Getachew Assefa

Comments on the relevance of life cycle costing in sustainability assessment of product systems

The relevance of life cycle costing (LCC) in sustainability assessment of product systems has been questioned and discussed in some short communications by Jørgensen et al. (2010) and Klöpffer and Ciroth (2011) and one full article by Jørgensen et al. (2013) while discussing the definition of sustainability. We do think that the claims and statements made by Jørgensen et al. (2010, 2013) deserve further discussion and analysis by the life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) community. The purpose of this letter is, through specifically focusing on the importance of scale of sustainability, scope of LCC and role of companies, to discuss and answer these claims. Our comments are divided under these three main sections:

Subcategory assessment method for social life cycle assessment: a case study of high-density polyethylene production in Alberta, Canada

PurposeThe aim of this study is to develop and test the applicability of a new subcategory assessment method (SAM) for social life cycle assessment using a case study on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) production by Dow Chemical Canada facility in Alberta, Canada.MethodsThe methodology is characterized by six steps: (1) definition of the goal and scope of the assessment; (2) life cycle inventory data collection including context data at country level and company-specific data for foreground processes; (3) impact assessment where the subcategories’ results for foreground processes at company level are evaluated using a new SAM developed and the country social performance in the different subcategories is evaluated using some assessment intervals; (4) comparing the social performance of foreground processes to the social background context in sector or country; (5) evaluating the social performance of background processes using sector performance evaluation from Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment (PSILCA) database or country performance evaluation conducted in the study; (6) and discussion and conclusion.Results and discussionThe method developed was able to identify the subcategories that need high level or some level of improvements along the cradle-to-gate life cycle of HDPE. In addition, the stakeholders with high negative effect were highlighted in every life cycle stage. Through this approach, Dow Chemical Canada is able to prioritize its actions and focus on the areas where its performance is still low compared to its peers in the sector or compared to the situation in the country. Moreover, through using PSILCA database or country performance evaluation to investigate the social performance of background processes, Dow Chemical Canada can determine the social hotspots areas that need more focus from its suppliers.ConclusionsApplying the new subcategory assessment approach proposed in this study provides an objective way to assess the subcategories while differentiating between two levels of assessment: (1) the commitment to the social subcategory in the company’s policy (defined as cutoff requirement) and (2) the evidence of good/bad practices of the subcategory. In addition, the comparison of performance of the companies in foreground processes to the social background in sector or country has improved the objectivity further.

Modeling both direct and indirect environmental load of purchase decisions

Consumer awareness is continuously increasing towards pro-environmental behavior. Thus, we developed a web-based environmental feedback tool EcoRunner, which is designed for Swedish households aiming at increasing the awareness in a more pro-environmental direction. The conceptual model of EcoRunner has been developed based on top-down and bottom-up approaches connecting economic activities within a household to environmental pressures (both direct and indirect). In addition, the development of the tool includes a multi-level model aiming at better tailor-made advice to consumers. In this paper, we examine the EcoRunner tool with average single Swedish household expenditures as well as explore options for reductions and systems effects. Analysis shows that food and non-alcoholic beverages, fuel for personal transport (e.g. car) and air transports have significant environmental pressures. In addition, this study suggests that EcoRunner could be used in education systems as an environmental feedback tool to enlighten consumers motivation and change consumption patterns. Display Omitted We developed a web-based environmental feedback tool aiming at increasing awareness in a more pro-environmental direction.The tool is based on top-down and bottom-up approaches to address household metabolism with environmental pressures.It offers unique possibility to get simultaneous follow-up of economic spendings and environmental pressure of a household.The tool could be used in education systems as an environmental feedback tool.

Kompostering eller förbränning av hushållsavfall i Stockholm : En systemstudie av effekter på miljö, energi och ekonomi

En systemanalys som utvarderar potentiella effekter pa miljon, energiomsattning och ekonomi har genomforts dar storskalig kompostering jamforts med forbranning. Studien har utforts pa uppdrag av Bi ...