Showing papers in "Journal of Industrial Ecology in 2016"

Environmental Impact Assessment of Household Consumption

Abstract: We analyze the environmental impact of household consumption in terms of the material, water, and land-use requirements, as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, associated with the production and use of products and services consumed by these households. Using the new EXIOBASE 2.2 multiregional input-output database, which describes the world economy at the detail of 43 countries, five rest-of-the-world regions, and 200 product sectors, we are able to trace the origin of the products consumed by households and represent global supply chains for 2007. We highlight the importance of environmental pressure arising from households with their consumption contributing to more than 60% of global GHG emissions and between 50% and 80% of total land, material, and water use. The footprints are unevenly distributed across regions, with wealthier countries generating the most significant impacts per capita. Elasticities suggest a robust and significant relationship between households’ expenditure and their environmental impacts, driven by a rising demand of nonprimary consumption items. Mobility, shelter, and food are the most important consumption categories across the environmental footprints. Globally, food accounts for 48% and 70% of household impacts on land and water resources, respectively, with consumption of meat, dairy, and processed food rising fast with income. Shelter and mobility stand out with high carbon and material intensity, whereas the significance of services for footprints relates to the large amount of household expenditure associated with them.

Common Misconceptions about Recycling

Abstract: The recycling of material resources lies at the heart of the industrial ecology (IE) metaphor. The very notion of the industrial ecosystem is motivated by the idea that we should learn from natural ecosystems how to 'close the loop.' Recycling is not just central to IE, it is part of everyday life. Unfortunately, how the IE community and the public at large think about recycling includes several misconceptions that have the potential to misguide environmental assessments, policies, and actions that deal with recycling and thus undermine its environmental potential. One misconception stems from naive assumptions regarding recycled material displacing primary production. Two others assert the environmental advantages of recycling material multiple times, or at least in a closed loop. A final misconception is the assumption that the distinction between closed and open recycling loops is generally useful. This article explains why these misconceptions are flawed, discusses the implications, and presents an alternative set of principles to better harness the potential environmental benefits of closing material loops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon footprint of norwegian household consumption 1999–2012

Abstract: Environmentally extended input-output analysis is the prevailing method for national environmental footprint accounting; however, its practical usefulness for consumers and policy makers suffers from lack of detail. Several extensive global multiregional input-output (MRIO) databases have recently been released. A standard framework for linking such databases with the highly detailed household expenditure surveys that are conducted regularly by national statistics offices has the potential of providing analysts in countries worldwide with a powerful tool for in-depth analyses of their national environmental footprints. In this article, we combine the Norwegian consumer expenditure survey with a global MRIO database to assess the carbon footprint (CF) of Norwegian household consumption in 2012, as well as its annual development since 1999. We offer a didactic account of the practical challenges associated with the combination of these types of data sets and the approach taken here to address these, and we discuss what barriers still remain before such analyses can be practically conducted and provide reliable results. We find a CF of 22.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per household in 2012, a 26% increase since 1999. Transport, housing, and food were the expenditures contributing the most toward the total footprint. CF per unit of expenditure increased with overall expenditure levels (elasticity: 1.14), notably owing to the correlation between overall household expenditure and transport activities (elasticity: 1.48). Household energy use, which is generally inelastic, is, in Norway, largely based on hydropower and hence contributes comparatively little to the overall expenditure elasticity of household CF.

The Concept of City Carbon Maps: A Case Study of Melbourne, Australia

Abstract: Cities are thought to be associated with most of humanity's consumption of natural resources and impacts on the environment. Cities not only constitute major centers of economic activity, knowledge, innovation, and governance—they are also said to be linked to approximately 70% to 80% of global carbon dioxide emissions. This makes cities primary agents of change in a resource- and carbon-constraint world. In order to set meaningful targets, design successful policies, and implement effective mitigation strategies, it is important that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting for cities is accurate, comparable, comprehensive, and complete. Despite recent developments in the standardization of city GHG accounting, there is still a lack of consistent guidelines regarding out-of-boundary emissions, thus hampering efforts to identify mitigation priorities and responsibilities. We introduce a new conceptual framework—based on environmental input-output analysis—that allows for a consistent and complete reconciliation of direct and indirect GHG emissions from a city. The “city carbon map” shows local, regional, national, and global origins and destinations of flows of embodied emissions. We test the carbon map concept by applying it to the greater metropolitan area of Melbourne, Australia. We discuss the results and limitations of the approach in the light of possible mitigation strategies and policies by different urban stakeholders.

