Life Cycle Assessment ( LCA ) Research Papers (original) (raw)

2025, Applied Energy

Renewable electricity generation could supply 80% of U.S. generation in 2050. GHGs are reduced proportionally and water use is reduced by 50%. Gross land-use impacts total less than 3% of land area of the contiguous U.S. Some clean energy technologies rely on materials that face short-term risks. No insurmountable long-term constraints to materials supply were identified.

2025, IOP conference series

According to the European standard for the assessment of the environmental performance of buildings (EN 15978), potential benefits and loads beyond the building's life cycle as a consequence of recycling, reuse or energy recovery of building materials can be declared in module D. However, in practice module D is rarely included in LCA studies as it requires an optional calculation step and information at the product level (from EPD's according to EN 15804) is often missing. By means of a case study analysis, considering five building cases with varying types of loadbearing structures, the present study evaluates the relative importance of module D on building level and provides a better insight in the main materials contributing to module D. The results show that based on the current Belgian end-of-life scenario's the contribution of module D can be significant at the building level (representing up to 50 % of the total life cycle impact). This contribution varies more according to the LCIA indicator considered than to the building variant. In terms of the materials, the metals represent the main contributors to module D. Building materials that can be recycled, reused or used for energy recovery at end-of-life are considered potential resources for future use. However, how can we account for these "potential" benefits in building LCA? The EN 15978 [1] provides calculation rules for the assessment of the environmental performance of buildings based on a life cycle approach. According to this standard, the building life cycle can be divided into the following major life cycle stages/modules: Production (module A), Use (module B) and end-of-life (module C). In case of materials for recycling, reuse or energy recovery the boundary between the building's EOL stage (module C) and the next product system is set where the materials have reached their end-of-waste (EOW) state. This state is reached when the criteria derived from the European Waste Framework Directive are met (e.g. the recovered material is commonly used for specific purposes and fulfils the technical requirements for that purpose, a market demand exists, and its use will not lead to overall adverse environmental or human health impacts) [2]. All potential benefits (e.g. from avoided primary production) and loads occurring beyond the system boundaries (after EOW state) can be reported in an optional module: module D. According to the second amendment of EN 15804 [3] the declaration of module D will become mandatory on product level. So, in the future the information will be available for evaluations on building level. Meanwhile, little tools on building level already include module D. Existing studies indicate that module D can be significant relative to the building life cycle impact; however, they were limited to one renovation case with intensive metal use and did not consider the benefits from energy recovery (only from recycling) [4][5].

2025

Transport is the second largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. It is estimated that 40% of all CO2 emissions of road transport and up to 70% of other pollutants are coming from transport. Biofuels can play a significant role in the reduction of these emissions. This study investigates the possibility of biofuels penetration into the Greek transportation sector as well as the applicability of the targets set by the European Union for the road-transport sector. The various types of biofuels currently available are examined, together with potential future conversion-technologies. The environmental impacts of the use of conventional and alternative fuels in Greece using the scope and results of the LCA methodology are estimated. The environmental profiles of the automotive fuels are compared for the different impact categories taken into account in the study.

2025, Journal of Green Engineering

The FAO and EU forest strategies advocate the use of forest resources in ways which minimize the impact on the environment and climate. However, in forests with poor accessibility, the environmental footprint of forest operations is significant due to the long timber extraction distances. Thus, improving the environmental performance of forest operations requires a well-developed forest infrastructure, specifically the density and quality of roads. The aim of this paper was to assess the environmental footprint of forest roads in terms of embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions due to construction and maintenance. In this respect, life cycle assessment approach was used to develop an input-output model for benchmarking two case study areas, considering real machine utilization rates, fuel consumption and labor requirements. The forest road life cycle was set to 30 years. Direct energy requirements derived from the fuel consumed by the machinery were considered. Construction and maintenance required energy inputs of 490.9 MJ m -1 and 580.4 MJ m -1 , respectively about 36.6 kg CO 2eq m -1 and 43.1 kg CO 2eq m -1 emission rates in the two case study areas, while occupying productive land with forest roads triggered a loss of 3.95 kg CO 2eq m -1 y -1 and 4.40 kg CO 2eq m -1 y -1 during the life cycle of the forest

2025, IGI Global

Climate change, resource depletion, and pollution pose existential threats to humanity. Traditional product design, with its focus on short-term gains and linear economy principles, has significantly contributed to these problems. Green product design offers a solution by minimizing environmental impact throughout a product's life cycle, from material sourcing to end-of-life management. In this chapter, we have discussed green products with examples and then provided the previous research for green product design. The overall advantages of green product design have been discussed to highlight their significance. Further, the barriers to the implementation of green product design in organizations have been discussed. This chapter then provides the green product design process for implementation in organizations. The support tools and methods to achieve green product design have been discussed. By understanding their strengths and limitations, designers can leverage them effectively to create more sustainable products that meet the needs of the environment,
society, and the economy.

