2.4 Criticality Methodology for Resources: How to Apply
to Construction in the Future?
Criticality as a concept refers both to the potential impact of shortage of a resource
and to the probability of such a shortage, as such it is an essential issue when
discussing the absolute sustainability of resource use.
Understanding criticality is therefore a first step in the understanding of resource
use mechanisms and how setting a target for resource use might be attained in the
future. And even though the presented approach did not focus on the target setting
aspect of criticality, it detailed what should be assessed when evaluating the sustainability of resource use including rarity and spatial level of focus. This last aspect
itself is quite innovative, as resource scarcity has been classically considered as a
global issue while this methodology suggests it might not be the case for all
resources.
Overall, this work seems necessary in order to better understand the implications
of resource scarcity and the elements to be considered before defining reduction
targets for resource use.
2.5 Operationalization of Sustainable Development Goals
Using a Planetary Boundaries-Based Life-Cycle
Assessment Framework
In 2015, the international community formulated the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) [5], this set of goals is supposed to help achieve sustainable development. This implies that existing SDGs should lead companies and countries to
develop within the earth’s regenerative capacity.
However, until recently, no framework had been developed on how to integrate
the idea of Planetary Boundaries with the SDGs. The work presented showed how
planetary boundaries could be used to compare countries’ current activities with
overall SDGs, assessing if economic sectors are aligned with the international
targets.
This offers a new vision of how companies and countries can simplify their
approaches and use the Planetary Boundaries approach as a key to identify material
issues and be aligned with SDGs, the overall goal being to reduce the number of
KPIs needed to assess their activities. This underlines once more how sustainability
must be operationalized if we want international targets to be met by the industrial
sectors.
410
M. Vargas-Gonzalez
to Construction in the Future?
Criticality as a concept refers both to the potential impact of shortage of a resource
and to the probability of such a shortage, as such it is an essential issue when
discussing the absolute sustainability of resource use.
Understanding criticality is therefore a first step in the understanding of resource
use mechanisms and how setting a target for resource use might be attained in the
future. And even though the presented approach did not focus on the target setting
aspect of criticality, it detailed what should be assessed when evaluating the sustainability of resource use including rarity and spatial level of focus. This last aspect
itself is quite innovative, as resource scarcity has been classically considered as a
global issue while this methodology suggests it might not be the case for all
resources.
Overall, this work seems necessary in order to better understand the implications
of resource scarcity and the elements to be considered before defining reduction
targets for resource use.
2.5 Operationalization of Sustainable Development Goals
Using a Planetary Boundaries-Based Life-Cycle
Assessment Framework
In 2015, the international community formulated the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) [5], this set of goals is supposed to help achieve sustainable development. This implies that existing SDGs should lead companies and countries to
develop within the earth’s regenerative capacity.
However, until recently, no framework had been developed on how to integrate
the idea of Planetary Boundaries with the SDGs. The work presented showed how
planetary boundaries could be used to compare countries’ current activities with
overall SDGs, assessing if economic sectors are aligned with the international
targets.
This offers a new vision of how companies and countries can simplify their
approaches and use the Planetary Boundaries approach as a key to identify material
issues and be aligned with SDGs, the overall goal being to reduce the number of
KPIs needed to assess their activities. This underlines once more how sustainability
must be operationalized if we want international targets to be met by the industrial
sectors.
410
M. Vargas-Gonzalez