A Novel Approach to Characterize Data Uncertainty in Material Flow Analysis and its Application to Plastics Flows in Austria

Abstract: Material flow analysis (MFA) is widely used to investigate flows and stocks of resources or pollutants in a defined system. Data availability to quantify material flows on a national or global level is often limited owing to data scarcity or lacking data. MFA input data are therefore considered inherently uncertain. In this work, an approach to characterize the uncertainty of MFA input data is presented and applied to a case study on plastics flows in major Austrian consumption sectors in the year 2010. The developed approach consists of data quality assessment as a basis for estimating the uncertainty of input data. Four different implementations of the approach with respect to the translation of indicator scores to uncertainty ranges (linear- vs. exponential-type functions) and underlying probability distributions (normal vs. log-normal) are examined. The case study results indicate that the way of deriving uncertainty estimates for material flows has a stronger effect on the uncertainty ranges of the resulting plastics flows than the assumptions about the underlying probability distributions. Because these uncertainty estimates originate from data quality evaluation as well as uncertainty characterization, it is crucial to use a well-defined approach, building on several steps to ensure the consistent translation of the data quality underlying material flow calculations into their associated uncertainties. Although subjectivity is inherent in uncertainty assessment in MFA, the proposed approach is consistent and provides a comprehensive documentation of the choices underlying the uncertainty analysis, which is essential to interpret the results and use MFA as a decision support tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six Years of Criticality Assessments: What Have We Learned So Far?

Abstract: Summary The “criticality” of the various elements used in modern technologies is a topic of increasing interest, with groups from governments, consultancies, and academic institutions developing a variety of methodologies and using them to make assessments. Other groups from similar organizations are studying the methodologies that generate these assessments. Here, we analyze the different types of studies, review issues of methodology, and comment on features of nine different studies published between 2008 and mid-2014. From these studies, we derive lists of problematic, debatable, and desirable aspects of criticality studies. We emphasize that the criticality of an element can vary depending on the target organization and that, because criticality is a dynamic state, it must be periodically re-evaluated. There is substantial value to be derived if a more uniform methodology could be developed. We discuss how a harmonized methodological framework might be achieved and what its benefits could be. Putting into place such a structure for collaborative and publicly available criticality determinations would be very likely to better serve the present and future needs of corporations and governments than is the case at present, where different methodologies generate different results.

Willingness to pay for eco-certified refurbished products: the effects of environmental attitudes and knowledge

Abstract: Refurbishing products, which are increasingly sold in business-to-consumer markets, is a key strategy to reduce waste. Nevertheless, research finds that consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for refurbished products is low. Strategies for a higher WTP are needed in order to grow consumer markets for refurbished products. Eco-certification of refurbished products may be a key strategy here. Drawing on the consumer WTP literature concerning “green” products, we investigate the impact of independent eco-certificates. Our analysis is based on a survey of 231 potential customers. The results suggest that, across various product categories, the WTP for products with refurbished components is significantly lower. Adding an eco-certificate tends to return the WTP toward the virgin product level. We show that consumers with proenvironmental attitudes particularly exhibit green buying behavior. Our findings indicate that eco-certification is often worthwhile because it enhances the business rationale for producing products with refurbished components

Towards a Circular Economy in Australian Agri‐food Industry: An Application of Input‐Output Oriented Approaches for Analyzing Resource Efficiency and Competitiveness Potential

Abstract: The food industry in Australia (agriculture and manufacturing) plays a fundamental role in contributing to socioeconomic sectors nationally. However, alongside the benefits, the industry also produces environmental burdens associated with the production of food. Sectorally, agriculture is the largest consumer of water. Additionally, land degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and waste generation are considered the main environmental impacts caused by the industry. The research project aims to evaluate the eco-efficiency performance of various subsectors in the Australian agri-food systems through the use of input-output–oriented approaches of data envelopment analysis and material flow analysis. This helps in establishing environmental and economic indicators for the industry. The results have shown inefficiencies during the life cycle of food production in Australia. Following the principles of industrial ecology, the study recommends the implementation of sustainable processes to increase efficiency, diminish undesirable outputs, and decrease the use of nonrenewable inputs within the production cycle. Broadly, the research outcomes are useful to inform decision makers about the advantages of moving from a traditional linear system to a circular production system, where a sustainable and efficient circular economy could be created in the Australian food industry.

