164
example, as is the case with WRAP’s Product Sustainability Forum’s work in the
UK food chain, the French Government’s work to provide more sustainability information to consumers, or the Water Footprint Network’s analysis of water scarcity
hotspots in major river catchments.
Businesses are using hotspots analysis to focus their resources, drawing up action
plans and practical programs of work to eliminate, reduce or mitigate hotspots in
their global value chains; and tackling major societal and commercial issues like
food waste, food and resource security (future supply risk and resilience issues);
and water use in agriculture. For example, the work of UK grocery retailer, Tesco,
to tackle the food losses and food waste associated with the international sourcing
of its products and their use by consumers; and the work of The Sustainability
Consortium in building consensus around the key sustainability hotspots to address
in consumer goods value chains. Other stakeholders are using the fi ndings from
hotspots analysis to inform their thinking. For example, the Oxford Martin School
at Oxford University is working alongside WRAP in the UK to use hotspots analysis
to inform its thinking on the research, policy and business drivers to facilitate a mass
movement over time to healthier, more sustainable eating patterns or diets.
5.2 Beyond LCA
In some cases, the scope of hotspots analysis methodologies and studies are broadening
beyond consideration of one or more environmental impact categories and including
“beyond LCA” approaches and wider sustainability topics like biodiversity management, animal welfare, fair trading arrangements, land use and land use change
and governance issues around raw materials or water resources.
16 This development
would suggest that both methodology developers and users see the value in securing
a more holistic view of hotspots, allowing them to identify where trade-offs may
need to be considered (e.g., between traditional intensive agricultural practices and
the potential impact on the agri-ecosystems that support them). The importance of
taking a “beyond LCA” approach to the development of hotspots analysis
methodology was also highlighted by stakeholders as important.
While there is still a clearly defi ned niche for traditional LCA approaches that
solely utilize quantitative data and exclusively address environmental impacts, there
are a growing number of hotspots analysis methodologies that move beyond
traditional LCA and include either additional quantifi ed data and information (e.g.,
trade, market and sales data; contextual sector or product category information; sup16 In the use of the term “beyond LCA” the authors mean that hotspots analysis, as a complementary tool, is able to expand upon the scope and range of impacts that may be identifi ed via life cycle
assessment (as encompassed by environmental life cycle assessment, social life cycle assessment
and life cycle costing). “Beyond LCA” should not be interpreted as better than or superior to life
cycle assessment. LCA and hotspots analysis are in fact complementary tools with their own
strengths and limitations.
M. Barthel et al.
example, as is the case with WRAP’s Product Sustainability Forum’s work in the
UK food chain, the French Government’s work to provide more sustainability information to consumers, or the Water Footprint Network’s analysis of water scarcity
hotspots in major river catchments.
Businesses are using hotspots analysis to focus their resources, drawing up action
plans and practical programs of work to eliminate, reduce or mitigate hotspots in
their global value chains; and tackling major societal and commercial issues like
food waste, food and resource security (future supply risk and resilience issues);
and water use in agriculture. For example, the work of UK grocery retailer, Tesco,
to tackle the food losses and food waste associated with the international sourcing
of its products and their use by consumers; and the work of The Sustainability
Consortium in building consensus around the key sustainability hotspots to address
in consumer goods value chains. Other stakeholders are using the fi ndings from
hotspots analysis to inform their thinking. For example, the Oxford Martin School
at Oxford University is working alongside WRAP in the UK to use hotspots analysis
to inform its thinking on the research, policy and business drivers to facilitate a mass
movement over time to healthier, more sustainable eating patterns or diets.
5.2 Beyond LCA
In some cases, the scope of hotspots analysis methodologies and studies are broadening
beyond consideration of one or more environmental impact categories and including
“beyond LCA” approaches and wider sustainability topics like biodiversity management, animal welfare, fair trading arrangements, land use and land use change
and governance issues around raw materials or water resources.
16 This development
would suggest that both methodology developers and users see the value in securing
a more holistic view of hotspots, allowing them to identify where trade-offs may
need to be considered (e.g., between traditional intensive agricultural practices and
the potential impact on the agri-ecosystems that support them). The importance of
taking a “beyond LCA” approach to the development of hotspots analysis
methodology was also highlighted by stakeholders as important.
While there is still a clearly defi ned niche for traditional LCA approaches that
solely utilize quantitative data and exclusively address environmental impacts, there
are a growing number of hotspots analysis methodologies that move beyond
traditional LCA and include either additional quantifi ed data and information (e.g.,
trade, market and sales data; contextual sector or product category information; sup16 In the use of the term “beyond LCA” the authors mean that hotspots analysis, as a complementary tool, is able to expand upon the scope and range of impacts that may be identifi ed via life cycle
assessment (as encompassed by environmental life cycle assessment, social life cycle assessment
and life cycle costing). “Beyond LCA” should not be interpreted as better than or superior to life
cycle assessment. LCA and hotspots analysis are in fact complementary tools with their own
strengths and limitations.
M. Barthel et al.