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benefit humans. Therefore, large areas such as the desert or boreal grassland are excluded
from biocapacity calculations in the standard EF methodology (Venetouli et al., 2008).
5.2.2. Infrastructure
The infrastructure EF and BC estimates use the same YF equivalence factors. The comparison
between the demand and the supply does not indicate an overshoot, particularly in the
original model. Therefore, it would be appropriate to compare the infrastructure's EF with
cropland's BC, considering that both categories are associated with the same EQF
(2.52gha/ha), as the rationale of the EF stipulates that humans ideally settle on fertile land.
Comparing infrastructure with agricultural or forest land (vegetation cover) would be more
appropriate for defining the pressure this activity exerts on natural ecosystems.
5.2.3. One type of waste
The EF accounting considers only carbon dioxide a waste product of human activity. The
selection of this gas is based on the assumption that CO2 is the most GHG generated.
Nevertheless, considering their global warming potential, other GHG emissions, such as
landfill gases, could be more dangerous.
5.2.4. Forest, the only sequestering ecosystem
In the same demand category (point 3), the NFA considers forests the only ecosystem for CO2
sequestration, although other terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems sequester this gas.
Removing the fraction sequestered by ocean ecosystems (1-Socean) hinders the evaluation of
marine and coastal plant areas, such as seagrass meadows, required for sequestration, and
thus pressures these ecosystems. Therefore, including marine and coastal ecosystems in
calculating carbon dioxide sequestration capacity in EF calculations is expected to reduce the
gap between EF (Carbon category) and BC (all vegetation cover).
5.2.5. The life cycle analysis
The component-based approach is data intensive. In the context of scarcity or non-existence
of data, these statistics are produced by life cycle analyses (LCA), especially when evaluating
energy use and associated emissions through the products supply chain. However, it is
essential to reiterate the complexity of this type of analysis, especially the initial definition of
the study boundaries. Indeed, LCA account for all the processes from the extraction of the
fossil resource to generate energy and raw materials that are comprised in the manufacture
a product to the deposit of this product (Inaba, 2004). Therefore, the origin of energy, the type
and origin of raw materials, and the industrial manufacturing processes can change from one
region to another and year to another.
Moreover, LCA are poorly documented in Algeria, and the available studies was not relevant
for this study, except for Makhlouf et al. (2015) and Makhlouf et al. (2019). Most LCA emission
factors were obtained from the literature (Moore et al., 2013; Scalet et al., 2013).
benefit humans. Therefore, large areas such as the desert or boreal grassland are excluded
from biocapacity calculations in the standard EF methodology (Venetouli et al., 2008).
5.2.2. Infrastructure
The infrastructure EF and BC estimates use the same YF equivalence factors. The comparison
between the demand and the supply does not indicate an overshoot, particularly in the
original model. Therefore, it would be appropriate to compare the infrastructure's EF with
cropland's BC, considering that both categories are associated with the same EQF
(2.52gha/ha), as the rationale of the EF stipulates that humans ideally settle on fertile land.
Comparing infrastructure with agricultural or forest land (vegetation cover) would be more
appropriate for defining the pressure this activity exerts on natural ecosystems.
5.2.3. One type of waste
The EF accounting considers only carbon dioxide a waste product of human activity. The
selection of this gas is based on the assumption that CO2 is the most GHG generated.
Nevertheless, considering their global warming potential, other GHG emissions, such as
landfill gases, could be more dangerous.
5.2.4. Forest, the only sequestering ecosystem
In the same demand category (point 3), the NFA considers forests the only ecosystem for CO2
sequestration, although other terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems sequester this gas.
Removing the fraction sequestered by ocean ecosystems (1-Socean) hinders the evaluation of
marine and coastal plant areas, such as seagrass meadows, required for sequestration, and
thus pressures these ecosystems. Therefore, including marine and coastal ecosystems in
calculating carbon dioxide sequestration capacity in EF calculations is expected to reduce the
gap between EF (Carbon category) and BC (all vegetation cover).
5.2.5. The life cycle analysis
The component-based approach is data intensive. In the context of scarcity or non-existence
of data, these statistics are produced by life cycle analyses (LCA), especially when evaluating
energy use and associated emissions through the products supply chain. However, it is
essential to reiterate the complexity of this type of analysis, especially the initial definition of
the study boundaries. Indeed, LCA account for all the processes from the extraction of the
fossil resource to generate energy and raw materials that are comprised in the manufacture
a product to the deposit of this product (Inaba, 2004). Therefore, the origin of energy, the type
and origin of raw materials, and the industrial manufacturing processes can change from one
region to another and year to another.
Moreover, LCA are poorly documented in Algeria, and the available studies was not relevant
for this study, except for Makhlouf et al. (2015) and Makhlouf et al. (2019). Most LCA emission
factors were obtained from the literature (Moore et al., 2013; Scalet et al., 2013).