Page 384 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

368 6 From LCA to Sustainability Assessment

Pesonen 64) recently proposed Sustainability SWOTs (strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats) 65) as a simplified form of SLCA. Finally there is an
overview by Jørgensen and co-authors 66) on publications as well as grey literature
on SLCA.
It is surely too early for a standardisation of product-related social assessment;
however, a certain measure of harmonisation could be achieved, if the different
approaches were compared in case studies. As for finance, it could prove to be
useful to have different indicators for the evaluation of the diverse aspects of SLCA.
Thus experiences could be gained, and the most suitable method(s) would emerge.
As to impacts and their indicators, it should be kept in mind that, for good reasons,
for LCA impact assessments as well there is no absolutely valid list.
The main difficulties of product-related social assessments are as follows:
• How can existing indicators be linked to the functional unit of the examined
system?
• How are specific data for the necessary regional resolution of SLCA procured?
• How can the choice between multiple qualitative indicators and a few quantifiable
indicators be decided, for example, by an inventory of work time per functional
unit (Hunkeler, 2006, loc. cit.)?
• How are impacts correctly quantified?
The last issue is probably the most difficult, and indeed the quantification of
all impacts is not possible in LCA either. An example is the fact that there is still
no suitable and generally accepted indicator for the important impact category of
‘biodiversity’.

6.4
One Life Cycle Assessment or Three?

There are several options (Equations 6.1–6.4) on how to integrate LCC and
product-related social assessment into the sustainability analysis of products.

6.4.1
Option 1

This option is based on one functional unit and three separated life-cycle-
assessments with consistent, at best identical, system boundaries as already
suggested in the introduction (Equation 6.1). The ‘+’ signs are symbolic and
do not suggest that the results should be added up. The two methods not
standardised yet (LCC and SLCA), should be standardised in future based on
existing guidelines. 67)

64) Pesonen (2007).
65) SWOT acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (Wikipedia).
66) Jørgensen et al. (2008).
67) Swarr et al. (2011b) and Beno t and Mazijn (2009).