 2195-2248. ; 5:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 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 Borjeson 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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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Lindkvist, Mathias, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of human well-being as the area of protection in social life cycle assessment
- 2023
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Ingår i: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Nature. - 0948-3349 .- 1614-7502. ; 28:10, s. 1428-1442
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) has been developed for almost two decades for assessing the social impacts of product life cycles. Only a limited amount of research, however, considers the full range of social sustainability that is impacted by the cause-effect relationships in the impact pathway (IP) approach in S-LCA. The aim of this study is to provide guidance on the ultimate purpose of S-LCA by presenting an up-to-date overview on human well-being (HWB). Methods: Due to the broadness of the purpose of presenting and assessing an up-to-date set of HWB components, our study was designed as a qualitative literature review. The review includes core characteristics of a qualitative systematic review, a realist review, and an umbrella review. We designed the operationalised review to result in a synthesised HWB component set and guidance on its use. In order to achieve this, we searched for theoretical lenses on how HWB component sets relate to other HWB approaches, searched for HWB component sets, and identified S-LCA relevant sustainability aspects and tested these on the component sets. The component sets were found in sustainability science, philosophy, psychology, and development studies. Results and discussion: The study resulted in a framework that contains both a HWB component set and guidance on its use. The set consists of the five components: having a healthy life; having competencies; having influence and enjoying freedom; having a meaningful life; and enjoying fair treatment. This approach is by philosophers denoted an objective goods list, containing “goods” that are seen as intrinsic parts of HWB because they so clearly can support humans in their lives. Other philosophical perspectives suggest that either desires in choice situations impacting the objective goods or the experienced mental states resulting from the goods, ultimately matters to humans. Challenges with the goods approach are how to define a good life and to relate to actual human activity. Conclusions: The presented updated definition of a HWB components set and guidance on it can benefit developers and practitioners of S-LCA, and in particular the IP approach, by illustrating the scope of social sustainability and the challenge of defining it. Regarding the scope, several other social sustainability aspects than health have been shown to matter. Regarding the challenge of defining social sustainability, it remains to see what the path forward is taking this challenge into account.
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| 27. |
- Lindkvist, Mathias, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Towards social sustainability effective supply chains of innovative and established products: Defining the human wellbeing to support
- 2021
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Social sustainability is an important aspect of supply chains. This is of particular interest during innovation stages, due to the opportunity to early in the process select design and production that align with sustainable development. The methodology social lifecycle assessment (SLCA), aimed at assessing social impacts, is still under development. Approaches to identify the cause-effect chains from supply chains to final impacts on social sustainability have only been developed and used to a limited extent so far, but the area has received considerable attention lately. In order to identify and describe these cause-effects chains, it is useful to thoroughly and clearly define what to be safeguarded and supported – the human wellbeing. A literature review was conducted in order to provide guidance on which components of human wellbeing matters to people. The literature reviewed covers a range of disciplines, including philosophy, psychology and development studies. Snowballing technique was used for selecting the literature, which means that we follow citations of and from already identified sources in order to capture the publications most relevant to the aim of our study. Preliminary results show that it cover aspects such as health, friendship and meaning-making. Further, indications are that also very poor people highly value more aspects of life than only basic health and life support. Combined with the trend towards considering positive impacts on social sustainability in SLCA, this points to both opportunities and challenges of products regarding the impacts from activities along supply chains on a range of actors. Defining human wellbeing, to enable the safeguarding and support of it, is only a first step towards modelling cause-effect chains for effective use of SLCA. However, such a definition can be a useful tool also in itself, not least for allowing in innovation projects consideration of design issue to enhance its support of wellbeing in the society.
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| 28. |
- Lindkvist, Mathias, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Ultimate ends and sustainability action : a conceptual study on human well-being
- 2021
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change has impacts, on its own and from measures for mitigating it. Environmental impacts influence humans through our abilities to uphold services such as providing food and through our moral caring for nature. Therefore, a framework on social sustainability can be relevant for addressing the climate challenge and other sustainability issues. Such a framework could help identifying how humans can be affected by different proposed climate actions. We consider, as a first step, an overview of what ultimately can be seen as human well-being, which is strongly connected to aspects of justice. Scholars in ethics, psychology and development studies have for several decades been theorising human well-being. The results so far are typically lists that include elements such as life itself, friendship and religion. This far, however, researchers have only to a limited degree explicitly related the notions of human well-being to the challenges of actions for sustainability. The challenges include aiming to be holistic in the sense of covering a large enough share of the central aspects of human well-being, delays between cause and effect, and using an accessible vocabulary due to the already high complexity of the sustainability issues. In this study, we focus on these and other challenges through a conceptual analysis. The analysis is applied to material collected through a theoretical literature review, using a snowballing technique. Our starting point is the social sustainability approach social life cycle assessment (SLCA). SLCA has been developed for systematic evaluation of the impacts from a product’s production, consumption and waste management on human well-being. The approach clearly aims to support human well-being, but we have identified opportunities to complement SLCA literature on it. We expect to have comprehensive results from the study at the time of the conference.
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