A market-based framework for quantifying displaced production from recycling or reuse

Abstract: The most significant environmental benefit of recycling or reusing a wide range of products and materials is typically the potential to displace primary material production; lack of displacement significantly reduces the environmental benefits of these activities. Because no consensus method to estimate displacement rate has emerged, environmental assessments have tended to assume that displacement occurs on a one-to-one basis. However, displaced production is a complex phenomenon governed primarily by market mechanisms, rather than physical relationships. This article advances the understanding of displacement by presenting a market-based framework describing the displacement relationship and a methodology for quantifying displacement rate based on partial equilibrium modeling. Using this methodology, a general symbolic equation for displacement rate after an increase in recycling is derived. The model highlights the market mechanisms that govern displaced production and identifies five price response parameters that affect displacement rate. Results suggest that one-to-one displacement occurs only under specific parameter restrictions that are unlikely in competitive commodity markets, but zero displacement is possible if secondary materials are poor substitutes for primary materials; displacement is likely to be reduced if secondary materials have inferior technical properties. The presented methodology can be generally applied to any system in which recycled or reused materials are substitutes or complements for primary materials. Implications for improving recycling and reuse efficacy and environmental assessment methodology are discussed, and suggestions are presented for expanding the displacement methodology in future research.

Import‐based Indicator for the Geopolitical Supply Risk of Raw Materials in Life Cycle Sustainability Assessments

Abstract: There is a growing concern over the security and sustainable supply of raw material among businesses and governments of developed, material-intensive countries. This has led to the development of a systematic analysis of risk incorporated with raw materials usage, often referred as criticality assessment. In principle, this concept is based on the material flow approach. The potential role of life cycle assessment (LCA) to integrate resource criticality through broadening its scope into the life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) framework has been discussed within the LCA communities for some time. In this article, we aim at answering the question of how to proceed toward integration of the geopolitical aspect of resource criticality into the LCSA framework. The article focuses on the assessment of the geopolitical supply risk of 14 resources imported to the seven major advanced economies and the five most relevant emerging countries. Unlike a few previous studies, we propose a new method of calculation for the geopolitical supply risk, which is differentiated by countries based on the import patterns instead of a global production distribution. Our results suggest that rare earth elements, tungsten, antimony, and beryllium generally pose high geopolitical supply risk. Results from the Monte Carlo simulation allow consideration of data uncertainties for result interpretation. Issues concerning the consideration of the full supply chain are exemplarily discussed for cobalt. Our research broadens the scope of LCA from only environmental performance to a resource supply-risk assessment tool that includes accessibility owing to political instability and market concentration under the LCSA framework.

The Impact of Sustainability Information on Consumer Decision Making

Abstract: This article presents an empirical analysis of the impact of sustainability information on consumer purchase intentions and how this influence varies by issue (health, environment, and social responsibility), product category, type of consumer, and type of information. We assess over 40,000 online purchase interactions on the website GoodGuide.com and find a significant impact of certain types of sustainability information on purchase intentions, varying across different types of consumers, issues, and product categories. Health ratings in particular showed the strongest effects. Direct users—those who intentionally sought out sustainability information—were most strongly influenced by sustainability information, with an average purchase intention rate increase of 1.15 percentage points for each point increase in overall product score, reported on a zero to ten scale. However, sustainability information had, on average, no impact on nondirect users, demonstrating that simply providing more or better information on sustainability issues will likely have limited impact on changing mainstream consumer behavior unless it is designed to connect into existing decision-making processes.

Promoting industrial symbiosis: Using the concept of proximity to explore social network development

Abstract: Industrial symbiosis (IS) has been identified as a strategy for promoting industrial sustainability. IS has been defined as the development of close working agreements between industrial and other organizations that, through the innovative reuse, recycling or sharing of resources, leads to resource efficiency. Key to IS are innovation and social network development. This article critically reviews IS literature and concludes that, to inform pro-active strategies for promoting IS, the understanding of the social processes leading to resource innovation needs to be improved. Industrial ecologists generally believe that close geographic proximity and trust are essential to the development of IS. This article argues, however, that there is a need to learn more about the meaning of, need for, and specific role of geographic proximity and trust in IS and, additionally, that other potentially important social factors have remained under-explored. To move IS research forward, this article suggests to engage with research in economic geography on the concept of ‘proximity’, which draws attention to the ways in which geographic, cognitive, institutional, social and organizational distances between actors might affect innovation. Arguably the analytically distinct but flexible dimensions of proximity can be useful to explore how and why IS develops. The resulting qualitative knowledge would form a basis for researching whether general patterns for IS development exist and, more importantly, could inform public and private strategies that indicate which actions could be taken, when and in what way to promote resource synergies and sustainable industrial development.

