Review
Agronomy
Giuliana Vinci, Roberto Ruggieri, Marco Ruggeri, Sabrina Antonia Prencipe
Summary: Rice is a crucial crop in terms of human consumption, and assessing the sustainability of its production process is of great importance. This research investigates the recent literature on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of rice primary production to determine the extent to which Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) and sustainability have been applied in the rice sector, as well as identify research gaps. The study reveals limited consideration of multiple functional units, methodological differences leading to result variability, and inadequate focus on socio-economic aspects.
Review
Environmental Studies
Andrea Casson, Martina Zambelli, Valentina Giovenzana, Alessio Tugnolo, Alessia Pampuri, Sara Vignati, Roberto Beghi, Riccardo Guidetti
Summary: Mitigating environmental impacts in the agri-food system is a challenge, and companies are being urged to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Policy solutions have sought to simplify Life Cycle Assessment procedures through schemes and guidelines. Simpler tools and calculators have also been introduced to evaluate environmental sustainability more quickly and easily. This review critically analyzes and categorizes the currently available simplified environmental impact tools (SimpEI tools) in the agri-food chain, exploring their strengths, weaknesses, and future development.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Adriana Del Borghi, Valeria Tacchino, Luca Moreschi, Agata Matarazzo, Michela Gallo, Diego Arellano Vazquez
Summary: The increase in world population is putting pressure on soil, water resources, and ecosystems. This study uses a combination of precision agriculture and life cycle assessment to improve the energy-environmental performance of vegetable crops.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
John Akana, Bushra Marium Islam, Kartik Patel, Ikjot Saini, Gyan Chhipi-Shrestha, Rajeev Ruparathna
Summary: The heavy reliance on ICT has increased the importance of cyber security. However, the environmental and economic impact of cyber security solutions has been rarely studied. This research investigates the impact of these solutions through a Life Cycle Assessment, comparing their environmental and economic performance. The findings show that Next Generation DataGuard is the most energy-efficient and economically viable solution among the three compared.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Gabriela Giusti, Thamiris Linhares Marques, Maria Clea Brito de Figueiredo, Diogo Aparecido Lopes Silva
Summary: This study provides an eco-efficiency assessment of 1 kg of chicken meat in Brazil by combining Water Footprint (WF) profile and Life Cycle Costing. It identifies hotspots and improvement opportunities in terms of environmental impacts, particularly water-related impacts. The study highlights the importance of evaluating eco-efficiency when searching for hotspots and improvement opportunities.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Laura Garcia-Herrero, Davide Gibin, Mattia Damiani, Esther Sanye-Mengual, Serenella Sala
Summary: Food consumption is a major contributor to global water consumption and its environmental impact. This study compares the volumetric blue water footprint assessment (WFA), a pressure method, with the scarcity-weighted WF AWARE model, an impact method, to evaluate the water footprint of food consumption in the EU27. The results show that almonds and cashew have the highest pressure and impact in both methods. EU food consumption has a water footprint pressure of approximately 54 m3/capita/year and an impact of approximately 3525 m3 eq/capita/year under an aligned scope. Considering the full supply chain, the water footprint impact increases by 30%, with wine and chocolate being the top contributors. Integration of WFA data into life cycle assessment (LCA) inventory could be explored for a more comprehensive analysis.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Valeria Frigerio, Andrea Casson, Sara Limbo
Summary: This paper aims to clarify the impact of two Functional Units (F.U.) on comparative food packaging LCAs and provide consistent methodology for shelf-life inclusion in impact assessment. The results show that the two F.U. require different scopes and modeling methods, leading to different outcomes. It is suggested to use the Inherent F.U. to discriminate packaging solutions based on their attributes and the Explicit F.U. when a predefined time requirement needs to be met.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jana Gerta Backes, Leonie Sophie Steinberg, Alexandra Weniger, Marzia Traverso
