scholarly journals Life Cycle Sustainability Analysis for Circular Economy

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanesa G. Lo Iacono Ferreira ◽  
Juan Ignacio Torregrosa López
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Key Performance Indicators ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Sustainability Analysis

A Life Cycle Sustainability Analysis is a complex assessment that requires time, expertise and quality data. Decision-making boards of industries required live data to manage their business. Although planned changes can be made pursuing innovation and sustainability within a wide timeframe, daily decisions are often driven just by economic indicators. However, many industries are already implementing systems, simple or complex, that allows them to obtain some environmental or social information related to their activities aware that not only economic value foster ther circular economy that our planet needs. Key performance indicators are excellent information suppliers that can be define either in the economic, social or environmental area of a sustainable analysis. Willing to develop a methodology easy to apply in existing decision-making panels that incorporates social and environmental indicators to fill the gap of a sustianibility analisys, this research group is exploring new protocols and procedures to define customized key performance indicators. The inclusion of key performance indicators based in Life Cycle Assessment in existing management panels will serve as a tool to make the commitment of our European industries with circular economy come true.

scholarly journals Methodology for the quantification of concrete sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 01006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Břetislav Teplý ◽  
Tomáš Vymazal ◽  
Pavla Rovnaníková
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Service Life ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Load Bearing Capacity ◽  
Sustainability Management

Efficient sustainability management requires the use of tools which allow material, technological and construction variants to be quantified, measured or compared. These tools can be used as a powerful marketing aid and as support for the transition to “circular economy”. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) procedures are also used, aside from other approaches. LCA is a method that evaluates the life cycle of a structure from the point of view of its impact on the environment. Consideration is given also to energy and raw material costs, as well as to environmental impact throughout the life cycle - e.g. due to emissions. The paper focuses on the quantification of sustainability connected with the use of various types of concrete with regard to their resistance to degradation. Sustainability coefficients are determined using information regarding service life and "eco-costs". The aim is to propose a suitable methodology which can simplify decision-making in the design and choice of concrete mixes from a wider perspective, i.e. not only with regard to load-bearing capacity or durability.

Multi-Criterion Decision-Making Analysis for Sustainable Bio-Fuel Supply Chain

2019 ◽  
pp. 179-201
Author(s):  
Thangaraja J. ◽  
Vijayakumar M. ◽  
Yatharth Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Statistical Assessment ◽  
Sustainability Analysis ◽  
Fuel Demand ◽  
Biofuels Supply Chain

Present estimates indicate India's bio-fuel demand as 0.5 billion gallons in 2012 which will grow to 6.8 billion gallons by 2022. While fossil fuel science and technology is well established, the scientific understanding and technological implications of biofuels are not clearly laid out. In recent years, a large number of assessments have been conducted to assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of biofuels. However, contradicting results were noted in the published articles. The current chapter attempts to understand the importance of triple bottom line (TBL) aspects for the life cycle sustainability analysis (LCSA) over the conventional life cycle analysis (LCA) of biofuels-based supply chain. Along with energy and environmental indicators, LCSA also evaluates the economic and social factors. Hence, a statistical assessment with multi-criterion decision-making (MCDM) analysis has been implemented to highlight and achieve coherence in conducting the sustainability analysis of biofuels supply chain.

scholarly journals A Method to Include Life Cycle Assessment Results in Choosing by Advantage (CBA) Multicriteria Decision Analysis. A Case Study for Seismic Retrofit in Peruvian Primary Schools

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8139
Author(s):  
Ian Vázquez-Rowe ◽  
Cristina Córdova-Arias ◽  
Xavier Brioso ◽  
Sandra Santa-Cruz
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Final Decision

Building information modeling (BIM) is an emerging technology that improves visualization, understanding, and transparency in construction projects. Its use in Latin America and the Caribbean (LA&C), while still scarce, is developing in combination with multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, such as the choosing by advantages (CBA) method. Despite the holistic nature of MCDM methods, the inclusion of life cycle environmental metrics is lagging in construction projects in LA&C. However, recent studies point toward the need to optimize the synergies between BIM and life cycle assessment (LCA), in which a method like CBA could allow improving the quality of the decisions. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to integrate LCA and CBA methods to identify the effect that the inclusion of environmental impacts can have on decision-making in public procurement, as well as comparing how this final decision differs from an exclusively LCA-oriented interpretation of the results. Once the LCA was performed, a set of additional criteria for the CBA method were fixed, including transparency, technical, and social indicators. Thereafter, a stakeholder participative workshop was held in order to gather experts to elucidate on the final decision. The methodology was applied to a relevant construction sector problem modelled with BIM in the city of Lima (Peru), which consisted of three different construction techniques needed to retrofit educational institutions. Results from the LCA-oriented assessment, which was supported by Monte Carlo simulation, revealed a situation in which the masonry-based technique showed significantly lower environmental impacts than the remaining two options. However, when a wider range of technical, social, and transparency criteria are added to the environmental indicators, this low-carbon technique only prevailed in those workshop tables in which environmental experts were present and under specific computational assumptions, whereas teams with a higher proportion of government members were inclined to foster alternatives that imply less bureaucratic barriers. Finally, the results constitute an important milestone when it comes to including environmental factors in public procurement in LA&C.

