Assessing the contribution of products to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: a methodological proposal

Abstract

Purpose The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets pose the most important framework for sustainable development worldwide. However, the contributions of products and companies to the SDGs using social and environmental life cycle assessment (S-LCA; E-LCA) have not been thoroughly addressed in the scientific literature. The purpose of this research is therefore to identify product-related targets, derive suitable indicators and develop a social life cycle impact assessment (S-LCIA) method. Methods To systematically select product-related targets, two questions are developed. The questions ask whether a product (a) has a direct impact on the achievement of the target or (b) if the companies along the life cycle that produce or offer the product have a direct influence on the achievement of the respective target. Suitable indicators are derived and adapted from generally accepted frameworks such as the Global Indicator Framework (GIF-SDG). To develop an S-LCIA method, the targets are translated into conditions beneficial or damaging to the achievement of the target to estimate the socio-economic impact of the product using a scale from +1 to −1. In cases where the targets remain vague, a systematic five-step approach to derive a quantifiable target involving five steps is applied. Results and discussion The main contribution of this paper is to propose a coherent method to measure the contribution of products to the targets. All 17 SDGs and 61 of the 169 targets (36%) were evaluated as product-related. For 57% of the product-related targets, indicators from the GIF-SDGs could at least partly be used after slight adaptations, while for the remaining 43% of the product-related targets, indicators were taken from other frameworks or sources or had to be added. In total, 45 indicators have been identified to be suitable for assessing the potential contribution of products to the 61 targets. To illustrate the systematic five-step approach to quantitatively assess the contribution of products to the targets, five types of contribution functions are presented in detail. Conclusions The presented method allows companies to analyse their impact and that of their products on the targets both within their own company and in the supply chain. As especially the latter is increasingly demanded by supply chain laws in different countries such as France, the Netherlands or the UK, the method fills an important research gap. However, future research to examine the proposed approach, the derived indicators and the impact assessment method is strongly encouraged.

Streamlined benefit analysis of products based on the Sustainable Development Goals: Integrating the voice of society into life cycle sustainability assessment

“…However, one of the core tasks in the evolution of the LCSA methodology remains the development of appropriate, quantitative, and practical indicators (Gloria et al, 2017). In this context, Eberle et al (2022) presented an indicator framework to assess the potential contribution of products to a selection of 61 SDG targets considered to be relevant at the product level.…”

“…In this context, Eberle et al. (2022) presented an indicator framework to assess the potential contribution of products to a selection of 61 SDG targets considered to be relevant at the product level.…”

Unraveling the Complex Interplay of Sustainability, Investments, and Economic Indicators

“…The SDGs highlight the interconnectedness of these objectives in pursuit of a sustainable and equitable global future. According to [42], one method of assessment involves examining the application of the SDGs. The research indicates that SDG reporting varies for companies based in countries with sustainability regulations and those with better SDG performance ratings.…”

Double-cropped Corn Ethanol in Brazil: An existing food-energy system that contributes to multiple Sustainable Development Goals

“…This means that there are few if any integrated analyses that include broad macroeconomic effects, environmental impacts beyond GHG emissions, and threats to food security and low-income populations. Holistic and integrated frameworks based on the SDGs to evaluate projects and policies using LCA and bridging global and regional effects have been developed lately [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] . However, the application of these frameworks is thus far restricted to a few projects and technologies and is still nascent for bioenergy 7,10 .…”