Summary: The aim of this study is to evaluate the visualizations of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA), which have gained increasing relevance recently. Three existing LCSA visualization tools, LCST, LCSD, and Sustainability Crowns, are compared. The Sustainability Crowns meet most of the defined target criteria and serve as a model for a visualization approach. The proposed LCSA-Wheel adopts a clear structure and provides necessary information for understanding the visualization.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bianca Maria Tragnone, Manuela D'Eusanio, Luigia Petti
Summary: Life cycle-based methodologies are increasingly recognized as a tool for promoting sustainable production and consumption. However, Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) is the least applied methodology, particularly in the agri-food sector. This study aims to provide an overview of S-LCA within the sector, including its strengths and weaknesses, and offer considerations for future implementation. The results reveal that S-LCA is an evolving methodology, with some identified challenges such as data scarcity, defining system boundaries and cut-off criteria, impact assessment methods, and the lack of defined criteria for stakeholder selection. Additionally, the agri-food sector presents unique complexities related to product multifunctionality, involvement of multiple stakeholders, and the link between products and the territory. The study suggests the use of the new S-LCA Guidelines to address these challenges.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
I Bianchi, A. Forcellese, M. Marconi, M. Simoncini, A. Vita, V Castorani
Summary: This study evaluates the environmental impact of an innovative technology for reclaiming carbon fiber prepreg scraps, showing a significant reduction in environmental impacts compared to traditional composite production processes. The innovative process can effectively recycle waste materials and produce recycled composite parts, demonstrating a more sustainable manufacturing alternative for composite products.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
A. Rabadan, R. Bernabeu
Summary: The study reveals a close relationship between consumers' attitudes and preferences towards wine and their concerns for the environment. Consumer acceptance of food innovation varies and may be influenced by neophobia towards new foods. Different consumer segments have varying attitudes and tendencies towards sustainability and innovative foods.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Adil Riaz, Fouzia Ali, Khurram Ashfaq, Anam Bhatti, Shafique Ur Rehman
Summary: This study investigates the influence of green shared vision and green knowledge sharing on eco-innovation types, and further examines the impact of these types on sustainable competitive advantage and sustainable business performance. The results show a significant positive relationship between green shared vision, green knowledge sharing, and eco-innovation types. Additionally, all three types of eco-innovation are significantly related to sustainable competitive advantage and sustainable business performance.
BRITISH FOOD JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
I. E. M. O. de Moura, E. A. da Silva
Summary: Cleaning products have changed the human-environment relationship and their production and market demand are increasing annually, making their assessment more relevant. Inappropriate use of these products can have negative impacts on the environment and human health. Eco-efficiency assessment is a useful tool to identify areas for improvement and this study applied it to three detergents produced in Teresina-Piaui-Brazil, called products A, B, and C. The results showed that all three detergents had high environmental impacts and detergent C was found to have the lowest impacts and selling price, making it the best choice among the three.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Mirco Volanti, Francesco Arfelli, Esmeralda Neri, Aurora Saliani, Fabrizio Passarini, Ivano Vassura, Gianluca Cristallo
Summary: This study analyzes the environmental impact of meals provided in school canteens using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The results show that meat, fish, and dairy products have the highest greenhouse gas emissions, while vegetables, legumes, fruits, and cereals have lower carbon intensity. Furthermore, first courses are the best option in terms of both carbon footprint and energy content. These findings can guide both consumers in meal choices and food services in menu adjustments for more sustainable production.