2025, A Synergistic Future: Integrating Nuclear Fusion with Renewable Energy Systems for Global Energy Transition

The global energy transition, driven by the climate crisis, is increasingly dominated by variable renewable energy (VRE) sources, whose inherent intermittency presents a critical challenge to grid stability and necessitates the integration of firm, dispatchable, carbon-free power to ensure a reliable
energy supply. This paper critically evaluates the potential role of nuclear fusion, not as a standalone baseload generator, but as a synergistic component within a VRE-dominated energy system, arguing that its viability is contingent upon a clear-eyed assessment of its benefits as a flexible energy hub against significant, newly quantified challenges in waste management, resource sustainability, and economic competitiveness. Through a systematic review and synthesis of recent literature spanning
engineering, life-cycle assessment (LCA), materials science, and socio-economic analysis, we find that fusion demonstrates significant potential to provide firm power and high-quality process heat for integrated applications such as green hydrogen production, thereby enabling the decarbonization of
hard-to-abate sectors. However, this potential is tempered by three critical findings: current reactor designs are projected to produce substantial volumes of Intermediate-Level Waste (ILW) requiring long-term geological disposal; global scalability may be limited by resource constraints, including competition for lithium with the battery industry and reliance on limited supplies of beryllium and helium; and fusion's projected high Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) is unlikely to be competitive with VREs for bulk electricity generation. We conclude that fusion's most plausible role is as a flexible partner to renewables, but its development requires a strategic pivot towards designing for load-following and hybrid applications, developing advanced materials to minimize long-lived waste, and engaging in transparent, life cycle-informed assessments to ensure its path is aligned with the principles of a truly sustainable and equitable global energy future.

2025, Ecological Engineering

A major challenge for the modern river and coastal management is a holistic design approach in order to integrate flood and erosion protection combined with ecological restoration. Nowadays, a lot of EU regulations request nature-based engineering solutions such as soil and water bioengineering techniques (SWBE). In contrast to conventional 'hard' civil engineering structures, the idea of SWBE structures is the use of biological components in the engineering structure to not just consider a technical function, but also ecological and aesthetic values. While SWBE techniques are applied worldwide and well established as an engineering discipline, there is a high demand on the further development specifically in terms of ecology. The use of plants in river engineering projects requires the right choice of species depending on the techniques used and the environmental conditions. Furthermore, a right harvest, storage and implementation of the plants is significant. Their use also requires the quantification of the hydraulic and sedimentological impact of riparian vegetation on the one hand and on the other hand to know the impact of SWBE structures on the aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Different ecological, vegetational and phytosociological criterias are available and discussed in terms of assessment of SWBE structures. All these criteria can be helpful to develop a framework supporting stakeholders to define objectives, design, implementation work and to assess the post-construction lifetime phase, which is most relevant for SWBE structures. From a wider point of view, when looking at the multitaxonomic diversity in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, it has been shown that SWBE techniques could enhance global riparian habitat quality by allowing a greater richness and density of pioneer tree species. The use of phytosociology has become more important for the application of SWBE structures as nature-based vegetation composition. Specific challenges arise for river managers and practitioners with invasive alien species and climate change forcing us to redefine what is meant by 'non-native' species. Therefore, using a local and historical phytosociological typology to define the reference to be achieved could become increasingly misleading. By analyzing the ecological value of SWBE structures, another aspect must be considered from an ecological point of view. The possible negative impacts on ecosystems caused by SWBE measures, during the period of construction (e.g., emissions, energy consumption, intervention in nature) should be taken into consideration. A popular methodology to provide the possibility of achieving a better understanding of environmental burdens and to assess the potential environmental impact of products or services is environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). We are faced with the problems of climate change which means that we have to optimize our civil engineering (including SWBE) construction activities in terms of positive effects, for example urban heat islands or carbon storage and also any potential negative effects, for example emission of greenhouse gases or energy demand. We must critically examine our model of the SWBE approach, the application of SWBE techniques does not automatically mean an ecological improvement. SWBE systems are dynamic and always different, depending on their field of application. A harmonization of strategies and goals needs to be developed in order to support coherent measures aimed at improving the ecological status of river bodies, coastal areas and at the same time, guaranteeing hydraulic safety and adequate protection of human activities from hydromorphological hazards (flooding, floodplain erosion, failure of river and coastal-related infrastructures).

2025, International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering

Recently, applications of soil and water bioengineering constructions using living plants and supplementary materials have become increasingly popular. Besides technical effects, soil and water bioengineering has the advantage of additionally taking into consideration ecological values and the values of landscape aesthetics. When implementing soil and water bioengineering structures, suitable plants must be selected, and the structures must be given a dimension taking into account potential impact loads. A consideration of energy flows and the potential negative impact of construction in terms of energy and greenhouse gas balance has been neglected until now. The current study closes this gap of knowledge by introducing a method for detecting the possible negative effects of installing soil and water bioengineering measures. For this purpose, an environmental life cycle assessment model has been applied. The impact categories global warming potential and cumulative energy demand are used in this paper to describe the type of impacts which a bioengineering construction site causes. Additionally, the water bioengineering measure is contrasted with a conventional civil engineering structure. The results determine that the bioengineering alternative performs slightly better, in terms of energy demand and global warming potential, than the conventional measure. The most relevant factor is shown to be the impact of the running machines at the water bioengineering construction site. Finally, an integral ecological assessment model for applications of soil and water bioengineering structures should point out the potential negative effects caused during installation and, furthermore, integrate the assessment of potential positive effects due to the development of living plants in the use stage of the structures. Keywords Water bioengineering • Case study • Ecological assessment • Life cycle assessment • Global warming potential • Cumulative energy demand * M. von der Thannen m.v

2025

In recent times, a trend towards more climate-friendly and sustainable strategies and techniques in the field of civil engineering has arisen. For this reason, there is a high demand for engineering solutions which take into consideration not only technical issues but also ecological and aesthetic values. In this context, soil bioengineering constructions are gaining importance because the utilisation of living plants as construction material for conventional protective structures represents a preferred alternative. Different soil bioengineering techniques are used as stand-alone solutions or as complementary to conventional hydraulic and civil engineering solutions. Although the field of soil bioengineering has a long historical tradition, there is no assessment scheme that analyses energy consumption nor carbon footprint throughout the entire life cycle of soil bioengineering constructions. The following paper focuses on assessing three different soil bioengineering construction types. Through the use of an environmental life cycle assessment model, we show the possibilities and deficiencies of this method in the field of soil bioengineering. The analysis concentrates on the product stage and the construction phase. The results reveal that the hotspots of energy consumption for soil bioengineering constructions are the operating machines.