Urban Food Consumption in Metro Manila: Interdisciplinary Approaches Towards Apprehending Practices, Patterns, and Impacts

Abstract: Summary Food consumption is a local activity related to environmental impacts at different scales. Yet, the link between eating food as a social and cultural practice and the global implications of food consumption has not been sufficiently explored. We adopt a multidisciplinary approach to relate social practices with the biophysical flows of food products at the household level. Focusing on middle-class households in Metro Manila, the Philippines, we conduct qualitative interviews to highlight preferences, habits, and perceptions about food consumption. In parallel, we collect quantitative information on food purchased. We relate our results to national trends by analyzing the recent evolution of national food expenditures. Finally, we review environmental impacts related to main food categories. Our research points to the significance of socioeconomic factors on food consumption, notably the presence of domestic help or the professional situation of household members. One main finding is the identification of eating out as an important and growing trend in Asian cities, which causes a shift of resource consumption and related environmental impacts from the household to the service sector.

Life Cycle Impacts of Natural Fiber Composites for Automotive Applications: Effects of Renewable Energy Content and Lightweighting

Abstract: Summary This study examines the life cycle energy demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with substituting natural cellulose and kenaf in place of glass fibers in automotive components. Specifically, a 30 wt% glass-fiber composite component weighing 3 kilograms (kg) was compared to a 30 wt% cellulose fiber composite component (2.65 kg) and 40 wt% kenaf fiber composite component (2.79 kg) for six cars, crossovers, and sport utility vehicles. The use-phase fuel consumption of the baseline and substitute components, with and without powertrain resizing, were determined using a mass-induced fuel consumption model based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency test records. For all vehicles, compared to the baseline glass fiber component, using the cellulose composite material reduced life cycle energy demand by 9.2% with powertrain resizing (7.2% without) and reduced life cycle GHG emissions by 18.6% with powertrain resizing (16.3% without), whereas the kenaf composite component reduced energy demand by 6.0% with powertrain resizing (4.8% without) and GHG emissions by 10.7% with powertrain resizing (9.2% without). For both natural fiber components, the majority of the life cycle energy savings is realized in the use-phase fuel consumption as a result of the reduced weight of the component.

Virtual Water Flows in the EU27: A Consumption-based Approach

Abstract: The use of water resources has traditionally been studied by accounting for the volume of water removed from sources for specific uses. This approach focuses on surface and groundwater only and it ignores that international trade of products with substantial amounts of embodied water can have an impact on domestic water resources. Using current economic and environmental data, we conduct a consumption-based assessment of virtual water flows in the European Union (EU27). We find that the total water footprint (WF) of 2,280 cubic meters (m3) per capita for the EU27 mostly consists of green water use (precipitation stored as soil moisture), which is omitted in the conventional water accounting. Blue water (surface and groundwater.) and gray water use (the volume of freshwater needed to dilute pollutants to meet the applicable water quality standards), which are targeted by current EU water policies, only make up 32% of the total WF. We also find that Europeans imported 585 cubic kilometers (km3) (109 m3) of virtual water, or around 28% of global virtual water trade flows, in 2009. Within Europe, Germany is a key net importer of water through the trade of products in agriculture, the food industry, the chemical sector, and electricity generation. Countries in Southern and Eastern Europe have specialized in water-intensive agriculture and are key exporters of virtual water despite experiencing physical scarcity of water. Our results suggest that there is a need to reconsider water policy in the EU to address water transfers occurring through trade and to grasp the interlinkages between green, blue, and gray water—which are likely to become more important in water-scarce parts of Europe, with a changing climate.