Article
Environmental Studies
Wang Chen, Xian-Xun Yuan
Summary: This paper presents a comprehensive eco-efficiency assessment for six promising long-life asphalt pavement (LLAP) designs, finding that under the baseline design scenario, the inverted, enhanced semi-rigid base, and composite asphalt pavement perform best in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, total embodied energy, and life-cycle cost. In most cases, the enhanced semi-rigid base and inverted designs are the most eco-efficient solutions, although the composite pavement may surpass the enhanced semi-rigid base for longer design life. The raw material phase is identified as the most critical source of environmental impacts across all life-cycle activities.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART D-TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Correction
Engineering, Environmental
Andreas Roesch, Serenella Sala, Niels Jungbluth
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Alexandra Marques, Marine Robuchon, Stefanie Hellweg, Tim Newbold, Jutta Beher, Sebastian Bekker, Franz Essl, Daniele Ehrlich, Samantha Hill, Martin Jung, Sandra Marquardt, Francesca Rosa, Benedetto Rugani, Andres F. Suarez-Castro, Andre P. Silva, David R. Williams, Gregoire Dubois, Serenella Sala
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Antoine Beylot, Fulvio Ardente, Serenella Sala, Luca Zampori
Summary: This article proposes an approach to account for mineral resource dissipation in life cycle inventories, with the application to analyze the direct dissipation of mineral resources along the primary production of copper. The results show that the production of 1 kg of copper cathode generates 0.88 kg of direct dissipative flows of resources, primarily calcium carbonate, copper, and to a lower extent iron. The developed approach may change the interpretation of results regarding mineral resources in LCA and have implications on methodological aspects and data requirements.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Valentina Castellani, Esther Sanye-Mengual, Serenella Sala
Summary: Current patterns of household goods consumption generate significant environmental pressures, impacting not only Europe but also third countries where products are imported from. Assessing the entire life cycle of products helps to consider trade-related transboundary effects. The main environmental impacts of household goods consumption are on climate change, fossil resource use, and water use.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Giulia Ferronato, Sara Corrado, Valeria De laurentiis, Serenella Sala
Summary: The study combines Material Flow Analysis and Life cycle Assessment to analyze the meat supply chain in Italy. Results show an average meat consumption of 55 kg per capita per year, with pork, poultry, and beef being the main contributors, where beef contributes the most to CO2 emissions.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Andrea Martino Amadei, Valeria De Laurentiis, Serenella Sala
Summary: This study critically assesses the available monetary valuation approaches applicable in LCA and highlights challenges and research needs towards the development of a set of monetary valuation factors. The review found significant variability in the availability of monetary valuation coefficients across impact categories. Results from a case study on the environmental impacts of the consumption of an average European citizen showed a contribution of external damage ranging from 15% to 41% of per capita expenditure.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Samuele Lo Piano, Lorenzo Benini
Summary: This study provides a review of approaches for uncertainty appraisal in the life cycle assessment literature. The findings suggest that uncertainty is only appraised in a few studies, with a focus on the life cycle inventory phase. The phases of goal and scope definition and life cycle impact assessment receive less attention. In addition, the study identifies the need for improvement in the appraisal of epistemic uncertainty and the correct definition of probability distribution of uncertain factors.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Martin Roeck, Elena Baldereschi, Evelien Verellen, Alexander Passer, Serenella Sala, Karen Allacker
Summary: This study highlights the importance of building and construction in global decarbonization efforts and the role of environmental modelling in supporting policy making. While there are challenges, future building stock models should extend system boundaries and enhance monitoring of various environmental impacts to ensure compliance with environmental targets.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Esther Sanye-Mengual, Serenella Sala
Summary: This paper examines the potential role of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in supporting EU policies and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on evaluating environmental impacts, achieving sustainability goals, and integrating the Planetary Boundaries framework. The study emphasizes that LCA can strengthen EU policies towards achieving SDGs while considering the physical limits of the planet.
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Serenella Sala, Fabrizio Biganzoli, Esther Sanye Mengual, Erwan Saouter
Summary: This paper presents the principles and methods for calculating the set of characterisation factors for toxicity-related impact categories in the EU environmental footprint version 3.0. The updates to the USEtox(R) model and the use of high-quality data from EU agencies have resulted in an increased number of characterised chemicals and improved alignment between LCA toxicity data and data used for risk assessment purposes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Esther Sanye-Mengual, Antonio Valente, Fabrizio Biganzoli, Martin Dorber, Francesca Verones, Alexandra Marques, Jorge Ortigosa Rodriguez, Valeria De Laurentiis, Simone Fazio, Serenella Sala
