Social Impacts in Product Life Cycles - Towards Life Cycle Attribute Assessment

摘要: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/lca2006.04.017 Social impacts in supply chains and product life cycles are of increasing interest to policy makers stakeholders. Work is underway develop social impact indicators for LCA, identify the inventory data that will drive assessment this category. Standard LCA practice collects aggregates form \units input or output (elementary flow) per unit process output.\ Measurement within workplaces as well host communities societies poses new challenges not heretofore faced by database developers. Participatory measurement auditing workplace health issues has been shown provide important benefits relative external auditor-based methods, including greater likelihood detecting rights abuses, stronger support subsequent action improvement. However, nonstandardized metrics chain-wide aggregation comparison functions LCA. An analogous challenge arises case resource extractive processes, which certification best management practices provides an practical environmental metric. In both extraction examples, it may be attributes more valuable measure incentivize than measured quantities output. But how measure, aggregate across cycles, compare progress with policy? A methodology presented demonstrated estimates economic development stemming from cycles. This does introduce indicators; rather, works already common endpoint human health, introduces applies a simplified empirical relationship characterize complex pathways cycles' activity aggregate. simple study indicates have potential very significant, possibly even orders magnitude damages increased pollution. While macro model points up dramatic importance socio-economic lacks any sensitivity vitally important, contextspecific associated each process. result begs question aggregate, compare, stimulate society-wide improvement context-dependent Before attempting answer noted above, brief reconsideration offered concerning cycle assessment. Namely, where come from, what bring? Finally, paper concludes sketching approach promoting localized assessments, summarizing their results over comparing terms results. Often, assessments yield information on process, rather (or addition to) traditional information, something The can enable users promote reporting basic processes chains, together local context-relevant impacts. For linked global concern, promotion these chain bring strong benefits. addition, time possible researchers refine models estimate, based cross-sectional series analysis impacts, relationships between case, while precisely knowable – let alone controllable microdecision maker at product-related decision, attribute give such decision opportunity empower throughout after all motivating goal