S-LCA Flashcards
Sustainable Development Goals related to S-LCA
- no poverty
- zero hunger
- gender equality
- decent work and economic growth
- responsible consumption and production
Aspects considered in S-LCA
- working conditions
- human rights
- human health
- cultural heritage
- child labor
Tools and approaches for assessing social conditions
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- Single site: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) –> process within establishment and facility/plant/site within establishment
- Enterprise: CSR type 1 and type 2 –> facility/plant/site within establishment and enterprise/management
- Enterprise and a limited part of the supply chain: CSR type 3 –> facility/plant/site within establishment and enterprise/management
- Product life cycle: E-LCA and S-LCA –> process within establishment and facility/plant/site within establishment
Why should the social dimension be considered?
Renewable materials reduce Co2 emissions and economic costs, but can potentially increase social risks.
S-LCA Guidelines
- UNEP/SETAC Task Force on S-LCA:
- under development to make it more practical
- positive and negative socio-economic and social impacts considered
- Social Life Cycle Metrics for Chemical Products - WBCSD
- developed by key players of chemical sector
- guide for chemical users through S-LCA
- Round Table of Product Social Metrics
- developed by companies
- upgraded to include small scale entrepreneurs + more consistent performance indicators; qualitative impact assessment instead of quantitative
Well-being definition
- concept or abstraction used to refer to whatever is assessed in an evaluation of a person’s life, situation or “being”
- the right to an adequate standard of living as a universal human right.
S-LCA
Assessment of the social effects of products along their whole life cycle.
Complementary method to LCA and LCC.
Social aspects and effects
Social aspects: positive or negative
Social effects: social and socio-economic
How can we assess the social dimension?
- S-LCA
- Databases: Social Hotspots Database
Social Life Cycle Metrics for Chemical Products
Aim is to guide chemical users throughout a social impact assessment of a chemical product with life cycle perspective.
Roundtable of Product Social Metrics
A group of companies sit together and decide to develop a methodology for assessing social impact of a product along its life cycle.
They match the current literature with the companies´strategy to develop a feasible set of indicators.
Handbook of Product Social Impact Assessment
Methodology for assessing the positive and negative social impacts of a product along its life cycle
Social Hotspot Database and PSILCA
Database provides secondary data for social life cycle, hotspot or risk assessments.
Social Databases are based on Global Trade Input Output ” models → provide insights in industries and production processes of sectors and countries
Challenges in S-LCA
- Global supply chains normally include different suppliers and sub-suppliers
- Database often lacking secondary data for different sectors, countries, products
- Social issues/aspects are hardly covered by databases
E-LCA & S-LCA
Similarities
- …are based on the ISO framework
- …iterative procedures;
- …provide information for decision-making;
- …do not have the purpose to provide information on whether or not a product should be produced;
- …conduct hotspots assessments;
- …huge need for data;
- …request peer review when communication to the public or comparative assertions are planned;
E-LCA & S-LCA
Differences
- E-LCA does not provide all the information needed to make decisions in a sustainability perspective.
- S-LCA provides complementary information by addressing social aspects leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the product’s life cycle impacts.
- E-LCA assesses potential environmental impacts; S-LCA assesses social and socio-economic impacts
- E-LCA collects information on physical quantities related to the product and its production/use and disposal, S-LCA collects additional information on organization related aspects along the LC
E-LCA analyzes impacts from a global perspective,
S-LCA analyzes impacts locally.
E-LCA vs S-LCA - Structure
Stakeholder inclusion:
−E-LCA encourages involvement of stakeholders in the peer review of the study,
−S-LCA encourages that “external” stakeholders be involved in providing input on impacts, within the assessment itself.
• Relevant environmental / social issues to be considered in the case addressed have to be defined in Goal and Scope
−ELCA: defined impacts categories exist, are usually used in the studies
−S-LCA: 31 subcategories proposed, but yet not really field-tested −>Subcategories are classified both by stakeholder categories and by impact categories in S-LCA. InLCA they are classified only by impacts categories.
• Impact assessment: No LCA-LCIA method is site-specific. S-LCA often requires site-specific LCIA, and may also need information on social/political framework
E-LCA and S-LCA -
Life Cycle Inventory
S-LCA has different data sources depending on the stakeholders
- Mass balances are relevant for E LCA but not for S LCA
- In S-LCA, qualitative data (and subjective information) are sometimes the most appropriate information to use.
E-LCA and S-LCA
Life Cycle Impact Assessment
• E-LCA :
- Inventory indicators are allocated into impact categories at midpoint or endpoint level
- Areas of protection ( AoP )): human health, ecosystem quality and natural resources
• S-LCA:
- Inventory indicators are allocated to subcategories (= socially relevant issues) and later to impact categories or stakeholder groups → consistent characterization
models are missing!
- Area(s) of protection ( AoP): social or human well being or human dignity, sometimes
social justice and further
• The use of performance reference points is specific to S LCA, e.g. thresholds (targets)
What should be defined in S-LCA?
- Stakeholders
- Impact categories
- Subcategories
- Inventory indicators for distinct impacts
General approach and preparation for S-LCA
- What are the relevant social issues?
- What are the causes for social impacts?
- How to classify the impacts?
- What do we want to assess/measure?
What are social impacts?
Positive and negative social consequences at the defined endpoint (e.g. human well being ) in relation to the stakeholder group.
Stakeholder Categories
- Workers:
- Child labour
- Fair salary
- Forced labour
- Local Community:
- Cultural heritage
- Respect of indigenous rights
- Local employement
- Society
- Prevention and mitigation of armed conflicts
- Corruption
- Consumers:
- Health and safety
- Value chain actions
- Fair competition
Impact categories
Human rights Working conditions Health and safety Cultural heritage Governance Socio-economic repercussions
Phases of S-LCA
- Goal and Scope
- Inventory Analysis: Phase where data are collected , the system boundaries are modeled and the LCI results are obtained
- Impact Assessment: Phase where data are related to the subcategories and impact categories
- Interpretation: Phase where results are critically reflected and optimization potentials are identified
Functional unit
Definition and description of the utility thus the role that the product plays for consumers.
What does the functional unit describe?
- Functionality
- Technical quality
- Aesthetics
- Costs related to purchase, use and disposal
- Specific environmental and social properties of the product
Reference flow
Measure of the required inputs and outputs of processes in a given product system to fulfill the function expressed by the functional unit
Life Cycle Impact Assessment
Life Cycle Inventory Data –> Inventory Indicators –> Subcategories –> Impact categories
