Page 234 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

232 11. A composite life cycle sustainability index for sustainability prioritization of industrial systems

TABLE 11.2 Environmental indicators from the “footprint” (Cu cek et al., 2012; Rees, 2016; Hoekstra, 2008;
Chen and Lin, 2008; Sandholzer and Narodoslawsky, 2007; Leach et al., 2012; Wiedmann and Lenzen, 2007).
Indicator Content Description Tool
Ecological 1. Arable land It measures the amount of “biologically productive” RegiOpt,
footprint land or water that enables sustainable development, Bottomline
2
(m ) 2. Pasture land including sub-indicators like the use of arable land,
3. Forest/woodland pasture land, forest/woodland, built-up land,
productive sea space, and forest land to absorb CO 2
4. Built-up land
5. Productive sea space
6. Forest land to absorb
CO 2
Water 1. Blue water It refers to the total amount of fresh water used, Mathematical
footprint (L) consumed, or polluted, directly or indirectly. In programming
2. Green water
which, blue is the consumption of surface and tools
3. Grey water groundwater, green is the total consumption of
rainwater resources, grey is the amount of water
needed to be treated for satisfying the water quality
Carbon / It represents the total amount of carbon dioxide and Carbon
footprint other greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted during the footprint
(kg) entire life cycle of a process or product calculators
Energy 1. Renewable energy It refers to the total energy consumption of the Mathematical
footprint (J) footprint (wind, solar, evaluated object in a certain period (except for the programming
etc.) food consumption), which is used to indicate the tools
energy dependence of a system, service, or product
2. Fossil or fossil
energy footprint
Emission / It is the total amount of emissions that a system or Mathematical
footprint product releases into the air (SO 2 , particles, CO, CO 2 , programming
(kg) etc.), water (COD, etc.), and soil (waste residue) tools
Nitrogen / It refers to the total amount of nitrogen compounds Mathematical
footprint emitted by the system, product, or human activities programming
(kg) (all of the nitrogen species except for N 2 ) tools
Land / It refers to the actual land area needed to produce a Mathematical
footprint product, or establish a system, or implement human programming
2
(m ) activities tools
Biodiversity / It represents the loss of biodiversity or excessive Mathematical
footprint depletion of biological resources caused by a system programming
or product tools