2025, Zero Waste Management and Circular Economy

Bioeconomy can be considered one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy, which brings new opportunities concerning economic growth and profit maximisation and sustainability, environment protection, and appropriate use of limited resources. Monitoring bioeconomy status should be an essential task for policy-makers and other stakeholders as business entities, non-governmental organisations, and others. Bioeconomy data are often unavailable because there is an insufficient distinction between bio-based and traditional industry in national statistics, which necessitates conjugating many data sources. For these reasons, it is crucial to define methodologies, which allows comparability. Such tools can find application in evaluating environmental, economic, social progress in the field of bioeconomy by different groups of stakeholders and granting the possibility to compare differences between countries or regions to enhance policies and support mechanisms. An undeniable advantage of the correct setting of monitoring tools is the possibility of performing scenario analysis and bringing the best solutions for developing the bioeconomy sector. Purpose: The paper's main aim is to compare different approaches to monitoring bioeconomy strategies and evaluate their advantages and disadvantages concerning the availability of data sources. Design/methodology/approach: The paper compares attitudes and approaches of different researchers on evaluating bioeconomy status and progress supplemented by comments. We work with varying sources, including research reports and papers. Findings: The paper presents selected approaches to designing monitoring tools intended to evaluate regional bioeconomy status and impacts. The authors also discuss the differences and advantages versus disadvantages of these methodologies. The paper introduces methodological approaches into bioeconomy evaluation as the initial research stage focused on evaluating bioeconomy and ecoinnovations elements usage in European Countries.

2025, Applied Sciences

This research undertakes a comparative analysis of current and emerging hydrogen (H2) production technologies, evaluating them based on quantitative and qualitative decision criteria. The quantitative criteria include cost of H2 production (USD/kg H2), energy consumption (MJ/kg H2), global warming potential (kg CO2-eq/kg H2), and technology energy efficiency (%). The qualitative criteria encompass technology readiness level (TRL) and availability of supply chain materials (classified as low, medium, or high). To achieve these objectives, an extensive literature review has been conducted, systematically assessing the selected H2 production technologies against the aforementioned criteria. The insights synthesized from the literature provide a foundation for an informed, science-based evaluation of the potentials and techno-economic challenges that these technologies face in achieving the 1-1-1 goal set by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2021. This target aims for a H2 production cost of USD 1/kg H2 within one decade (by 2031), including costs associated with production, delivery, and dispensing at H2 fueling stations (HRSs). Also, the DOE established an interim goal of USD 2/kg H2 by 2026. This research concludes that among the examined H2 production technologies, water electrolysis and biomass waste valorization emerge as the most promising near-term solutions to meet the DOE’s goal.

2025

A escassez de água é um problema global que vem se intensificando, fazendo com que as indústrias busquem estratégias para reduzir a captação de água e o descarte de efluentes. Este trabalho tem como objetivo criar um cristalizador associado à destilação por membranas para a recuperação de água de efluentes salinos, com o objetivo de minimizar o desperdício de líquidos. A otimização do processo de destilação por membranas com cristalização (MDC) foi empregada a fim de potencializar a recuperação de água e sais. O cristalizador proposto foi desenvolvido para trabalhar em sinergia com o módulo de membranas, possibilitando a separação eficiente da água e dos sais como subprodutos. Todos os resultados obtidos são viáveis do ponto de vista industrial, o que corrobora essa afirmação.

2025

This is the first publication in a series, looking at bamboo development and resilience building in Small Island Developing States.

2025, Horticulturae

Optimizing nutrient usage and controlling environmental parameters are crucial for improved crop growth and yield in the cultivation of Cannabis sativa, commonly known as hemp, using controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) systems. Although hemp cultivation in CEA is rapidly growing, the effects of different light-intensity treatments on early vegetative stages of hemp grown in hydroponic and aquaponic systems, along with the impacts on the environment and human health remains limited. This study employed a split-plot design, consisting of two layers of plant grow beds where each layer was exposed to different light intensities (LIs): approximately 752 µmol/m 2 /s (high light intensity) on the upper layer and 141 µmol/m 2 /s (low light intensity) on the lower layer. To assess the influence of two different LIs on plant growth indicators, specifically plant length and leaf area, the environmental parameters, including dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and water temperature (WT) were maintained within the same range for both systems. Additionally, the study incorporated a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) to precisely evaluate the environmental performance of both systems. Under the specific environmental and design conditions of this study, hemp plants grown in aquaponics showed greater growth performance in plant length compared to hydroponics (more than 42% higher for both LIs) and leaf area (28.3% greater under 141 µmol/m 2 /s), although the leaf area was 2.1% lower under 752 µmol/m 2 /s compared to plants grown in hydroponics. The LCA demonstrated that the aquaponic system provided an efficient and sustainable approach by integrating fish with hemp cultivation. The LCA results showed that aquaponics had a 22% reduction in midpoint and a 15% reduction in endpoint impact in contrast to the hydroponics system for hemp leaf cultivation. This research highlights the potential of aquaponic systems as a viable and sustainable alternative to hydroponic systems for hemp leaf cultivation in CEA under uncertain future climates.