scholarly journals Life cycle assessment and circularity indicators

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Rigamonti ◽  
Eliana Mancini
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Partial View ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Purpose In a context where the transition to a circular economy is increasingly required, it is necessary to clarify the relationship between sustainability and circularity. In this commentary we summarise what are circularity indicators and what is LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), and we discuss their potential role in improving circular decision making. Methods Based on literature, a focus on how circularity indicators and LCA could be used in circular decision making is presented. Moreover, an analysis of recent studies has been carried out to identify the relationship between LCA and circularity indicators. Results and discussion We can state that no authors have concluded that circularity indicators can be used alone to choose the best option in circular economy projects. This is because the circularity indicators only provide a partial view on the environmental performance of a system. At the same time, it appears that the circularity indicators are easier to communicate, and a high degree of circularity could help to build good relationships with customers and increase reputation among stakeholders, as well as to have an easier access to funding. Conclusions and recommendations At the end, we propose a procedure to include both the LCA and the circularity measurement in the assessment of circular economy strategies. While still at an early stage of conceptualisation, it gives an idea on how to integrate environmental sustainability aspects into circular economy initiatives.

scholarly journals Environmental Sustainability Approaches and Positive Energy Districts: A Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13063
Author(s):  
Ilaria Marotta ◽  
Francesco Guarino ◽  
Sonia Longo ◽  
Maurizio Cellura
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Key Performance Indicators ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Positive Energy

During the last decade, increasing attention has been paid to the emerging concept of Positive Energy Districts (PED) with the aim of pushing the transition to clean energy, but further research efforts are needed to identify design approaches optimized from the point of view of sustainable development. In this context, this literature review is placed, with a specific focus on environmental sustainability within innovative and eco-sustainable districts. The findings show that some sustainability aspects such as sustainable food, urban heat islands mitigation and co-impacts, e.g., green gentrification, are not adequately assessed, while fragmented thinking limits the potential of circularity. In this regard, targeted strategies should be developed. On the other hand, the Key Performance Indicators framework needs some integrations. In this direction, indicators were suggested, among those defined in the Sustainable Development Agenda, the main European standards and initiatives and the relevant literature experiences. Future outlooks should be directed towards: the harmonization of the Life Cycle Assessment in PEDs with reference to modeling assumptions and analysis of multiple impacts; the development of dynamic environmental analyses taking into account the long-term uncertainty due to climate change, data availability and energy decarbonization; the combination of Life Cycle Assessment and Key Performance Indicators based techniques, from a holistic thinking perspective, for a comprehensive design environment and the analysis of the contribution of energy flexibility approaches on the environmental impact of a project.

Computable metrics of personal performance in software development teams

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andriy Lishchytovych ◽  
Volodymyr Pavlenko
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Product Quality ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Key Performance Indicators ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Development Life Cycle ◽  
Software Product ◽  
Software Development Life Cycle

The present article describes setup, configuration and usage of the key performance indicators (KPIs) of members of project teams involved into the software development life cycle. Key performance indicators are described for the full software development life cycle and imply the deep integration with both task tracking systems and project code management systems, as well as a software product quality testing system. To illustrate, we used the extremely popular products - Atlassian Jira (tracking development tasks and bugs tracking system) and git (code management system). The calculation of key performance indicators is given for a team of three developers, two testing engineers responsible for product quality, one designer, one system administrator, one product manager (responsible for setting business requirements) and one project manager. For the key members of the team, it is suggested to use one integral key performance indicator per the role / team member, which reflects the quality of the fulfillment of the corresponding role of the tasks. The model of performance indicators is inverse positive - the initial value of each of the indicators is zero and increases in the case of certain deviations from the standard performance of official duties inherent in a particular role. The calculation of the proposed key performance indicators can be fully automated (in particular, using Atlassian Jira and Atlassian Bitbucket (git) or any other systems, like Redmine, GitLab or TestLink), which eliminates the human factor and, after the automation, does not require any additional effort to calculate. Using such a tool as the key performance indicators allows project managers to completely eliminate bias, reduce the emotional component and provide objective data for the project manager. The described key performance indicators can be used to reduce the time required to resolve conflicts in the team, increase productivity and improve the quality of the software product.

scholarly journals Environmental key performance indicators: the role of regulations and stakeholder influence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewelina Zarzycka ◽  
Joanna Krasodomska
Keyword(s):  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Key Performance Indicators ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Proactive Approach ◽  
Stakeholder Influence ◽  
Corporate Decisions ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Reporting Decisions

AbstractEnvironmental protection is of vital importance and needs to be considered in the context of business strategies, including companies’ reporting decisions. This paper aims to investigate the importance of stakeholders for environmental key performance indicators (KPIs) and the significance of different types of environmental KPIs to various stakeholders. The study is based on a content analysis of the disclosures provided by large public interest companies operating in Poland. The data were processed to produce descriptive statistics as well as classification and regression trees (C&RTs). According to the study results, the sample companies provide a variety of environmental indicators, with a total of 735 KPIs identified. The research confirms the importance of stakeholders interested in environmental issues for corporate decisions regarding environmental KPI disclosure. The study contributes to the extant literature by providing new insights into the importance of different stakeholder groups for the disclosure of environmental KPIs. It may serve as an incentive for standard setters and practitioners to take a proactive approach in further developing and improving environment-related reporting regulations.

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