A systemic framework for sustainability assessment

Sala, Serenella; Ciuffo, Biagio; Nijkamp, Peter

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.09.015

Cited by 597 publications

(402 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Accordingly, a number of methods have been developed (Sala et al, 2013b) that typically apply techniques similar to LCA in other domains, such as Social Life Cycle Assessment (sLCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC). Over the past decade, researchers and practitioners have worked to unify these into Lifecycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) (Guinée et al, 2011;Kloepffer, 2008;Sala et al, 2015). The purpose of these developments has been to create a robust and comprehensive sustainability assessment methodology that addresses three key challenges:…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fully integrated modelling for sustainability assessment of resource recovery from waste

Millward-Hopkins

Busch

Purnell

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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• We develop a multidimensional model for assessing resource recovery systems.• Social, environmental, technical and economic domains of value are fully integrated.• We propose a new typology for metrics better suited to integrated modelling.• We apply the model to a case linking electricity and concrete/cement production.• Interdependencies between domains and temporal dynamics can be modelled. G R A P H I C A L A B S T R A C Ta b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o This paper presents an integrated modelling approach for value assessments, focusing on resource recovery from waste. The method tracks and forecasts a range of values across environmental, social, economic and technical domains by attaching these to material-flows, thus building upon and integrating unidimensional models such as material flow analysis (MFA) and lifecycle assessment (LCA). We argue that the usual classification of metrics into these separate domains is useful for interpreting the outputs of multidimensional assessments, but unnecessary for modelling. We thus suggest that multidimensional assessments can be better performed by integrating the calculation methods of unidimensional models rather than their outputs. To achieve this, we propose a new metric typology that forms the foundation of a multidimensional model. This enables dynamic simulations to be performed with material-flows (or values in any domain) driven by changes in value in other domains. We then apply the model in an illustrative case highlighting links between the UK coal-based electricity-production and concrete/cement industries, investigating potential impacts that may follow the increased use of low-carbon fuels (biomass and solid recovered fuels; SRF) in the former. We explore synergies and trade-offs in value across domains and regions, e.g. how changes in carbon emissions in one part of the system may affect mortality elsewhere. This highlights the advantages of recognising complex system dynamics and making high-level inferences of their effects, even when rigorous analysis is not possible. We also indicate how changes in social, environmental and economic 'values' can be understood as being driven by changes in the technical value of resources. Our work thus emphasises the advantages of building fully integrated models to inform conventional sustainability assessments, rather than applying hybrid approaches that integrate outputs from parallel models. The approach we present demonstrates that this is feasible and lays the foundations for such an integrated model. Crown

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fully integrated modelling for sustainability assessment of resource recovery from waste

Millward-Hopkins

Busch

Purnell

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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“…A variety of assessment frameworks exist for analysing urban water and wastewater systems for sustainable development, including non-integrated analysis (Hanley & Spash, 1993;Jeppsson & Hellström, 2002;Rebitzer, Hunkeler & Jolliet, 2003;Tillman, Svingby & Lundström, 1998), and integrated multi-criteria decision making and participatory approaches (Motevallian & Tabesh, 2011), and statistical frameworks (Sahely, Kennedy & Adams, 2005) that are aimed at supporting decision making and policy development. More recently, diverse sustainability assessment approaches have been synthesised based on critical decision-making elements as determined by domain experts, with clear indications of how to move from integrated assessment to sustainability assessment and the practical application for decision making in various contexts (Sala, Ciuffo & Nijkamp, 2015). The foregoing sustainability assessments are generally suitable for assessing the entire system for water and wastewater management but inappropriate for evaluating specific instruments in isolation of others; this does not fit in with the theme of my thesis.…”

Section: Inclusive Development Assessment Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strengthening the Human Right to Sanitation as an Instrument for Inclusive Development

Obani¹

2018

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“…Sustainability assessment is specifically oriented towards the management cycle of public policies, planning, and decision-making in relation to sustainable development [15,17]. In this sense, there are different stages in public policy in which a procedure for the assessment of sustainability can be applied: ex ante, aimed at promoting decision-making within a framework of sustainability [18,19]; or ex-post, intended to determine whether decisions taken are within the sustainability framework, or what type of sustainability has been employed in the decision-making process [20][21][22].…”

Section: Sustainability Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability Assessment in Development Planning in Sub-National Territories: Regional Development Strategies in Chile

2018

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Abstract:In Chile, the increasing occurrence of socio-environmental conflicts demonstrates that Regional Development Strategies-Estrategia Regional de Desarrollo (ERD)-as the main development policy of subnational territories (Regions), must consider sustainability as a central objective. The Taxonomy of Sustainability constitutes an assessment method that allows us to determine the correlation between the definitions of these public policies and the strategies for transition to sustainable development. The ERD of the Antofagasta and Aysén regions are the ones presenting the highest Taxonomic Index; this indicates a higher strategic content for the promotion of sustainability. It is also noted that the political will that conditions the principles and values on which the ERD are based is strongly determined by investment projects and socio-environmental conflicts, which represent the tension between environmental protection and the capacity and interests of regional society in the development project.

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A systemic framework for sustainability assessment

Cited by 597 publications

References 36 publications

Fully integrated modelling for sustainability assessment of resource recovery from waste

Fully integrated modelling for sustainability assessment of resource recovery from waste

Strengthening the Human Right to Sanitation as an Instrument for Inclusive Development

Sustainability Assessment in Development Planning in Sub-National Territories: Regional Development Strategies in Chile

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