2025, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment

Purpose The increasing use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in industrial applications and consumer products is leading to an inevitable release of these materials into the environment. This makes it necessary to assess the potential risks that these new materials pose to human health and the environment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology has been recognized as a key tool for assessing the environmental performance of nanoproducts. Until now, the impacts of ENMs could not be included in LCA studies due to a lack of characterization factors (CFs). This paper provides a methodological framework for identifying human health CFs for ENMs. Methods The USEtox™ model was used to identify CFs for assessing the potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects on human health caused by ENM emissions in both indoor (occupational settings) and outdoor environments. Nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO 2 ) was selected for defining the CFs in this study, as it is one of the most commonly used ENMs. For the carcinogenic effect assessment, a conservative approach was adopted; indeed, a critical dose estimate for pulmonary inflammation was assumed. We propose CFs for nano-TiO 2 from 5.5E-09 to 1.43E-02 cases/kg emitted for both indoor and outdoor environments and for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects. Conclusions These human health CFs for nano-TiO 2 are an important step toward the comprehensive application of LCA methodology in the field of nanomaterial technology.

2025, Building and Environment

In recent years, significant attention has been directed towards enhancing indoor comfort in buildings, with acoustic comfort emerging as a key area of study. The sound insulation properties of building façades have a considerable influence on acoustic comfort, with glazing system often representing the most critical components. Meanwhile, the ever increasing demand for larger window surfaces to improve visual comfort, has led to a growing prevalence of thermal break lift-and-slide systems. The choice of window frame design for this window system is of paramount importance to achieve high sound insulation performance, as this depends on the closure system, the frame cross section, and the glass configuration in the frame. This paper aims to highlight critical issues of large sliding windows, exploring the acoustic performance of a lift-and-slide window through experimental assessments according to the ISO 10140 standard. The weighted sound reduction index (R w) was assessed in laboratory; then, several modifications were implemented to improve the acoustic performance of lift-andslide windows. Notably, the incorporation of sound-absorbing materials within the upper section of the frame yielded an R w enhancement of 2 dB on average. Conversely, deficiencies such as improper glass orientation or improper frame closure systems led to R w reductions of up to 4 dB. Finally, this study underlines the critical issues identified during the tests and provides practical recommendations to mitigate common installation errors.

2025

This analytical study explores the utilization of CNTs as fiber reinforcements in GFRP tube confined concrete columns using finite element analysis software ANSYS. The CNT-reinforced concrete columns were confined with GFRP tubes of fiber orientation ±85°. The tube thicknesses chosen were 3 mm and 4 mm with the slenderness ratios of CFFTs being 2,4,6,8,12,16 along CNT reinforcement of 1%, 2%, and 3%. Three grades of concrete 40 MPa (Normal Strength Concrete), 60 MPa (High Strength Concrete), and 120 MPa (Ultra High Strength Concrete) had been chosen. About 144 GFRP tube confined CNT reinforced Concrete columns were simulated using ANSYS software covering NSC, HSC and UHSC and their stress strain behavior, failure modes, effect of confinement, slenderness ratio, thickness of GFRP tubes and the fiber volume fraction of CNTs had been investigated and reported. The slenderness ratio 6 was optimal for CNT reinforced concrete columns confined with GFRP tubes. The strength enhancement of CNT reinforced UHSC was about 2.6 times of CNT reinforced HSC. The passive confinement provided by the FRP jacket loses its effectiveness on increasing the grade of concrete particularly the Ultra High Strength Concrete. This led to brittle failure. However the axial strength enhancement reached a peak when compared with other grades of concrete.

2025

Harangozó gábor-marjainé szerényi zsuzsanna mennyit ér a zajterhelés csökkenése? zajvédelmi intézkedések értékelése a haszonértékelések átvitelével Mind ez ideig a gyakorlatban kevéssé aknázták ki azt a lehetőséget, hogy a természeti tőke pénzbeli értékelése számszerű, egzakt információt nyújthat a döntéshozóknak. A szerzők a zajvédelmi intézkedések példáján keresztül tekintik át a természeti tőkejavak közgazdasági értékelésében rejlő lehetőségeket. Ismertetik a költség-haszon elemzés környezeti javakkal bővített formájának előnyeit, majd az általában elhanyagolt, a nem piaci javak által nyújtott haszon közgazdasági értékelésére alkalmas eljárásokat, külön kitérve a zajterhelés területére. Nagy hangsúlyt helyeznek a haszonfelmérések átvitelének széles körben alkalmazható módszereire. Bemutatják az általuk gyakorlatban végzett kutatás során szerzett tapasztalatokat, különös tekintettel arra, hogy a haszonértékelések átvitele hogyan járulhat hozzá a természeti tőkejavakkal kapcsolatos döntések során a társadalmi haszon maximalizálásához.* Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) kód: Q51, Q53, Q58. a természeti tőkét érintő döntések során a társadalmi haszon maximalizálása érdekében költség-haszon elemzést végeznek, aminek során általában a pénzbeli kifejezés okozza a legnagyobb nehézséget. a tanulmány célja, hogy 1. a zajvédelmi intézkedések példáján keresztül áttekintse a nem piaci javak közgazdasági értékelésében rejlő lehetőségeket, 2. ez alapján gyakorlati útmutatást nyújtson a döntéshozók számára. a zajvédelmi intézkedések költségei általában ismertek, de legalábbis jól becsülhetők, mint ahogy az is, hogy az egyes intézkedések révén milyen mértékű zajcsökkenés érhető el. az ebből származó hasznot azonban csak nagyon ritkán számszerűsítik. a fő kérdés tehát az, hogy egy meghatározott zajszintváltozás mekkora pénzbeli értéket képvisel, milyen hasznot hoz a társadalom tagjai számára. * a cikk alapötletét a fővárosi önkormányzat felkérésére elkészített háttértanulmányunk adta (Kiss és szerzőtársai [2009]). az eredeti tanulmány szerzői voltak még Kiss Károly, Széchy Anna, Berndt Mihály és Muntag András.

