Errors in Decision Making, Using Ecobalance …
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components and the processes of their manufacture, or there may be not enough data
for a detailed calculation. The LCA of any product can be figuratively represented as
an onion. For example, we can take a simple bakery bun. For its manufacture were
spent resources and energy. Bun—this is the first layer. Now decompose it into its
ingredients: butter, milk, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and so on. Each of
these ingredients (next layer) is a separate product with its technological processes
and flows of resources and energy. Let’s take flour. It was ground from the grain.
Grain production is the next layer, and so on. In order not to get lost in these layers
and not get bogged down into amount of data, it is necessary to outline the study
scope correctly. On the other hand, the stage of establishing the scope of the study
is fertile ground for manipulating the calculations to obtain the desired result. For
example, knowingly exclude some process from the calculation in order to show your
product as more environmentally friendly than a competitor’s product. Therefore, the
position of the scope line for the study at each stage should be clearly justified.
The definition of a target indicator is also a part of the system description.
The target indicator characterizes a function of the considered product system and
its performance. It serves as an indicator for the identified environmental effects
(Kümmel 2000). For example, at the Paris Conference of the UN countries in 2015,
the universal task was to cut in half emissions of greenhouse gases until 2030 compared with 1990. The goal was to hold the rise of temperature on the planet around
2 °C (Draft Bill 2016). In connection with the goal, when comparing the LCA of
different sources of electricity, the CO 2 emission indicator is taken to be a target
indicator. When contrasted, calculation showed that coal power plants produce relatively large amounts of CO 2 than other energy sources. In this regard, for example,
in the European Union by 2030, it was decided to refuse such a source of electricity
and close the coal power plants. However, this decision didn’t take into account the
available resources of the power plants production capacities, which for the most
part are still not outworn. A lot of energy and resources have been spent for their
building, as well as it will be spent on further disassembly/recycling. Such an omission is permissible in some cases only if the indicators excluded from the system’s
scope are relatively insignificant compared to the main effect of the measures; or if
the excluded parameters are not as important as the main one, or at a given time or
in a given location.
The next phase of LCA is inventory analysis. Within this stage, all processes
relating to a product or to an action in investigation are modeled within the previously
outlined scope of the study. At this stage, the quantity and types of natural resources,
which are used, are exploring, as well as energy flows (from renewable and nonrenewable sources). At the same time, in addition to technological processes, it is
necessary to take into account the transportation also inside the enterprise.
Transportation is very important for the next phase of the LCA-impact assessment. Its calculation is based on the compiled model and the flow of energy and
resources. In fact the logistics (transportation) of goods is sometimes responsible for
about the same amount of emissions as the production itself. For example, in 1995,
UBA considered and compared the effect of using reusable bottles and disposable
milk package and came to an unexpected conclusion, that with increasing transport
379
components and the processes of their manufacture, or there may be not enough data
for a detailed calculation. The LCA of any product can be figuratively represented as
an onion. For example, we can take a simple bakery bun. For its manufacture were
spent resources and energy. Bun—this is the first layer. Now decompose it into its
ingredients: butter, milk, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and so on. Each of
these ingredients (next layer) is a separate product with its technological processes
and flows of resources and energy. Let’s take flour. It was ground from the grain.
Grain production is the next layer, and so on. In order not to get lost in these layers
and not get bogged down into amount of data, it is necessary to outline the study
scope correctly. On the other hand, the stage of establishing the scope of the study
is fertile ground for manipulating the calculations to obtain the desired result. For
example, knowingly exclude some process from the calculation in order to show your
product as more environmentally friendly than a competitor’s product. Therefore, the
position of the scope line for the study at each stage should be clearly justified.
The definition of a target indicator is also a part of the system description.
The target indicator characterizes a function of the considered product system and
its performance. It serves as an indicator for the identified environmental effects
(Kümmel 2000). For example, at the Paris Conference of the UN countries in 2015,
the universal task was to cut in half emissions of greenhouse gases until 2030 compared with 1990. The goal was to hold the rise of temperature on the planet around
2 °C (Draft Bill 2016). In connection with the goal, when comparing the LCA of
different sources of electricity, the CO 2 emission indicator is taken to be a target
indicator. When contrasted, calculation showed that coal power plants produce relatively large amounts of CO 2 than other energy sources. In this regard, for example,
in the European Union by 2030, it was decided to refuse such a source of electricity
and close the coal power plants. However, this decision didn’t take into account the
available resources of the power plants production capacities, which for the most
part are still not outworn. A lot of energy and resources have been spent for their
building, as well as it will be spent on further disassembly/recycling. Such an omission is permissible in some cases only if the indicators excluded from the system’s
scope are relatively insignificant compared to the main effect of the measures; or if
the excluded parameters are not as important as the main one, or at a given time or
in a given location.
The next phase of LCA is inventory analysis. Within this stage, all processes
relating to a product or to an action in investigation are modeled within the previously
outlined scope of the study. At this stage, the quantity and types of natural resources,
which are used, are exploring, as well as energy flows (from renewable and nonrenewable sources). At the same time, in addition to technological processes, it is
necessary to take into account the transportation also inside the enterprise.
Transportation is very important for the next phase of the LCA-impact assessment. Its calculation is based on the compiled model and the flow of energy and
resources. In fact the logistics (transportation) of goods is sometimes responsible for
about the same amount of emissions as the production itself. For example, in 1995,
UBA considered and compared the effect of using reusable bottles and disposable
milk package and came to an unexpected conclusion, that with increasing transport