Page 72 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

4.3 Pathway to standardization: The role of LCI/SETAC/UNEP in framework definition 67
data for social assessment, in SLCA, or to opt for qualitative data and indicators. To achieve
the most precise assessment and interpretation, a combination of quantitative and qualitative
data, indicators, and analysis can be considered at this moment as the best option
(Grießhammer et al., 2006). Maybe, quantitative data and indicators are not able to include
and afford all social impact effects. At the same time, qualitative results can be turned into
semiquantitative outcomes, as suggested by Grießhammer et al. (2005).

4.3.1.6 Impact categories
For LCSA, they should be chosen in accordance with internationally recognized categori-
zations/standards. For an LCSA study, it is recommended that all impact categories that are
relevant across the life cycle of a product are selected. These should follow the perspectives
provided by each of the three techniques and consider the stakeholder views when defining
the impact categories. Furthermore, by considering all relevant impact categories from a
cross-media, multidimensional (social, economic, and environmental), intergenerational,
and geographic perspective, potential trade-offs can be identified and assessed (UNEP/
SETAC, 2011).
For the LCA impact assessment, an evolution of several methods during the time can be
considered as an abundant basin where it is possible find several calculation methods.
b
Starting from Eco-indicator99, performed by the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning,
and the Environment, the Netherlands (1999), and updated in Recipe in 2009, across EDIP
(Denmark, 2003), updated in Impact World+ (2016) and ILCD (2012), and ultimately leading
to the EU LC-Impact (2016).
During the last years, also for LCC, several models have been developed for the determi-
nation of the economic impact of a product, concerning its whole life cycle (Durairaj et al.,
2002). In particular, SETAC specified an LCC methodology (Hunkeler et al., 2008) providing
an assessment of the costs of a product across its entire life cycle and published guidelines
describing the method and a code of practice (Swarr et al., 2011). LCC aims at enabling
options to be more effectively evaluated considering the impact of all costs, assisting in
the effective management of processes, and facilitating choice between different alternatives.
In terms of LCC impact categories, aggregated cost data provides a direct measure of impacts.
For an S-LCA, from a social perspective, following the UN declaration on economic, social,
and cultural rights, the potentially most affected stakeholder groups identified are mainly
workers and local community groups. According to the definition of subcategories of the
S-LCA guidelines (UNEP/SETAC, 2009), “they aim to assess whether practices concerning
wages are in compliance with established standards and if the wage provided is meeting legal
requirements, whether it is above, meeting, or below industry average, and whether it can be
considered as a living wage.” For SLCA, the indicators of human rights, safety, cultural her-
itage, working conditions, have to be considered, and mainly health and education, according
with SDGs UN Agenda 2030 (UN, 2015) where the goal n. 3 and 4—respectively Health and
Education—represent tremendously meaningful hotspots.
In that way, an LCSA can also be carried on at subcategory level for each stakeholder group
and not at the level of midpoint or impact categories. In terms of social impacts on stakeholder

b
Eco Indicator 99 – Reports, Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment.