Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

Electricity supply is often cited as a significant hot spot in life cycle assessment results, and consequently in life cycle management results. Despite its importance, however, practitioners continue to overuse generic LCI data and different simplified methodologies regarding electricity supply modeling. Such simplifications and inconsistencies can result in difficulties, e.g. to compare the findings of various studies. This chapter is intended to highlight issues on electricity supply modeling, methodological choices and data set selections. Attributional and consequential perspectives as well as systemic aspects of the electricity sector are also reflected. Finally, key challenges and opportunities are summarized and suggestions on how to deal with such problems are provided when possible.

Due to the rapid urbanization and the large contribution of cities to the global environmental impact, urban policies integrate sustainability in the public space design. Current literature has accounted for the environmental impact of the main elements of the urban fabric, although studies have dealt with them individually. This chapter aims to optimize the environmental performance of the urban fabric for supporting planning processes, based on existing life cycle assessment (LCA) data of the main elements of urban fabric: sidewalks, pavements, and the gas, water and wastewater networks. Material selection and lifespan are key issues in the environmental profile of the paved skin, while the installation accounts for the greatest share of the burdens in subterranean networks. The best design consists of concrete sidewalks, asphalt pavements, HDPE (high density polyethylene) gas pipes, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) water pipes, and concrete sewer pipes. Pavements and sidewalks are the most contributing elements to the overall environmental burdens of streets.

This chapter describes the implementation of life cycle engineering, a life cycle management component that focuses on the environmental performance improvement, in the context of automotive design for environment. The purpose of life cycle engineering is to derive measurable technical targets from life cycle assessment (LCA). This approach is described using the example of lightweight design. The progress in this methodology is the ability to calculate measurable targets – such as weight reduction, fuel reduction on a vehicle level, or the amount of secondary material – on the basis of LCA results. It is important to note that LCA is not used here for comparing the environmental performance between competing materials or technologies. Instead, life cycle engineering, as a helpful management tool to support design for environment, shows the technical roadmap of measures that must be taken in order to assure environmental progress over the entire life cycle. In doing so, this tool supports putting life cycle assessment results into business practice.

An important target on the way to a sustainable development is ensuring a more sustainable production and a reduced consumption of energy and material resources. The automotive industry is considered one of the most strategic contributors to reach this objective. On the one hand, the automotive sector represents a meaningful pillar for the economic stability and social welfare of several countries; on the other hand, with its huge supply chain, it is often a cause of negative environmental as well as social impacts. In the past, the main focus was the reduction of environmental impacts in the use phase first, and then along the entire life cycle. More recently, the attention has moved to include the social performance according to the three pillars concept of sustainability. If the target of achieving a more sustainable development is clear, the methodology and tools that should be used to assess the sustainability performance of a vehicle along its life cycle still needs to be settled. This chapter presents and discusses the benefits and challenges of methods and tools that have been used in the automotive industry.

Nestlé is using life cycle management approaches to operationalize the Creating Shared Value concept that is strongly promoted by the company. Following the success of the implementation of PIQET, an LCA software for packaging designers to integrate environmental criteria in their decision-making, Nestlé has decided to develop a specific tool moving from packaging to product ecodesign tool. This tool, EcodEX, is linked to the recipe system of the company to facilitate the realization and improve the quality of LCA. The number of users has increased to reach 700 people today. However, there have been many challenges to overcome, such as: the availability and the management of inventory data, following-up the latest methodology, as well as the training and education of users.