Page 86 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

7 Goal Definition 71

in the form of an environmental product declaration fall into this decision
context. The decision support of the LCA study may lead to limited changes
in other systems, e.g. a reduced demand for electricity, but the changes are
not of a structural nature, e.g. no electricity production equipment will be
prematurely taken out of use.
Situation B (Meso/macro-level decision support): The study results are
intended used to support a decision, and the scale of the studied product
system is such that the decisions that are made are expected to cause struc-
tural changes in one or more processes of the systems that the studied product
system interacts with. An example of a study that would be classified as
belonging to this type of decision context is a study intended as decision
support for policy development on potential nationwide substitution of diesel
derived from oil with biodiesel for private cars. Such a decision will lead to
structural changes in the biodiesel industry in the form of new equipment
being installed to respond to the substantially increased demand for biofuels.
Situation C (Accounting): The study is not to be used to support deci-
sions and is of a purely descriptive nature. It is documenting what has already
happened, or what will happen due to a decision that has already been taken.
Therefore, the presence of the LCA study will not lead to changes (small or
structural) on other systems. Interactions with other systems (whether taking
place in the past or in the future), e.g. through energy generated from waste
incineration, can either be included in the product system model (Situation
C1) or considered partially in the LCA through allocation (see Chap. 8)
(Situation C2). C1 is used unless C2 is specifically prescribed by the com-
missioner’s goal of the study.

Any decision to be
taken from the LCA
results?

Yes No

Are there any large-
scale consequences Are interactions with
on some processes of other systems
included in the
the background model?
system?
Yes No Yes No

Situation B Situation A Situation C1 Situation C2

Fig. 7.2 Decision tree for how to identify the correct decision context