2025, Kozgazdasagi Szemle

2025

This study assesses the sustainability of bioethanol production from multiple agricultural feedstocks, including corn stover, wheat straw, and rice husk, using a life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The process focuses on converting lignocellulose biomass into bioethanol through advanced biotechnology, enriching energy security and supporting sustainable development in Pakistan. The process includes various stages of feedstock utilization, including cultivation, harvesting, transportation, preprocessing, and conversion, eventually yielding 1 kg of bioethanol with different inventories for each of the three feedstocks. A comparative analysis of the three feedstocks reveals that the wheat straw showed the highest environmental impacts, while rice husk exhibits the least environmental impacts and emerges as a more sustainable and viable option for bioethanol production. The economic assessment revealed the feasibility of bioethanol production, achieving a daily revenue of 9600andamonthlyincomeof9600 and a monthly income of 9600andamonthlyincomeof211,200, based on 22 working days in a single 8 h shift. The total initial capital investment cost was estimated at 478,515,whileoperationalcostswerecalculatedat478,515, while operational costs were calculated at 478,515,whileoperationalcostswerecalculatedat225,921. The external cost of the plant was evaluated at $14.23. Transitioning from grid-mix to renewable energy, such as photovoltaic systems, showed a reduction among three feedstocks. Therefore, bioethanol production not only addresses waste management challenges but also contributes to waste-to-energy conversion and renewable energy generation, aligning with public health goals and sustainable development. The findings highlight the potential of bioethanol production as a strategic solution to manage agricultural waste sustainably and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

2025

A methodological framework has been designed to analyze the sustainability of China’s electricity sector in the wake of the 13th Development Plan for the Electricity Sector (2016-2020). The proposal is based on ISO 14040 but also incorporates some features from the "new LCA" approach described in the CALCAS project. Discussion is provided about its practical implementation, including definition of objectives through sustainability questions and subquestions, definition of scope, definition of scenarios, functional unit, selection of sustainability issues and indicators, suitability of analysis tools, availability of inventory data and aggregation methods to facilitate decision making.

2025, IJRT

Building infrastructure and construction is essential to India's rapidly growing economy; in the near future, it is anticipated that approximately 700-900 million square meters of commercial and residential space will need to be built. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs states that estimates indicate the construction industry contributes significantly to India's carbon footprint, creating between 150 and 500 million tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) polluting waste annually and cannot be managed. Lack of adaptability in the building design program is a major cause of demolition and premature end-of-life stages. In this scenario, there is heightened concern regarding the drastic environmental degradation that could result from failing to prioritise the implementation of sustainable practices from the outset of design and decision-making. In the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) process, flexibility and adaptability are given immense significance in any project design. This paper highlights the current research gap of unavailability of environmental indicators 'measure' aspects such as adaptability and/or flexibility, durability, robustness or resilience. However, these aspects affect the duration of the working life of the building and are therefore, extremely relevant for the minimization of waste and optimisation of the use of resources. Hence, the framework for the assessment of the environmental indicators should take this into consideration from early design stage. Flexibility and adaptability enable buildings to recycle, re-use and upcycle these buildings into urban regeneration projects, and these factors need to be included in the early design stage, and ethos of architectural practice, effectively proving sustainable.

2025, GESTIÓN DE ACTIVOS FÍSICOS - ISO 55000

Nos encontramos viviendo la cuarta revolución insdustrial o la
insdustria 4.0 también llamada la era digital, automatización,
robótica, etc.
Los constantes cambios tecnológicos, la globalización, la
internacionalización de la economía y la competencia entre
mercados han inducido un desarrollo significativo en los procesos de
gestión de riesgo, desempeño y costos.
Hoy en día las organizaciones se han hecho consciente que la gestión
de activos es altamente compleja en cuanto al manejo y gestión de
información y a su vez es la fuente de grandes ventajas competitivas
por la cantidad de áreas habilitadoras (operaciones, mantenimiento,
finanzas, compras, logistica, recursos humanos y otros), que
intervienen dentro del proceso.

2025, Sustainability (MDPI)

This study aims to optimize the Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) of NiZn batteries using Pareto Optimization (PO) and Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO), which combine Pareto optimization and genetic algorithms (GA). The optimization focuses on the raw material acquisition phase and the end-of-life phase of NiZn batteries to improve their sustainability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The optimization methodology, programmed in MATLAB, is based on a formulation model of LCC and the environmental LCA, using data available from the Ecoinvent database, the OpenLCA software (V1.11.0), and other public databases. Results provide insights about the best combination of countries for acquiring raw materials to manufacture NiZn and for disposing of the waste of NiZn batteries that cannot be recycled. These results were automatically linked to some sustainability KPIs, such as global warming and capital costs, being replicable in case of data updates or changes in production or recycling locations, which were initially considered at Paris (France) and Krefeld (Germany), respectively. These results provided by an AI model were validated by using a sensitivity analysis and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) through an expert panel. The sensitivity analysis ensures the robustness of mathematical parameters and future variations in the market; on the other hand, the AHP validates the Artificial Intelligence (AI) results with interactions of human factors. Further developments should also consider the manufacturing and use phases in the optimization model.

2025, Energies (MDPI)

This paper presents a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the environmental impacts (EI) produced by novel nickel-zinc battery (RNZB) technology, which is a promising alternative for energy storage applications. The paper develops mathematical models for estimating the life cycle environmental impacts of RNZB from cradle to grave, based on an extensive literature review and the ISO standards for life cycle costing and life cycle analysis. The paper uses the ReCiPe 2016 method of life cycle analysis (LCA) to calculate the EI of RNZB in terms of eighteen Midpoint impact categories and three Endpoint impact categories: damage to human health, damage to ecosystem diversity, and damage to resource availability. The paper also compares the EI of RNZB with those of other battery technologies, such as lead-acid and lithium-ion LFP and NMC. The paper applies the models and compares results with those provided by the software openLCA (version 1.11.0), showing its reliability and concluding that NiZn batteries contribute approximately 14 MJ for CED and 0.82 kg CO 2 eq. for global warming per kWh of released energy, placing them between lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries. This study suggests that NiZn battery technology could benefit from using more renewable energy in end-use applications and adopting green recovery technology to reduce environmental impact. Further developments can use these models as objective functions for heuristic optimisation of the EI in the life cycle of RNZB.

