Is there more in common than we think? Convergence of ecological footprinting, emergy analysis, life cycle assessment and other methods of environmental accounting

2017 ◽  
Vol 362 ◽  
pp. 19-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murray Patterson ◽  
Garry McDonald ◽  
Derrylea Hardy
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Accounting ◽  
Emergy Analysis

scholarly journals Review of Emergy Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment: Coupling Development Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingsong Wang ◽  
Hongkun Xiao ◽  
Qiao Ma ◽  
Xueliang Yuan ◽  
Jian Zuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Indicator System ◽  
Evaluation Methods ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Target System ◽  
Natural Ecosystem ◽  
Emergy Analysis

Two methods of natural ecosystem assessment—emergy analysis (EMA) and life cycle assessment (LCA)—are reviewed in this paper. Their advantages, disadvantages, and application areas are summarized, and the similarities and differences between these two evaluation methods are analyzed respectively. Their research progress is also sorted out. The study finds that EMA and LCA share common attributes in evaluation processes and research fields, but they focus on different aspects of macrocosms and microcosms. The assessment of system sustainability is valued by both EMA and LCA, but the former has unique advantages in natural system input analysis, and the latter is more convincing in assessing environmental loading capacity. If the system boundaries of the two methods are expanded, in other words, factors such as ecosystem services, labor, and infrastructure construction are integrated into the upstream of the target system, and environmental impact is further analyzed using LCA in the downstream of the system, the two approaches would complete each other. The quantified results would be more objective. Therefore, these two theories have the necessity of coupling development. After reviewing recent coupling application cases, the results show that LCA and EMA have commonality in the upstream of the target system (mainly in inventory database construction), while the environmental impact assessment methods are different in the downstream. So the overall coupling analysis method is not formed. The current paper gives rational suggestions on the coupling development of the two systems in terms of the aggregate emergy flow table, the indicator system construction and indicator evaluation methods. In addition, it is necessary to introduce sensitivity analysis and uncertainty analysis in order to improve the reliability of assessment results. At present, the research on the coupling development of the two theories is in rapid development stage, but there are still many problems that need further exploration.

scholarly journals Tourist Destination Integral Product Eco-Efficiency

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Jankovic ◽  
Vanja Vejzagic ◽  
Dubravka Vlašić
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Accounting ◽  
Efficiency Measurement ◽  
Business Unit ◽  
Environmental Reporting ◽  
Tourist Destination ◽  
Strategic Business Unit ◽  
Complex Process

The main objective of this article is to illustrate the accounting methodology for eco-efficiency measurement, which allows for inclusion of the economically-orientated component in the processes of environmental reporting on tourist destination integral product, while examining the interrelation of eco-costs and values found in the classic LCC and particular tourist destination SBU (Strategic Business Unit). The process of tourist destination integral product eco-efficiency measurement calls for development of environmental accounting methods suitable for presentation of economically-orientated sustainability information. In the complex process of integral product eco-efficiency measurement, LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and LCC (Life Cycle Costing) take important roles. Interpretation and presentation of the data includes detailed cradle-to-grave environmental impact assessment of direct and indirect tourist activity and different products of tourist destination SBU’s. Eco-costs represent the monetary component in the processes of environmental accounting and reporting on environmental impact of tourist destination integral product.

scholarly journals Performance and environmental accounting of nutrient cycling models to estimate nitrogen emissions in agriculture and their sensitivity in life cycle assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edilene Pereira Andrade ◽  
August Bonmati ◽  
Laureano Jimenez Esteller ◽  
Erica Montemayor ◽  
Assumpcio Anton Vallejo
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Input Data ◽  
Environmental Accounting ◽  
Environmental Study ◽  
Mechanistic Models ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Nitrogen Emissions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose Several models are available in the literature to estimate agricultural emissions. From life cycle assessment (LCA) perspective, there is no standardized procedure for estimating emissions of nitrogen or other nutrients. This article aims to compare four agricultural models (PEF, SALCA, Daisy and Animo) with different complexity levels and test their suitability and sensitivity in LCA. Methods Required input data, obtained outputs, and main characteristics of the models are presented. Then, the performance of the models was evaluated according to their potential feasibility to be used in estimating nitrogen emissions in LCA using an adapted version of the criteria proposed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and other relevant studies, to judge their suitability in LCA. Finally, nitrogen emissions from a case study of irrigated maize in Spain were estimated using the selected models and were tested in a full LCA to characterize the impacts. Results and discussion According to the set of criteria, the models scored, from best to worst: Daisy (77%), SALCA (74%), Animo (72%) and PEF (70%), being Daisy the most suitable model to LCA framework. Regarding the case study, the estimated emissions agreed to literature data for the irrigated corn crop in Spain and the Mediterranean, except N2O emissions. The impact characterization showed differences of up to 56% for the most relevant impact categories when considering nitrogen emissions. Additionally, an overview of the models used to estimate nitrogen emissions in LCA studies showed that many models have been used, but not always in a suitable or justified manner. Conclusions Although mechanistic models are more laborious, mainly due to the amount of input data required, this study shows that Daisy could be a suitable model to estimate emissions when fertilizer application is relevant for the environmental study. In addition, and due to LCA urgently needing a solid methodology to estimate nitrogen emissions, mechanistic models such as Daisy could be used to estimate default values for different archetype scenarios.

DEVELOPMENT OF DETERGENT RECIPE WITH IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 223-229
Author(s):  
Yuliia Slyva ◽  
◽  
Oleksiy Verenikin ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Synthetic Detergent ◽  
General Scheme ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Environmental Characteristics ◽  
Environmental Standard ◽  
Ecological Characteristics ◽  
Environmental Criteria ◽  
Environmental Properties

The research on the development of an innovative formula of a synthetic detergent with improved environmental properties, which meet the environmental standard of SOU OEM 08.002.12.065:2016 "Detergents and cleaning products. Environmental criteria for life cycle assessment" is carried out. The accumulated theoretical and practical experience is generalized, the general scheme of designing and development of new goods taking into account features of detergents with the improved ecological characteristics is created.

Life Cycle Assessment of Two Alternative End-of-life Scenarios for Leather Safety Shoes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra LUCA ◽  
David SANCHEZ DOMENE ◽  
Francisca ARAN AIS
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
End Of Life
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