Life Cycle Assessment Software: Selection Can Impact Results

Abstract: When software is used to facilitate life cycle assessments (LCAs), the implicit assumption is that the results obtained are not a function of the choice of software used. LCAs were done in both SimaPro and GaBi for simplified systems of creation and disposal of 1 kilogram each of four basic materials (aluminum, corrugated board, glass, and polyethylene terephthalate) to determine whether there were significant differences in the results. Data files and impact assessment methodologies (Impact 2002, ReCiPe, and TRACI 2) were ostensibly identical (although there were minor variations in the available ReCiPe version between the programs that were investigated). Differences in reported impacts of greater than 20% for at least one of the four materials were found for 9 of the 15 categories in Impact 2002+, 7 of the 18 categories in ReCiPe, and four of the nine categories in TRACI. In some cases, these differences resulted in changes in the relative rankings of the four materials. The causes of the differences for 14 combinations of materials and impact categories were examined by tracing the results back to the life cycle inventory data and the characterization factors in the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. In all cases examined, a difference in the characterization factors used by the two programs was the cause of the differing results. As a result, when these software programs are used to inform choices, the result can be different conclusions about relative environmental preference that are functions purely of the software implementation of LCIA methods, rather than of the underlying data.

Evaluating the Use of a Carbon Footprint Calculator: Communicating Impacts of Consumption at Household Level and Exploring Mitigation Options

Abstract: Through an increasingly globalized supply chain, local consumption of goods and services has impacts around the world. The carbon footprint can be used to link local consumption to global greenhouse gas emissions. This study describes the development and use of REAP Petite, a household-level footprint calculator. We describe how the tool integrates geodemographic information with user-inputted data; allows users to compare their footprint with others in their community; and presents them with targeted pledges to help them reduce their impact. Such tools can help individuals to see the impact their consumption has on emissions and help promote alternative behaviors. Based on the lessons learned during tool development and through using the tool with individuals in the UK and Sweden, we make recommendations for the development of new footprinting tools for use in the public domain. We highlight the benefits of using bottom-up methods for calculating footprints; recommend that designers consider future-proofing their tools; discuss the trade-off between complexity and usability; and recommend that designers consider going “beyond carbon” to increase the appeal of tools to a wider audience. We also highlight the importance of providing opportunity for users to compare their footprints with those of others and of monitoring and evaluating user engagement with the tool.

Global Implications of China's Future Food Consumption

Abstract: Rapid economic growth and urbanization in China have led to a substantial change in consumption patterns and diet structure of Chinese consumers over the past few decades. A growing demand for feed, fuel and fiber also places intense pressure on land resources. With continuing growth of China’s economy and migration from rural to urban, the increase in food consumption and change in diet structure will likely continue, which will not only impose pressure on domestic land resources but also exert impact on land resources in other countries through import. This article applies a global multi-region input-output (MRIO) model to trace agricultural land use along global supply chains and examines the impact of China’s future food consumption on global land use in 2030 against different socio-economic and technological scenarios. Our result shows that by 2030, China would need an additional 21% of cropland to support its increasing food demand driven by population growth, urbanization and income growth and the associated diet structure change. Almost a third of cropland associated with household consumption (34 Mha) will be “outsourced” to foreign countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, United States and Thailand, for the consumption of cereal grains, soybeans and paddy rice. China also consumes 2.4 Mha cropland from Africa for its consumption of cereal grains and oil seeds. The dependence of domestic consumption on significant amounts of foreign cropland shows that China would face serious challenges to meet its grain self-sufficiency policy in the future, and at the same time this dependence would contribute to environmental and food security problems elsewhere.

Industrial Symbiosis Centered on a Regional Cogeneration Power Plant Utilizing Available Local Resources: A Case Study of Tanegashima

Abstract: Plant-derived renewable resources have the potential to enable the simultaneous generation of high-value-added products, such as foods, with energy, such as electricity and thermal power. Much of the heat cogenerated from renewables in power plants has been discarded because of the geographical and temporal gaps in heat supply and demand. In this study, we aim to devise an effective industrial symbiosis (IS) for a regional combined heating and power (CHP) plant utilizing local renewable resources. For the actual region of IS, the island of Tanegashima in Japan was adopted, where sugarcane is planted as a base industry. Through a thermodynamic analysis of the energy flows in a sugar mill, it was demonstrated that large amounts of heat were discarded from the sugar mill, even though the quality of heat was high enough for power generation or other energy demand. This is partly because some of the renewables have been regarded as wastes in the production of foods or other high-value-added products. At the same time, scenarios were defined and analyzed on the integrated use of locally available lignocellulosic biomass to increase the operation ratio of an existing bagasse-based CHP system. Through both periods with and without sugar production, additional heat and power can be made available by decreasing the energy loss and through IS.