2025

Reducing GHG emissions caused by human activity is a growing priority for businesses and organisations across the globe. The change is driven in part by mandatory emissions reporting legislation and by an awareness and concern for global warming and ultimately climate change. Information technology currently generates as much as 5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, IT represents a significant GHG emissions source that can be meaningfully reduced with immediate and short term effect. However, organisations perceive the adoption of sustainable IT as expensive and without significant environmental impact.
The objective of this research is to show how sustainable IT strategies with ChromeOS reduce cost and deliver meaningful reductions to an organisation's carbon footprint. By applying lifespan extension and low carbon footprint device strategies enabled by ChromeOS to a typical end user computer environment, the results show that it is feasible to achieve a 50% reduction in device procurement costs, 73% reduction in utility costs, 68% carbon footprint abatement and 81% e-waste avoidance.
During the study time horizon, it is shown that the average 1,000 user environment can save as much as $636,654 in combined capital and operational expenditure. In parallel, the same estate will avoid 476,984 kgCO2e of GHG emissions. In context, to remove this amount of carbon from the atmosphere requires more than 21,000 trees and would take one entire year to complete the process. Additionally, 6,000 kg of cumulative
e-waste is avoided. Examined at scale, the research shows that by using ChromeOS Flex to avoid global disposal of computers unable to upgrade to Windows 11, an estimated 62.4 million tons of replacement product GHG emissions is abated. This carbon footprint is larger than Ireland's entire annual GHG emissions and would require over 1 billion tree seedlings grown for ten years to remove this quantity of carbon from the atmosphere. In this event, 1.4 million tons of e-waste is also avoided. This is equivalent to 6,250 times the weight of the Statue of Liberty. In conclusion, the research finds that sustainable IT practices driven by ChromeOS support responsible consumption by improving economic and environmental outcomes.

2025

Today historic ships are recognised and publicly valued as an important part of Norway's cultural heritage, with substantial annual government funding for preservation. State funds finance not only docking and repairs of listed ships at commercial shipyards, but also encourage volunteer activity with provision of parts and materials for projects that can take a decade or more to achieve the typical aim of making a historic vessel once again seaworthy. Even though this volunteer effort is crucial for restoring and maintaining the maritime heritage of Norway, little is known about its background, organization, scope and impact. 1) how ship preservation in Norway has developed as a field dominated by volunteers grassroot-organizations 2) who the volunteers are, and what is the scope and impact of their efforts 3) the volunteers' motivations and personal experiences and the impact on their proximate social environment. The study was carried out with three sub-studies. Sub-study I is based on a literature review and discourse analysis. Sub-study II is based on a survey with data from 82 volunteer leaders and analysed quantitatively. Sub-study III is based on 14 semi-structured interviews with volunteers, using content-analysis to identify and organize different categories in the volunteers' statements.

2025

The outbreak of the coronavirus in December 2019, with its accompanying declaration as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation in March 2020, resulted in lockdown of the global financial markets. This paper uses data from pre-coronavirus, coronavirus endemic and coronavirus pandemic periods to evaluate the impact of coronavirus pandemic on stability of Africa stock markets, sovereign bond markets and U.S. dollar exchange rates in Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa as well as Africa Sharia equity and Sukuk indices. Findings from study suggest that Africa financial markets became very unstable during the coronavirus pandemic than during the endemic and pre-coronavirus periods. Results from bivariate regression model show evidence of negative impact of coronavirus pandemic on financial market returns. The results further show that Africa financial markets return volatility increases as the number of coronavirus cases increases. Overall, the findings suggest that coronavirus h...

2025, Structures

The construction industry is one of the main contributors to the increasing carbon emissions globally. With an increasing interest in optimising the embodied carbon of superstructures, very little attention is paid to optimising the embodied carbon of substructures although foundations are responsible for a considerable share of the total carbon emissions within any structures. This research focuses on minimising the embodied carbon of reinforced concrete piles and introduces a novel multi-level modelling tool that can be used by designers to discover the full range of feasible design scenarios with optimised environmental impact. Results show that adjusting design parameters like concrete grade (f ck), pile slenderness ratio (L/D) and steel-to-concrete ratio (A s / A c) can lead to a significant cut in the final value of embodied carbon. The modelling tool is applied to a case study of a monorail bridge and showed that a 51.4% potential carbon saving can be achieved through adjusting the design parameters, moreover, a significant 72.4% cut is achievable if this is coupled with switching to cleaner materials.

2025, AREAS DE CONOCIMIENTO DE LA INGENIERIA QUIMICA

CUBRE LAS PRINCIPALES ÁREAS DE CONOCIMIENTO DESARROLLADAS POR LOS INGENIEROS QUÍMICOS. ES INFORMACION PARA QUE LOS ESTUDIANTES DECIDAN QUE RAMA DE LA ING. QUIMICA LES ATRAE.

