The building sector plays a critical role in global carbon emission reduction (Lu et al. 2020 ). The European Union (EU) (EC 2021 ) and international organizations (IEA 2021 ) have both mandated the achievement of complete decarbonization by 2050.
verfasst von:
Haitham Abu-Ghaida, Michiel Ritzen, Alexander Hollberg, Sebastian Theissen, Shady Attia, Sebastien Lizin
Being altered by anthropogenic climate change, the structure of functioning of ecosystems globally is at risk of major transformation, which is inseparable from the pace of industrialization and human well-being (Nolan et al. 2018 ; Pecl et al.
Climate change is increasingly evident, with strong impacts on almost all aspects of human life. Its cause is an increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Compared with pre-industrial times (1750), the …
verfasst von:
Nguyen Thi Bich Yen, Akihiko Kamoshita
Open Access
09.05.2024 | LCA FOR ENERGY SYSTEMS AND FOOD PRODUCTS
Scientific projects need to considerably lower their environmental impacts to contribute to a society that can flourish without surpassing planetary boundaries. In the field of ground-based astronomical observatories, the median carbon intensity …
verfasst von:
Isabelle Viole, Li Shen, Luis Ramirez Camargo, Marianne Zeyringer, Sabrina Sartori
An escalating global production of food and energy has led to an increase of nitrogen emissions from applying fertilizers and manure and burning fossil fuels (Beusen and Bouwman 2022 ). Consequently, increasing amounts of nitrogen are transported …
verfasst von:
Eldbjørg Blikra Vea, Mark Jwaideh, Katherine Richardson, Morten Ryberg, Anders Bjørn, Michael Hauschild
The electrification of transport is a key pathway in the transition to a low carbon economy (Keramidas et al. 2020 ). Several studies have demonstrated that, depending on the electricity supply mix, electric vehicles (EVs) can significantly reduce …
verfasst von:
Marja Rinne, Riina Aromaa-Stubb, Heini Elomaa, Antti Porvali, Mari Lundström
The concept of circular economy (CE) has emerged as a response to the increasing environmental pressures stemming from the dominant linear “take-make-use-waste” development model (Ghisellini et al. 2016 ; Helander et al. 2019 ). It is perceived as …
verfasst von:
Asterios Papageorgiou, Anna Björklund, Rajib Sinha, Maria Livia Real de Almeida, Bernhard Steubing
Emissions associated with direct and indirect electricity consumption make up a large proportion of most carbon footprints and are also relevant for other environmental impacts as determined by life cycle assessments (LCAs) according to ISO 14040 …
verfasst von:
Peter Holzapfel, Jonas Bunsen, Ivo Schmidt-Sierra, Vanessa Bach, Matthias Finkbeiner
Social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) is a methodology designed to assess social performance and risks (De Luca et al. 2015 ), evaluating both positive and negative social impacts related to products, services, companies, or organizations (Goedkoop …
verfasst von:
Anna-Sophie Haslinger, Sophie Huysveld, Erasmo Cadena, Jo Dewulf
In life cycle assessment (LCA) practice, impacts of resource use on the environment and human health are assessed by various impact categories, such as land use change, acidification, or eco- and human toxicity. However, assessing the impacts of …
Increased pressures on land resources caused by land use and land use change, driven by the expansion and intensification of anthropogenic activities, are leading to soil quality degradation worldwide (MEA 2005 ). Soil quality has been defined as …
verfasst von:
Valeria De Laurentiis, Stephanie Maier, Rafael Horn, Ville Uusitalo, Roland Hiederer, Cécile Chéron-Bessou, Tiago Morais, Tim Grant, Llorenç Milà i Canals, Serenella Sala
In an increasingly complex economic world, the sustainability requirements for companies are growing among various stakeholders, customers, NGOs, and administrations. The German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains …
In the rapidly growing global sustainability consulting market, which is projected to reach US$ 12 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.2% (QYResearch Group 2023 ), the demand for life cycle information is increasing at an …
verfasst von:
Tobias Viere, Joshua Lehmann, Zoe Chunyu Miao, Kevin Harding, Philip Strothmann, Steffi Weyand, Laurie Wright, Takunda Y. Chitaka, Guido Sonnemann
The impact assessment of the use of abiotic resources in life cycle assessment (LCA) has been heavily debated. Several studies have brought up the diversity of ways abiotic resources are dealt with in LCA (Liao et al. 2012 ; Klinglmair et al. 2014 …
verfasst von:
Lauran van Oers, Jeroen B. Guinée, Reinout Heijungs, Rita Schulze, Rodrigo A. F. Alvarenga, Jo Dewulf, Johannes Drielsma
Since the dawn of the industrial revolutions in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, mankind has seen an advancement in technology, food production and processing, improved medicines and healthcare, automation of manufacturing, new innovations …
verfasst von:
Mohammed Engha Isah, Zhengyang Zhang, Kazuyo Matsubae, Norihiro Itsubo
The world footwear production in 2020 was 20.5 billion pairs, representing a relevant sector of the commercial market, even though the COVID-19 pandemic hit the footwear business severely, leading to a reduction in world’s production by almost 4 …
verfasst von:
Carla L. Simões, António Aguiar, Ana C. Marques, Isabel Pinho, Ricardo Simoes
According to the International Energy Agency, nuclear energy is today’s second-largest source of low emissions (i.e., non-fossil-based) power generation, after hydropower (IEA 2022 ). In 2020, nuclear power made up about 10% of global electricity …
verfasst von:
Mehdi Iguider, Paul Robineau, Michal Kozderka, Maria Boltoeva, Gaetana Quaranta
Agriculture currently faces some critical challenges. First, the population growth is expected to reach up to 8.5 billion (FAO 2023 ), leading to an anticipated 35–56% increase in food demand (van Dijk et al. 2021 ). This surge in demand will …
verfasst von:
Antonio Licastro, Roberta Salomone, Giovanni Mondello, Grazia Calabrò