Closed‐Loop Supply Chains for Photovoltaic Panels: A Case‐Based Approach

Abstract: Summary Photovoltaic (PV) waste is expected to significantly increase. However, legislation on producer responsibility for the collection and recovery of PV panels is limited to the European Union (EU) Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive Recast, which lays down design, collection, and recovery measures. Academic knowledge of closed-loop supply chains (CLSCs) for PV panels is scarce. We analyze the supply chain using multiple cases involving the main stakeholders in the design, production, collection, and recovery of PV panels. Our article answers two research questions: How does the PV supply chain operate, and what are critical factors affecting the reverse supply chain management of used panels? Our research seeks to fill the gap in the CLSC literature on PV panels, as well as to identify barriers and enablers for PV panel design, collection, and recycling.

Goods Movement Life Cycle Assessment for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals

Abstract: Summary The formation of effective policies to reduce emissions from goods movement should consider local and remote life cycle effects as well as barriers for mode shifting. Using uni- and multimodal freight movements by truck, rail, and ocean-going vessel (OGV) associated with California, a life cycle assessment (LCA) is developed to estimate the local and remote emissions that occur from freight activity inside and associated with the state. Long-run average per tonne-kilometer results show that OGVs emit the fewest emissions, followed by rail, then trucks, and that the inclusion of life cycle processes can increase impacts by up to 32% for energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 4,200% for conventional air pollutants. Efforts to reduce emissions through mode shifting should recognize that infrastructure and market configurations may be inimical to mode substitution. A uni- and multimodal shipping emissions assessment is developed for intrastate and California-associated freight movements to illustrate the life cycle impacts of typical trips for certain types of goods. When targeting GHG reductions in California, it should be recognized that heavy-duty trucks are responsible for 99% of intrastate goods movement emissions. An assessment of future freight truck technology improvements is performed to estimate the effectiveness of strategies to meet 2050 GHG reduction goals. Whereas aggressive improvements in fuel economy coupled with alternative vehicles and fuels can significantly reduce GHG emissions, to meet 2050 goals will likely require zero carbon emission vehicle technology. The value of using LCA in GHG reduction policy for transportation systems is explored.

Environmental impacts of energy-efficient pyrometallurgical copper smelting technologies: The consequences of technological changes from 2010 to 2050

Abstract: The article analyzes and discusses the environmental and natural resource impacts, benefits, and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential associated with a long-term transition to more energy-efficient pyrometallurgical smelting technologies for the production of refined copper. Using generic data from the KGHM Polska Miedź S.A, Glogow I and II smelting facilities in Poland, this study employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare the environmental impacts of shaft and flash furnace-based smelting technologies. Additionally, this analysis accounts for likely technological changes in the more energy-efficient flash furnace smelting technologies and electricity generation from 2030 to 2050 to forecast the long-term impacts of copper production. Life cycle impact assessment results for copper production are characterized using the ReCiPe 2008 midpoint method. LCA results show that, for most impact categories, the flash-based technology can achieve significantly lower environmental impacts than a shaft furnace (i.e., to produce 1 ton of copper in 2010 generates, on average, a 24% lower overall impact). For climate change, transitioning from shaft furnace-based copper production to more efficient flash furnace technology leads to decreasing GHG emissions of 29% in 2010, 50% in 2030, and 56% in 2050.

Analysis of High‐Resolution Utility Data for Understanding Energy Use in Urban Systems: The Case of Los Angeles, California

Abstract: Urban metabolism provides a framework to understand resource flows into cities and waste flows out. Its potential has been hampered by the lack of good disaggregated data. This article presents energy-use findings for the residential sector for the city of Los Angeles based on census-block–level aggregation of address-level electricity use obtained from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. City or county billing data by customer class over time can enable empirical tracking of energy conservation and efficiency programs by different customer classes, and matched to census information and county tax assessor data about building vintage, size, and type can provide information important for rate setting, for example, or energy conservation and efficiency program investments. We report on median electricity demand and corresponding greenhouse gas emissions and expenditures at three geographical aggregations: city council district (15 in total); neighborhood (114 in total); and census block group (2,538 in total). We find that the ratio of median annual demand between highest- and lowest-tier users is 26 at the census-block group level, but only 2.2 at the city council district level, demonstrating that spatial aggregation significantly masks the degree of variation that may be observed. We also show how such data can enable the description of energy to develop energy disclosure thresholds that reflect a city's morphology. In contrast to New York City's 50,000-square-foot reporting threshold, to capture half of Los Angeles’ electricity consumption, the threshold for reporting would have to be 5,000 square feet.

