100
5 Life Cycle Assessment of Chemical Products and Processes
And costs to consider within a process might involve:
• Research and development costs
• Fixed costs such as construction and standard operation of infrastructure and
equipment
• Variable costs such as purchasing chemical feedstocks and energy needed for
production
A detailed set of guidelines and proper approach to completing an LCC can
be found in Swarr et al. (2011a) and Swarr et al. (2011b), and a more general
introduction can be found in Jolliet et al. (2015) and Hauschild et al. (2018).
5.10 Social Life Cycle Assessment
The third and final pillar of a full life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) is the
completion of a social life cycle assessment (SLCA). SLCAs aim to assess the social
and socioeconomic impacts of a chemical product or process across its entire life
cycle.
While SLCA follows the general guidelines set out in ISO 14040 for the
principles and framework of LCA, some aspects of it differ, and no separate set of
standards exists. However, guidelines for SLCA have been developed (UNEP, 2009;
Benoît et al., 2010), and discussion regarding its effective application is ongoing
(Grubert, 2018; Kühnen and Hahn, 2017; Traverso et al., 2018; Di Cesare et al.,
2018). Impact categories that could be considered in an SLCA include human rights,
working conditions, cultural heritage, and governance. For a deeper introduction
to SLCA, consult the information provided by the United Nations Environment
Programme’s Life Cycle Initiative (UNEP, 2009).
5.11 Looking Ahead in LCA
As LCA continues to develop and become more frequently applied, it will continue
to evolve. For example, while the typical use of LCA previously focused on
completing assessments of specific products (in particular to support early design
decisions), its role has more recently expanded to also provide companies (and
even entire countries) with insights into their overall product portfolios, to help
them report on key environmental aspects, and to help them assess options to
better manage these (Hellweg and Milà i Canals, 2014). LCA has also played a
role in the development of several eco-labels and product declarations that help to
communicate information to consumers about the environmental impact (European
Commission, 2020; Blue Angel, 2020; Nordic Ecolabel, 2020; EcoLeaf, 2019).
Efforts have also increased to help make regional LCAs possible, which provide
insights into geographic differences and allow for comparison of the impacts caused
by an activity depending on its location. However, there is still a lack of adequate
5 Life Cycle Assessment of Chemical Products and Processes
And costs to consider within a process might involve:
• Research and development costs
• Fixed costs such as construction and standard operation of infrastructure and
equipment
• Variable costs such as purchasing chemical feedstocks and energy needed for
production
A detailed set of guidelines and proper approach to completing an LCC can
be found in Swarr et al. (2011a) and Swarr et al. (2011b), and a more general
introduction can be found in Jolliet et al. (2015) and Hauschild et al. (2018).
5.10 Social Life Cycle Assessment
The third and final pillar of a full life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) is the
completion of a social life cycle assessment (SLCA). SLCAs aim to assess the social
and socioeconomic impacts of a chemical product or process across its entire life
cycle.
While SLCA follows the general guidelines set out in ISO 14040 for the
principles and framework of LCA, some aspects of it differ, and no separate set of
standards exists. However, guidelines for SLCA have been developed (UNEP, 2009;
Benoît et al., 2010), and discussion regarding its effective application is ongoing
(Grubert, 2018; Kühnen and Hahn, 2017; Traverso et al., 2018; Di Cesare et al.,
2018). Impact categories that could be considered in an SLCA include human rights,
working conditions, cultural heritage, and governance. For a deeper introduction
to SLCA, consult the information provided by the United Nations Environment
Programme’s Life Cycle Initiative (UNEP, 2009).
5.11 Looking Ahead in LCA
As LCA continues to develop and become more frequently applied, it will continue
to evolve. For example, while the typical use of LCA previously focused on
completing assessments of specific products (in particular to support early design
decisions), its role has more recently expanded to also provide companies (and
even entire countries) with insights into their overall product portfolios, to help
them report on key environmental aspects, and to help them assess options to
better manage these (Hellweg and Milà i Canals, 2014). LCA has also played a
role in the development of several eco-labels and product declarations that help to
communicate information to consumers about the environmental impact (European
Commission, 2020; Blue Angel, 2020; Nordic Ecolabel, 2020; EcoLeaf, 2019).
Efforts have also increased to help make regional LCAs possible, which provide
insights into geographic differences and allow for comparison of the impacts caused
by an activity depending on its location. However, there is still a lack of adequate