2025, Evaluating life cycle assessment models from a global environmental justice perspective: a case study of solar photovoltaics manufacturing in Sarawak, Malaysia

First part: analysis of social and environmental LCA models of renewable energies, also in combination with energy system modelling (ESM), from a political ecology / global environmental justice perspective. LCA models and energy system... more

2025

En esta comunicación se presenta una metodología que permite integrar el requerimiento ambiental en el coste de un producto. Para ello, se aplicará la metodología ACV (Análisis del Ciclo de Vida) para identificar alternativas de mejora ambiental a un producto existente, la metodología CCV (Coste del Ciclo de Vida) para valorar el coste del producto inicial y de cada alternativa ecológica, y la metodología de la Valoración Contingente (VC) para evaluar la disposición a pagar del consumidor por un producto catalogado como ecológico por incorporar dichas mejoras ambientales. Finalmente, se aplicará la metodología propuesta para mejorar el diseño de una mesa de oficina existente actualmente en el mercado.

2025, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

To reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of plastics, fossil feedstocks need to be replaced by alternative carbon sources, such as recycled plastics, biomass, and captured CO 2. However, these alternatives do not necessarily result in a lower GHG footprint when the full life cycle of the products is taken into account. Here, we assess the potential life-cycle GHG reductions of polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) produced with captured CO 2 and biomass, which can be used to replace fossil or biobased plastic bottles, mulch, and film. Using prospective life-cycle assessment (pLCA), we determine the full-life-cycle GHG footprint of 1 kg PLGA used in these applications while considering different CO 2 sources, GHG intensities of energy, and end-of-life scenarios modeled for the Netherlands. We compare the GHG footprints of PLGA to commonly used fossil and biobased plastics. In a future scenario with low-emission energy production, PLGA leads to GHG emission reductions between 11 and 70% compared to its fossil counterparts if end-of-life emissions are not captured and mostly higher emissions compared to biobased PE/PET. The use of PLGA as a plastic film in a multilayer food packaging provides the greatest reduction in GHG emissions, up to 70% compared to the use of conventional plastics.

2025

This master's dissertation delves into the integration of Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM) with sustainable construction practices within urban heritage environments, focusing specifically on 20th-century architecture. The case study of the bunker in Montecatini Terme from WW2 selected not only its historical and cultural significance but also its complexity as a military architecture, which presents unique challenges and opportunities for adaptive reuse.
The dissertation aims to reevaluate the potential of 20th-century heritage through a comprehensive analysis using BIM methodologies. It examines documentation techniques, existence condition analysis, and energy performance analysis. Moreover, the creation of different design scenarios regarding the HBIM-based outcomes and environmental impact of those decisions through whole life cycle assessment. The findings highlight key benefits, challenges, and best practices, demonstrating how HBIM can balance sustainability with heritage preservation and concluding with recommendations for decision making in early stages, future research and practical applications.
By leveraging HBIM for detailed documentation, analysis, and planning, the study seeks to propose sustainable retrofit solutions that not only preserve the heritage values but also provide a comparison between the solutions according to their capability in terms of high energy performance and comfort level for the new life of the heritage site. Through this approach, the dissertation aims to showcase how modern technologies can be harnessed to honor historical architecture while meeting contemporary sustainability challenges.

2025, Agronomy

Brazil has emerged as the world’s largest soybean producer and exporter in recent years. In the Brazilian Amazon Biome, the state of Pará has become a new agricultural frontier over the last two decades due to a significant increase in soybean cultivation throughout its territory. However, it is essential to understand the associated effects on the environment at every point in the supply chain. This research aims to measure the effects on the environment of the soybean supply chain of two production poles utilising openLCA software and the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in the northeast (Paragominas) and south (Redenção) of the state of Pará in Brazil. In addition, we determine which is the most efficient route between the shipment port and the ultimate destination. The Recipe Midpoint (H) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methods of environmental impact categories were used in accordance with the cradle-to-grave scope. The BRLUC regionalised model (v1.3...

2025, WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ENVIRONMENT and DEVELOPMENT

2025

This chapter provides an update to developments on mitigation in the industry sector since the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) (IPCC, 2007), but has much wider coverage. Industrial activities create all the physical products (e.g., cars, agricultural equipment, fertilizers, textiles, etc.) whose use delivers the final services that satisfy current human needs. Compared to the industry chapter in AR4, this chapter analyzes industrial activities over the whole supply chain, from extraction of primary materials (e.g., ores) or recycling (of waste materials), through product manufacturing, to the demand for the products and their services. It includes a discussion of trends in activity and emissions, options for mitigation (technology, practices, and behavioural aspects), estimates of the mitigation potentials of some of these options and related costs, co-benefits, risks and barriers to their deployment, as well as industry-specific polic...

2025

1 School of Mathematics, Actuarial Science and Applied Statistics, Maseno University, P.O. Box 333, Maseno, Kenya. 2 School of Environment and Natural Resources Management, South Eastern Kenya University, P.O. Box 170 – 90200, Kitui, Kenya. 3 Department of Botany, Maseno University, P.O. Box 333, Maseno, Kenya. 4 School of Mathematics, Actuarial Science and Applied Statistics, Maseno University, P.O. Box 333, Maseno, Kenya.

2025, CIENCIAMATRIA

The interest and concern generated in recent years about the environment has increased. Countries have signed treaties and agreements in search of sustainable development with the goal of an environmental, social, and economic balance. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been established in this context as an international tool of great utility in different areas to identify and quantify the environmental loads of a process or product. In this article, a bibliometric analysis is carried out using the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases about LCA, indicating the values of scientific production in the period 2000-2020, by country, organization, and subject. Finally, a mapping for the keywords was performed using the VosViewer software.