Global Drivers of Russian Timber Harvest

Abstract: Russian forest resources are important for global carbon cycling. In contrast to traditional analyses that focus on the harvest and direct use of Russian timber resources (a.k.a. production-based accounting), this study investigates how the consumption of nations drives Russian timber harvest (a.k.a. consumption-based accounting or the Russian timber footprint). China is the biggest direct importer and final consumer of Russian timber. The United States, Japan, and major European countries directly import relatively small amounts of Russian timber, but serve to drive large amounts of Russian timber harvest through their final consumption. Through structural path analysis, individual supply chain paths are delineated to show linkages between Russian timber harvest and the final consumption of nations. Findings of this study inform consumption-side measures for Russian forest conservation, for example, taking shared responsibility and improving the production efficiency of key sectors in consuming nations.

Estimating Materials Stocked by Land-Use Type in Historic Urban Buildings Using Spatio-Temporal Analytical Tools

Abstract: The construction industry is an important contributor to urban economic development and consumes large volumes of building material that are stocked in cities over long periods. Those stocked spaces store valuable materials that may be available for recovery in the future. Thus quantifying the urban building stock is important for managing construction materials across the building life cycle. This article develops a new approach to urban building material stock analysis (MSA) using land-use heuristics. Our objective is to characterize buildings to understand materials stocked in place by: (1) developing, validating, and testing a new method for characterizing building stock by land-use type and (2) quantifying building stock and determining material fractions. We conduct a spatial MSA to quantify materials within a 2.6-square-kilometer section of Philadelphia from 2004 to 2012. Data were collected for buildings classified by land-use type from many sources to create maps of material stock and spatial material intensity. In the spatial MSA, the land-use type that returned the largest footprint (by percentage) and greatest (number) of buildings were civic/institutional (42%; 147) and residential (23%; 275), respectively. The model was validated for total floor space and the absolute overall error (n = 46; 20%) in 2004 and (n = 47; 24%) in 2012. Typically, commercial and residential land-use types returned the lowest overall error and weighted error. We present a promising alternative method for characterizing buildings in urban MSA that leverages multiple tools (geographical information systems [GIS], design codes, and building models) and test the method in historic Philadelphia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Efficiency of Informality: Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Reductions from Informal Recycling in Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract: The dual challenges of increasing urbanization and consumption are centered in cities in the Global South, where growing waste production threatens public and environmental health. Reuse and recycling are widely recognized to provide broad environmental benefits. Although most industrialized cities replaced their informal recycling sectors with municipally run recycling schemes and have had to build their recycling rates anew, most industrializing cities in the Global South remain centers of recycling and reuse through the work of informal workers. Bogota, Colombia, is emblematic of many cities in the Global South seeking to modernize their city, in part by formalizing their recycling system. This article asks: What are the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission implications of this modernization? Using interviews and observation in combination with life cycle assessment, we compare GHG emissions resulting from the baseline case (1,200 tonnes per day [t/d] recycled through informal channels; 5,700 t/d landfilled) to three alternative scenarios that formalize the recycling sector: the prohibition of informal recycling; a reduction in informal recycling coupled with a scale-up of formalized recycling; and the replacement of informal recycling with formal recycling. We find that the baseline recycling scenario, dependent on the informal sector only, emits far fewer GHGs than do all formalization scenarios. Three processes drive the results, in order of magnitude: informal textile reuse (largest GHG savings); landfilling (largest emitter of GHGs); and metal recycling (GHG savings). A hybrid model could combine the incentives and efficiency of the informal system with the better working conditions of the municipal one.

