Masaharu Motoshita

TL;DR: This method represents the state of the art of the current knowledge on how to assess potential impacts from water use in LCA, assessing both human and ecosystem users’ potential deprivation, at the midpoint level, and provides a consensus-based methodology for the calculation of a water scarcity footprint as per ISO 14046.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed a multitude of methods and indicators for freshwater use potentially applicable in life cycle assessment and identified the key elements to build a scientific consensus for operational characterization methods for LCA.

TL;DR: The role and goal of LCA and ISO-compatible water footprinting are explained and there is potential to use synergies in research for the two approaches and the need for proper declaration of the methods applied is highlighted.

TL;DR: In this article, a global consensus process was initiated to agree on an updated overall life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) framework and to recommend a non-comprehensive list of environmental indicators and LCIA characterization factors for (1) climate change, (2) fine particulate matter impacts on human health, (3) water consumption impacts (both scarcity and human health) and 4) land use impacts on biodiversity.

TL;DR: The WULCA group, active since 2007 on Water Use in LCA, commenced the development of consensus-based indicators in January 2014 as mentioned in this paper, which covers human health, ecosystem quality, and a stress-based indicator.