2025

The purpose of this thesis is to offer a critical review of existing and emerging recycling technologies for lithium ion batteries (LiBs), based on a literature research. Additionally LiBs as sources of secondary raw materials are described, and the current status and possibilities of mechanical processing methods in LiBs recycling is studied. Five industrial and four emerging technologies are analysed in detail based mainly on information provided by scientific articles and patents. LiBs are used increasingly for providing energy to portable applications and electric mobility. The operation principle of LiB is based on the layered active electrode materials that enable Li-ion insertion and transfer between the electrodes during discharge and charge. The performance and properties of LiB are especially dependent on the active cathode material. In present commercial LiB cells it consists of one of the five different compound types containing Co, Ni, Mn and Fe in different proportions...

2025, Engineering for Rural Development. Proceedings of …

There is a need to forecast greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from usage of different biomass instead to fossil energy sources (heavy fuel oil, diesel, natural gas) to justify the decisions for heat and power production in Latvia. Help by simplified life cycle estimation method emissions of greenhouse gases was calculated for most feasible biomass technologies for heat, power or biofuels production. The investigated GHG emission savings from usage of wood, straw or straw pellets were 85 %, 93.1 % or 82.9 % compared to heavy fuel oil respectively. GHG emission savings for biogas from corn, wastewater waste, manure or municipal solid waste were 71.2 %, 84.4 %, 86.2 or 73.3 % compared to natural gas usage respectively. GHG emission savings from bioethanol production from grain or biodiesel from rapeseed were 37.5 % or 81.9 % compared to fossil diesel respectively.

2025, MATERIAŁY BUDOWLANE

With the decarbonisation of the building sector,
interest in natural insulation products is growing. This paper
analyses the lifecycle carbon footprint of a single-family home
for insulation made from various bio-based and traditionally
used products. The simulations showed that the use of bio-based
products for insulation reduces the carbon footprint over the life
cycle of the building. Including the D-phase in the simulations
always leads to a reduction in total emissions.

2025, Pozycja stratygraficzna antropocenu w czwartorzędzie

The beginning and the evolution of the term 'Anthropocene' are presented. This term reflects a rising human impact on the natural environment and is widely recognized in the public. After several years of deliberations among the geologists, a final proposal of the Anthropocene Working Group was submitted to the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) to establish a new chronostratigraphic unit 'the Anthropocene', representing a series/epoch status and a GSSP at AD 1952. This proposal was not accepted by the ICS and the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences. The Anthropocene cannot be a formal stratigraphic unit as it is spatially and temporally variable and its onset is not adequately represented by the isochronous boundary. On the other hand, the Anthropocene can be treated as a geological event, establishment of which does not need to pass through any formal procedure. Such approach means that we live still in the current interglacial of the Holocene Epoch. The Anthropocene as a concept will remain an invaluable descriptor of human-environment interactions and it will continue to be widely used not only by Earth and environmental scientists, but also by social scientists, politicians, economists and the public.

2025

The reliance of the construction industry reliance on natural aggregates has led to significant environmental concerns, including resource depletion and habitat destruction. This paper explores the potential of recycled aggregates as sustainable alternatives to natural materials, emphasizing their environmental and economic benefits. It provides a comprehensive review of various types of recycled aggregates, their extraction processes, associated challenges, and recent innovations to improve their applicability. Key findings highlight the effectiveness of advanced treatment techniques and material modifications in enhancing the performance of recycled aggregates. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research and standardization efforts, aiming to integrate recycled aggregates into mainstream construction and contribute to a more sustainable built environment.

2025

The article presents an analysis of supply chains of different products based on case study research from the three European countries with the use of Supply Chain Environmental Analysis Tool (SCEnAT). The comparative analysis of gathered data allowed to recognize the CO2 hotspots in researched supply chains. The research implications of the paper lead to identification of processes/supply chains’ parts with the highest environmental aspects. The practical implications of the paper are the possibilities of influencing recognized carbon dioxide hotspots with best practice recommendations. The article is based on the findings from an international project PrESS.

2025, IJASSH

Bagasse, straw, tips and vinasse generated as waste in sugar and ethanol production from sugarcane became important inputs for electric energy cogeneration, that is, bioenergy. In addition to solving an environmental problem and assisting in electric energy generation during drought periods, cogeneration is now a major profit source for sugarcane industry companies. From 2005 to 2014, cogenerated electric energy dispatch increased from 1.1 TWh to 19.4 TWh, and biomass became the third electric energy generation source in Brazil, after hydro and fossil sources. Technology applied and research conducted to extend the benefits of sugarcane species and to improve the manufacturing and treatment processes. New sugarcane species proved to recover fields degraded by livestock. Sugarcane bagasse, straw, tips, vinasse and ethanol replace petroleum by-products in electric energy generation and in the automotive area, with positive benefits and pollution reduction. An overview of the current situation of the electric energy cogeneration process by the Brazilian sugarcane industry and its positive implications on the economic and environmental results of companies in the sector discussed in this paper.

2025

2025, Journal of Diversity Studies

Bamboo is a sustainable and renewable resource due to its fast vegetative growth and with little watering after 1-2 years. Its used to ecorestoration of the degraded land, carbon sequestration, and also poverty alleviation through crafts microenterprises, as a Nature Based Solution (NBS) for the climate change-being both mitigation and adaptation tool [1]. It is a crucial strategy tool in the agroforestry and construction sector towards "net zero" carbon emissions as it absorbs more carbon per unit area than tree species [2]. Bamboo occupied about 11.4 million i.e. 16% of the 66.7 million forest in the country and 4% of the nation's land area in 2003 [3]. It rose by 30% to 15 million ha by 2021 to cover nearby 20% of the forest area of 70 million ha [4], possibly due to the National Bamboo Mission's efforts to plant and use Bamboo since 2012. Remarkably, the majority 10 out of 17 "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDG) of the UN vide Box 1 [5]. It will also help the corporate such as Telecom companies or CSR (corporate social responsibility) partners to meet their environmental/ "net-zero" targets.