Potential Long-Term Global Environmental Implications of Efficient Light-Source Technologies

Abstract: Artificial lighting is a major source of electricity demand globally. As the demand for lighting services grows over the next 40 years, especially in developing countries, efficient light-source technologies such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can reduce the energy consumed for lighting services and therefore its environmental impacts. LED technologies in both residential and commercial/industrial applications are expected to see dramatic improvements in luminous efficacy over the coming decades, potentially leading to more environmentally benign lighting. A scenario-based, integrated hybrid life cycle assessment quantifies and confirms the environmental benefits of deploying efficient light sources in all global regions through 2050, with electricity generation following the International Energy Agency's (IEA) BLUE Map scenario for limiting climate change to 2 degrees Celsius. Data used for previous assessments of light sources is updated and harmonized to reflect recent and expected future improvements in luminous efficacy and materials efficiency for LED lamps and luminaires. The aggregate life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of global light provision can be reduced by more than a factor of 7 owing to decarbonization of electricity generation, increased adoption of efficient light sources, and future advances in LED technology. Estimates of the technological capability and market penetration of efficient light sources show that by 2050, a 2.5 to 2.9 times growth in the global demand for lighting services can be accommodated while still meeting IEA GHG mitigation goals and increasing metal depletion just 20% above 2010 estimates.

Investigating Cross-Sectoral Synergies through Integrated Aquaculture, Fisheries, and Agriculture Phosphorus Assessments: A Case Study of Norway

Abstract: Summary Future phosphorus (P) scarcity and eutrophication risks demonstrate the need for systems-wide P assessments. Despite the projected drastic increase in world-wide fish production, P studies have yet to include the aquaculture and fisheries sectors, thus eliminating the possibility of assessing their relative importance and identifying opportunities for recycling. Using Norway as a case, this study presents the results of a current-status integrated fisheries, aquaculture, and agriculture P flow analysis and identifies current sectoral linkages as well as potential cross-sectoral synergies where P use can be optimized. A scenario was developed to shed light on how the projected 2050 fivefold Norwegian aquaculture growth will likely affect P demand and secondary P resources. The results indicate that, contrary to most other countries where agriculture dominates, in Norway, aquaculture and agriculture drive P consumption and losses at similar levels and secondary P recycling, both intra- and cross-sectorally, is far from optimized. The scenario results suggest that the projected aquaculture growth will make the Norwegian aquaculture sector approximately 4 times as P intensive as compared to agriculture, in terms of both imported P and losses. This will create not only future environmental challenges, but also opportunities for cross-sectoral P recycling that could help alleviate the mineral P demands of agriculture. Near-term policy measures should focus on utilizing domestic fish scrap for animal husbandry and/or fish feed production. Long-term efforts should focus on improving technology and environmental systems analysis methods to enable P recovery from aquaculture production and manure distribution in animal husbandry.

Criticality of Seven Specialty Metals

Abstract: Evaluating metal criticality is a topic that addresses future metals supply and that has inspired research in corporations, academic institutions, and governments. In this article, we apply a comprehensive criticality methodology to seven specialty metals—scandium (Sc), strontium (Sr), antimony (Sb), barium (Ba), mercury (Hg), thallium (Tl), and bismuth (Bi)—at the national and global levels for 2008. The results are presented along with uncertainty estimates in a three-dimensional “criticality space” comprised of supply risk (SR), vulnerability to supply restriction (VSR), and environmental implications (EI) axes. The SR score is the highest for antimony over the medium term (i.e., 5 to 10 years), followed very closely by bismuth and thallium; for the long term (i.e., a few decades), the highest SR is for thallium, followed very closely by antimony. Strontium and barium, followed very closely by mercury, have the lowest SR over the medium term, and mercury has the lowest SR over the long term. Mercury has the highest EI score. For VSR, thallium is the most vulnerable at both the national level (for the United States) and global level, followed by strontium at both levels. In general, specialty metals are found to possess a unique mix of sparse data, toxicity concerns (in some cases), and inadequate or nonexistent substitutes for a number of specialized uses, a situation that would seem to demand increased effort in acquiring the information needed to characterize specialty metal criticality with more rigor and transparency than is currently possible.

Measuring Sustainability Efficiency Using a Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

Abstract: In this article, we apply an additive two-stage data envelopment analysis estimator on a panel of 20 countries with advanced economies for the time period 1990-2011 in order to create a composite sustainability efficiency index. We use a window-based approach in order to study the countries over the years. The sustainability efficiency index is decomposed into production efficiency and eco-efficiency indicators. The results reveal inequalities among the examined countries between the two stages. The eco-efficiency stage is characterized by large inequalities among countries and significantly lower efficiency scores than the overall sustainability efficiency and the production efficiency. Finally, it is reported that a country's high production efficiency level does not ensure a high eco-efficiency performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]