Summary: This paper focuses on mapping LCIA methods and models addressing biodiversity loss to specific LCI nomenclatures, proposing mapping rules for elementary flows related to chemicals, carbon emissions, land use, water use, and particulate matter, while discussing specific aspects to consider in mapping elementary flows. Main gaps in LCI nomenclatures are associated with toxicity and climate change impacts, with EF 3.0 showing better alignment with LCIA methods and models compared to ecoinvent 3.6. Further efforts are recommended for harmonizing elementary flows nomenclature in the LCA community.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Economics
Zora Kovacic, Lorenzo Benini
Summary: This paper examines how concepts of uncertainty and complexity are balanced during the transition from scientific research to policy. It identifies three challenges in this balancing act: acknowledging the limits of governing the future, selecting policy-relevant evidence while maintaining inclusivity, and balancing existing problems and new questions in policy recommendations. Using the European Environment Agency's policy recommendations on sustainability transitions as a case study, the paper finds that the transformative power of these concepts is lost in the balancing of institutional needs. The value of the report lies in giving visibility to debates about uncertainty and complexity and serving as a gateway for new debates and narratives.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Esther Sanye-Mengual, Fabrizio Biganzoli, Antonio Valente, Stephan Pfister, Serenella Sala
Summary: This study compares eight LCIA methods and models to assess the biodiversity impacts of EU consumption. The results show that land use, climate change, and ecotoxicity have a significant contribution to biodiversity loss, and food, mobility, and household goods are the major contributors. The study emphasizes the importance of impact category coverage in assessing biodiversity impacts.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Laura Garcia-Herrero, Davide Gibin, Mattia Damiani, Esther Sanye-Mengual, Serenella Sala
Summary: Food consumption is a major contributor to global water consumption and its environmental impact. This study compares the volumetric blue water footprint assessment (WFA), a pressure method, with the scarcity-weighted WF AWARE model, an impact method, to evaluate the water footprint of food consumption in the EU27. The results show that almonds and cashew have the highest pressure and impact in both methods. EU food consumption has a water footprint pressure of approximately 54 m3/capita/year and an impact of approximately 3525 m3 eq/capita/year under an aligned scope. Considering the full supply chain, the water footprint impact increases by 30%, with wine and chocolate being the top contributors. Integration of WFA data into life cycle assessment (LCA) inventory could be explored for a more comprehensive analysis.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Philip Nuss, Esther Sanye-Mengual, Serenella Sala
Summary: The European Green Deal and the German Resource Efficiency Programme aim to decouple resource consumption from economic growth and reduce associated environmental burdens. This study uses the consumption footprint indicator to assess Germany's environmental impacts in various sectors. The findings reveal that Germany exceeds the safe operating space for several impact categories.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Lars odegaard Bentsen, Narada Dilp Warakagoda, Roy Stenbro, Paal Engelstad
Summary: This study investigates uncertainty modeling in wind power forecasting using different parametric and non-parametric methods. Johnson's SU distribution is found to outperform Gaussian distributions in predicting wind power. This research contributes to the literature by introducing Johnson's SU distribution as a candidate for probabilistic wind forecasting.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xing Liu, Qiuchen Wang, Yunhao Wen, Long Li, Xinfang Zhang, Yi Wang
Summary: This study analyzes the characteristics of process parameters in three lean gas ethane recovery processes and establishes a prediction and multiobjective optimization model for ethane recovery and system energy consumption. A new method for comparing ethane recovery processes for lean gas is proposed, and the addition of extra coolers improves the ethane recovery. The support vector regression model based on grey wolf optimization demonstrates the highest prediction accuracy, and the multiobjective multiverse optimization algorithm shows the best optimization performance and diversity in the solutions.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Cairong Song, Haidong Yang, Xian-Bing Meng, Pan Yang, Jianyang Cai, Hao Bao, Kangkang Xu
Summary: The paper proposes a novel deep learning-based prediction framework, aTCN-LSTM, for accurate cooling load predictions. The framework utilizes a gate-controlled multi-head temporal convolutional network and a sparse probabilistic self-attention mechanism with a bidirectional long short-term memory network to capture both temporal and long-term dependencies in the cooling load sequences. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method, which can serve as an effective guide for HVAC chiller scheduling and demand management initiatives.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhe Chen, Xiaojing Li, Xianli Xia, Jizhou Zhang
Summary: This study uses survey data from the Loess Plateau in China to evaluate the impact of social interaction on the adoption of soil and water conservation (SWC) technology by farmers. The study finds that social interaction increases the likelihood of farmers adopting SWC, and internet use moderates this effect. The positive impact of social interaction on SWC adoption is more pronounced for farmers in larger villages and those who join cooperative societies.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chenghua Zhang, Yunfei Yan, Kaiming Shen, Zongguo Xue, Jingxiang You, Yonghong Wu, Ziqiang He
Summary: This paper reports a novel method that significantly improves combustion performance, including heat transfer enhancement under steady-state conditions and adaptive stable flame regulation under velocity sudden increase.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)